A fantastic mystery writer, Christina McDonald manages to pull all readers in, making them feel for each character - even those no longer alive.
In The Night Olivia Fell, the book starts off with a prologue depicting the scene of how Olivia actually falls off of a bridge. It's also clear that it was not an accident, but the extent to which she was pushed or harmed remains unknown to readers until the very end.
This novel splits chapters up between Olivia, in the past, and her mother, Abi, in the present, as she finds out about Olivia's "accident" and how she deals with it over the following months.
The Plot
Olivia grew up with a single mother who told her that her dad passed away in a car accident while Abi was pregnant with her. It isn't until Olivia goes to visit the University of Washington with her school and runs into a girl who looks like she could be Olivia's sister that she begins to question whether or not her mom's story had been true.
Upon further talking, she discovers her name (Kendall), begins talking to her, and looks into Kendall's father. Without her strict mother's permission, she begins researching her father, who seems to have a lot of power in a nearby community.
While all of this is going on, Olivia is battling with her own challenges. Her boyfriend, Tyler, has become needy and clingy. On top of this, his parents are getting divorced, which has caused Tyler's mindset to become nothing but negative - except for when he's around Olivia.
But at the same time, Olivia has discovered that her childhood crush - her best friend's brother - also has a crush on her. Too afraid to break up with her dependent boyfriend, Olivia begins seeing her crush behind the boyfriend's back.
The web of lies that Olivia spins becomes too complicated to manage. She becomes ashamed of her lies, proud of her new strength, and welcoming of the new identity she has formed for herself.
Until she becomes surprised by one of her own actions and everything in her life is about to change. But she can't tell her mom - not yet. But by waiting, she runs out of time.
Abi, Olivia's mother, had grown up with her older sister after her own mother had committed suicide. She lived her entire life not knowing why her mother left.
Abi takes it upon herself to discover just what happened to her daughter. She refused to live another moment without having answers for someone's death. She knows Olivia's fall wasn't an accident, she knows the detectives aren't doing their jobs, and she knows that there are answers out there that she needs. In the meantime, her daughter remains alive via ventilators that are breathing for her in order to keep her unborn baby alive.
Part of what she has to discover is just who the father is.
---
Christina McDonald paints a beautiful story between mother and daughter, a challenging tale about the changing mindset of a teenager, and the truth behind what lies could do to one person as well as to the people around them.
A phenomenal story that everyone should read, McDonald leaves readers with a beautiful sentiment:
Whatever, whenever, I'll be here forever.