Reviews

The Falling Girls by Hayley Krischer

maggiesasha's review

4.0

I was really excited for this one since I was a big fan of "Something Happened to Ali Greenleaf" and Krischer did not disappoint. I loved how she used inspiration from Heathers, Bring It On and

Spoiler

the murder of Skyler NEese

. I love older YA books and definitely recommend this one.

pomengranate_moon_'s review

dark sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

izzys_internet_bookshelf's review

3.0

3/5

I found this story to be interesting. I’ve never been interested in cheerleading but this wasn’t as boring as I thought it would be. At the same time I felt some of tge relationships weren’t explored more and the pacing was really slow.

inaraexplains's review

dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective sad medium-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

5.0

dr_ari_reads's review

adventurous dark sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

hayleybeale's review

3.0

There’s something about the paradoxical camaraderie and competitiveness of a cheerleading squad that makes them attractive to novelists. The Falling Girls is a compelling novel about young women’s friendships wrapped up in a cheerleading/mystery package.

Shade and Jadis are so close they’re like “the same person but with different hair.” But Shade has always been fascinated by cheerleading and decides to join the squad even though Jadis is not interested and is less than supportive. Shade quickly gets swept up by the tight world of the cheerleaders, in particular the alpha trio of three girls called Chloe.

Shade and Jadis’s friendship begins to crack as Shade devotes herself to becoming a flyer. Meanwhile Chloe Orbach, the alpha Chloe, takes up Shade much to the displeasure of the other Chloes. But after the homecoming dance in which Chloe Orbach dies under mysterious circumstances Shade wonders whether it really was an accident or did someone want her dead?

The author does an excellent job of capturing those breathlessly overwrought teen girl friendships as girls transition from their families into their adult selves. The whispering secrets, the gutwrenching overanalysis of a single text or comment, the intensity of the need for your best friend to always be your best friend has its reward in the closeness of the friendship and its agony in any threat to it.

I enjoyed the inside cheerleading passages about different poses and positions. The author doesn’t explain them all and I had to look them up but it felt authentic and an entree into this much maligned world. The girls are tough on themselves and each other but there’s no overt eating disorders or bullying. Their need to succeed and their desire for respect come through clearly.

But all of these good things need a plot to hang themselves on and that’s where I felt the novel fell a little short. The mystery feels just a bit too much like something that happens in a book and Shade’s urge to get to the truth didn’t quite ring true. For my money Kara Thomas does this sort of girl-on-the-edge focused novel just a bit better, but this is certainly worth your time.

Thanks to Razorbill and NetGalley for the digital review copy.

esmewasreading's review

3.5

 it was a good book it just felt like it was missing something.

the mystery was a bit bland. I enjoyed the characters though! I did also enjoy the writing. 

cass_mcd_235's review

4.0

this was an awesome YA mystery, with its strongest feature being the theme of relationships between teen girls. Shade joins the cheerleading team and befriends popular girl Chloe Orbach (and Chloe's two best friends, both also Chloes), which puts a strain on her rather co-dependent friendship with her best friend Jadis. When a cheerleader dies under mysterious circumstances at homecoming, Shade starts to fear that Jadis may have been involved.
The characters are excellent, and the book just breezes by. It explores all the ups and downs of a performance sport like cheerleading: the athleticism and sense of purpose, but also the obsession with beauty and competition. A super cool teen mystery that I really enjoyed!

smalltownbookmom's review against another edition

4.0

A deep dive into the culture of high school cheerleading, female friendship and toxic sport culture. Really entertaining and great on audio. Recommended for fans of Why we fly or Bring it on.

panickat123's review

dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Too many Chloes