All Fall Down (Embassy Row, Book 1) (1) Paperback – December 22, 2015

Grace Blakely knows she isn’t crazy, even if everyone else things she is. Three years ago she witnessed her mother dying in a fire that everyone says was an accident. But she knows it wasn’t. She knows her mother was murdered and is determined to find the killer and make him pay. As sure as she is of all this, she can’t make anyone else believe her and has no one she can trust. Her Grandfather is a powerful ambassador who she is sent to live with while her father is off fighting with the military. When she arrives, she remembers a few “friends” from when she visited with her mother. She also meets new friends, at least that is what they call themselves, but she is having a hard time letting anyone get close and be a friend. The boy next door, Alexei, is keeping an eye on her and Grace can’t figure out why or if she even likes his constant gaze.Everyone wants Grace to block out the ugly thoughts from her past and put on a happy face, but at times that is just out of her control. Just like she has a hard time controlling what she knows and needs to do, even if she knows she shouldn’t. The more she tries to put the past behind her the more it comes to haunt her and she is afraid if she doesn’t do something soon someone else will get hurt. On Embassy Row the countries of the world stand like dominoes and if one falls they will all fall down.A totally new story that I haven’t read before and thoroughly enjoyed. I love a good YA book that has a good story without harsh language and unnecessary sex. This hit perfectly for me. The story flowed super-fast and kept me wondering what was going to happen next. I knew Grace wasn’t crazy, even if at times she acted a little foolishly and started to believe she was crazy herself. At the end I almost wanted to change my mind and think she was making things up, but once the truth came to light it wasn’t at all what I expected. That doesn’t happen to me very often. I really enjoyed being surprised by what she actually saw and what actually happened. One nice thing is this book was just the right length; it gave all important information without dragging on and boring me. The ending left things open for the next in the series and took a very interesting turn for where that one might be heading. This was the first book by Ally Carter I have ever read and so I wasn’t sure what to expect from her writing. I was not disappointed at all and can’t wait to see how this series develops. This is a perfect story to recommend to young adults without having to worry if the content is not appropriate for them. Totally worth the read.

Ally Carter is one of those authors whose books I read as a teen (and really enjoyed), and plan to read even as an adult. Her stories are not particularly unique or literary gems, but they have the power to grip you so hard that you get sucked into the world, and the characters are such that you can’t help but root for. The end result is a fun and enjoyable reading experience along with the need for more. Her Gallagher Girls and Heist Society series had just such an effect on me, and when I found out that she was writing a new series, I wanted it bad.All Fall Down follows the main protagonist, Grace Blakely, who is sixteen, is an army brat, her grandfather is the official US Ambassador posted in Adria (made-up capital of a made-up European country), and she saw her mother murdered right before her eyes. Three years after the incident, and numerous trips to the hospital, Grace is back in Adria (where she used to spend her summer vacations with her mother). She is back for good, and everyone hopes that this will prove to be a fresh start for her, i.e. everyone except Grace herself. What she wants most is not a fresh start, but to find the man with the scar that killed her mother and make him pay, and to find a way to make everyone believe that she didn’t just imagine the whole thing up.Grace arrives at Embassy Row without much fanfare, but being back in the very place that is surrounded by her mother’s memory makes things very hard for her, and she starts getting panic attacks that she tries to hide from others. She comes across some old, familiar faces, and makes friends with some new ones. Grace tries, albeit unsuccessfully, to try and fit, or at least not cause any international mishaps, but all that goes right out the window the moment she comes across the very man she’s been looking for. Cue clue hunts, espionage and deceit, unusual friendships and bonds, and all the shenanigans that you’d expect from a contemporary mystery.I liked the character of Grace. She was flawed yet strong, impulsive, unafraid to speak her mind yet really vulnerable. She had her own demons, and I really enjoyed the way the book explored her issues – it made me doubt her, and root for her, and all in the right places. There were other supporting characters, my favorite being her very own spy team. Noah was sweet and dorky, and I loved him for who he was and as Graces’ best friend. Rosie was such a fun and adorable little character, and I loved every time she was in a scene. And finally Megan was such a surprise that I couldn’t help but like her. There isn’t much of a romance, which was perfect in my opinion, though there is a budding relationship between Grace and Alexie (the childhood friend from the Russian Embassy next door). Alexie is a mysterious character, and I couldn’t get a read on him. The jury is still out as far as he’s concerned, and I looking forward to seeing more of him in the next installment.The thing that appealed the most to me at first was the whole concept of Embassy Row. A fictitious European city where a whole section of the city is made up of Embassies. That is something I’ve never read before and it just sounded really fun to me. The writing was what I have come to expect from Ally Carter. It was fast, fun, and really entertaining. The whole setting of different embassies all lined up next to each other opens up so much room for exploration, and international conspiracy, and the potential for what not. It was definitely reminiscent of her other series, and like the first books in those series this book also felt like a set up for future books.The mystery aspect was somewhat disappointing to me. I was able to figure out most things before they happened, though not always, but it still spoiled the experience for me. And the second problem for me was the ending; I just wasn’t happy with it. But all things considered I liked this book. It was written in the true style that I’ve come to expect from the author, and am actually looking forward to the sequel.