The Sound of Falling Leaves

I had to take a couple days to think about what to say about this book. It's a dual-perspective story: one perspective is Tessa, an opera singer who has stopped singing after a traumatic event; and the other perspective is Zeke, a special agent working at Tessa's aunt's apple orchard while he's undercover in their small town. They each get caught up in their own mysteries. Tessa searches for answers about what happened to a folk ballad singer from the area who disappeared suddenly many years before. Zeke is working to find evidence of a series of covered up murders to take down a corrupt political dynasty. These mysteries end up having more to do with each other than expected, and of course a romance ensues as Tessa and Zeke work together.

I have a lot to talk about, so here we go.

First off, if you're looking for a book that screams autumn, look no further. This book is set in autumn, has a very autumnal cover, and the story has a creepy and atmospheric feel to it. The setting was written very well, and I could see the Appalachian mountain town in my mind as I was reading. I also apparently love reading about apple orchards, even though it wasn't a huge part of the plot.

The best word I can come up with to describe this book is unsettling. There's a lot of talk about superstition, fear, injustice, and corruption, not to mention a whole group of terrible people doing terrible things. This book is not for the faint of heart. Trigger warnings for suicide, intense sexual violence (while not graphically described, it's a central part of the plot), victim blaming, and murder. There is redemption at the end, and the grace of Jesus is beautifully portrayed. But wow, there's a lot of stuff to go through first. If you're a sensitive reader, proceed with caution.

And now, the characters. And the romance. Both Tessa and Zeke were flawed, layered characters with a lot of depth. But I didn't like either of them, and I didn't root for their romance either. Tessa is reckless and stubborn, placing herself in grave danger because she doesn't listen to the warnings of literally everyone. I don't enjoy reading about characters who are so stubborn they become stupid. And Zeke is wrestling with his desire for vengeance and was so full of darkness until the end that I just couldn't get past it. The romance is full of miscommunication and is really unhealthy, which I cannot overlook in books anymore. Unfortunately, the resolution of this was simply realizing that their love would be strong enough to make it through everything. There was no sign that the unhealthy patterns in their relationship were going to change. I've seen this kind of resolution in a few of the Christian fiction books with romances I've read recently, and it really bothers me.

Here's the thing I want Christian girls to hear: Pay attention! If you're in a relationship with some unhealthy patterns emerging, don't assume that they will magically disappear like they do at the end of a romance novel. I know the brooding bad-boy who turns into the romantic hero is a popular trope, but please be careful. It rarely works that way in real life. Yes, I know that forgiveness is crucial to a successful relationship, but so is wisdom and discernment. If you're with someone prone to deception, violent anger, etc, seek counsel and get out if necessary.

I know it seems like I'm being really hard on this book, but it's not this book specifically. It's the whole genre, honestly, and it's clearly a pet peeve of mine. But that's probably a topic of further discussion for another day.

I have a hard time recommending this book, because of the amount of violence as well as other issues I've mentioned above. And that's a shame, because there were other aspects that were done really well. I think I'll end on a positive note with a couple of quotes I loved:

“Tessa rose too. ‘Your faith is strong.'‘Not always.'‘I'm afraid I've lost mine.'‘Can't lose something, if you know where you laid it last.' Feet planted wide, Ouida steadied herself for a moment before shuffling toward the back room.”“In the end, the only blood that will matter is the blood of Christ. It is that blood God sees when He looks at those who belong to Him. Not the blood that runs through our veins, but the blood that washes our heart.”

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I received a copy of The Sound of Falling Leaves from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.