“Where She Fell” by Kaitlyn Ward is one of the best science-fiction books I’ve ever read. Our main character, Eliza, is an aspiring geologist trying to get through her junior year of high school. There’s a swamp by her house that has a sinkhole, infamous for people falling in and never returning. Her friends convince her to go to Drowners Swamp and although she knows it’s dangerous, she still goes. She ends up falling into said sinkhole, and is now exploring the huge cave that lays underneath it. In this cave, there are survivors who’ve made quite the home down there. The only thing on Eliza’s mind now is: why don’t they want to leave? 

The first thing I’d compliment about the novel is the setting. Setting 80% of the story inside a cave is a hard thing to do. You have to make a bunch of stone sound interesting; yet, Ward does this and it’s beautiful. “The tunnel’s narrow and downward sloping, and the floor is slippery. Its sharp turns disorient me.” (pg 38). It only adds to the idea that it’s a brand new, undiscovered place. Obviously, the general audience reading her stories have never been inside of a cave, and certainly never been inside of one like the one in her story. “This place is like a steam room, much smaller than the cavern on the other side and swirling with mist, condensation drips from the ceiling.” (pg 33). While reading, I felt like I was there. The details while describing what the inside of the cave looked like put an exact image in my head. 

The plot in this book doesn’t disappoint either. When I started reading, I expected the same run-down story. I never expected a book would have me reading on end for hours. “Something moves up ahead. The light moves. The light- it isn’t the sun, I realize, my heart sinking all the way to my feet.” Ward kept things interesting the entire time. The way the things inside the cave are described is just eerie. Like our main character, it leaves you also looking for explanations for the things going on in this cave. Every page was like another plot twist, there is a good beginning and an even better ending. 

If you’re into science fiction books surrounded by fantasy, or just books about teenagers, this is a great read. I didn’t think a random book I got in a library would end up being my all-time favorite for years to come.