The Shock of the Fall by Nathan Filer

Winner of the Costa First Novel Award (2013), Winner of the Costa Book of the Year (2013)

‘I’ll tell you what happened because it will be a good way to introduce my brother. His name’s Simon. I think you’re going to like him. I really do. But in a couple of pages he’ll be dead. And he was never the same after that.’

Where you can buy:

Amazon/Kobo/Nook

Publication date: April 25th 2013

Published by: Harper Collins

Pages: 314 (UK Edition)

It's so hard for me to form an accurate response to this book. To how it made me feel, and how it made me think. I can't even begin to describe the importance of this book to me, and his wonderful characters. Nathan Filer has done a superb job of getting into the mind of a mentally ill person. Words just aren't enough to tell you how much I loved this book.

At first, it can be a little confusing. But the flawless prose and real characters make you grip onto the pages of the book, desperate to read on. And the whole time, your brain is ticking over, making your own conclusions and then doing an inward happy dance when you discover that you were indeed correct in your assumptions.

It is one of those books that you have to read for yourself to believe how amazing it actually really is. I fear that if I tell you the basic outline, it will give everything away. And trust me, with this book, the best feeling is to guess and to anxiously read on to see if you are correct.

Nathan Filer really gets into his characters mindset and all of the idiosyncrasies of mental illness. He does so without being judgemental, or for one minute harsh. The books is well researched and woven expertly within the pages, in such a way that you really care about the character. You cry, gasp and laugh with them. You just want them to get better, to have the normal life that you think they deserve.

Please, I implore you. Read this book. In a lot of ways, it might change your life, or at least change your opinion on mental illness.

The Book Life