The Shock of the Fall

A fantastic Young Adult novel - deals with issues of death, and severe mental illness. A gripping and very enjoyable read, completely immersive. Suitable for older readers.

This was a creative novel and Filer had clearly spent time perfecting the presentation and layout to best tell his story. It gave insight into how a single event (befalling Simon) coupled with numerous risk factors, results in the mental deterioration of Matthew and would be good for those who are new to mental health.

On behalf of the Norton Library Reading Group:-
A story delving into the impact tragedy and horror has on the human psyche and the modern approach in the treatment of mental health. The author describes really well I think, how the mind works to protect its health, releasing memories slowly in order to build a picture as and when it can accept and face tragedy and sometimes with the aid of medical intervention. The author wanted to create a page turner and he achieved this. He manages to describe the distracted and disjointed though process in those with a disturbed mental health and the need for time to pass in order to process the tragedies that can befall any one of us. His characters Matthew and Simon and their parents were very real. We probably all know someone similar. I couldn’t put it down!! Brilliant read!
9/10

Most of the people who attend the book club had finished the book but some found it a very confusing read, others felt that it was a bit boring and didn't hold their attention. This may have been because they felt that the characters weren't very well developed, this may have been as a consequence of the narrator and his mental health issues. Having said that everyone loved the character of Nanny Noo, we felt that she was very accepting of Matt's mental health issues and how he choses to act things out. She doesn't seem to judge him which we felt that a lot of the other characters seem to do.

As we are a hospital based book club some of the members work with people in mental health departments which allowed us some insight into how the drugs that Matt would have to take would affect him. This gave us an added depth of understanding of why he might chose not to take the drugs as they make people feel sick, and foggy. This is compared to how they might feel when they aren't taking the drugs, which may mean that they do things they don't mean to but at least they feel well while doing them.

We discussed why we thought he may have developed schizophrenia, maybe it was due to the shock of the fall, or perhaps it was a genetic influence. During the course of the book we see that Matt's mother has definite problems with regards depression, possible Munchausen syndrome by proxy when she takes Matt repeatedly to the doctor for trivial or even no reason.

As we have already read a book recently about a fictional mental health department in the US for children who harm themselves and others which treated each child individually and with great care we found it depressing to read about Matts experience. He seemed to be left to his own devices a great deal of the time and merely spent it smoking and sleeping. We weren't sure if this was simply his remembrances of this situation which are tainted by his issues or whether the department was trying to give him as little stimulation as possible to stop him having any adverse reactions. This wasn't made clear.

The ending felt very optimistic, we think that Matt may have gained some control over his issues by accepting them and accepting the fact that he needs to take medication and be watched over for his own safety. We also felt that he had accepted his brothers death and now knows that he wasn't entirely responsible for the things that happened. This means that he will have to let go of his schizophrenic connection to his dead brother, but he seems to be able to do this at the end of the book. As with a lot of mental health issues this may not be the case permenantly.

Overall we gave this book 5 out of 10.

This is a good, but a sad story. The author is registered mental health nurse and his experience makes the story seem real. This is the story of Matthew Homes a schizophrenic, who blames himself for the death of his beloved older brother Simon who had downs syndrome. Simon was 10 and Matthew was 6 at the time. The story is an insight into Matthew’s mind. He still sees his brother with him and he is in and out of mental hospitals and treatment. The story starts in Matthew’s late teens/early 20s, intertwining with the back story of his parents grief, help, his Nan and what happened to Simon, and how Matthew is able to get some closure by arranging a memorial party for his brother, with his family, parents cousins grandparents.

Our group had a mixed response to 'Shock of the Fall'. It was agreed by all that it is a very difficult topic to tackle in a mainstream novel. We did however have some issues that contributed to the mixed reviews. Several of our members have at times either worked with or known people under the care of mental health services. Some didn't feel that it felt authentic to their experiences. Of course, we agreed, the author's background in mental health professions must have influenced his writing. The differences in experience and reation to some scenes might have been a consequence of "post-code lottery provisions" to use a red-top cliche.

Although the story arc was solid I personally couldn't connect my own experiences of mental health treatment with quite a 'child-like' narrator. But then that could be a personal challenge of connecting one form of mental illness experience to another.

We found it a challenging novel to love however we could see why many people seem to be so enthusiastic about the novel. We think the book would connect more to a younger-generation than perhaps we had in our group because it can, in some points be quite abrasive.

THE SHOCK OF THE FALL BY NICK FILER.
MARGARET YATES – WORDS,WINE & WISDOM.

This book really got my attention! The author presents us with two mysteries
The characters appear to be sympathetic or not according to the mood and perception of Narrator.
I found the exploration of grief and how different people and age groups deal with very sensitive issues, especially the death of a young sibling,
The Narrator is himself the main character. He is a very complex person Talented but troubled .He is living in a nightmare which starts to overwhelm him. We follow his relationships with family friends and strangers met on the street through various up and downs.

The story moves backwards and forwards which keeps the tension going
The author draws on his professional experience to give valuable insight in the effects of mental illness has on individuals and families. He also highlights the strain on families who are dealing with chronic illness.
Although the subject matter is sad, I enjoyed the writing, the conversations rang true and the characters are well drawn. The author kept my attention to the end of the story; the ending was not exactly a completely happy one but it was hopeful.

What a good read! Nathan Filer gives the reader an excellent insight into the complex nature of psychotic disorders, using a brilliant storyline/account. I tried very hard not to (over)analyse causes, effect and consequences and failed miserably. But that is what good writing should be about - to make the reader THINK. The tremors of the after shock will stay with me for some time. Just as Matthew notices the little details I especially enjoyed the, sometimes repeated, little scenarios, the characters' foibles (Nanny Noo's menthol ciggies) and teasers (Annabelle's and Simon's yellow comforters).
Looking forward to reading Filer's next book.

Comments from our group: Brilliant. Compelling. Couldn't put it down. Funny. Moving. Poignant. Sad. Heartwarming. One reader thought "it started off a bit weird and I wasn't sure I was going to like it", but she persevered and was pleased she did.
The voice of Matthew is totally believable as he takes us through the story, fragment by fragment, of a family holiday that went tragically wrong and the far reaching and life destroying consequences that followed.
The story also offers a fascinating insight into mental ill health and an equally convincing insight into the mind of a child.
The illustrations and changes of font give extra depth to an already deep book.
We'll be recommending this book to everyone and will definitely read more by Nathan Filer.

Our group have just finished The shock of the Fall and have unanimously agreed that it is a wonderful book. A book about mental illness doesn't necessarily sound very tempting and we had some trepidation before we started but we were all won over by Matthew's story and the sensitivity with which it is told. It's a very sad and moving story, yet there are still touches of humour which shine through. Matthew's feelings of guilt are heartbreaking, but we also felt for his parents who did their best to support him whilst dealing with their own emotions. One reader felt the reappearance of the girl who buried the doll was a bit contrived but this did allow for a kind of closure and we all felt that, as Matthew says at the end of the book, It's a beginning.

Liane Cvetanovic, 'Ab-Fab Professors', Plymouth.
' The Shock of the Fall', a book that stays with you for a long time after finishing it...A fantastic cover which draws you in and then the book doesn't let you down. Half of our group had read it for our last meeting and the rest have now caught up as it received such rave reviews from us. We are all looking forward to a full-on discussion at our next meeting. I felt that it was an honest and open take on mental health issues with moments of joy and many moments of sadness, that I'm sure a lot of families who have to, regularly, deal with these issues could completely relate to. The characters in the book were totally believable and everyone needs a 'Nanny Noo' in their lives. This is a book that we all wanted to share with others, people need to read this to understand the issues raised and to realise that they are not alone in their feelings, confusion, and moments of blame. Thank you Nathan Filer, and we are all looking forward to another book...

On behalf of a reading group member - Hartlepool Central Friday Reading Group: By the time I had read the first paragraph I was completely captivated.The author has the knack of touching our most tender feelings. His description of the love within that fractured little family was heart-rending to read.
It was a devastatingly sad story, and told without pretention and with great feeling.

A very engaging read, as the author speaks directly to the reader and involves her in his thinking, it's like a constant dialogue where he guesses what the reader might think or expect. Very well written. I've got a lot of experience in the field of mental health, and was very pleasantly surprised how accurately Nathan Filer portrays patients' and professionals' behaviour; there is a scene where a staff member new to the mental health ward isn't sure whether patients are allowed to borrow the nursing office's English dictionary, that sounds so accurately lifted out of real life it's funny, touching, and poignant. I loved the "thriller"-style set-up of the book as well; the central mystery is played with and slowly, peelingly revealed, and concludes in a realistic enough way as to not be schmaltzy, but happily, roundly, and satisfyingly enough to still get the full thrill of a really happy ending. The more I think abouti t, the more I think that it's an amazing novel, and I'm almost scared of Nathan Filer's second book (which I'm sure will be coming one day or another) because it might well be a letdown, after this success. A greatly engaging read, and a good book for people to gain insight into the mental health system as well, as it's written with great knowledge and also a lot of empathy for everyone. It might not really capture 100% the average schizophrenic's thinking, but it's so empathetic and humane, that that doesn't bother me too much. These books are important, just like Clare Allen's Poppy SHakespeare. Very good book.

I loved the way you got to know the main character without knowing and prejudging him based upon his mental health problems. Really emotional, interesting and beautiful read.

This is a fictional story about a family tragedy and how it affects the family, particularly the son. It is funny, heart breaking and an interesting insight into mental illness. I would recommend this book to others.

It as really good. It gave you an insight on so many things, I really enjoyed this book. It was so well written as well..

The "threads of time" were interesting and the structure of the book was a nice touch. I also enjoyed the physics related references and other nods to pop culture from 80s+.

Loved it. A good insight to mental illness.

I have reviewed this for The Psychologist (June edn.). Lovely book, but very quick and easy to read, left me wanting more of the story and the characters. Excellent insight into the life of the schizophrenic protagonist.