Initial Impressions 6/12/16: 4 stars 
 This was a lot of fun! I really enjoyed the magical realism side of it (I think magical realism is probably the best way to describe it, right? Family with abilities that no one else has. I think that's the best categorization). 
 I was hoping for a bit more sarcasm - just because I love it so much - but there was still some snark and humor there. (I think I was more thinking it'd be a little more "campy" like Hold Me Closer, Necromancer but still a good comp read!) 
 I was really impressed with how deep the book actually went. It wasn't just something on the surface where it was like, "Here. This family has abilities." There was a deeper story to the Quicks as well as their interactions with everyone in the town. 
 I also liked that Aspen wasn't a perfect hero character. He had some serious flaws of his own and he mad a few mistakes along the way. He learned from what happened and tried to be a better person after realizing what he had gone through. 
 I think a little more humor/sarcasm would have really pushed this one a little higher for me but overall, really enjoyed the story quite a bit! 
 Full review as originally posted HERE on The Book Addict's Guide 7/11/16: As much as I distrust THIS meets THAT comparisons on books, I'm always intrigued when something good pops out at me. When I heard that ROCKS FALL, EVERYONE DIES was Twin Peaks meets Stars Hollow, I knew I had to read it. I just love quirky, a little dark, and small town so this book was calling my name! 
 I haven't watched Twin Peaks so I can't say how accurate that comparison is, but I really was hoping for a little bit more of that Gilmore Girls sass, snark, and clever turn of phrases throughout the book. It was entertaining throughout and did have its own sass but it wasn't quite as snarky and clever as I hate hoped for. The concept itself was clever and the book took a few turns I wasn't expecting, but I was hoping for a little bit more in the character development based on that comparison alone (hence why I don't like THIS meets THAT comparisons unless you REALLY mean them). 
 ROCKS FALL, EVERYONE DIES was a interesting concept! I loved the magical realism concept which was great since magical realism is really hit or miss for me! It was right on that line that dances between magical realism and urban fantasy but I think it really leaned more toward the former since it's just Aspen's family with these unique abilities. The way the powers connected to the town and to nature were really great and I love how it seemed fairly straight forward right off the bat... until the book digs deeper and then everything becomes even more meaningful. I loved Lindsay Ribar's ability to tell a story on so many levels and then bring you even further into the book than you were expecting. 
 Aspen's character was wonderfully complex and I appreciated his struggle with morality when it came to using his abilities. Aspen is able to "take" things from people and this could mean many things -- a physical feature (such as a mole or scar), a personality trait (competitiveness), or a fondness/affinity (a love of the water). His ability to do these things, especially without the subject's knowledge, really brings in a level of morality that we never have to worry about contemplating. The magic to "take" gives Aspen a power that's higher than human will. Even if he takes a thing that a person finds a negative thing about themselves, is removing that fear/embarrassment/ailment making their lives better or simply avoiding a problem that could make them a stronger person? Does he help improve someone's quality of life or does that change destiny? It was a really interesting moral argument and I especially enjoyed this part of the book! 
 The characters had a delightful amount of quirk to them. The families were a bit eccentric, the love interest strong and independent, and the history between everyone long and complicated. The small town setting was really fun and I love how it makes everyone's relationships that much more complicated. I was hoping for just a few more witticisms -- mostly because I just had that expectation set up in my mind about the tone of the book -- but it was a solid read and I definitely want to read more from Lindsay Ribar!