The Fallout By Rebecca Thornton

‘The Fallout’ is Rebecca Thornton’s debut novel.

When Liza’s little boy has an accident at the local health club, it’s all anyone can talk about. Was nobody watching him? Where was his mother? Who’s to blame? The rumours, the finger-pointing, the whispers – they’re everywhere. And Liza’s best friend, Sarah, desperately needs it to stop. Because Sarah was there when it happened. It was all her fault. And if she’s caught out on the lie, everything will fall apart.

This story is an interesting that is seen primarily of best friends Sarah and Liza. When Liza’s little boy Jack falls and fractures his neck, Sarah says that she was keeping an eye on him whilst Liza was looking after her new born baby. In reality, Sarah was chatting to Ella, the glamorous and mysterious woman, who everyone wants to be best friends with. Ella ghosted all the friends a number of years ago and no one knows why adding more mystery to the woman. As Sarah battles with her guilt of not properly watching her best friends’ little boy, Liza battles with her own guilt as fingers begin to point at her for not being a fit mother.

If you’re a fan of the ‘Big Little Lies’ book and series by Liane Moriarty, then I would wholeheartedly recommend this book. Set in well to do London, where all the women have nannies and staff, the story concentrates on the pressures of society as well as the ruthlessness of social media. As the women communicate through their WhatsApp groups pretending to be friends and there for one another, but instead are bitching behind each other’s back. Inclusions of WhatsApp conversations give an interesting slant to the story, as it shows the real people and their true colours. I found myself feeling sympathetic towards both Sarah and Liza as they battled with heightened emotions but also found their obsession with Ella and why she ghosted the women fascinating. Ella certainly is an interesting character, she’s elusive, with her perfect life, body and family.

Rebecca is a new author for me, but is definitely one that I will be looking into, her observation of toxic female relationships and shallow characters is well written and made for compelling reading. A thrilling story of how one simple story can spiral out of control, ‘The Fallout’ is a good dramatic story with complex characters highlighting the pressures of the society and the real struggle behind perfection.

You can buy ‘The Fallout’ from Amazon and will be available to buy from good bookshops.