Review Detail

LOVESICK FALLS tells the tale of Celia and two of her friends as they go to a cabin to try and have some independence over the summer. In a place like Lovesick Falls people can fall in love, but they can also fall out of love. For Celia, desperately in love with her best friend, this might be the place where something finally happens to her feelings for Ros. The trio has been friends for years, but can living together in a new town drive a wedge between them?

What I Loved:
The topic of growing older and growing apart has been touched on a lot in various media. It’s a sensitive topic because, especially as teenagers, people have a lot of emotions around it. This book manages to approach the topic with a sense of understanding and compassion. Julia Drake managed to write a realistic, to some extent at least, portrayal of what it means to have your friendship change. It wasn’t thrown around without care. It was shown in big moments, but also in the smaller things that characters mention as well.

The description of Lovesick Falls was done beautifully. It added a touch of whimsy and magic to the story, even if no actual magic was present. The author manages to give enough detail about the location to draw readers in, especially readers who are location/setting-oriented. But the author also didn’t turn this into a 500 page fantasy novel just to give us those descriptions. They were woven into what the characters were experiencing and how they were taking things in.

What Left Me Wanting More:
Not every reader is going to vibe with the writing of a story, that’s just the facts. I found that while the discussions of friendship and the description of the settings pulled me in as a reader, some of the plot points just fell a bit short. There’s a certain level of drama and angst expected in books, especially YA books. I found that some worked well for me, but other points did not.

I also wish the book had featured more POVs, not just Celia’s. Often I found myself wanting to know what the other characters were thinking in a certain moment but we were rooted solidly in Celia’s head. She can also have a very distinctive tone and not every reader is going to want to be in her POV.

Final Verdict:
LOVESICK FALLS is an interesting look at how friendships can change as teens grow older and life happens. With fun and drama, the book manages to approach the topic of friendship with care.