A YA debut about a teen girl who wrestles with rumors, reputation, and her relationships with two brothers.
Seventeen-year-old Raychel is sleeping with two boys: her overachieving best friend Matt...and his slacker brother, Andrew. Raychel sneaks into Matt's bed after nightmares, but nothing ever happens. He doesn't even seem to realize she's a girl, except when he decides she needs rescuing. But Raychel doesn't want to be his girl anyway. She just needs his support as she deals with the classmate who assaulted her, the constant threat of her family's eviction, and the dream of college slipping quickly out of reach. Matt tries to help, but he doesn't really get it... and he'd never understand why she's fallen into a secret relationship with his brother. The friendships are a precarious balance, and when tragedy strikes, everything falls apart. Raychel has to decide which pieces she can pick up - and which ones are worth putting back together. Praise for After the Fall: Raychel's interactions with Carson raise important questions about what it means to consent to sexual activity. ?Kirkus Thought-provoking moments regarding such issues as female sexuality, racial microaggressions, and class differences add depth to the characters. Recommend to fans of character-driven novels such as Sara Zarr's How to Save a Life (2011) or Jennifer Niven's All the Bright Places (2015). --Booklist [H]art does a good job of handling her ambitious plot...Like Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak and Courtney Summers's All the Rage, this is an important novel for teens and adults to discuss together. --School Library Journal This memorable debut novel is told in the alternating perspectives of Raychel and Matt. Both characters are very well portrayed as complex characters with strengths and weaknesses. The supporting cast is also well developed, with most characters avoiding the trap of falling into mere stereotypes...This would be an excellent addition to most high school libraries. --VOYA, starred review In her remarkably crafted and unforgettable debut, Kate Hart proves herself a force to be reckoned with. After the Fall is a beautiful and brutal exploration of love, feminism, consent and identity; of who we are, who we think we are--and who we have the potential to be. Everyone should read this book. --Courtney Summers, author of All the Rage and This is Not a Test In After the Fall, Kate Hart will give words to girls who need them, and open the eyes of boys who need them, too. --E.K. Johnston, author of Exit, Pursued By A Bear, A Thousand Nights, and Star Wars: Ashoka Achingly real characters navigate the complexities of their everyday lives in After the Fall, an honest tale about love, lust, friendship, and the lines in between. --Mindy McGinnis, author of The Female of the Species and Not a Drop to Drink In her gorgeous and unflinching debut, Hart brilliantly unwinds the many facets of consent and entitlement, and the tragic ways these dynamics can play out, even among friends. Both heartbreaking and heartbreakingly relevant, After the Fall is a must-read. --Stephanie Kuehn, author of the Morris-Award-winning Charm & Strange