If I Fall, If I Die is the story of Will and his mother, Diane. Diane is an agoraphobic, which means she has a severe fear of going outside. Will stays at home and cares for his mother, having their meals and any other necessities needed to survive delivered to their house. Will has no memories of ever being in the “outside” world and his only interactions conversations he has with the deliverymen. One day, Will finally ventures outside and meets another boy, Marcus. He experiences his first injury but also realizes what he’s been missing all these years. Will demands more freedom from his mother and their home and soon begins attending school; but when he tries to locate Marcus again, he discovers he is missing.

The writing in If I Fall, If I Die is very beautiful and dreamlike, with fascinating characters and a compelling storyline. This book really makes you think about what it would be like to live with someone who suffers from such a severe case of mental illness. It’s a great story of bravery and of overcoming ones fears. Despite the serious themes scattered throughout; there is also a lot of humor, especially in the first half. This gives us, the reader, some much needed balance and I was very happy the author chose to do this. I really enjoyed this book and it would be a great read for teens and fans of the YA genre.

**I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher, Crown Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review**