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The Girl Who Fell
by
High school senior Zephyr Doyle is swept off her feet—and into an intense and volatile relationship—by the new boy in school.
His obsession.
Her fall.
Zephyr is focused. Focused on leading her team to the field hockey state championship and leaving her small town for her dream school, Boston College.
But love has a way of changing things.
Enter the new boy in school: the hock ...more
His obsession.
Her fall.
Zephyr is focused. Focused on leading her team to the field hockey state championship and leaving her small town for her dream school, Boston College.
But love has a way of changing things.
Enter the new boy in school: the hock ...more
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Kindle Edition, 320 pages
Published
March 1st 2016
by Simon & Schuster/Simon Pulse
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Start your review of The Girl Who Fell

The saddest thing about this book is that I believe the author really did have the best intentions. Too bad none of it really worked.
I've had this book on my radar for a long time. The blurb promised a story about a girl who falls into a bad relationship of obsession, control and - eventually - fear. It seemed like the perfect YA novel to counter all the awful romances I've read where asshole boyfriends are portrayed as something sexy, and psychological abuse is portrayed as the norm. AND the pe ...more
I've had this book on my radar for a long time. The blurb promised a story about a girl who falls into a bad relationship of obsession, control and - eventually - fear. It seemed like the perfect YA novel to counter all the awful romances I've read where asshole boyfriends are portrayed as something sexy, and psychological abuse is portrayed as the norm. AND the pe ...more


Trust me, if there is a book I wish I would have loved, it's this one. From the moment I read the synopsis, I knew that I had to read it : a different take on all the instalove bullshit YA romance is feeding us way too often? Count me in! That's why I can't even express how disappointed and sad I am after closing The Girl Who Fell. The concept is so interesting and important, but the fact that Alec and Zephyr shows not an ounce of chemistry fails the whole purpose : how am I supposed to believe ...more

I’m not the biggest romance fan, but this dark spin on a young adult love story had me interested. It’s the story of Zephyr and Alec’s relationship from the moment they meet in French class to their inevitable dark end. The prologue, of sorts, is actually an excerpt from the end of the novel with Zephyr afraid in her own house, so from the beginning we are given that intensity you find in thrillers.
The novel then goes back three months earlier to show this unhealthy relationship from the beginni ...more
The novel then goes back three months earlier to show this unhealthy relationship from the beginni ...more

This was very hard to read. But it's so important.
If you don't know, this book is about an abusive romance. You know that going in and so it's very hard to watch the relationship progress and watch the girl fall for this jerk. But the story did a great job at showing how easy it is to fall into this trap of manipulation. Sometimes there are no warning signs.
I've been through a similar relationship and so this book had a lot of meaning for me. My experience did not match the story in this book pe ...more
If you don't know, this book is about an abusive romance. You know that going in and so it's very hard to watch the relationship progress and watch the girl fall for this jerk. But the story did a great job at showing how easy it is to fall into this trap of manipulation. Sometimes there are no warning signs.
I've been through a similar relationship and so this book had a lot of meaning for me. My experience did not match the story in this book pe ...more

Let me preface this by saying when I first heard about THE GIRL WHO FELL, it was the bookish equivalent to love at first sight. The concept gripped me. I knew it was the kind of book I not only wanted to read but had to read. So when an ARC arrived in the mail last week in all its gorgeous glory (seriously, have you seen that cover?), I was more than a bit excited that my time to read it was finally here.
I knew it would be an emotional book. I knew it dealt with difficult subject matter. What I ...more
I knew it would be an emotional book. I knew it dealt with difficult subject matter. What I ...more

OH MAN. This story totally wrecked me. Seriously, there aren't enough adjectives. I absolutely mainlined it, staying up way past my bedtime to read just... another... page. It grabbed me by the throat in the first paragraph and never let me go. The writing is absolutely STUNNING. Honest, raw, thought-provoking, The Girl Who Fell tackles a heartbreaking issue with grace and strength.
FIVE BEAUTIFUL STARS.
...more
FIVE BEAUTIFUL STARS.
...more

Aug 25, 2015
Brittany (Brittany's Book Rambles)
rated it
it was amazing
Shelves:
2016-releases,
standalone,
arc,
contemporary,
best-of-2016,
abuse,
family-life,
realistic-fiction,
thriller
4.5/5 Stars
The most crucial thing that I need to talk about when it comes to The Girl Who Fell is the astonishing writing. Shannon M. Parker's writing style instantly grabs the reader and throws them onto the emotional roller-coaster that is this book, which I read in one sitting and only put down momentarily to literally catch my breath. Right off the bat, the prologue warns the reader to beware of Alec, but amazingly, as you watch his relationship with Zephyr develop and grow, your emotions fi ...more
The most crucial thing that I need to talk about when it comes to The Girl Who Fell is the astonishing writing. Shannon M. Parker's writing style instantly grabs the reader and throws them onto the emotional roller-coaster that is this book, which I read in one sitting and only put down momentarily to literally catch my breath. Right off the bat, the prologue warns the reader to beware of Alec, but amazingly, as you watch his relationship with Zephyr develop and grow, your emotions fi ...more

Feb 02, 2015
Julie Eshbaugh
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
the-sweet-16s
I'm not sure I breathed while I read the final third of this book. THE GIRL WHO FELL is a startling, compelling, important read. It's the kind of book that you have to put down at times, just so you can walk around and catch your breath and remind yourself that everything's okay because the things happening to Zephyr in the story are not actually happening to you. But the thing is, this book is very *REAL,* and the things that happen to Zephyr happen to real girls every day. That's the thing tha
...more

Did you find this review helpful? Find more of my reviews at Pop! Goes The Reader!
My love for him is a deep blue love. So blue it is black. Like an ocean under the ocean. The beginning and the end.
High school senior Zephyr Doyle had things all figured out. Namely, to help lead her field hockey team to victory and spend as much time as she can with her best friends, Lizzie and Gregg “The Slice” Slicer, before fulfilling her lifelong dream of attending Boston College and pursuing a career in marin ...more
My love for him is a deep blue love. So blue it is black. Like an ocean under the ocean. The beginning and the end.
High school senior Zephyr Doyle had things all figured out. Namely, to help lead her field hockey team to victory and spend as much time as she can with her best friends, Lizzie and Gregg “The Slice” Slicer, before fulfilling her lifelong dream of attending Boston College and pursuing a career in marin ...more

I was lucky enough to get an ARC of THE GIRL WHO FELL. This book was so well written it was kind of excruciating. The pain of watching a woman destroy herself for a guy; The subtle and not so subtle manipulation of an abuser. The mental process of the woman who is first enchanted and then ensnared. The reader is stuck on the sidelines yelling, Don't do it, don't go there! but she can't hear you. Just when you think she's got a handle on everything, it gets worse. If you're up for a bit of really
...more

Recently, there was a kerfuffle in the YA community over comments made disparaging YA as morally uncomplicated.
THE GIRL WHO FELL is the most perfect rejoinder imaginable to this and any future criticism of YA literature as morally uncomplex.
Morally complex, tightly paced, taut, gripping, romantic, shocking, perilous, and hopeful--this book has it all and more. As the cherry on top, the prose is luminous and elegant. The characters are fantastic--vibrant and leaping from the page. Zephyr Doyle i ...more
THE GIRL WHO FELL is the most perfect rejoinder imaginable to this and any future criticism of YA literature as morally uncomplex.
Morally complex, tightly paced, taut, gripping, romantic, shocking, perilous, and hopeful--this book has it all and more. As the cherry on top, the prose is luminous and elegant. The characters are fantastic--vibrant and leaping from the page. Zephyr Doyle i ...more

Oct 23, 2015
Jamie (Books and Ladders)
rated it
it was amazing
Shelves:
2016-release,
2016-debuts,
need-now,
young-adult,
contemporary,
favorites,
march-2016,
simon-pulse
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
See my full review plus an interview with her author on Books and Ladders
Ask author Shannon Parker what she thinks of THE GIRL WHO FELL and she will tell you it's a dark kissing book. And boy, she's not wrong. But it also has such lightness to it that you just need to experience in order to understand what I mean.
Zephyr is on the fast track to success: good grades, amazing athlete, and the best friends anyone could ...more
See my full review plus an interview with her author on Books and Ladders
Ask author Shannon Parker what she thinks of THE GIRL WHO FELL and she will tell you it's a dark kissing book. And boy, she's not wrong. But it also has such lightness to it that you just need to experience in order to understand what I mean.
Zephyr is on the fast track to success: good grades, amazing athlete, and the best friends anyone could ...more

I received an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This story begins with a snippet of the end - the dark place where Zephyr's relationship with handsome, brooding hockey star Alec will lead. And then we go back and see how it all started. That disturbing prologue is a necessary and brilliant touch, as it primes readers to see the oh-so-small warning signs that the relationship is not the paradise it seems. And that, of course, is the point: an abusive relationship ...more
This story begins with a snippet of the end - the dark place where Zephyr's relationship with handsome, brooding hockey star Alec will lead. And then we go back and see how it all started. That disturbing prologue is a necessary and brilliant touch, as it primes readers to see the oh-so-small warning signs that the relationship is not the paradise it seems. And that, of course, is the point: an abusive relationship ...more

DNF'd at 60%
I can sense an animal cruelty storyline, which I just don't fuck with...and the rest of the book has not been compelling enough to continue on past it anyway.
I think this is an incredibly important topic, and one that literature should not shy away from addressing, however I just don't think this book is covering it particularly well. ...more
I can sense an animal cruelty storyline, which I just don't fuck with...and the rest of the book has not been compelling enough to continue on past it anyway.
I think this is an incredibly important topic, and one that literature should not shy away from addressing, however I just don't think this book is covering it particularly well. ...more

THE GIRL WHO FELL tells a story I will not soon forget. A breathtaking, heartbreaking, and (unfortunately) extremely realistic portrayal of how easy it can be—even for a strong, smart, level-headed heroine like Zephyr Doyle—to fall under the spell of a person who is not what they seem. Parker has written so beautifully and eloquently about the blinding pain of wanting to be loved so badly, of needing to fill void so deep that it becomes possible and, in fact, effortless, to be manipulated and ac
...more

WOW!!! This book will grab you by the throat and drag you into its pages! Two words: bold and poetic! Shannon Parker has crafted a story that feels so raw and real and gripping that it's hard to believe this was imagined solely inside her head. Her writing is atmospheric and immediate. She's found a way to combine the subtlety of poetry with the nail-biting pacing of a psychological thriller.
I loved Zephyr and ached for her and wanted to reach into the pages and tell her it would all work out i ...more
I loved Zephyr and ached for her and wanted to reach into the pages and tell her it would all work out i ...more

The Girl Who Fell left me in a major book hangover, desperately craving more. Each heartbreaking chapter ended with me breathless and eagerly flipping the page for more. Though a heart-wrenching story, every word comes across so perfectly and the difficult subject manner is handled with grace, doing justice to the major issue at hand. Overall 5/5 stars; I cannot say enough good things about it!

A creepy romantic YA story where the guy is afflicted with obsessive behavior much like Joe in You except the guy is a little milder because at least he didn’t resort to murder or I guess was just unsuccessful. In other words, he’s still an amateur. Lol. Why do obsessive guys in books look and appear perfect all the time? It’s hard to feel creepy around them at least until they show their true colors.
The book is a succesful attempt at portraying the makings of a guy obsessed over a girl. It’s qu ...more
The book is a succesful attempt at portraying the makings of a guy obsessed over a girl. It’s qu ...more

5++++++ STARS
THIS BOOK.
SO. GOOD.
This is YA at its best. And that cover? Love it. I never felt like I was reading something young. It had a weighty heaviness, a taught and gripping tension and an urgency flowing off the pages. Once I started it, let me tell you, I only put it down because I had to. It was THAT good.
Zephyr Doyle was looking forward to graduating high school and attending Boston College the following fall. Her life was mapped out and distractions were not allowed. She didn't have ...more
THIS BOOK.
SO. GOOD.
This is YA at its best. And that cover? Love it. I never felt like I was reading something young. It had a weighty heaviness, a taught and gripping tension and an urgency flowing off the pages. Once I started it, let me tell you, I only put it down because I had to. It was THAT good.
Zephyr Doyle was looking forward to graduating high school and attending Boston College the following fall. Her life was mapped out and distractions were not allowed. She didn't have ...more

There are not enough good words to say about Shannon Parker's book. But to start with, "important" is for sure one of them. "Masterful" is another.
I am so in awe of one character in particular, how he was crafted into someone I fell for along with the main character, Zephyr. Any time there were warning signs, I was manipulated and beguiled, just as Zephyr was. The reality of that was striking for me. For anyone who's wondered, "How could she stay with him?" You will get it if you read this book. ...more
I am so in awe of one character in particular, how he was crafted into someone I fell for along with the main character, Zephyr. Any time there were warning signs, I was manipulated and beguiled, just as Zephyr was. The reality of that was striking for me. For anyone who's wondered, "How could she stay with him?" You will get it if you read this book. ...more

I was lucky enough to read an ARC of THE GIRL WHO FELL and I loved every aspect of this book. Do you ever wonder how a relationship goes wrong? What signs are missed by those involved, but glaringly obvious to the rest of the world? The Girl Who Fell explores this topic with superior accuracy and honesty.
The first two pages pulled me in and left me breathless. Shortly after, I found myself becoming very involved in Zephyr Doyle’s life. She was so complex and unforgettable – a girl with real pro ...more
The first two pages pulled me in and left me breathless. Shortly after, I found myself becoming very involved in Zephyr Doyle’s life. She was so complex and unforgettable – a girl with real pro ...more

OK, so this book amazed me. THE GIRL WHO FELL by debut author Parker is simply one of the most beautifully written, achingly real, sexy...yes,sexy...(as in some of the scenes are toe-curling, H.O.T), edge of your seat thrillers that I’ve read in a long, long time. Reading it, I experienced the kind of anxiety as when I first watched old obsession movies like 'Sleeping with the Enemy' or 'Fatal Attraction.' The escalation was perfection, though I wanted to shake Zephyr till her teeth rattled. AND
...more

This book has been one of my expected titles for 2016 ever since I heard about it, and now that I have read it, I want to pat myself on the back, because I PICKED GOOD. This book was definitely worth all of the excitement because it was amazing and something I feel like I've been looking for for a such a long time!
Before I get into anything else, I need to tell you that THIS BOOK HAS ICE HOCKEY PLAYERS. I am a massive ice hockey fan and think there are far too few YA contemporaries with hockey p ...more
Before I get into anything else, I need to tell you that THIS BOOK HAS ICE HOCKEY PLAYERS. I am a massive ice hockey fan and think there are far too few YA contemporaries with hockey p ...more

This was a very hard book to read -- in all the best ways. As a reader, you can see the red flags as they arise, but the plotting and pacing is handled so masterfully that it's completely believable the way Zephyr is drawn in to Alec's world and the many behaviours she overlooks and excuses.
In creating Zephyr's character, Shannon M. Parker gives us a complicated, intelligent and ambitious young woman who never expected to find herself in an abusive relationship. Parker challenges our ideas about ...more
In creating Zephyr's character, Shannon M. Parker gives us a complicated, intelligent and ambitious young woman who never expected to find herself in an abusive relationship. Parker challenges our ideas about ...more

This is pretty much the handbook tons of girls in tons of teen books (and adult romances, if we're being honest) should read before a stunningly good-looking piece of shit shows up to ruin their lives. I yelled a lot while reading this book, mostly at Zephyr. Zephyr's great. She's driven, she has everything going for her, and it's difficult to watch her screw it all up for a guy who is obviously manipulating her and putting her through all kinds of emotional abuse. He isolates her from her two b
...more

She Fell & I Didn't Bother To Help Her Up
when trying to deliver an important message goes terribly, horribly, wrong.
.
If I told you that for the first time ever I was nervous to share my thoughts on a title, would you believe me? I mean come on, this is ME we're talking about right? Tika the review slayer, the black sheep, the infamous DNF Queen who enjoys writing negative reviews. No way should I have such feelings towards posting this right? But I do . . . well, I did. I first picked up The Gir ...more
when trying to deliver an important message goes terribly, horribly, wrong.
.
If I told you that for the first time ever I was nervous to share my thoughts on a title, would you believe me? I mean come on, this is ME we're talking about right? Tika the review slayer, the black sheep, the infamous DNF Queen who enjoys writing negative reviews. No way should I have such feelings towards posting this right? But I do . . . well, I did. I first picked up The Gir ...more

Full Review on The Candid Cover
When you come across a book that is this compelling and influential, you want to hand it to everyone you know. The Girl Who Fell is a shockingly realistic story that will have its readers putting themselves right into the shoes of the highly relatable main character. It is a beautifully written novel that many will enjoy and learn from.
The Girl Who Fell is one of the most relatable and convincing books of the year. It is really admirable that Shannon M. Parker can ...more
When you come across a book that is this compelling and influential, you want to hand it to everyone you know. The Girl Who Fell is a shockingly realistic story that will have its readers putting themselves right into the shoes of the highly relatable main character. It is a beautifully written novel that many will enjoy and learn from.
The Girl Who Fell is one of the most relatable and convincing books of the year. It is really admirable that Shannon M. Parker can ...more

OK, so WOW! The thing about this book, well, one of the many things is the character development! So, I don't want to give too much away, but in THE GIRL WHO FELL, part of the description says this:
Zephyr swears it must be love. Because love is powerful, and overwhelming, and…terrifying?
But love shouldn’t make you abandon your dreams, or push your friends away. And love shouldn’t make you feel guilty—or worse, ashamed.
So when Zephyr finally begins to see Alec for who he really is, she knows it’s ...more
Zephyr swears it must be love. Because love is powerful, and overwhelming, and…terrifying?
But love shouldn’t make you abandon your dreams, or push your friends away. And love shouldn’t make you feel guilty—or worse, ashamed.
So when Zephyr finally begins to see Alec for who he really is, she knows it’s ...more

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.

Holy crap this book. I was lucky enough to read an advanced copy and I couldn't put it down. Parker's storytelling is intense and beautiful. Zephyr's romance with Alec reads so real and the changes are so quiet that you don't see the end coming at all -- even though the first page of the book is part of the last scene. Lush and gorgeous, this YA story will grip you from the beginning and leave you breathless. Yup, that good.
...more
topics | posts | views | last activity | |
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What's the Name o...: SOLVED. YA Romance. The main character is a girl in high school (upperclassman I think) and she plays lacrosse. [s] | 4 | 25 | 3 hours, 28 min ago | |
What's the Name o...: SOLVED. YA Romance/Thriller. About a girl who plays lacrosse I think, she meets a guy who becomes obsessed with her. Spoilers ahead. Read around 2017. [s] | 4 | 10 | Sep 08, 2020 04:39PM | |
Crazy for Young A...: The Girl Who Fell by Shannon M. Parker → Start Date: April 27th, 2016 | 30 | 37 | May 13, 2016 09:42AM |
Shannon Parker lives on the Atlantic coast in a house full of boys. She’s traveled to over three dozen countries and has a few dozen more to go. She works in education and can usually be found rescuing dogs, chickens, old houses and wooden boats. Shannon has a weakness for chocolate chip cookies and ridiculous laughter—ideally, at the same time. Find her at www.shannonmparker.com
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