I was thrilled to read and take part in the Blog Tour today for West Camel's second novel, Fall after having adored Attend - I was also honoured to take part in the blog tour for it too - see my review HERE.
Estranged brothers are reunited over plans to develop the tower block where they grew up, but the desolate estate becomes a stage for reliving the events of one life-changing summer.
Twins Aaron and Clive have been estranged for forty years. Aaron still lives in the empty, crumbling tower block on the riverside in Deptford where they grew up. Clive is a successful property developer, determined to turn the tower into luxury flats.
But Aaron is blocking the plan and their petty squabble becomes something much greater when two ghosts from the past – twins Annette and Christine – appear in the tower. At once, the desolate estate becomes a stage on which the events of one scorching summer are relived – a summer that shattered their lives, and changed everything forever…
Grim, evocative and exquisitely rendered, Fall is a story of friendship and family – of perception, fear and prejudice, the events that punctuate our journeys into adulthood, and the indelible scars they leave – a triumph of a novel that will affect you long after the final page has been turned.
About the Author:
Born and bred in south London – and not the Somerset village with which he shares a name – West Camel worked as an editor in higher education and business before turning his attention to the arts and publishing. He has worked as a book and arts journalist, and was editor at Dalkey Archive Press, where he edited the Best European Fiction 2015 anthology, before moving to new press, Orenda Books just after its launch. He currently combines his work as editor at Orenda with writing and editing a wide range of material for various arts organisations, including ghost-writing a New-Adult novel and editing The Riveter magazine for the European Literature Network. He has also written several short scripts, which have been produced in London’s fringe theatres, and was longlisted for the Old Vic’s 12 playwrights project. Attend, his first novel was shortlisted for the Polari prize.
My thoughts?
I was totally drawn into the story from the very first page. Twins Aaron and Clive were inseparable growing up mainly in Deptford, until that long hot summer of 1976 which changed all their lives forever...
Having been estranged for forty years the brothers are now at an impasse. Aaron still lives in the crumbling tower block that their mother Zoe, an architect designed back in the day, with nooks and crannies only she and her sons knew about. It was a forefront then in the world of design and won many awards. His twin, Clive, is now a successful property developer is determined to turn the tower into luxury flats.
It becomes common knowledge that Aaron is not alone in the flats and much to both the twin's surprise so are two ghosts from their past and the heady days of being young and alive. Black twins, Annette and Christine, their fun friends from way back then are also against Clive's plans.
That summer of 1976 propelled the boys so fastly into adulthood whether they wanted it to or not. Everything changed that night...
I was totally engrossed in the story which is all about family, friendship, love, prejudice, loneliness, loss and sometimes fear. A must read, I absolutely loved it.
