I am having trouble starting this, because I'm still in shock over the vast amount of negative reviews that I have just read. Even if you don't like the storyline or "relate" to the characters, I am shocked that someone could come up with something negative to say because the writing alone is hands down breathtaking. I did not think it was possible for someone to write so magnificently and yet be an unknown name. It is the most amazing debut novel I have ever read of any author.

To be honest, the beginning is a little slow. It took me longer than usual to get into it. However, around page 100, I couldn't put it down. I was so intrigued by every single character. It didn't matter if I related to them or not, what mattered was that I sympathized with them and felt that I knew them. I felt as though I had grown up with the Piper children, and for days after finishing I couldn't stop thinking about Lily or Mercedes or Katherine.

There is no denying that the family is more than slightly dysfunctional. As dysfunctional as it is, it is still completely realistic. Fall on your knees is a heartbreaking story of one family. For me, as much as I wanted to hate certain characters, such as John, I couldn't because no matter how horrible he could be, you also see how amazing he could be. You LOVE these characters, even if you don't want to. You get angry and sad, but still, through it all, you feel for them, and see why they do what they do.

It's been a long time since I have been so touched by the characters in a book. They became more than characters to me. They were my friends. I cried when they cried and I laughed when they laughed. The story is depressing and dark. It is heartbreaking and pretty emotionally draining, to be honest. If you are looking for a light, fun read, then I don't suggest this. But if you want to read a novel that will stay with you, and touch you and influence you, then Fall on your Knees will do this.

Like I said earlier, the writing alone will blow you away. MacDonald is a true storyteller. Everything is intertwined in each other and you don't really understand what is going on until you finish the book. For days I kept going back to and rereading parts, putting it all together. I read the first page over and over so many times the number is too high to recall.

Fall on your Knees is a great book. I read it over a month ago, and I still find myself thinking about the Pipers. To me, that says a lot. Even if you disagree with the story or find it to depressing, you cannot deny that MacDonald is an amazing writer. Read this book.