Pent-Up Press

Everyone Was Falling, Hardcover/Js Lee

On the weekend of July Fourth, shots are fired at a twentieth high school reunion in a small US town, killing fifty-six. Three survive. So begins EVERYONE WAS FALLING, an empowering novel of friendship and violence on the verge of Trump's election. Lucy--a queer, Asian adoptee whose past trauma hypervigilance leads them to safety--is dubbed the hero. White, blond town treasure, Christy, is the star--using YouTube to garner fame. Donna--the only former Black student of Bixby--becomes the suspect, despite what her wealthy father has done for the town. The three women navigate PTSD and the differences that long ago drove them apart. They're targeted by racists, opportunists, and violent exes. As the police department fumbles, it's up to the survivors to lead them to justice.