Lessons in Falling - Softcover

Gallagher, Diana

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1633920372 ISBN 13: 9781633920378

Publisher: Spencer Hill Press, 2017

Synopsis

ONE TUMBLE CAN CHANGE EVERYTHING<

LESSON ONE: Playing it safe beats taking chances.

After an injury ends Savannah’s dream of a college gymnastics scholarship, she quits. Despite her parents’ protests, she won’t risk breaking her body—and heart—again.

LESSON TWO: Catch your best friend when she falls—or regret it forever.

Rules are meant to be broken, according to Savannah’s best friend, Cassie—and it’s more fun to break them together. But when Cassie attempts suicide, Savannah’s left wondering how well she really knows her.

LESSON THREE: Learning to leap forward, not knowing where you’ll land is the hardest lesson of all.

Falling for Marcos wasn’t part of the plan. Not only did he save Cassie’s life, he also believes Savannah can still achieve her dreams. Except Cassie thinks Marcos and gymnastics will only break Savannah’s heart.

As Savannah tumbles and twists through toxic friendships and crushing parental expectations, she realizes you never know who will be there when you fall.

About this title

About the Author

Though Diana Gallagher be but little, she is fierce. She’s also a gymnastics coach and judge, former collegiate gymnast, and writing professor. She holds an MFA from Stony Brook University and her work has appeared in The Southampton Review, International Gymnast, and on a candy cigarette box for SmokeLong Quarterly. To learn more, visit her website at dianagallagher.blogspot.com.

Reviews

Gr 9 Up—Savannah decides to quit gymnastics after one too many injuries. After focusing so intensively on the sport that she hoped would land her a college scholarship, she is struggling to discover who she is. Her dad wants her to resume training, and her longtime best friend, Cassie, wants her to ditch gymnastics and move to the city with her. Then Cassie attempts to take her own life, and in addition to feeling guilty for not recognizing any signs of Cassie's unhappiness, Savannah no longer has her friend's support. Fellow student Marcos, who helped to rescue Cassie, brings a new perspective, and as Savannah starts tutoring him, she falls for him, too. Gradually, she begins to feel that he is the only person who supports her and believes that she can achieve her dreams. In her debut novel, Gallagher draws on her deep knowledge of gymnastics to add authentic sports details to familiar YA novel territory of the friends-vs.-relationship drama. Her narrative also reaches into contemporary headlines with Marcos's story: he's an immigrant who faces racism and bullying from other students at school. VERDICT Fans of realistic fiction and coming-of-age books will enjoy this touching tale about dealing with difficult friendships, growing up, and finding oneself. A strong choice for most YA collections.—Morgan O'Reilly, Riverdale Country School, NY

Edition details

• Publisher: Spencer Hill Press
• Publication date: 2017
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1633920372
• ISBN 13: 9781633920378
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 338