Rocks Fall Everyone Dies

March 28, 2016
A young man with the ability to steal memories and other aspects of a person’s identity learns the cost of his power in this unnerving tale of supernatural suspense. Aspen Quick’s family has secretly protected their small upstate New York town for generations, using their gifts to conduct a periodic ritual to keep the cliff that looms over Three Peaks from collapsing. Aspen also uses his powers for his own benefit—stealing sobriety in order to drink without consequence or stealing his best friends’ love for each other so he can act on a long-hidden crush. As the summer wears on, he runs into a girl immune to his powers and eventually discovers the source of his family’s oddness, as well as dark secrets that threaten to upset their carefully maintained status quo. Ribar (The Art of Wishing) sets up an intriguing premise and explores Aspen’s abilities in provocative ways. The coercive, nonconsensual nature of Aspen’s family’s powers makes for deeply unsettling reading, and Aspen’s recognition of this comes slow and late in the process, and isn’t entirely convincing. Ages 12–up. Agent: Brenda Bowen, Sanford J. Greenburger Associates.

Starred review from April 15, 2016
A teenage boy learns that the power to steal people's innermost feelings is both a blessing and curse. For generations, 17-year-old Aspen Quick's family has conducted a secret ritual to keep the cliff hanging over their small town from falling: they use a special power to "reach" inside people, steal their memories, desires, fears, talents, and physical attributes, and feed them to the cliff. Smart, cocky, and confident, Aspen doesn't think twice about also using this power to influence strangers and friends for his personal gain. But no amount of magic can bring Aspen's Chinese-American mom back after his parents split up. And when Aspen's friends Brandy and Theo join him at his grandmother's house for the summer, the biracial teen learns that "reaching" isn't the only secret his family has been keeping. Ultimately, Aspen must decide how far he's willing to go to get what he wants. The novel's complex characters and family drama pull readers in from the first page. Ribar balances weighty moral dilemmas with the unusual adventures of a teen who has the power to manipulate those around him. Flashback chapters chronicling Aspen's younger years are interspersed throughout the story, to good effect. Fast-paced and unpredictable, the plot seamlessly balances a summer romance with well-crafted paranormal suspense. A fresh and substantive story about family, love, and deciding who you want to be in the world. (Paranormal suspense. 12-18)

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May 1, 2016

Gr 8 Up-For generations, Aspen Quick's family has lived in the small town of Three Peaks and has performed a magical ritual that keeps the large, rocky cliff towering above the town from collapsing. Aspen is spending the summer with his aunt and grandmother, completing a magical triad. Two friends from the city are vacationing with Aspen, but he is able to keep them ignorant of his family's powers. The teen loves his magic. He is able to take things from people without their knowing. Aspen steals emotions like fear or bravery, conditions such as sobriety or calmness, and even physical attributes such as freckles or a strong lower back. He also sees nothing wrong with using his magic to make his dream girl fall for him, or to ease the way socially at parties. But the Quicks' magic is not as secret as they think, and when you steal things from people, there are consequences. Aspen is self-assured to the point of cockiness. Readers who at first might admire his abilities will quickly become appalled by how frequently and thoughtlessly the teen steals. Aspen's friends are a believable teen couple, the local girl who knows too much is fascinating and emotionally volatile, and Aspen's family members are intriguingly creepy. There are several twists, and the Quick family's ruthlessness makes for breathtaking storytelling.

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