Review: I Let You Fall by Sara Downing
Like most, I always do a lot more reading in the summertime. Work and life slow down and I have more time on my hands to curl up with a good book. This summer has been a bit different, as I have had a lot going on in my personal life — all good things: I got married in early June and have been busy spending time with loved ones here in France. I’ve been enjoying myself but there hasn’t been much downtime up until recently.
Now that I have more free time I’ve been flying through book after book. I am still quite busy during the week with work but have been able to squeeze in a lot of reading on the weekends. I’ve also been doing a lot of traveling by train, giving me a few hours here and there to read as the French countryside passes me by.
On one of my recent journeys, I was happy to (finally) start I Let You Fall, the latest novel from author Sara Downing. TCK Publishing was kind enough to send over a copy for me to read and review way back in May and I have been eager to peruse its pages ever since. As soon as I got started I was hooked — it’s wonderfully written and the storyline is gripping and intriguing.
I Let You Fall tells the story of Eve Chapman, an art teacher who leads a seemingly normal life until she finds herself in a coma after an accident. We don’t learn the details of what put her in the hospital until later on in the novel. She wakes up in a hospital room and watches in horror as a group of surgeons attempt to save the life of a woman with a terrible head injury. As she takes a closer look, she realizes that the woman on the operating table is none other than herself. It’s an out-of-body experience moment at its finest.
As Eve tries to navigate her new existence, she meets others who are also injured and living outside of their body. One, in particular, a man named Luca, acts as her guide as he has been in a coma for much longer. The longer Eve’s body remains in a coma the more frustrated she becomes — she is able to see her parents and boyfriend come to visit her but they can’t hear her when she tried to speak to them. What’s worse is that when she tries to comfort them, they can’t seem to feel her presence.
A beacon of hope in an otherwise maddening situation is that Eve has the power to comfort those who she doesn’t know: people visiting loved ones in the hospital, other accident victims, and folks who need to say goodbye to family members who are on the verge of death. Although she remains invisible she knows that her touch soothes those who are struggling. She is even tasked with watching over a musician — a duty that gives her new life purpose.
While I Let You Fall isn’t overtly feminist in nature, Eve does question much in her life while she is in a coma. She wonders if she is fulfilled in her relationship and when she ultimately decides that she isn’t, she doesn’t let heartbreak bring her down. Rather, she is able to rise above it and focus on herself. Readers will rejoice when she finally comes to the realization that she deserves better than her current boyfriend, as it’s obvious that he’s nothing short of a low life. One wonders how long it would have taken her in the “real world.” In many ways, her coma saves her from a toxic relationship and shows her what’s important in life.
I won’t go into too many more details as I don’t want to spoil the story, but I Let You Fall is one of my favorite reads of summer so far. If you’re looking for a book to bring along to the beach or on a train ride of your own, I recommend it. It’s captivating enough to keep you engaged, yet light enough to bring a smile to your face. In other words, the perfect summer read.