The Upside of Falling Down: what good could come from a life falling apart?

The Upside of Falling Down by Rebekah Crane is a story of self-discovery. For Clementine Haas, finding herself is more than just a cliché notion. After she wakes up in an Irish hospital with complete amnesia, self-discovery is more a survival mission. They tell her she’s the sole survivor of a plane crash. They tell her she is lucky to be alive but she doesn’t feel lucky. She feels confused and lost. With the relentless press desperate for her story and a father on his way, one she might not recognize, she’s desperate to escape. Clementine becomes Jane and enlists the help of a blue-eyed stranger to help her escape the hospital and her forgotten life. Kieran O’Connell is doing some hiding of his own as he helps the helpless Jane and takes her to Waterville, Ireland. As their lies grow, so does their affection for each other. Will she regain her memory? Could there be an upside to her life falling apart? 

The Upside of Falling Down was suggested to me and the premise intrigued me. From the opening chapter, the reader struggles with Clementine as she is desperate to regain who she is. It is a story filled with secrets, lies and the discovery of who you really are. A story about facing your fears in order to gain our freedom and starting over. I enjoyed Clementine/Jane very much. The banter between her and Kieran is great and sweet. Even their romance seems to be unlikely but added flair to her dilemma. I also enjoyed her interaction with the colorful cast of characters she meets in the sleepy Irish village from the Jane Austen loving Clive to the ornery Siobhan. The story was engaging and engrossing as Clementine slowly regains who she is but wants to hold on to her new found life. I was surprised at the truth that Kieran was hiding. I highly recommend The Upside of Falling Down. 

The Upside of Falling Down is available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook.