Fall for Anything by Courtney Summers

Courtney Summers is a new author for me. After reading Fall for Anything, I've put her other books on my wish list. I really like the way she writes. The fact that she is Canadian and is writing about places I've been and know somehow made this story seem so real. Many books that deal with difficult issues are written from an American perspective, and it's not that I don't love reading those books too, but this one just seemed much more realistic knowing this was a girl so much like girls I know. This book just felt different- in such a great way.

Fall for Anything is about a 17 year old girl named Eddie whose father has just committed suicide. Eddie's mother is a total mess and isn't there for Eddie at all. Her mother's best friend Beth has moved in and she has no idea how to help the situation. The only person Eddie can depend on is her best friend Milo. Ever since her father's death things between Eddie and Milo have been quite tense. When Missy, Milo's sort-of girlfriend comes back on the scene, Eddie feels even more separated from him. Then Eddie meets Culler, a former student of her dad's. Both of them are dealing with their grief and confusion over his death. Neither one of them can understand why her father would commit suicide and are searching for answers in everything he has left behind. As the two of them search for answers, they are drawn closer together while pushing Milo away.

This story was so beautiful and sad. Eddie's grief over her fathers death was so hard to watch. It was so easy to understand why Eddie was searching for answers. The story does a really great job of dealing with the aftermath of suicide. The characters were so compelling as well. The relationship between Eddie and Milo was as complicated as can be when two teenagers of opposite the sex are close friends. I loved how Eddie dealt with her mother's annoying friend. I found Beth to be so insensitive because she was focussing only on the mom and had absolutely no compassion for Eddie. I really really loved reading this book. There was some swearing in the book, although it was never inappropriate or just used for shock value. There was also discussions about sex, but nothing that I don't think grade 7 students could handle. I really think this is a book I will be thinking about for a while.