Fall

“A riveting story [about] the intensity of young love and the intensity of self-hatred . . . Marvelous” (Elizabeth Strout).

St. Ebury, an elite Ottawa boarding school, might appear to an outsider like a place steeped in rules and traditions. But the animal instincts of the boys who reside there are only barely restrained. A handful of girls are also in attendance—among them, Fall, a beautiful and elusive figure who becomes the object of fascination for many of the male students, including Noel, a smart, intensely idiosyncratic young man. But Fall ends up dating his roommate, Julius, the charismatic son of the American ambassador, whom Noel also fixates upon. Amid a heady mix of hormones and delusional impulses, Noel gradually loses control of his obsessions.

Told from the very different perspectives of Julius and Noel, Fall is a psychologically acute and relentless literary thriller—“sensitive, honest and horrifying” (The Guardian).