Falling for You

Gr 9 Up—Rae's life may not be easy, but she has close friends, a job she loves, and some savings to help her escape someday. Sure, she has to deal with her distant mother and verbally abusive stepfather, but she's able to separate herself from the reality she shares with her friends. Then she meets Nathan, whose affection quickly turns stifling and even frightening. At just about the same time, her stepdad loses his job, starts stealing her paychecks, and begins a downward spiral. Rae's narrative is punctuated by entries in her poetry journal. Alongside the story of Rae's increasingly troubled home and rapidly derailing love life runs a narrative in which her English teacher appeals to students to submit poetry for the school newspaper. Rae asks to submit poems anonymously and starts a "poetry revolution," with anonymous selections pouring out of the woodwork. It is only toward the end of the story that she begins to see the value of being forthright about the uglier parts of her life. Rae is a well-drawn, strong-willed heroine, and her blossoming relationship with a homeschooled neighbor adds a sweetness and depth to the story. Some other characters (her friends, her mother) feel a little thinner. The biggest disappointment is the book's cover, which shows a passionate, rain-drenched kiss between what one can only assume is Rae and Nathan. It feels misleading as that relationship does not define the story. Still, readers looking for a quick read about a strong teen who finds her voice will not be disappointed.—Jill Heritage Maza, Montclair Kimberley Academy, Montclair, NJ