This book started out as pretty intense and I was definitely upset reading about any sort of child abuse. Miriam was a monster and I felt so much for the foster children who were put in her care. I think the most engaging part of the novel was the idea of how easily it is for children to be failed by the system. The storyline sort of dragged and I was impatient with the main characters hesitation to tell the truth about the past.

I love the story behind the story of this book. Even if you try and run, someday your past will catch up with you! This was a thrilling read and I enjoyed the book a lot. recommended.

We All Fall Down is a great read full of emotion and intrigue. Focusing on five children brought up in a care home, the novel follows their lives after they were changed completely by a tragic accident.

Living in a foster home with the awful Miriam, the children are forced to endure relentless abuse, both physical and emotional, on a daily basis. Fearing for their lives, the children come up with a plot to put an end to it all - but the road collision changes their plan.

Meanwhile Ronnie Moss, the drunk driver who ploughed into their bus, killing one of the children and putting Miriam into a coma, manages to escape and get on a plane, leaving the UK for good. Since the accident he's been concealing himself beneath a new identity, his new family completely unaware.

But when Ronnie is recognised and brought back to the UK for questioning, the case is reopened. The children, now adults, must work out what to do. Delving too deep might just unearth their own secrets...

I really enjoyed the idea behind this novel. It is heartbreaking at times, especially at the beginning of the book, when the kids are living with Miriam. We All Fall Down was a good read, however I found that it fell flat about halfway through. It lacked tension, and seemed to focus mainly on the kids' everyday lives. I felt like I didn't really get to know the characters very well, they seemed a little one-dimensional.

Also, this novel is a thriller, but it's not a mystery full of unexpected twists. Which, to be honest, I found refreshing; there doesn't need to be a huge, shocking twist for a book to be thrilling. There is no big mystery here. I liked the ending of this one, in principal; I just felt as though it was underwhelming simply because the book was getting a bit slow in the second half, and certain aspects seemed to be forgotten, so it made the ending feel a little rushed.

Overall it was an interesting read, and I'd definitely be reading more from this author in the future.

This sounds like a super creepy thriller, but I felt it was more about friendship and trust. Maybe I’m just a little crazy.

I really liked the premise of this book. I enjoyed the characters and the different view points of the children and the driver.
I did find the book dragged a bit around three quarters of the way through. It felt as though it was the same thing over and over.
A decent read.

I really enjoyed reading this book, even though it began with some awful child abuse by a foster mother. Five young orphans live with Miriam, who is so abusive to the children that they actually begin poisoning her food in the hopes it will weaken her enough to stop her beating them. One morning Miriam is driving the children to school when the van they are riding in collides with a truck being driven by a very drunk man, who abandons his vehicle and runs away, eventually making his way to the Caribbean. One of the children is killed in the accident, the rest are injured and Miriam is left paralyzed and with amnesia. The children are sent separately to other homes where they grow up not knowing where their foster home siblings are. At some point, the driver, Ronnie Moss, is found in St. Lucia, and is extradited to England to stand trial for the accident. The four surviving children, now adults, are brought together by the police who want them to testify in Moss' trial. The children are terrified that their scheme to poison Miriam will be discovered and they will be sent to prison. This was a pretty well written and entertaining book, even though it was a bit roundabout in the way the grown children's situation is handled. Definitely recommend.

I really enjoyed this book. It was brilliantly written with a great cast of characters and intriguing plot that kept me turning the pages. Perfect read to escape from day to day life. A great read.

Thankyou to NetGalley, Aria Books and the author, Cynthia Clark, for the opportunity to read a digital copy of We All Fall Down in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion.
This book certainly offers a thrill ride for the discerning reader. It was brutal, emotional and very intriguing. It certainly kept me hooked to the end.
Worth a read.

The book opens into the traumatic world of 5 children who are fostered by Miriam. The abuse is quite detailed which some readers may find off putting. As well as the physical abuse there is the psychological power that she holds over them – tell anyone and they’ll split you up. Then there is a car crash & Miriam & the children are badly injured & split up. Fast forward to the future where the five children have carved out successful lives for themselves until the past comes back to haunt them.

I very much enjoyed this book. None of us know what life will throw at us next & this book clearly demonstrates that. What will happen next & where will that lead us? The foster children have built successful lives but their childhood remains. It doesn’t take much to make it all come flooding back. How quickly adults take on their childhood roles again in the right circumstances.

All of the characters in this book are damaged. Sandra has her beautiful home, ideal husband and model children. It is quite brittle, however, as she can’t even share her past with her husband. Bea is a workaholic – and an alcoholic. If it isn’t one to blot out the trauma of the past then it is the other. She has to learn to let go in order to move on. Even Miriam who was seriously disabled lives in a place now where she is well cared for and liked – a long way from her past.

I enjoyed this book with its deep characters. I wasn’t so convinced by the ending. It seemed to come rather quickly and easily & didn’t have as much depth to it as the rest of the story. I am not sure how I would have ended the book but I was left with a slight hint of dissatisfaction. I appreciated the addition of the epilogue. I would certainly look for other books by this author.

I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley.

4-5 stars! A book that had all the elements I love in a thriller! The author really hooked the readers and made sure they stayed that way for the entire ride!
Will make sure to use in a challenge, as well as buzz it up in Chapter Chatter Pub.

Orphans in a home, somewhere they are supposed to be cared for.

From the first page, I was hooked!

We All Fall Down by Cynthia Clark is suspense and a twisty thriller at it's best.

From the first word to the last, she gets deep inside the children's minds. I was genuinely concerned for them and their welfare.

Miriam is scary and formidable and cruel. The way she treats the children with such disrespect is awful and unforgivable, her punishments are worse.

Ronnie Moss is trying to escape a is trying to escape a mistake from years ago.

What is the fate of all the characters?

We All Fall Down is a thriller I will never forget- powerful plots, realistic characters and a pace that is fast.

Highly recommended. 5 stars and with a level of detail to keep the shivers running down your spine.

Thanks to Cynthia Clark and Aria for my ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review and a place on the blog tour for the title.

One of my favourite thrillers of the year!

Amazing read! The author wrote a story that was interesting and moved at a pace that kept me engaged. The characters were easy to invest in.

A stark cruel opening seemed over the top and that seemed to set the scene for the whole book.
I wasn’t enamoured by any of the characters and the book was just an ok read.

I must admit that prior to being invited to take part in the blog tour for ‘We All Fall Down’, I hadn’t actually come across Cynthia Clark before. Now I am left asking myself how in the world have I not heard of her before now and how have I missed her first book. The synopsis and the cover of the book really appealed to me and so without further ado I started reading. Overall I did enjoy it but more about that in a bit.
I must admit that there were certain of these characters that I could have quite cheerfully slapped a few dozen times around with the chops with a wet flip flop. The more painful the better. One such character is Miriam, who is the so-called foster parent of a group of children but to say she is a sadist is a huge understatement. Honestly if I could have confiscated that frying pan and given her a dose of her own medicine then I would have done. That’s just one instance of what she gets up to. Another such character is Ronnie Moss, the lorry driver who causes an horrific accident but who does a runner before he is caught. If I could have jumped inside the pages of the book to box him around the ears and frogmarch him to the police station myself then I would have done. The ones I felt most sorry for were the foster children under Miriam’s care. If I could have jumped inside the pages of the book to give them all a hug then I would have done. If there’s one thing that I hate, it is child abuse and effectively this is what Miriam does.
I have to be honest and say that it took me a fair while to get into this book. To start with there are some pretty graphic details given about the sadistic treatment that Miriam dishes out that makes for some pretty uncomfortable and distressing reading and I admit that I did wonder if I should stop reading. That thought only lasted for a second or two. I am so glad that I persevered in reading the book because in the end I did enjoy it. As the book continued, I did feel drawn into the story and I ended up becoming addicted to reading it. I just had to keep reading to see if Ronnie Moss ended up having to pay for what he did and if the children (or adults as they are in the latter half of the book) ended up living happy and fulfilling lives. The story gathered pace and momentum and I seemed to race to the end. Reading this book was much like being on a scary and unpredictable rollercoaster ride with a fair few twists and turns. I also loved the psychological aspect of this book
Overall I did enjoy reading this book and I would definitely recommend it to other readers. A note of warning though, some people might be upset by the details of Miriam’s abuse of the children so be prepared. I will definitely be reading Cynthia’s first book and I look forward to reading any of her future books. The score on the Ginger Book Geek is a well deserved 4* out of 5*.

This suspense thriller centers around five children: Bea, Sebastian, Sandra, Helen, and John living in foster care with an abusive woman named Miriam. After reaching their mental and physical limits of Miriam’s daily abuse, the group of children devised a plan in hopes of saving themselves and each other. But the outcome is never truly realized because of an accident involving a young man who had been awake and driving for days, Ronnie Moss. Everything quickly falls apart in their lives, resulting in huge changes and years of difficult memories of the past. Then one day, each of the children, now adults, receives a phone call bringing everything back to the surface.

It all started with seeing this cover! I couldn’t help but be intrigued after seeing the haunting cover image, the use of colors, and the creepy description.

We All Fall Down started out with a bang and quickly reeled me into the lives of the five children, as well as, Ronnie Moss. Just as she did in her previous novel, If Only You Knew, Cynthia Clark developed each of her characters in a beautifully detailed and thoughtful way very early on, building an enormous amount of anticipation regarding what the future held for everyone. The first part of the novel, based on events in 1989, was heartbreaking, to say the least. Having a parent that was in the foster system and horribly mistreated for a good portion of his childhood, the situation in Miriam’s home infuriated me and made me hopeful as I read on and learned about their lives almost 30 years later.

With the exception of flashbacks, the majority of the novel is based in the present after Ronnie Moss is discovered. The reader learns about each character’s life, how things turned out personally and professionally, and so on. Along with this comes a great deal of tension and suspense as Bea, Sandra, John, and Helen fear that someone will discover their plan from those many years ago and fear that their current lives will be destroyed because of it.

Unfortunately, for me personally, I felt that some of the excitement and suspense diminished as the novel progressed. I was still intrigued and felt compelled to continue reading, but it didn’t have that same “wow factor” that I felt in the opening of the novel. There continued to be ups and downs regarding suspenseful moments where I wondered what would happen next, but when I reached the ending, it seemed rather anti-climatic compared to the earlier development of the plot. Don’t get me wrong, I definitely enjoyed this novel, but it didn’t keep me on the edge of my seat as I had hoped.

I know I’ve already discussed the characterization and Clark’s incredible talent for it, but one of the most interesting elements of this novel for me was watching the characters almost revert back to childlike thoughts, actions, and behaviors as they worried about their plan from childhood being discovered. Especially Sandra, whose life seemed so smooth-running and organized. This normally confident woman became obsessed with the fear of something happening to upset her world, often having somewhat ridiculous thoughts about Miriam and her capacity to still destroy their lives. Bea also reverted to immature thoughts and actions, as did John. Helen seemed the calmest, although the author didn’t really allow us into her head as much as she did with Bea and Sandra.

I’m noticing that I’m rambling so I will wrap this up. Although I don’t think the novel was executed as well as it could have been, this was an intriguing novel with a wonderfully varied cast of characters. We All Fall Down serves as a reminder of the power of secrets, how quickly things can change, and also the freedom that comes with letting go of the past.

*Thanks to Aria and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This book made me feel all the emotions as I read it. It begins with a nightmare physical abuse scenario for 5 foster children, and it spins out of control with consequences that haunt the misfortunate victims for decades.

I felt hugely empathic towards all parties (with one obvious exception), and I couldn't quite quess how it would all work out. Overall I thought it was an engaging, heart-wrenching read with a storyline that held my attention right till the end.

This was my first book by Cynthia Clark but I look forward to reading more of her work.

Thanks to Aria Fiction for giving me for giving me a copy of this book for review consideration. As always, no matter what the source of the book, you get my honest, unbiased opinion

We All Fall Down by Cynthia Clark is a recommended drama that focuses on the individuals involved in an incident and the aftermath of their actions.

In 1989 five children are living in a foster home with Miriam, their abusive care giver. Bea, her brother Sebastian, Helen, Sandra and John have all experienced pain, bruises, and abuse at the hands of Miriam so they decide on a course of action together and set out to execute it. Their plan was supposed to slow Miriam down and protect them a bit, while keeping the children together. Then a terrible accident happens that resulted in the children being separated from each other. Ronnie Moss was blamed for the accident and he ran as far away from Great Britain as he could to escape any recrimination.

It is now 2017 and some business men on vacation recognize Ronnie and he is arrested and now awaiting extradition. The children, now adults, are informed of the arrest and the police want their statements about what they remember from 1989 and the accident. This request brings them back together, but also causes them a great deal of anxiety and worry about how much information will be revealed or uncovered.

The story begins with ten-year-old Bea being abused at the hands of Miriam. The ongoing physical and verbal abuse the children have all experienced is revealed, as well as how close the children feel to each other. Their plan is revealed and the reasons for it. Then the accident happens, resulting in a different kind of pain for Bea, and the children are all separated. The background information and the actions from 1989 is clearly presented and then where the characters of Ronnie, Bea, and Helen are looked at in the present day. This is not a mystery or a thriller. We know what happened. Rather, it is an exploration of the characters and their motives and thoughts.

We All Fall Down is a slow-moving novel that builds up and reveals the whole story slowly. I have to admit that the dilemma the surviving adults are concerned about due to their circumstances from 1989 is really a non-issue. I'm surprised that they didn't just come up with their final decision right away. I'm surprised they didn't say something about Miriam in 1989. Sure they wanted to stay together, but they could have said that while telling someone about the abuse. When they turn back as adults to the logic they used as children, it's unfathomable. Either speak up or don't. This is an airplane book. It's interesting, moderately well-written, and will help you pass the time, but you won't be too worried if you lose or misplace the book.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of the Head of Zeus/Aria.

http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2018/12/we-all-fall-down.html
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2616584287
https://www.librarything.com/work/22593030/reviews/163042061
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We can’t bury our past.

Try as we might, it is impossible to bury the past. A single act can dig its claws in so deeply that you keep looking back to that one moment in time.

Five orphaned children form an unbreakable bond as they try to cope with the vindictive and abusive nature of their supposed caregiver. Tragedy strikes and creates a sense of guilt which will leave them soul searching for 30 years. Although their ties are severed when they are separated into different homes across London, the knowledge of their deed becomes the invisible bond.

The novel begins with Bea, still a child, who must draw deep into herself to ignore the pain caused by a severe beating from Miriam. Her late arrival at the breakfast table has brought this on. It is only her brother’s steadfast gaze that strengthens her and the knowledge that they are doing something to stop the abuse. Not more than an hour later, Bea is left with a deep sense of regret that she had not been on time; one second would have made the difference and avoided the loss of her dream and the most precious thing in her life.

Ronnie Moss has just been ditched by a woman that has become the centre of his existence. His need to momentarily forget sets him on a course of action that will alter his life forever.

30 years later Bea feels bitterness overwhelm her as she hears the name, Ronnie Moss.
The children, now adults who have reinvented their lives, are reunited and are forced to face a choice they made all those years ago. As they talk about their childhood they realise that although they were separated their lives have always been intertwined and their future still depends on the woman who made their time together a living misery.

The novel is a fluid read. Clark can bring her characters to life and allow the reader to experience their emotional turmoil. What I missed about this novel was more flesh leading up to the climax. At times it felt like I was reading pages of pointless detail which detracted from the build-up in suspense and intrigue.

Ange

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

We All Fall Down by Cynthia Clark was a great read, a story that sucked me in and plenty of twists all round. I read this in 2 nights. At times it was hard to know who was lying and who was honest - so many lies and secrets in a family of orphans who would do anything to survive.

30 years ago orphans Bea and her brother Sebastian, Helen, Sandra and John all live with the heartless Miriam. She does not care for any of them, she is cruel and nasty. One morning on the way to school an traffic accident changes their lives forever. They are split up and taken to new homes.

Ronnie Moss was the driver responsible and he has been on the run ever since. When his hiding place is discovered and he is arrested, the orphans are reunited. But will their dark secrets be uncovered and their new lives ruined forever.


Thanks to Aria and Netgalley for my advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased

This was an OK read for me. It didn't really jump out and grab me but it was OK. Sorry just not for me.