VBT# If I Fall - Anna Cruise
Today's VBT# Stop is Anna Cruise's "If I fall" here on The Phantom Paragrapher.
Review: If I Fall -Anna Cruise - April 2013
What path would you take if your whole life can crumbling down and how far would you have to fall to realise what has happened ?
For fifteen year old Meg who past life has been a happy one with her Dad, Mum and three friends. Now her parents have gotten a divorce and her father has moved in with his fiance Cheri , her mother won't come out of her room and is going in a downwards spiral and her life is at a standstill. Whilst hanging out with her friends one night at the beach, Meg decides to stay a bit longer and runs into Aidan Westwood - a senior at her school and what the girls call a Bad Boy/ Beach Hottie. Soon Aidan and Meg start hanging around more and Meg finds herself admist a world of parties, drugs, alcohol and sex. The further she goes in , the harder she finds it to get out so she goes along and soon Meg has lost all her old friends, her grades are down and her whole attitude has changed and not for the best. When tragedy strikes her family, her Aunt Sara comes to live with Meg and soon tries to put her in line and it's at this time when Meg starts to reconnect slowly with her old friends Jada and Case in particular. How long will it take Meg to realise that she needs her friends to help her out and that the road she has been walking isn't the one for her ? When another tragedy strikes one of the girls in her "old group" -Aidan's friends and ends up near death - is this the moment of clarification that Meg needs to move on with her life ? But , is it easy to walk away from that kind of life or has being a part of it made her and those she love in danger ?
If I Fall by Anna Cruise , is the second book of hers I have read. It wasn't one of my favourite stories but I wonder if that has to do with my age and where I am at. I can definitely see "If I Fall" by Anna Cruise being a popular book for those in the 15-17 bracket that are wanting to try a different path in life and going through the stages of teenage angst.
Dream Cast For "If I Fall" by Anna Cruise:
If ‘If I Fall’ was made into a movie and you could cast anyone you like, who would you cast? (Please attach any pictures separately)
Choosing a cast for a movie based on a book is always a tricky thing because everyone has different ideas of how characters should look. But if you’re going to force me, here are the people I could see playing the characters in IF I FALL.
Meg Calloway – Anna Sophia Robb. It was hard coming up with a young actress who I thought might be able to carry the weight of this character, but after seeing ASR in several rolls, I think she's a pretty good fit.
Aidan Westwood – Alex Pettyfer. This was a tough role to fill, too, only because I think there are a lot of guys who could fit the character. I went for dark and really good looking. That works, right?
Jada – Abigail Breslin. This was another tough one. Sidekicks need to be strong enough to stand on their own, but not steal the spotlight. I think Breslin is one of those great actresses who sort of floats under the radar.
Dad – Jon Hamm. Mr. Mad Men himself. He epitomizes Meg's dad to me – older, good looking, a bit self-absorbed (at least on screen – I'm sure he's terribly nice in real life!).
Cheri – Megan Fox. This needed to be someone we all love to hate. Who better than the one chick that seems to stop every guy in their tracks when they see her?
Sara – Carla Gugino. Meg's aunt. I wanted someone tough, but who could still come across as sympathetic. I have no idea why she isn't a bigger star.
Mom – Mary Louise Parker. One of the best actresses alive, in my opinion. Loved her short stint on The West Wing years ago and Weeds is one of the best shows ever. I think I had her in mind when I wrote Meg's mom.
Case – Logan Lerman. Who? Did you see The Perks of Being A Wallflower? He's awesome.
Now if someone could just provide some financing money for me...
Book Soundtrack :
Can you share your idea of the perfect soundtrack to ‘If I Fall’ with us?
I don’t know if I could choose the perfect soundtrack but I do know that these songs are ones that I listened to over and over again while writing If I Fall. And these songs are the ones I hear when I see certain scenes.
Nobody's Home – Avril Lavigne
This song pretty much sums up Meg's life. She wants to go home—but nobody's there. Nobody she can connect with, anyway, and certainly no one who can help her navigate everything that's going on in her life.
Le Pony – Italian Japanese
This is an obscure, brilliant band from Southern California. Listen beyond the instrumental opening and you'll hear a sweetly haunting song about saying “your last goodbye”—just like Meg did when her father drives away in the opening scene.
Free Falling – Tom Petty
One of my most favorite songs in the Universe. The first four words of the song pretty much sum up Meg: “She's a good girl...” and these words, “And I'm a bad boy 'cuz I don't even miss her...” have Aidan written all over them.
Wanted -- Hunter Hayes
I can totally see Case singing this song to Meg. He wants to make her feel loved, make her feel wanted, even when she doesn’t think she deserves him.
Just The Way You Are – Bruno Mars
I'm not a big Bruno Mars fan, but this song—for me, anyway—speaks exactly to how Case feels about Meg. He's not trying to change her, he's not trying to make her into someone she's not and he's not trying to make her feel bad about who she's become. He doesn't care about any of that. He likes her for who she is, flaws and all. Just the way she is.
I’d love to hear what readers think, too! What songs do you see on the soundtrack?
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