Rocks Fall, Everyone Dies - Lindsay Ribar
Racking up another for #ARCAugust! Review to come before the end of the month.

Manipulative dick realizes he’s a manipulative dick after discovering his family’s dark secrets.
I didn’t like Aspen. He wasn’t bad at first, just…a dude. Playing third-wheel to his best friend and the girl of his dreams so his train of thought focused on that a lot. Which turned creepy and awful later. Hell, everything did. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

Before:
• The magic was cool and Aspen’s enthusiasm for the ritual was adorable like a little kid’s.
• I liked the mystery of unraveling what the hell happened to his cousin Heather, Leah the hipster book clerk, and how this all got started.
• I liked Leah, the hipster book clerk and Brandy, the dream girl the most.
• What the hell was in those drinks?
• Huh, Aspen’s a fucking asshole...
• Christ, people. RUN AWAY! GET AWAY! SAVE YOURSELVES!

After:
• Holy shit, Aspen got fucked.
• Holy shit, Aspen really fucked them over.
• Thank fuck for Leah.
• Poor cousin Heather & her mother 
• His poor mother…
• FUCK YOU [SPOILER]!
• WHAT are YOU DOING, ASPEN?!?! You ASSHAT!
• Good for you Aspen. Try not to fuck up again, dear.
• Want to hug and soothe everyone violated by these fucking people…sheesh.

What you would be like growing up in a hidden magical family like Aspen’s?

The magic is all invasive. It’s supposed to be to save the town, but they use it like a crutch. They’re entitled, selfish and blinded by power. It’s a tale of privilege and family secrets. Aspen’s caught in the middle of it all. At one point an innocent child, now an obnoxious teen. What kind of adult will he be?

The blurb calls it “Twin Peaks meets Stars Hollow” but I’ve never watched either of them. Indeed, I had to Google what Stars Hollow was from and finding it’s from the Gilmore Girls leaves me perplexed.

I think it’s more like if Mary Lennox from The Secret Garden was a contemporary dude with powers. Or Mara Dyer without the physically traumatic past and murderous streak.

It was a good, quick, enjoyable read but if you don’t like protagonists like Aspen, I’d steer clear. While magic is pervasive, it’s more about how and why their using for the majority of the tale. So, if you’re looking for a dramatic, character intensive with a spice of magical realism, go for it. It does the unlikable clueless protagonist well.