Review: Falling From The Sky by Nikki Godwin

What: Falling From The Sky by Nikki Godwin

Who: N/A

When: February 21st 2014

How: Purchased.

All stability in sixteen-year-old Ridge McCoy’s life crashed and burned in the plane crash that killed his dad. This summer-long basketball camp is his chance to improve his skills and escape his problems back home. But his summer plans take a turn in an unexpected direction when he meets Micah Youngblood, the guy who runs the carousel at the local mall and has a reputation for devouring straight boys’ heterosexuality for breakfast, alongside his chocolate chip pancakes.

Ridge needs a way to avoid the guys at camp, whose only quest for the summer is to drown in beer and hook up with girls. So when Micah offers to explain how the ten unique horses on the carousel are significant to his tribe, Ridge takes him up on it. Still, Ridge can’t decide if this is a bad thing or not. All he knows is that he hasn’t felt this alive since his dad fell from the sky, and as the horse adventures come to an end, Ridge finds himself falling as well – for Micah.

Books don’t often make me feel the way Falling From The Sky made me feel. Which was 100%, completely, undoubtedly happy. They just don’t. I rarely get all giddy over a book, and smile at the characters because they’re so freaking adorable, and feel everything they’re feeling. It’s just really hard for a book to be able to capture me like that. Which is why Falling From The Sky has cemented itself as one of my new favourite books. Ever.

Everything about this book, from the moment I read the first sentence, completely captivated me. I read it in one sitting because I didn’t want to tear myself away from Ridge and Micah, and everything that was happening between them. The gosh darn cuteness of it all.

Micah is possibly the most adorable and endearing character I have ever had the pleasure of reading about. He’s so excitable, and kind, and completely fucking hyper, and I love him. I love him so freaking much, and it’s no wonder that Ridge fell for him, because there’s nothing about him that isn’t worth falling for.

But don’t get me wrong – I loved Ridge, too. I loved his awkwardness, and the fact that he isn’t consumed with “omg I hate myself for falling for a guy” feelings, and just kind of understands why he’s falling for Micah (because Micah is precious). I’m so glad that Godwin wrote Ridge’s revelations regarding his feelings for Micah the way that she did because they were perfect.

This whole book was perfect, though. Micah and Ridge were perfect as singular characters, and they were even more perfect together. Another perfect aspect of this book was Ridge’s friend, Terrence. Instead of being a complete jackass homophobe, he is 100% supportive of Ridge, and asks all the right questions, and doesn’t judge, and (I think, anyway) completely ships Ridge and Micah (and so he should, they’re fucking adorable godammit).

Falling From The Sky is simple. It’s a story about a boy falling for a boy, and learning more about yourself than you ever knew, and recovering from pain, and falling in love, and making friends, and spreading your wings. Which, now that I wrote it out, doesn’t sound simple at all. But it’s the way these things are executed, and the way they come about that is simple (and lovely). Nothing is overdone.

I know that Falling From The Sky will be a book that I return to when I need a pick-me-up, and I cannot wait to buy a beautiful physical copy so I can stare at the precious on my shelf. I have no doubt that Falling From The Sky will be in my favourite books of 2015 come the end of the year. No. Doubt.

© 2015, Chiara @ Books for a Delicate Eternity. All rights reserved.