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MNHQ

After the Fall by Charity Norman - book giveaway March book club newsletter

12 replies

RachelMumsnet · 18/03/2013 16:46

We gave away 50 copies of After the Fall by Charity Norman from our book club newsletter in March. The publishers have just confirmed that copies have now been sent out and if you're name was picked out of the hat to receive a copy, we'll notify you by email this evening. Please do come back to this thread and let us know what you think once you've read the book.

Read more about After the Fall

OP posts:

AnonymousBird · 27/03/2013 11:11

I am three quarters of the way through, I am utterly hooked and now I am home from work, I have a coffee and I am about to read until I am finished...... sod the housework!

AnonymousBird · 27/03/2013 14:29

So I finished it! Great read, though I kind of figured what the outcome might be - big punch part one was predictable fairly early on, big punch part two possibly less so, but as you got closer you could see it coming.

That said, I couldn't put it down though! And the tension was palpable, I found myself having to slow down my breathing and I felt like I had had my stuffing knocked out when the central character had. I was in her mind and panicking when she panicked.

Well worth the read. I'd pick out another Charity Norman for sure.

lasttothebar · 27/03/2013 21:18

Thanks mine has arrived look forward to reading it

MercedesKing · 28/03/2013 01:24

So it is on my wish list!!! Looking forward for great reading experience on it! :)

littlewifey · 28/03/2013 12:36

I could not put this down, really loved it. I actually didn't see the first surprise coming so loved the fact that, unlike many other books I've read recently, I didn't guess the twist before it happened! This kept me gripped! I actually wasn't very keen on Kit- did anyone else feel like this? I felt he was a bit spoilt!

AnonymousBird · 28/03/2013 14:21

Kit was a bit of a git, I tend to agree, a slightly obsessive and impulsive type personality. However, Martha wasn't without her faults!!! Either naive, or deliberately head in the sand, I'm not sure which. And what a peculiar relationship with her sister...

carrots14 · 30/03/2013 13:41

Thank you so much for my copy of this book, I was thrilled to get your e-mail saying a book was on it's way. I finished it last night, staying up extra late to get to the end. I really liked this book, it was well written and I'm sure many of the readers will connect to the emotions which run through the book. Everyone will have their own views on the characters, I loved the descriptions of New Zealand, it brought back memories of my own trip over 10 years ago. I also have a friend who emigrated there, who chose to leave behind a failed business here and has faced her own challenges in NZ, so I felt close to some of the storyline. Well done Charity.

Picturesinthefirelight · 01/04/2013 17:10

I really enjoyed this book too. Took it on holiday and whilst at the beginning I thought I'd got the twist which I had other things led me elsewhere. Difficult to say more without spoilers. Very well written

missorinoco · 04/04/2013 20:23

I thought this was an exellent book. Compelling, even when I found out what had caused the fall I couldn't stop reading to find out what would happen next.

I'm off to find Charity Norman's first book.

26milesofcbeebies · 24/04/2013 10:59

warning this might have spoilers for anyone who hasn't finished the book yet.

Hmmm, while I enjoyed the writing I did not really enjoy the story. Martha was so self centred and seemed willing to sacrifice her daughter for her own happiness, both regarding the identity of her real father and up-rooting her in the hope of maintaining some family fantasy life. Even at the end of the story Martha's main concern seemed to be about protecting her lifestyle at the expense of her daughter- presumably revealing her problems to social services could have helped the family to access professional help.

In fact I found the naiveity of Martha bewildering. She is an OT who works with people who have undergone life changing injuries, helping them to adjust, and yet failed to see that her own daughter might need help adjusting after having her own life turned upside down.

Also, I'm not surprised her relationship with her sister was strange! Martha seemed remarkably clueless about the fact that her sister might be a bit resentful that Martha had decamped to the other side of the world on the teenage whim of her slightly feckless husband, leaving her sister to look after their ageing father. And then offloaded her deeply troubled teenage daughter onto him when things got difficult! I think I would be a bit annoyed with my sister too

That said, I did find the descriptions of the setting compelling and it was definitely her prose that kept me reading. I probably would read another one of Norman's books, if I could borrow it from the library.

lindarumsey · 23/08/2013 11:30

I've only just got round to reading this book and I loved it. The descriptions of New Zealand were very evocative. Like others above I didn't warm to Kit and found Martha to be rather self-centred, but the story-telling was excellent and kept me wanting more!

Reebs123 · 19/08/2014 01:29

I absolutely loved this. I couldn't wait to find out how Finn fell. I loved the style of Charity's writing. you get absorbed into the book and don't want to put it down. The characters and setting is well described and believable. You have to read this book. I can't wait to read the other books by Charity! I'm sorry review is late.

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