Break the Fall by Jennifer Iacopelli

Challenge #32 ~ “A book related to the 2020 Summer Games in Japan.”

breakthefall

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

My opinion in three sentences:

Having had a good and bad experience respectively from Iacopelli’s two last novels, I wasn’t quite sure what this one would hold, and ended up being pleasantly surprised. There was a new level of sophistication to this book from both the last, and even the strengths had been built upon – relatable, complex characters, establishing a world many of us are unfamiliar with in an entertaining way, crafting a twisting plotline with all the requisite up-and-downs, the works. Plus, to top it all off, Iacopelli exhibited top-class handling of some challengeing themes to create a hard-hitting but empowering story, offering some of the hope we’ve all been looking for in 2020!

(Without spoiling anything) the best bit:

Maybe it was just right place right time, but for me one of the best things about this novel was the added poignancy by the cancellation of this year’s Olympics. We, as a reader, grow to love the characters, fight for them, support them, and all the time are made aware of how time sensitive things are, whether from injury, age, other competitors reaching their peak, or the multitude of other factors involved. It’s safe to say that the outcomes from the 2021 games will not be the same as they would have for 2020, and Iacopelli’s story brings that message home in an intimate fashion – I really had to take a pause and think. Unintentional it may have been, it’s an additional level of depth that really struck a chord with me (and was the icing on the cake to such a well-crafted novel.)

A warning for the book:

It tackles some serious and dark themes. Whilst there’s nothing graphic, the dominant focus thematically is sexual assault survival and, as in reality, it resurfaces again and again, especially when you’re least expecting it. So, please take care of yourself first and heed any trigger warnings you may need to, but rest assured that Iacopelli does a fantastic job at sensitively handling the topic and representing it realistically.

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