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Fall Far from the Tree

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Terror. Callousness. Denial. Rebellion. How the four teenage children of leaders in the duchy and the neighboring empire of Hanaobi choose to adapt to their nefarious parents’ whims is a matter of survival.

Rohesia, daughter of the duke, spends her days hunting "outsiders," fugitives who’ve snuck onto her father’s island duchy. That she lives when even children who resemble her are subject to death hardens her heart to tackle the task.

Fastello is the son of the "king" of the raiders who steal from the rich and share with the poor. When aristocrats die in the raids, Fastello questions what his peoples’ increasingly wicked methods of survival have cost them.

An orphan raised by a convent of mothers, Cateline can think of no higher aim in life than to serve her religion, even if it means turning a blind eye to the suffering of other orphans under the mothers’ care.

Kojiro, new heir to the Hanaobi empire, must avenge his people against the "barbarians" who live in the duchy, terrified the empress, his own mother, might rather see him die than succeed.

When the paths of these four young adults cross, they must rely on one another for survival—but the love of even a malevolent guardian is hard to leave behind.

242 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 6, 2016

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About the author

Amy McNulty

33 books499 followers
Amy McNulty is an editor and author of books that run the gamut from YA speculative fiction to contemporary romance. A lifelong fiction fanatic, she fangirls over books, anime, manga, comics, movies, games, and TV shows from her home state of Wisconsin. When not editing her clients’ novels, she’s busy fulfilling her dream by crafting fantastical worlds of her own.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
Profile Image for Mary ~Ravager of Tomes~.
354 reviews980 followers
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August 13, 2017
This story is split into four perspectives.

Rohesia
Daughter of the Duke & thus protected from the consequences of her "outsider" lineage, she is her father's most trusted blade.

Fastello
A young man whose father leads a gypsy-like vigilante group that primarily fight to give back to the poor farmers of the land, for a price of course.

Cateline
A young Mother-in-Guidance & steadfast Stargazer, she belongs to a religious group who worship the goddess of the stars, Ytoile, and condemn the daylight as the time of the sun demon.

Kojiro
Next in line for the Hanaobi throne, he fears he does not live up to the legacy father and older brother left behind neither in his own eyes nor in his mother's eyes.

My absolute favorite part of this book is the religion of the Stargazers. They're a bit like nuns, primarily occupying a tower & consisting of women & children. They worship the goddess of the night & consider the sun to be the enemy of their deity. They cite the sunburns on their pale skin as evidence of the sun demon's malevolence.

I just love religious, cult-like themes in novels if they are well-written. I think they add an interesting dynamic & characterization potential, and McNulty crafts her characters seamlessly around this particular aspect of the novel.

When you're dealing with dialogue, there are a lot of things to consider. Personality, regional slang, and making sure each character has a distinct & believable presence that doesn't contradict your previous characterization. The dialogue in this novel also was a high point for me, as I felt it was quite realistic & differential between the characters.

My major criticism boils down to the fact that I really struggled to follow why certain events unfolded, primarily in the second half of the book. I feel like on both a large & small scale, the important bridges between plot points were entirely forgotten or skipped over.

I had particular trouble picturing the sequence of the climax, but not necessarily due to the writing. The writing was clear in its description, but it read as though I was blacking out while it was happening. I latched onto a train of thought only to have the story switch gears again it what didn't
always feel like a logical turn of events.

Characters were popping up here & there, moving around to different locations, teaming up & betraying one another, revealing snatches of their individual motives, but it all sort of came off as a jumble.

Relationship development was a bit on the choppy side, and it caused me to feel somewhat detached. The story also suffered from using First Person POV for all 4 characters. Third Person at least some of the time would've helped fill in those gaps, I feel.

Overall, I appreciate the darker themes, as I think Young Adult literature tends to stay on the safer side when it comes to certain topics. There is definitely an interesting premise here, however, I think the book could benefit from taking more time to fill out its story & tightening its focus.

As my reading of this novel is part of the SPFBO contest, I will not be giving it a rating.

This review and other reviews of mine can be found on Book Nest!
Profile Image for Katrin D.
287 reviews607 followers
August 30, 2016
An ARC was provided by NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

This book surprised me. The synopsis was interesting, but I did not expect to get so caught up in the story. I haven't read anything else by this author, so I dived in not knowing what I was getting myself at.

This is the story of four young people - there are four different POVs - and what is interesting is, all of the narrators were easily distinguishable from each other. Normally, when you have each chapter from a different POV, there is a risk that the characters we follow get mixed with each other and there is no "specific" voice attached to each of them. Thankfully, this was not true here. I was absolutely amazed at how easily the story flowed, even though each chapter is told by a different view - they alternate every four chapters - first we start with Rohesia, then Fastello, Cateline and finally Kojiro and then once again Rohesia, etc.

What is the story about?

Well, there is a powerful empire - Hanaobi - which has a problematic relationship with the Duchy - an island country, whose only neighbour is said empire and which has difficulties with producing enough food to feed its people. The relationship between both countries is strained and all of a sudden the fates of the four main characters get intertwined. I'm not going to say more about the plot in order not to spoil it, because there are a lot of interesting twists and turns. Overall, it was a great ride and I'm really glad I stumbled upon this book.

I will definitely be checking out the author's other works (I will try to write a more substantial review in the days to come).
Profile Image for Sandra (LadyGrey Reads).
634 reviews96 followers
May 15, 2017
I VOLUNTARILY REVIEWED A COPY FROM THE "RACHEL E. CARTER YA BOOK CLUB ON GOODREADS

Time for a little family reunion.

So I wasn't sure about this book when I got it. I felt the blurb was a bit vague and it took me quite a while to get into it. However, I soon found that I really enjoyed it.

The story follows four people; Rohesia, Fastello, Cateline and Kojiro. Rohesia is the daughter of a duke, tasked with finding "outsiders" - something that troubles her from time to time as she is half "outsider". Fastello is the son of the "nomad king" and is not pleased with his father's new way of ruling - earlier the nomads only stole the goods of rich people, but now they also murder them. Cateline grew up in a monastery and wants nothing but to follow the religion she has been brought up with - sometimes to a fault. And Kojiro is the younger son of the Hanaobi empress (Hanaobi = "outsiders") and suddenly finds himself the heir to the throne - but his mother would rather see him dead.

These four very different individuals eventually end up together and start to realize that, maybe, they're not that different at all. They have all suffered in the past, their parents have been both loving and cruel, but it's high time a new rule is instated. But at what cost?

Out of the four characters I think I liked Kojiro the most. Maybe because he was very different and his chapters showed him struggling with learning the language of the duchy - sort of like learning English when you're from China or Japan (Hanaobi is definitely inspired by these nations). I also felt like he was the character with the most depth. The others developed as well throughout the story, but they could have been pushed even further. The world could also have been developed further; it took me a while to realize that Rohesia, Fastello and Cateline all grew up on an island (the duchy) and that only Kojiro was from the main land.

What I really enjoyed about this story, though, was the writing and the way the events flowed into one another. And that there were things close to the end that I had not expected to see. These things definitely pushed the rating up from 3 to 4 stars and I am looking forward to the sequel.
Profile Image for Dessa Mae.
374 reviews83 followers
October 5, 2016
This book is so good! It certainly deserves more attention from readers.
Profile Image for CE.
50 reviews23 followers
September 13, 2016
I received an ARC of this book from the author and I am convinced it is her goal to ruin my life with her books. This book is a reminder. A reminder that not everything ends peachy-keen. This book is not easy, it's unfair, and it's not clean. But it is just and strong and so emotionally ensnaring that I will be dreaming about it. This isn't a book I will be able to easily let go of.

One page in and it was the darkest book I have ever read. After finishing this book I don't think I can read anything darker. There are no take backs, no do overs. What these teens experience is not an average loss. It is the break down of their lives with the simultaneous building of their unlikely relationships.

Just, Amy McNulty's, other two books things start off regular enough, the introduction of the characters normal lives, then the tables turn and we get a strong glimpse into their twisted realities. By glimpse I mean you know their lives are terrible even though they don't. How convoluted things get is something you'll have to read to find out. Ms. McNulty has no qualms about letting her characters get dirty which is perfect since nothing is filthier than the duchy. So you can expect them all to get dragged through the crap filled streets and then some.

Speaking of said characters. I usually don't read books with several view points because there is a struggle with keeping characters straight. Here there was no struggle. Each character was unique in their own right. the lives varying so greatly there was no mistaking any of their situations. The way their worlds blend and mesh all together is effortless in the most messy kind of way. I was eager to get to the next character just visit each character's individual world. When they all met as one I still greedily wanted all of their thoughts on the situations they got themselves stuck in. I was not disappointed.

I really did love this book. It tore my heart out when I got to the nitty gritty and I'm still waiting for there to be an epilogue screaming "SIKE!" But that's what makes this book and Amy McNulty so fantastic. Things go wrong, lives suck, everyone (especially us readers) suffers heart ache but everything feels good in the end. The bow is tied on slightly crooked and loose but the bow is there. Strapped proudly to our pretty little package of a book. I couldn't decide if I was happy to get to the bow or epically sad.
Profile Image for Tiffany Murphy.
523 reviews72 followers
April 24, 2017
"I VOLUNTARILY REVIEWED A COPY FROM THE "RACHEL E. CARTER YA BOOK CLUB ON GOODREADS."
Rohesia, the daughter of the Duke, spends her days hunting down "outsiders" who have managed to sneak onto her father's island duchy. The fact that she lives when even children who resemble her far more than the people around her do, hardens her heart to the task at hand.
Fastello, son of the "king" of the raiders who steal from the rich and give to the poor. But when aristocrats begin to die during their raids, he begins to question everything about their way of life.
Cateline, was raised as an orphan in a convent of mothers. She can think of no higher calling than to serve her religion, even if that means turning a blind eye to the suffering of other orphans at the hands of the mothers.
Kojiro, the new heir to the Hanaobi throne, must avenge his people against the barbarians who live in the duchy, or die trying, all the while terrified that his mother might prefer he die rather than see him succeed.
These four teenage children of the leaders of the duchy and surrounding areas have found ways to adapt and survive their parents schemes but it's only when their paths cross that they might find a way to set things right again. They must put aside prejudices and work together to survive.
This book had me hooked from paragraph one. I was impressed with how well the author handled the multiple viewpoints. A lot of authors struggle with two viewpoints but this book was written from four, and it was flawlessly done! I had absolutely no problem telling them apart. Each character is a separate entity with their own hopes, fears,talents, flaws and dreams, a completely unique personality. Even the villains were amazingly written, you know, the kind you love to hate. And the story line kept moving the entire time, there was never any time when things dragged or I got bored. I also loved that it was dark, so very dark. And it definitely didn't end the way I thought it would! I really enjoyed every moment of the story and can't wait until the next book.
Profile Image for Daisy Gonzalez.
308 reviews3 followers
September 28, 2016
Thank god for Netgalley cause if it wasn't for them providing me with a copy I would have never stumbled upon this amazing book! Wow I am very surprised by this hidden gem, I didn't expect to love it as much as I did, but I was intrigued right from the first chapter.

I don't want to give to much of the story away because I think you should go into this book blind like I did,but here's a quick summary. It is told by four different points of view by young teens who all come from royal or powerful families. Each of them have been raised by cruel rules and they are torn by ruling like their parents or starting their own path. Their journeys end up tying together beautifully in a way I didn't expect. There is a lot of political issues they each have to face, which also ties up each character.

Amy McNulty did an incredible job at building a world with characters I cared deeply about right from the start. The entire book played out like a movie in my mind thanks to the vivid images described by the author. There were some brutal scenes, some heartbreak, some laughter and a good message. All these characters are trying to escape the saying, "the apple doesn't fall far from the tree" and I think it is something a lot of young folks try to do. Just because you are raised around certain types of people doesn't mean you have to continue the lineage of cruelty or negativity. You can grow up to be your own person regardless of the home life you had and that's what this book is about.

I really loved it and hope she continues the series.This will definitely not be my last book by this author. <3

Profile Image for Sheri.
2,016 reviews
August 9, 2016
Fall Far from the Tree by Amy McNulty

The story of four very different teens living under strict rules in the Duchy and Hanaobi. Rohesia is the daughter of the Duke, (she) is a hunter of "outsiders". Fastello is the son of The King, he steals from the rich and gives to the poor. Cateline is an orphan raised by a convent of Mothers, she lives to serve her religion. And Kojiro is the heir to Hanaobi, he is set on avenging his people.

The four of them unexpectedly meet and together they must work with each other to survive. Coming from different backgrounds and families it will take trust, commitment and a lot of learning to get along and do what is right. For some this may not be easy. Will the four be able to unite for the good of all?

An original story, with vivid details told in alternating chapters. I liked that about the story. I got to feel what each person was feeling and going through. All four were likable, they each had their good qualities and their flaws. After all no one is perfect. There was drama, action, intense moments and soul searching and new friendships born. Fall Far from the Tree is an adventurous fantasy that y/a (and adult) fantasy lovers should enjoy.
Profile Image for Abigail.
31 reviews76 followers
September 4, 2016
I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Honestly, this was my bad. I don't enjoy young adult fiction, and despite that, decided to give this a go. I made it a quarter of the way through, and just couldn't get past the trite language and limping story lines. Also, "I reached forward to tap that temptingly plump bulge that was her ass..." I honestly can't believe I managed to keep reading after that line.

Perhaps the world is an interesting one, but not in the way they are told in this story. It's far too crude and semi-formed, but part of me things that is the entire genre - introducing adult themes in an angsty, teenage language. In any case, certainly not for me. Nope.
12 reviews5 followers
August 16, 2016
I was given the opportunity to read an Advanced Reader Copy of Fall Far from the Tree (F³T²) in exchange for an honest review and this in no way influenced by opinion.
 
Okay so…I don't actually know where to start…LOOK I REALLY LIKED IT! F³T² was just such an entertaining read! It was fast-paced and action-packed and so much fun that I just flew through it! I didn't know how it was going to all end… and I didn't know how I wanted it all to end… but it was intense and brutal and just a whirlwind of a ride!

I was initially attracted to Fall Far from the Tree not only because I'd thoroughly enjoyed the first two books in Amy McNulty's NEVER VEIL SERIES and was curious to see more from her, but also because F³T² seemed to have an intriguing plot. Teenagers in influential positions, struggling with their nefarious parents’ whims, definitely sounded like something I was going to be interested in. AND IT WAS.
 
In F³T² we have four point of view characters: Rohesia, Fastello, Cateline and Kojiro. A problem that I often have with books with multiple POV, is that I just don't enjoy certain character's POV as much as the others, which makes it feel like the book's dragging on until I reach my favourite point of view again. Thankfully this wasn’t the case in F³T².  I was actually really invested in all 4 of the main characters stories and each POV had a distinct voice.

"Terror. Callousness. Denial. Rebellion." IS APT. Not only in describing the storyline of F³T² as a whole, but also specifically to each of the main characters.

"Daydreams are all I have."

Kojiro. My poor sweet innocent heir to the Hanaobi empire. He's terrified of being inadequate. He's just trying his best to be what everyone expects of him, even when he's filled with so much self-doubt. Kojiro'salso understandably terrified he won't be alive for much longer. Kojiro's probably the character I empathise most with and I couldn't help myself from rooting for him. You just want him to recognise his self-worth and potential to become a great leader.

"It's just a matter of toying with your prey before you slaughter it."

Rohesia is definitely callous. She's the Duke's daughter and as such she's learnt that to show emotion is a weakness. She's also sarcastic and has a pretty great sense of humour and basically as soon as we really meet Rohesia I was ready to just sit back and enjoy watching her take charge of everything! The Duke expects blind loyalty, but with Rohesia's strong willed personality it's clear a conflict of interest is inevitable.

 
"All the sufferer, all the sinner needs to know is that Ytoile has a plan for them."

Cateline's life has been really sheltered as an orphan raised by a convent. She's a devout Stargazer, and acknowledges no truth but that of her religion. She's really in denial about the world outside the convent. So when confronted with these unwelcome truths its curious to see where her strength of faith will guide her.

"He was wrong about my face needing improvement"

Fastello is our rebel raider. Fastello's confident he's found his niche in the world, the charming thief that steals from the rich to give to the needy. He's a little brazen and cocky, but ultimately wants to do what he believes is right. Which is why things get interesting when he realises that the ends may no longer justify the means.
 
One thing that I really liked about F³T² was that it actually changed POV sequentially by chapter, which helped in making it feel like we get to spend an equal amount of time in each of our main character's heads.
We watch these characters struggle to define themselves beyond their parents' influence. Watching them slowly come to terms with the fact that their own morals might not actually align with those of the people who raised them, makes for a wonderfully compelling story. F³T² plot truly thickens the further we get into the story. There were some extraordinary twists and revelations that I DID NOT SEE COMING, but also made so much sense that I laughed at myself for missing the signs! Amy really has a knack for writing characters that you get emotionally invested in because the entire extended cast was also really great and interesting and I couldn't help but want to know more about everyone.
 
Soooo… the only reason F³T² wasn't a 5 star read for me, was that while I really enjoyed reading F³T²… I also felt like there was some obvious unused potential. FALL FAR FROM THE TREE SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN JUST 1 BOOK….at least not unless it was going to be a whole lot longer…
WE JUST HAVE SO MUCH GOING ON! 
• FOUR POV FROM 4 DISTINCT CIVILISATIONS.
• ETHNIC DIVERSITY.
• DISABILITY REPRESENTATION.
• INTERESTING SIDE CHARACTERS.
• MURDERS.
• ASSASSINATION PLOTS.
• UNDERGROUND CRIME SYNDICATE.
• ASYLUM SEEKERS.
• COLD WAR.
• CIVIL WAR.
• CULT-LIKE THEMES.
• GENOCIDE.
• QUESTIONING FAITH AND BELIEF SYSTEMS.
• MESSED UP FAMILY DYNAMICS.
And while I think what Amy did with F³T² was REALLY GREAT! I also had this yearning to delve deeper into all of these things. Sometimes it just felt as though we're only scratching the surface with everything that’s going on, and I was a little disappointed.  F³T² has a lot of dark stuff and because we have SO MUCH fit into this one book, at times we don't get to really explore decisions and consequences as much as I would've liked. Especially when it came to family dynamics, I think that I wanted/needed more time with the families of the main characters before everyone's world turned upside down, to give certain events in F³T² more gravity.
That said ,the ending of F³T² does leave room for a potential sequel, which I would very much be interested in! So, here's hoping that we do get a sequel! I WOULD REALLY LOVE TO SEE MORE OF THESE CHARACTERS AND THIS WORLD!

So to close, Fall Far from the Tree is a pretty amazing read. I continue to immensely enjoy Amy McNulty's writing and I WHOLEHEARTEDLY RECOMMEND YOU GO OUT AND READ HER BOOKS!
Profile Image for Josie Shinkfield.
180 reviews7 followers
Read
April 13, 2017
I VOLUNTARILY REVIEWED A COPY OF THIS BOOK FROM THE "RACHEL E. CARTER YA BOOK CLUB" ON GOODREADS.

I won't give a star rating as I didn't finish this book. DNF at 48%

I'm not really sure why I couldn't finish the book. It was well written enough, and the characters seemed to have enough depth.

Maybe it was that there were a lot of POV. Maybe it was that the characters seemed predictable and cliche. I know that one character referring to his father as 'dad' really grated on me as this is supposedly written in a time of horses and swords, and dad just seemed way too modern for the story.

Either way it wasn't a winning combination for me.

Don't let my review put you off, this book is definitely worth a try - it just wasn't my thing.
Profile Image for Selina.
74 reviews3 followers
May 9, 2017
I VOLUNTARILY REVIEWED A COPY FROM THE "RACHEL E. CARTER YA BOOK CLUB ON GOODREADS.
I don't have much to say about this story because frankly I don't really remember what happened. I had a really hard time reading this book because it just didn't hold my interest. And before I realized it I had read a majority of it and couldn't remember a single thing. I can say though that the only character I really cared for was Rohesia. I loved her no nonsense attitude. But that's really the only good thing I remember. It wasn't a bad story. It just wasn't enough to capture my attention as a reader.
28 reviews5 followers
September 1, 2016
Fall Far From The Tree is a YA novel based around 4 teenagers living in the Duchy and Hanaobi. Each teenager is related to (or in one case, under the guardianship) of influential people.

Rohesia is the daughter of the Duke, ruler of the Duchy (a European style nation). She is a hunter of 'outsiders' and is mean with a sword.

Fastello is the son of the 'king' of the nomads - those who live outside the duchy walls, who steal from the rich and give to the poor.

Cateline is an orphan raised by a convent, utterly dedicated to her religion (it is a fascinating religion, too).

And Kojiro is the heir to Hanaobi (a Japanese-esque nation), and is sent to gain revenge on his people.

These characters are thrown together and realise that only the children can right the wrongs of the parents.

Each chapter was told from the first person point of view - changing between characters each chapter. This could have backfired, but each character has their own wonderfully unique voice, it was hard to confuse them.

This story is brutal and holds no punches. It was honest and surprisingly a little graphic, considering the YA label on this book. There are many twists and turns, and it is well written and well paced. Each character has their flaws - indeed some of them have very unlikable moments - which shows that despite their abilities and influential positions, they are teenagers after all.

It was fantastic to watch each character come to terms with their own morals, and how that stacked up against what they were raised to believe.

My only complaint was that this book was missing something - and I think it's because it was only one book. There was so much happening in this story that it definitely had the potential to be a trilogy or quartet! Amy McNulty didn't have the space to delve into each individual aspect of the world, which was a shame, as it was so well crafted. This meant the ending was rushed - very rushed - and left me a little bit surprised when I turned the last page and there was no more.

All round this was a great book, with great characters and a superb world that deserved more time and detail.
Profile Image for Pallavi Sareen.
Author 3 books78 followers
September 3, 2016
Basic thoughts:

This book was my chance to read more of Amy McNulty's books (because I really like the Never Veil series) and I was told that this would be something new and different than her other work. Reading this surprised me (pleasantly) because I really liked it. Even with 4 POV's , it flowed so naturally. I was caught up in the angle of emotions, the premise and the uniqueness of each character.

Characters:

The first chapter is from Rohesia's POV, daughter of the duke and badass females with a soft heart are sort of a weakness of mine so of course I liked her character. Then, there's Fastello, the charming son of king who kind of game me the Robin-hood vibe. I was a little less impressed with Kajiro though, somehow I couldn't connect to him on a deeper level like I did with the other characters, even Cateline who believes in this insane religion (that I never agreed with). But it was still easy to empathize with her.

Premise:

The Hanobi empire has a tense relation with it's neighbor the Duchy island. All outsiders in Duchy are assassinated and Hanobi don't share their food with the Duchy even when people are starving.

Writing style:

It is so easy to read that this book can be read in one sitting. It's impossible not to like this book after reading it. I enjoyed it when all the main characters finally met and then how their lives were entwined. Even with all the chaos and fast-paced scenes with multiple POV's, I never once got confused or caught myself not knowing what was happening. Now that's talent.

Profile Image for Emily.
203 reviews2 followers
October 20, 2016
Rohesia is the daughter of the duke and the rightful empress of Hanaobi who has always followed her father’s increasingly evil plans for the extermination of any outsiders found in his duchy. Fastello is the son of the King of the Nomads and one of the exiled wives of the duke who does not agree with his father’s increasingly violent raids on the rich of the duchy. Kojiro is the last prince of Hanaob whose father and older brother were killed trying to enter the duchy to assassinate the Duke. He escapes to the duchy when his mother the current empress wants to kill him. When these three royal children meet they become allies and decide to make things right by fulfilling their true destinies to lead their people. This is such an exciting and engrossing tale and the characters are so well developed that you can't help feeling for them and wishing their story had continued on.
Profile Image for Phoebe Prince.
Author 2 books54 followers
September 28, 2016
There are four characters introduced, and at after they all had their chapters, I realized two things: I didn't like any of the characters and had no idea what the plot of this story was. There was no sign of how these characters could team up later. I couldn't tell how they were related to each other in the context of their world, and none of them were interesting enough to save this story for me.
Profile Image for Tamara.
1,135 reviews
August 20, 2017
*I received a copy of this ebook through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

Fall Far from the Tree sounded interesting, but failed to capture my attention. I never found myself caring about any of the characters, which is saying something since there are four: Fastello (16), Cateline (16), Rohesia (17), and Kojiro (17). The two characters who prompted the most emotional responses in me were Fastello's father (Davazanto?) and Rohesia's guardian (Sherrod). The first inspired hatred and disgust, while the second repulsed me.

The last 15-20% of the book felt very contrived and melodramatic. What should have been an engaging action scene and the climax fell quite flat and emotionless. At that point, I just rushed through to finish it.

One aspect of the story was interesting, though. It was the way the four main characters discovered they were connected.

I suppose I could have marked this as having a love story, but I didn't really feel like it really did. Both boys are interested in Cateline, and she sort of likes one of them. But without giving anything away, it's short lived.

I see on Goodreads that a sequel is planned, but I'm content leaving it alone.

I'd probably give this book 1 - 1 1/2 stars, but I'm bumping it up to 2 because of the author's correct use of a phrase that is so frequently used incorrectly: "each one ___er than the last." (It is often written/spoken as "each one ___er than the next," which would indicate each thing is less than the one before it. That would be fine if that's what was intended, but each time I've seen it written that way, it is obviously meant that "each one ___er than the last." Pet peeve.) So despite my lack of interest in the book and the other errors in it, this one little thing has boosted it up. Fair, unfair--whatever.

How it ends:

Note: Some swearing.
Profile Image for Ciaran Mealer.
106 reviews10 followers
October 25, 2017
I received an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I seriously need a physical copy of this now, because this series just became a new favorite. This is a powerfully compelling story of 4 very different teens struggling to overcome the dubious legacies of their parents.

I was first intrigued by this book because the cover features an Asian character, and I love seeing diversity in fantasy and YA lit. What really drew me in though, was this gut punch of an opening line, “I’d lived only five winters the first time I saw an infant drowned.”

How could you not keep reading after that? From the first paragraph I could tell that this was the voice of a powerful new storyteller, and I couldn't wait to see where this book would take me.

Normally I strongly dislike shifting perspectives in a novel, but McNulty handled this really well and it actually was a wonderful component to this particular tale. The diversity that I was hoping for was very present, and the cast of characters were brilliant, broken, human creations who I loved.

My favorite sentence: • “I knew that there was a sea beyond that tower and the cliff behind it, but I couldn’t help but feel like it was somehow the edge of the world, perfectly poised at the end of the dirt road."

Do yourself a favor and check this out! I'll leave you with that, because I'm going to start the sequel now.
Profile Image for Stephanie Chu.
143 reviews2 followers
May 9, 2017
"I VOLUNTARILY REVIEWED A COPY FROM RACHEL E. CARTER YA BOOK CLUB ON GOODREADS"

Amy McNulty is one talented author that shouldn't be ignored! Here portrayal of each character was interesting and unique! I have read many YA fantasy books but this has been one of the darker ones but the dark storyline made it all the better. One of the best moments was when all of the main characters met each other and it was perfect the way they were linked.

This book of betrayal, action, adventure and suspense hooked me the minute I read the blurb and I basically fell in love with it when I read it! I was very happy about the fact that there were hints of love in this book but I would have liked it more if the author had explored the relationship between two of the main characters more.

I know that writing from many different perspectives is hard and I congratulate Amy McNulty for being able to do that without messing up the book but there were a few jumps in the storyline which I thought was a bit much but understandable as Amy McNulty was writing from four different perspectives.

I am so grateful to have had a chance to read this book and I hope to read more of Amy's work in the future.
Profile Image for Kalli Bunch.
413 reviews18 followers
September 4, 2017
If you're looking for another love story, this isn't it. If you're looking for rebellion, spycraft, betrayal, adventure, growth, heartbreaking emotional distress, NOW you've got the book you're looking for!! This book has death, destruction, animosity, betrayal, it DOES have love but it's not what your heart is or would hope for. It has fanaticism and cult-like religion. This book shows the perspective of four different characters. A lot of people may not like that, but I feel like it's important to the story because it shows what one or two main character might not see in certain areas, and we as the readers would catch that. I'm moving onto book 2, and I can't wait to read it!
Profile Image for Ashley .
1,086 reviews8 followers
May 15, 2017
I VOLUNTARILY REVIEWED A COPY FROM THE "RACHEL E. CARTER YA BOOK CLUB ON GOODREADS.

I loved the synopsis of the book and was super excited to read it. However I got extremely confused. Very very confused. The book just somehow lost my interested about halfway and I am not sure how but details about the book just kept slipping my mind. I guess I would say while the premise is interesting, the story itself could use a little more jolt. Overall I did enjoy the characters, just needed some more spice.
Profile Image for Nicole Strand.
251 reviews5 followers
September 20, 2017
A huge thank you to the author for allowing me to review her series! This story has 4 different points of view. It took me a bit to get into it for that reason, I rarely ever read a multi-character POV. Each character however, remained unique and distinguishable from the others. There was no messy, complicated storyline.

Definitely not a fan of the narrators parents, but I'm pretty sure that's the point. They're all a bit crude and rash. They main characters are extremely likable though. Plus the author really knows how to keep a story flowing. Now, immediately on to the next one!
Profile Image for Cristal.
273 reviews8 followers
May 6, 2017
"I VOLUNTARILY REVIEWED A COPY OF THIS BOOK FROM THE RACHAEL E. CARTER YA BOOK CLUB ON GOODREADS"
Let me just start off and say this book was very well written. It fallows 4 teen POVs. I just couldn't get into it and even forced myself not to dnf. Even though I finished I really dont recall every thing that happened I was easily distracted. Not for me.
Profile Image for Isabel.
416 reviews79 followers
September 20, 2017
I really like Amy's writing, and I'm a huge fan. However, I do like this book and I enjoyed it a lot. It wasn't my favorite, but I still would recommend people to pick it up. Easy read.
Profile Image for Ashleigh.
196 reviews8 followers
October 4, 2016
I received a copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I am so glad I requested this book! The synopsis sounded interesting enough, but lately books that I read have not been living up to their potential.

This book was an unexpected treasure.

Full review to come later.
Profile Image for Abagail.
122 reviews14 followers
September 1, 2016
I'm torn about this book, because I think it was a pretty decent effort with complex world building and thought provoking themes. The problem is: it's short. And because it's short, it's pretty heavy handed and lacks the nuance that gives readers the time to think. It's also a little hard to follow because there's a rush to get all the exposition out before the story could get started. Even a third into the book, I still wasn't quite sure how the political system worked, even though there was a scene where a character spelled everything out all "isn't this so simple!" It wasn't for me.

Following four characters a warrior, a thief, a religious zealot, and the heir to the kingdom, the book explores these characters coming to terms with the lives they've known and creating their own futures. It's an interesting premise, really. My problem is that the characters barely interact. The only chapters that really worked for me were Fastello and Cateline's because they were together and I could see different sides to the characters (also Fastello is a charming scoundrel and I am weak.)

I think the foundation for a good story was here. I definitely got emotional at the end. But it was way too much story for 250 pages, and lost its footing along the way.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Jess Crafts.
275 reviews60 followers
September 28, 2016
I wanted to give this book a higher rating. The characters and the world drew me in. But we just aren't given enough of any of it. This book is short. It'd be short for any story but to try to tell four different characters POVs in a pretty in-depth world with different cultures and religions.... It was just too short. I wish there had been more if it, as it is, I was in the middle of the climax before I'd even gotten settled down. The characters are beautifully imagined and each had a very distinct personality but there were so many possibilities for great scenes that just got jumped over. It felt like as soon as we got to know the characters we were almost at the end of the book.

I would love to read a book #2 though. And hopefully we'll stick with the characters a bit more and see where they go next.

Also posted on Ever The Crafter
Profile Image for Tammy.
1,354 reviews39 followers
November 5, 2017
This is the first in the Fall Far From The Tree series. In the beginning I was completely lost because of all the main characters being introduced and the chapters going back and forth between them. Cateline, Fastello, Kojiro (Jiro), and Rohesia were the main four. The true action did not start until after midway and the characters started to get together as well as their story lines. Throughout the book we jumped from place to place but it did narrow down a bit as the story went along. It was hard to get invested in any one character in the beginning due to this. There also seemed to be things happening in the background that we were just told in passing by one of the characters but not written out for the reader. I did enjoy the last half of the book and am reading the second in the series now. It is easier with knowing the characters from the first so far. I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Stormi.
533 reviews72 followers
January 3, 2023
I received an ARC of Fall Far From the Tree by Amy McNulty in exchange for an honest review.

Have you ever read a book that you really want to like, but just can't get into for some reason? Well, that's how I felt about Fall Far From the Tree. The story is unique and each chapter rotates betweeen the point of view of the 4 main characters. However, the characters and the story didn't draw me in. I debated on trying to finish this book in the hopes that at some point it would draw me in, but about halfway through I decided not to since I have so many other books in my TBR list that I want to read.

Don't let my review sway you from trying this book out for yourself. I'm sure for plenty of readers who enjoy a young adult fantasy read this would be a very enjoyable read.
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