A review by angiebayne
The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z. by Kate Messner

4.0

Gianna is going through a lot: homework assignments that she hasn't really worked on, a big cross country meet, a classmate that is out to get her, and her grandmother who is slipping away into Alzheimer's. This is a very realistic look into a what a family goes through when someone starts showing signs of Alzheimer's. The parents don't want to admit that something is going on, everyone is scared, grandma wonders away. The fact that the story is told through the eyes of Gianna, a middle schooler, is perfect. She is still going through all the things that a kid that age has to deal with and she has to deal with this on top of it. Her range of emotions seems very realistic as does that of the adults in the story. I thought this was a very good story and could definitely touch the lives of young readers.