Reviews with content warning for Alcoholism - Falling Short

*♾/5. I loved this book so much. I adored Marco & Issac’s friendship. It was really refreshing to see that they were complete opposite, but were the best of friends. Not saying it’s uncommon, just saying that I enjoyed seeing it. Another thing I loved was how the sports aspect of the book wasn’t boring. I wouldn’t say I hate sports, but it has to hook me from the start if I want anything to do with it..and I feel like this book did it perfectly. I honestly loved this book so much. It was amazing.

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audreylee's review

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emotional funny inspiring medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Basketball and school are the frames around which an inspiring friendship takes form. Just beautiful.

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jackelz's review against another edition

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Isaac and Marco are two best friends, and neighbors, that seem to be complete opposites in terms of athletics and academics. Isaac is really good at basketball, but falls behind with his school work. Marco is always the butt of the short jokes, but he is super smart.

Better grades will surely stop Isaac's parents from arguing all the time, and Marco believes earning a spot on the school's basketball team will earn his father’s approval. The two best friends must rely on each other in unexpected ways.

Themes: changing friendships, entering middle school, bullying, how to have difficult conversations with your parents, lying, and standing up for yourself and what's right for you

Rep: Both protagonists are Latinx. Isaac is Jewish and Mexican, and Marco is Mexican-American.

Isaac and Marco’s friendship was so inspiring to me. It’s so commonly written in books that friends break up (at least temporarily) when starting at a new school, so I appreciated how that wasn’t the case in Falling Short. Isaac tried to make friends with Marco’s new friends, and vice versa. They were always there for each other. I wish I had a neighbor friend whose window I could crawl through at any hour, and maybe they would do my homework too.

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makeminemonsters's review

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emotional funny hopeful reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I thought this story was such a sweet examination of a friendship between two 12 year old boys in a way that was really lovely to see. They were so supportive of each other and I thought the fact that they were comfortable talking about their feelings and insecurities was really refreshing and will be great for kids around middle school age to see. There was also lots of basketball and sports content for sports fans though the heart of the story is really Marco and Isaac's friendship.

I do think that Isaac's father's drinking problem was handled a little too easily though. I applaud the author for taking care with the character so that the reader is really rooting for him to treat his addiction successfully, but I think the ending was tied up a little too quickly. Still, this book is really for 4th-7th graders and that's a tough balance to strike between being realistic without being too much for the reader to grapple with.

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