All Fall Down

By: Jennifer Weiner

Narrated by: Tracee Chimo

Length: 12 hrs and 41 mins

Publisher's summary

Allison Weiss has a great job…a handsome husband…an adorable daughter…and a secret.

Allison Weiss is a typical working mother, trying to balance a business, aging parents, a demanding daughter, and a marriage. But when the website she develops takes off, she finds herself challenged to the point of being completely overwhelmed. Her husband’s becoming distant, her daughter’s acting spoiled, her father is dealing with early Alzheimer’s, and her mother’s barely dealing at all.

As she struggles to hold her home and work life together, and meet all of the needs of the people around her, Allison finds that the painkillers she was prescribed for a back injury help her deal with more than just physical discomfort - they help her feel calm and get her through her increasingly hectic days. Sure, she worries a bit that the bottles seem to empty a bit faster each week, but it’s not like she’s some Hollywood starlet partying all night, or a homeless person who’s lost everything. It’s not as if she has an actual problem.

However, when Allison’s use gets to the point that she can no longer control - or hide - it, she ends up in a world she never thought she’d experience outside of a movie theater: rehab. Amid the teenage heroin addicts, the alcoholic grandmothers, the barely-trained "recovery coaches", and the counselors who seem to believe that one mode of recovery fits all, Allison struggles to get her life back on track, even as she’s convincing herself that she’s not as bad off as the women around her.

With a sparkling comedic touch and tender, true-to-life characterizations, All Fall Down is a tale of empowerment and redemption and Jennifer Weiner’s richest, most absorbing and timely story yet.

©2014 Jennifer Weiner (P)2014 Simon & Schuster Audio

Jennifer Weiner's very best

I'm still thinking about this audiobook even though I finished it a few weeks ago. The story itself caught me off guard with the twist at the beginning, and had me gripped from then on. An excellent story, hit VERY close to home, and personally, I'm very glad Ms. Weiner wrote it. She's one of my very favorite authors, and this is her very best.

pretty much as expected

A very typical story of addiction. I listen as I walk my dogs. It kept my interest but I cannot say I was riveted. I didn't particularly like the main character.

Not what I expected

I have enjoyed other books by this author in the past. I expected lighter reading but this story was serious and a little disturbing as addiction is a disturbing topic. I thought that the author did a superb job in telling the story from the addicted person's point of view and describing how one can quickly spiral out of control, use medication as a means to manage unresolved emotional issues, and fall into the web of denial. I rated the story lower, not because it was not an important topic or well written, but because it was not what I expected from the author or the brief description of the plot.

Naftali

I love it
So cute and I don't know if you can make it easier

Such a great read

Loved it! I recommend it to everyone. I'm a housewife and loved listening to it daily.

Listen to a Lifetime Channel Movie

Is there anything you would change about this book?

No. It is what it is.

What do you think your next listen will be?

American Tragedy by Dreiser

Which scene was your favorite?

The rehab scenes.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

No.

Any additional comments?

So, as the title indicates, this book was like listening to a Lifetime movie. I'm not saying that's necessarily a bad thing, especially if you love those kind of stories. It's just not what I usually look for in a book for myself. This was my first Egan novel, and I guess I was expecting something different, but that's my fault for not looking further into the details of the book. That being said the narrator is great, she really brought these characters to life and kept me listening. The writing itself is very good, although I did notice the phrase 'she (he) smiled, not unkindly', was used a lot. That's probably a bit nit picky, but it happened enough that I noticed it. The book was good, but it didn't blow me away or anything. Just the average story of a suburban mom trying to do too much, getting hooked on opiates, having marital trouble, getting caught using...and it goes from there. Even the big cathartic moment wasn't all that exciting. It's good enough. I wouldn't run around telling everyone they absolutely must read it, but if I was asked I'd say yeah it's okay, the second half being much better than the first, though I felt there were a lot of loose ends.

Great.

Enlightened. I really learned a lot about myself. The little girls voice was appropriately annoying. Somehow that made me empathize more with the mom's need to self-medicate.

I Just Can't

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

No. I love Jennifer Weiner, typically, but this one just isn't good enough to spend the time on. I have started it multiple time...3-4...and had the hardest time getting into it. I finally stuck with it and it was just so much redundancy and so little actually HAPPENING. It never drew me in.

Has All Fall Down turned you off from other books in this genre?

Not at all, I think the author is amazing and you can't win 'em all.

Which character – as performed by Tracee Chimo – was your favorite?

I thought the narrator was great, very in line with the main character and did a pretty good job with the kid too.

Could you see All Fall Down being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

Gosh, I hope not.

Any additional comments?

Jennifer Weiner has written much better, try something else.

GREAT Narrator

This story was very heartfelt. It gave me insight into what a friend of mine has been going through. The narrator is amazing! I loved her performance of Ellie. I have read several books by this author and each story has been wonderful!

Best narrator ever

Best narrator ever. Really great book. Honest and funny. Best narrator ever. Really great book. Honest and funny.