THE ACCIDENT.
THE LIE.
THE FALLOUT will be huge . . .
When Liza’s little boy has an accident at the local health club, it’s all anyone can talk about.
Was nobody watching him?
Where was his mother?
Who’s to blame?
The rumours, the finger-pointing, the whispers – they’re everywhere. And Liza’s best friend, Sarah, desperately needs it to stop.
Because Sarah was there when it happened. It was all her fault. And if she’s caught out on the lie, everything will fall apart . . .
The Fallout opens with a WhatsApp chat between an antenatal group called NCT West London Ladies, and two members of the chat both announcing the birth of their babies. The rest of the group is awaiting the birth of theirs. Liza and Sarah break off and start their own private chat, making fun of the smug mums who are already talking about enrolling their kids at school (yes, the day they’re born). A friendship is born… and we cut to five years later.
Sarah and Liza are now close friends. Like most of the yummy mummies in their area, they hang out at the prestigious health club, The Vale Club. One day, while Liza goes to get coffee, she asks Sarah to check on her son Jack who is in the club playground. However, Sarah runs into Ella, one of the mums from their antenatal clinic, and instead of checking on Jack, she catches up with her. Ella disappeared after the antenatal class, and Sarah is curious to see why. So, she tells Liza she checked up on Jack when she didn’t, and when Jack has an accident which leaves him seriously injured, this lie comes back to haunt her.
The Fallout switches between Sarah and Liza’s point of view, interspersed with some chapters with Gav, Liza’s husband, some notes from an online newspaper and WhatsApp conversations between gossiping parents. This adds a fresh, modern feel to this exceptional read. Shades of Big Little Lies, with a touch of The Slap, you can absolutely see The Fallout hitting the screen. These yummy mummies and their gossip and blame and obsessive parenting styles make for a compelling read. There are also some deeper themes here in this fast-paced page-turner, including depression and loss, complex marriages and secrets.
This is a powerful novel that will invoke an emotional response from any reader who has encountered the parenting police. The taut writing flies along, delivered in different styles, making this a fabulous holiday read – even when you’re not on holiday. I highly recommend The Fallout. I think it’s going to be a huge hit.
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