The Shock of the Fall
‘I’ll tell you what happened because it will be a good way to introduce you to my brother. His name’s Simon. I think you’re going to like him. I really do. But in a couple of pages he’ll be dead. And he was never the same after that.’
‘A gripping, exhilarating read… dazzlingly rendered’
Winner Of
The Costa Book Of The Year
The National Book Award For Popular Fiction
The Betty Trask Prize
The Writers’ Guild Award for Best First Novel
Short Film
‘Utterly convincing… Filer has created a character of real value’
‘Filer has an incisive eye for detail… authentic, funny and hauntingly sad’
‘A compelling story of grief, madness and loss. Filer has an ear for the dark comedy of life, and Matthew is a charismatic lead character who draws you in even as his world falls apart’
‘Bittersweet and wonderfully etched’
‘Dark, touching, sweet and funny and beautifully written’
‘A convincing portrayal of an articulate boy in the grip of a powerful illness, and an absorbing account of a grief undischarged’
‘A tragic and comic account of living with schizophrenia. A must for fans of Matthew Quick’s The Silver Linings Playbook’
‘A terrific debut: engaging, funny and inventive’
‘At once conversational, confiding and challenging… helps us open our minds to new ways of thinking about mental health, about each other, and about our own selves’