All Fall Down : An Embasy Row Novel

 All Fall Down by Ally Carter

Bibliographic Data 

Carter, A. (2015). All fall down. [Bk. 1]. Scholastic Press, An Imprint Of Scholastic Inc. ISBN: 9780545654746 

Summary 

This is the story of 16-year-old Grace who 3 years earlier, witnessed her mother being murdered by a man with a scar on his face. After much counseling and trying to put her life back together, she is sent to live with her grandfather who is a US Ambassador in a fictional foreign European country. While Grace is there, she is reminded of her mother everywhere she turns. It becomes difficult to put her mom's murder out of her mind. Grace does meet a few friends, but she is afraid to get close to them because they may think she is crazy. Then she sees the man who murdered her mother, and she begins to make plans to bring him to justice. 

Critical Analysis 

The author Ally Carter has created a novel that starts off fast pace at the beginning and slows down just enough for the reader to catch up with all the information that Grace has uncovered in the fictional city of Aria. The reader is immediately given background knowledge of what Grace has faced and why she is now living with her grandfather. She is hesitant to make friends because in previous years, “friends” have thought she was crazy. Grace is constantly re-living in her past, trying to make the right choices in the present. The reader witnesses the struggle going on inside of Grace. According to Publishers Weekly, the characters and setting are somewhat underdeveloped, and plotting can be farfetched, including Grace’s admission that she never wondered why someone would kill her mother. I disagree with this review because I felt like the author did a particularly great job of creating an image of who Grace was and the fact that Grace was re-living the “murder” of her mother had the reader asking questions about what truly happened. I also thought the setting was amazing the way Carter explained Embassy Row and how the buildings were laid out and then including the tunnels under the city was another aspect that added to the suspense of the story.

 

Reviews and Awards 

Horn Book Guide, 10/01/2015 

Everyone says her mother's death was an accident, but Grace knows better: she saw the scarred man murder her mother, and now she's seen him again. 

Publishers Weekly, 11/17/2014 

Nobody believes that Grace saw a scarred man shoot her mother three years ago, insisting that she died in an accidental fire. Now, after being hospitalized and treated like she is “crazy,” 16-year-old Grace is getting a fresh start with her grandfather, the American ambassador to a fictional European country called Adria. 

School Library Journal, 11/01/2014 

With the assistance of some unexpected allies, Grace plots a way to bring the man she believes to be her mother's killer to justice. Grace's justifiable anger and spunk are sure to resonate with teens. 

 

Connections 

1. This is a mystery; consider the clues and mystery behind what is happening around Grace. Make a list of questions that you might have. 
2. Grace’s grandfather is keeping information away from Grace. Why do you think this is? Turn and Talk 
3. All Fall Down leaves the reader with unanswered questions about Ms. Chancellor and Grace. Read book 2 of the Embassy Row series to find out what happens next.