Ally Carter’s All Fall Down is the first book in the “Embassy Row” series.
nlike the previous books, this main character is neither a spy nor a thief. Grace Blakely is the granddaughter of the United States’ ambassador and she saw her mother die in front of her eyes when she was 13. Soon after she arrives in Adria, she sees the man who murdered her mother and she is determined to make him pay. With the help of her friends from all different nationalities, Grace Blakely goes after the man who murdered her mother, but Grace Blakely is sneaking around Embassy Row. Embassy Row houses several embassies from many major counties and one false move can cause an international war.
Grace is definitely trouble. In the first chapter, she mentions that she broke her leg when she jumped from the wall between Canada and Germany and has received countless other injuries as she’s traveled from place to place. Her father is in the US Army and she is quite isolated because she is never in one place long enough to make a friend. On top of this, she is broken. The death of her mother shattered her resolve and whenever she sees the man who murdered her mother, she breaks down. To top it all off, this character is determined, independent, and is not afraid to speak up. This gets her into heaps of trouble.
All Fall Down doesn’t fail to meet the standards set by Ally Carter’s previous books. The book is captivating and never slows down. The atmosphere of Embassy Row is both in enchanting in the sense different countries may be right across the street, but also dangerous in the sense that one false move can start World War III. Grace can sometimes be annoying when she is trying to convince herself and the people around her that she isn't crazy, but we have to remember that she spent three years of her life with no one to believe that her story might hold some truth. Many of the adults choose not to do anything when Grace states her theories. This leaves the plot up to Grace and her friends as they run around trying to find the man who murdered Grace's mother.
I give this 310 page book 4.5 stars.
Series Analysis
Ally Carter's Embassy Row series is quite a departure from her usual novels. Instead of a talented lead, with a morally ambiguous skill set, we are given Grace Blakely, a broken girl suffering from guilt. After watching her mother die in front of her, this girl is mentally unstable. This girl also happens to be the granddaughter of a US ambassador and live in a place where the embassies of different countries are housed. With rival nations only a few blocks from each other, starting an international war is as easy as walking across the street. The series earns 4 stars here and on goodreads.
Embassy Row
In the city of Adria, several embassies for many different countries are housed close together. The United States' embassy can be right across the street from the Russian embassy and a couple blocks away from the Italian embassy. It is easy to go from embassy to embassy and it is just as easy to start an international war. Grace Blakely is the granddaughter of the US ambassador.