i don’t even know how to process this, honestly. this book is so heartbreakingly beautiful. from the dedication, i knew that i was going to fall in love with Liliana’s writing. it might not be everyone’s thing, but i love the poetic and flowery writing style she has. it enhanced the meaning of the story and brought the characters to life in a different way.

nova hawkins has such a special spot in my heart. she’s a dreamer. written FOR writers. she finds the tiniest details in the world and turns them into something beautiful and dreamy. but she’s battling with grief on the inside. her mother’s death still weighs her down and she doesn’t know how to overcome the grief.

but she meets atlas hale.

two broken souls cross paths by fates will. a quiet conversation in the park. a reluctant friendship. and a list of all the things nova and her mother would do together—her goal was to do them all by herself.

atlas hale is a man without life. just existing. he’s haunted by all the mistakes he’s he’s made in his life. he pushes everyone away because they’ll end up leaving anyway. he even pushed nova away before he realizes she makes him feel wanted. she shows him life can still be beautiful in a broken world.

the amount of quotes in this book is beautiful. i loved how each page was full of my annotations. it felt like each chapter had its own story and i honestly loved that. the vibes were everything. i CANNOT wait for the books to come so i can return to sailor ridge.

i’m also so happy that the spice level was very low. their relationship and love was portrayed so well without any spice and it was so impactful. i get excited whenever i find upper ya/adult books without spice.

as i end this review, i want to say that i don’t understand how someone could complain that it’s more of a grief story than a love story (yes, i’m throwing shade on you right now). “the consequences of falling” IS a grief story and healing journey. go find a different book if that’s not what you want and stop complaining. BUT YOU ARE MISSING OUT.