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Fall Girl
Annabelle Jones has spent the majority of the last sixteen years as her bipolar brother's personal disaster janitor. She's not bitter though, despite what their family therapist says. I mean, she's got the support of the world's two greatest best friends. Plus, Blake's issues haven't really gotten in the way of her own life ... well, until now.
Annabelle has six days to figure out and fix what Blake did to get kicked off the track team, thus losing his scholarship, before her father puts in his resignation, finalizing a move that puts her on the other end of the state just before her senior year. All she has to do is get past an angry ex, his attractive best friend (who suddenly has a thing for her), and decide whether or not it's worth breaking the law to change her dad's mind. Because if she can't, it's hello new high school and goodbye senior year with the two friends who've kept her sane through all her family's drama. The problem is, she's not so sure wants to keep cleaning up his messes.
Annabelle has six days to figure out and fix what Blake did to get kicked off the track team, thus losing his scholarship, before her father puts in his resignation, finalizing a move that puts her on the other end of the state just before her senior year. All she has to do is get past an angry ex, his attractive best friend (who suddenly has a thing for her), and decide whether or not it's worth breaking the law to change her dad's mind. Because if she can't, it's hello new high school and goodbye senior year with the two friends who've kept her sane through all her family's drama. The problem is, she's not so sure wants to keep cleaning up his messes.
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First published June 2, 2011
31 people are currently reading
329 people want to read
About the author
Marybeth Smith
8 books26 followersMarybeth Smith is a perpetual perfectionist living out her daily life as an imperfect mother of three little ones. In 2010, she founded the website www.askabipolar.com, where she and a group of authors suffering from bipolar disorder answer reader’s questions about mental illnesses. In her spare time she writes, blogs and designs websites. She is currently working to publish her most recent novel, Fall Girl, and hopes that one day, through this novel and her website; she will be able to help bring an end to the stigma surrounding mental illness.
To learn more about Marybeth visit www.marybethsmith.com or www.askabipolar.com. You can contact her via email at marybeth@askabipolar.com.
To learn more about Marybeth visit www.marybethsmith.com or www.askabipolar.com. You can contact her via email at marybeth@askabipolar.com.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
July 11, 2011
I loved this book. Although my only complaint was all the swearing and the error of Tony's Mom committing suicide then at the end of the book he talks about his parents house and his mom and dad like she is still around. But I do love the characters and LOVE Toni she did a wonderful job on bringing his character and his and Jone's relationship together.
July 13, 2011
This would be a 4 star book except for one glaring, major continuity error. Do books not have editors any more? I seem to complain about poor editing regularly.
Anyway, this book read very real. The main character is 16 and the author's depiction of her as both completely self-centered and completely focused on helping her brother I think captures that age perfectly. As an adult reader I wanted to tell her to stop being dramatic, everything is not on her shoulders, and she should talk to her mom. But I think as a teenager I would have fully related to her.
There is alot of profanity and casual drug and sex references. Again, all this feels very real for 16-17 year olds. This isn't a book for my 13 year old, but I think it's good for older teens. And obviously, older-than-teens like me.
Anyway, this book read very real. The main character is 16 and the author's depiction of her as both completely self-centered and completely focused on helping her brother I think captures that age perfectly. As an adult reader I wanted to tell her to stop being dramatic, everything is not on her shoulders, and she should talk to her mom. But I think as a teenager I would have fully related to her.
There is alot of profanity and casual drug and sex references. Again, all this feels very real for 16-17 year olds. This isn't a book for my 13 year old, but I think it's good for older teens. And obviously, older-than-teens like me.
August 21, 2012
Great book - can't wait for the sequel! Saw on Marybeth Smith's FB page that she is done with the first draft, so I am hoping it will be out by the end of the year. This is a YA genre book that translates well to people of all ages. It really brought back my teenage years and made me remember how self-centered I was as a teen girl. This book also sheds light on teens with bipolar disorder - you can't really understand what it is like to live with it until you actually do so, but she does a good job of giving you a glimpse of what life is like with family who has it.
June 8, 2011
Absolutely brilliant! If there's one thing I can say of Ms. Smith, it's that she's able to bring characters to life in their true form. It's not easy to convince the reader that characters can be "real", but she's done it with this fabulous novel. It's also amazing that Ms. Smith has been able to create a view point of life with bipolar through the eyes of a teenager so convincingly. I'm eagerly awaiting her next novel...
July 15, 2011
I really enjoyed this book. I got it because it was a free download but I could not put it down. I read it in 3 days, which for me is crazy fast. I loved Annabelle's character and was rooting for things to work out the whole time. There was nothing earth shattering about this book but it was a really good, quick read.
September 2, 2011
An entertaining jaunt into the lives of a family affected by a manic depressive (maybe the right term probably not.). The little girl in me teared up a few times as the family had their moments of anger and frustration, but came out strong in the end. Lots of f-bombs though.
September 26, 2024
- Every choice we make creates a ripple, shaping the lives around us in ways we may never know.
- Finding your place often requires you to take a leap of faith, even if it means stumbling along the way.
- Sometimes, you have to let go of who you were to become who you are meant to be.
- Finding your place often requires you to take a leap of faith, even if it means stumbling along the way.
- Sometimes, you have to let go of who you were to become who you are meant to be.
September 12, 2011
It was great. While some people don't seem to find it believable. Having friends with mood disorders in high school I found it incredibly true and almost like a story out of my own teenage years.
September 21, 2011
My apologies but once more i am in a situation of trying to review a book that I finished reading more than a month ago and ok i better start writing things about it before making this review again looking like a mini chapter of my diary (that i dont have by the way...perhaps i should start one avoiding to add personal and sometimes even private things to goodreads quite often,oops i started again...i'd better focus much better...come on!!!)
This book has attracted my interest when i saw it was available in booklending this new amazon thing that lets kindle owners of any kind (even for pc) to be able to borrow e-books from others for a limited period for two weeks without any fee at all, that's a nice feature.
If i recall well it was a girl named Jessica that had this so whoever she is (and in case she is reading this) thank you... a bit late for that but better late than ever right? About the book now...yes it was about time for that to happen, here we go...
What seemed to have made it look unique was that it was dealing with an original subject, bipolar disorder and even more fascinating it was the fact that the writer herself suffers from that syndrome and should know so much better how hard it is in some moments to be dealt with not only from the one that is having it but also from his family members, friends, beloved ones etc...
Unfortunately it wasnt so much as I expected it to be, didn't go so much deep in analyzing not only Annabelle's brother that had it in the book but even Annabelle herself though it looked like it would be much more detailed from the first chapter when she was talking about it to a therapist.
The novel is quite simple, mostly it is about a girl that has worries if the relationship with her boyfriend is going on quite well since he's not exactly the perfect guy, if she's ready to make that next step that her boyfriend is asking for though she is not ready...then having to deal with losing her boyfriend for not giving in to him, and not only that but to face the rumors he spread for her and of course to try and keep her brother out of trouble who goes mad in his attempt to make things right for his sister.
Afterwards a new guy appears, quite soon, there is mutual attraction but still the main story is how everything becomes messy due to some parties that things went really out of order, the police comes in the way...drugs as well...steroids...it gets just too complicated from one moment on (and perhaps not so easy to be read by really young adults that it's mostly aimed to have as "target group" obviously) with one fact following another confusing the reader about what's really happening.
I believe that it would have been much better if the person that was telling the story was the brother himself so we the readers would get a clearer view of how it feels having to deal with a situation like this...
From Annabelle's point of view there are many things missing... she doesn't know when to blame her brother and when is he influence by that or not. In addition to that there should have been more reference to the parents and how hard it is for them to handle things. Moreover since the mother, who is a writer, is also bipolar but not so many things mentioned about her... how she finds her way out how she managed not to let this issue bother her so much. There is also the father, that his role in the story is even minor, doesn't look that much of an ideal father to deal with that kind of family… it’s easier for him to make things worse than helping the situation acting in that way that he does…
I am sorry that I don’t recall many of the names anymore so I am referring to most of the characters as Annabelle’s brother mother father ex etc… I will try to be more detailed in the future when writing a new review and don’t let so much time pass after having finished reading the book. I tried to check other reviews here to get an idea of the names but none seemed to have written so many stuff in order to “help” me hehe but it’s ok...
So…conclusion… despite the negative facts written above this book had some moments that really urged me to keep on reading it (that and of course the “deadline” of two weeks that was passing which would automatically removed the book out of my kindle… ) but for completely different reasons that I initially had in mind… Perhaps if I was looking for a young adult book with a bit of romance and mystery inside I would even put one more star to it…so three stars it is and I am looking forward to reading more reviews about it and see how others feel after reading it cause the current ones are quite small and I can’t have a complete idea... so those of you who read both my review and the book write one yourself as well ok?
Thanks in advance :)
This book has attracted my interest when i saw it was available in booklending this new amazon thing that lets kindle owners of any kind (even for pc) to be able to borrow e-books from others for a limited period for two weeks without any fee at all, that's a nice feature.
If i recall well it was a girl named Jessica that had this so whoever she is (and in case she is reading this) thank you... a bit late for that but better late than ever right? About the book now...yes it was about time for that to happen, here we go...
What seemed to have made it look unique was that it was dealing with an original subject, bipolar disorder and even more fascinating it was the fact that the writer herself suffers from that syndrome and should know so much better how hard it is in some moments to be dealt with not only from the one that is having it but also from his family members, friends, beloved ones etc...
Unfortunately it wasnt so much as I expected it to be, didn't go so much deep in analyzing not only Annabelle's brother that had it in the book but even Annabelle herself though it looked like it would be much more detailed from the first chapter when she was talking about it to a therapist.
The novel is quite simple, mostly it is about a girl that has worries if the relationship with her boyfriend is going on quite well since he's not exactly the perfect guy, if she's ready to make that next step that her boyfriend is asking for though she is not ready...then having to deal with losing her boyfriend for not giving in to him, and not only that but to face the rumors he spread for her and of course to try and keep her brother out of trouble who goes mad in his attempt to make things right for his sister.
Afterwards a new guy appears, quite soon, there is mutual attraction but still the main story is how everything becomes messy due to some parties that things went really out of order, the police comes in the way...drugs as well...steroids...it gets just too complicated from one moment on (and perhaps not so easy to be read by really young adults that it's mostly aimed to have as "target group" obviously) with one fact following another confusing the reader about what's really happening.
I believe that it would have been much better if the person that was telling the story was the brother himself so we the readers would get a clearer view of how it feels having to deal with a situation like this...
From Annabelle's point of view there are many things missing... she doesn't know when to blame her brother and when is he influence by that or not. In addition to that there should have been more reference to the parents and how hard it is for them to handle things. Moreover since the mother, who is a writer, is also bipolar but not so many things mentioned about her... how she finds her way out how she managed not to let this issue bother her so much. There is also the father, that his role in the story is even minor, doesn't look that much of an ideal father to deal with that kind of family… it’s easier for him to make things worse than helping the situation acting in that way that he does…
I am sorry that I don’t recall many of the names anymore so I am referring to most of the characters as Annabelle’s brother mother father ex etc… I will try to be more detailed in the future when writing a new review and don’t let so much time pass after having finished reading the book. I tried to check other reviews here to get an idea of the names but none seemed to have written so many stuff in order to “help” me hehe but it’s ok...
So…conclusion… despite the negative facts written above this book had some moments that really urged me to keep on reading it (that and of course the “deadline” of two weeks that was passing which would automatically removed the book out of my kindle… ) but for completely different reasons that I initially had in mind… Perhaps if I was looking for a young adult book with a bit of romance and mystery inside I would even put one more star to it…so three stars it is and I am looking forward to reading more reviews about it and see how others feel after reading it cause the current ones are quite small and I can’t have a complete idea... so those of you who read both my review and the book write one yourself as well ok?
Thanks in advance :)
July 30, 2012
4.5 stars
This is a great novel focusing on the life of a normal teenage girl attempting to protect and understand her bipolar brother. Smith does a great job setting up her novel, and I highly enjoyed it. It’s a very well written, true-to-life story, and Annabelle’s struggles are very poignant, especially her belief that she’s a terrible sister, which is heartbreaking.
Watching her deal with her own issues, as well as trying to keep her brother out of trouble was very interesting. Bullied by her ex, in love with her ex’s best friend, and trying to understand what her brother could have possibly done to get permanently kicked off the track team, voided any chance at a college scholarship, Annabelle feels like she’s between a rock and a hard place. I really loved watching this story unfold from Annabelle’s point of view. She doesn’t hold anything back, telling it as she sees it, and the raw emotions she feels adds to the validity and depth of the story. I really enjoyed it, and recommend this to all.
To see my full review:
http://bookvacations.wordpress.com/20...
This is a great novel focusing on the life of a normal teenage girl attempting to protect and understand her bipolar brother. Smith does a great job setting up her novel, and I highly enjoyed it. It’s a very well written, true-to-life story, and Annabelle’s struggles are very poignant, especially her belief that she’s a terrible sister, which is heartbreaking.
Watching her deal with her own issues, as well as trying to keep her brother out of trouble was very interesting. Bullied by her ex, in love with her ex’s best friend, and trying to understand what her brother could have possibly done to get permanently kicked off the track team, voided any chance at a college scholarship, Annabelle feels like she’s between a rock and a hard place. I really loved watching this story unfold from Annabelle’s point of view. She doesn’t hold anything back, telling it as she sees it, and the raw emotions she feels adds to the validity and depth of the story. I really enjoyed it, and recommend this to all.
To see my full review:
http://bookvacations.wordpress.com/20...
February 7, 2013
This book was written well introducing me to characters that are very real.Dealing with Bi-polar yourself is hard, frustrating and emotional; even more so for the family, siblings and friends. This book brought me back to my high-school years, all the emotions and fears and friendships on and off again plus a sister who loves her brother and him having bi-polar issues. His mother also had a mild case which twisted the story line at times binging you into another view even. Hoping the older teens will read and think about what each of them might be dealing with at home, and offer some understating and comfort.
February 7, 2012
It was kind of slow in the beginning and the editing isn't that great. I could understand it but sometimes she really messed up the words and I would have to reread it a couple times to get a better understanding. Overall it was a good book, I could relate to the bipolar disorders with growing up with a mother who has it. It made me laugh out loud quite a few times and kind of teared up towards the end of the book. It does swear a lot though so if you don't like cussing I suggest you don't read it. I can't complain since I did get it for free and wasn't a total waste of my time.
September 8, 2011
This was a fairly quick teen book about love, life and living with bipolar family members. There is the one glaring issue with Tony's mom but I really didn't see it as being detrimental to the story. The language wasn't a problem for me and I figured there may have even been more of it as you crossed an 18 year old with bipolar. Two thumbs up for tackling a few difficult subjects and nailing them all on the head: teen romance, drugs, drinking and mental illness.
July 20, 2011
Though I a little too much on the overly dramatic side, I enjoyed the fast paced "Fall Girl". The main character Anabelle is painfully oblivious to life around her, and watching her uncover secret after secret was deliciously delightful. Sometimes I hated to read the next sentence, yet I felt myself rushing to turn the page. The characters were as likable as 16, 17, and 18 year olds can be. With that being said, Fall Girl is a solid 3/5 for me.
October 9, 2013
Gotta love YA books. Such an entertaining and fast read. Good info for young adults on bipolar and a quick read. I found myself wanting to go to bed early so I could read. A lot of this book had me laughing out loud and just enjoying the process of reading. This book kicked me back into shape and got me wanting to read more and more. (Does contain a bit of language if that bothers you...). Good read!
September 21, 2011
I didn't realize the main characters were teenagers until I started reading it. Even though I expected it to have older characters, it was a very good read. The teenage drama wasn't too over the top and I enjoyed hearing from the point of view of the main character. It was a window to the world of someone living with a bipolar family member and I found it very interesting. Great read!
October 5, 2011
I appreciated the mental illness situation and how it effected everyone in the story, but overall did not enjoy the book. Lots of language & so much emphasis on sex. I suppose that is how life really is for some of our teenagers, but how sad. Glad it was a kindle freebie.
November 10, 2011
This was another Kindle freebie. Although the storyline was okay and kept me interested, there were a lot of typos! It's a silly thing, but there were enough to distract me. That's about it...it was not awful, but not great.
July 23, 2011
I was transported to being 16 again. Though my life wasn't as exciting, I still found myself cracking up laughing at parts of the book. Good read :)
December 24, 2011
free download
August 30, 2011
A typical teenage love story. The editing needs work.
August 30, 2011
Besides odd editing errors, this book felt super artificial and the characters weren't even that likable. Easy, quick read filled with more teen melodrama than is believable.
October 7, 2011
I loved the topic and characters in this book! I did not like the grammatical errors and the very large problem with tony's mom.
October 11, 2011
Good story line, but the language was extreme. I would recommend the book if it wasn't for the harsh language and huge emphasis on teenage sex.
January 16, 2012
It was edge to read. Not very deep or sophisticated but a good enough story go keep you interested. Ill look for the sequel.
August 2, 2013
I'm not sure how this ended up on my kindle, but there it was. It's a quick read. Not really a YA book for an adult to dig into but it was fine.
May 30, 2013
It was bit much on the teen drama but oddly enough, I related. I could sympathize with Jones and totally rooted for her to find herself...and Tony. ;)
September 3, 2011
Interesting, kinda of fragmented at first but good story overall.
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April 8, 2013Not great. But good-- dealing with a tough subject
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews