Hello friends and fellow bookworms! I’m here today bringing you my review of Autumn Falls by A R Kingston. I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this from NetGalley and BooksGoSocial in return for an honest review.
Autumn Falls by A R Kingston was published on the 14th May 2021 and you can read the synopsis here on Goodreads.
Overall rating – 3 out of 5 stars.
The beginning seems like a good place to start (both with the book and the review!) and it was from the very start that I was in two minds about this one… Straight away, we were launched into the story, with a lot happening in such a short of space time that you’d be forgiven for thinking the author was going straight for the shock factor and not focusing on much else.
As we progressed through the story I was gradually drawn in, and as the intrigue built so did the sense of fear and foreboding. The author definitely managed to create a creepy and eerie atmosphere. Sadly, though, towards the end of this book when it reached the climax this atmosphere seemed to fade away.
I felt the same with the writing style as well, to begin with it was excellent I was getting goosebumps, paranoia and I kept looking over my shoulder, it was well written and captivating. It was confusing, but not in a bad way, in a way that keeps you guessing and makes you want to keep reading to find out what’s happened. But that did taper off and I started to feel as if the fear factor was missing.
I started feeling as if I wanted the book to just hurry up and get to the point…
Character wise, I felt these were the poorest part of the book. They just didn’t stand out for me, they weren’t as well written as the descriptive aspects were and they felt very 2D. I couldn’t feel anything for them, which as we reached the climax of the book became an issue because I didn’t care if they survived.
I also feel as though first person would have benefited this book and perhaps endeared the characters more to the reader.
The overall entertainment value of this book just didn’t hit the spot for me either. Some of the more superficial details that make the story were just unnecessary and didn’t add value, and the more menial details seemed too easy – for example, how easy it was for Kevin to walk back into their lives. It was too simple.
Overall, Autumn Falls just didn’t feel right to me, it didn’t have the right flow to the story, which wasn’t helped by the dips in the atmosphere and writing and the poor characters. The plot itself and the intrigue the story built were definitely there, and they elevated the book and did bring some enjoyment from Autumn Falls. Sadly, this just wasn’t the finished product in my eyes.
Let me know if you’ve read Autumn Falls and what you thought or if it’s on your TBR list!
Until next time, Em xxx
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