Catch Me if I Fall

by Claudia Recinos Seldeen

Angela has been training on a trapeze since she was a kid. She loves the dizzying heights and acrobatics, but she doesn’t love the constant pressure to be perfect. When Angela’s best friend introduces her to boxing, she finds something that makes her happy. For once, she doesn't have to be graceful. But the more time she devotes to boxing, the more she puts her reputation for perfection at risk. And if she’s not perfect, then who is she?

192 pages, Paperback

Published April 1, 2023

Reviews

[Maddie · Rating 3 out of 5]

|2 Stars|Ages 10+|

This book was... different. It was a really quick read, a mere 200 pages. It was a little hard to follow at times, I kept forgetting which lines were text and which were thoughts or the story line. It was written in verse, which isn't my favorite way to read.

It was a super cute story over all, more juvenile fiction then I enjoy reading now, but a ten year old kid would really enjoy this! I didn't fully understand how the title matched with the plot of the book, but the cover is gorgeous, so I don't care too much.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC

[Kade Gulluscio · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley.

Catch Me If I Fall is an young adult book written in verse. I find that books written in verse are ... easier to get through for a lot of us ADHD folks. I'm not sure if it's the flow of the words being in poetry form or just less words in general maybe?

But moving on, this book is beautifully written. I don't think I'd have enjoyed the storyline as much if it WASN'T written in verse to be 100% honest. I think I'm a tad older than the targeted demographic, and that's why.

I did enjoy this read, and I'll be looking for more books by the author!

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, West 44 Books, and Claudia Recinos Seldeen for the opportunity to read Catch Me If I Fall in exchange for an honest review.
Catch Me If I Fall is a hi-lo novel-in-verse written for a teen audience in a poetic style.

Since she was a child, Angela has had a passion for trapeze and trains for competitions. She only knows first place. When her friend brings her to boxing after school one day, Angela finds a new passion and struggles with the conflicting requirements of each.

Because she is from an immigrant family, it is Angela's mother's belief that she needs to try twice as hard as everyone else to succeed. The pressure with trapeze is high, but Angela finds a passion without the stress of winning, something that truly makes her happy for the first time in so long she can't even remember when she felt such joy: boxing.

Knowing her mother would likely not approve, Angela keeps her boxing involvement a secret, until the pressure of trapeze hits too hard. But it's her mom. Surely she can back whatever Angela's final choice is, right?

I enjoy the hint at the Guatemalan-American experience in this novel. The story also reflects what many young people go through: they are pushed into hobbies or sports by their parents, never really having a chance to explore something new because they have known the same thing all their lives. As a teen, that is a time when people are trying to figure out who they are, and a good time to branch out and try new things. I also appreciate the fact that this book explores a rather uncommon sport that there aren't many fiction novels about: trapeze.

This novel demonstrates the struggle people face when they want to please and earn praise from their parents, but they also want to do what they love and enjoy. Sometimes people's passions change, and that is part of being human: we grow and change, and we are influenced by our surroundings (friends, family, school, and experiences).  This book is an excellent model for a young adult audience.

[libraryofhelixis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having grown up in an immigrant family with no father due to her mums teen pregnancy Angela has always been pushed to perfection. She’s a top student and wins her regional competition at trapeze. But her friend introduces her to boxing and she starts to reevaluate what she wants to be doing with herself.

I read this in class and I had to stop myself from crying more than a few times. This is a set of poetry seemingly written by the main character Angela as she navigates the pressures of being perfect and learns the true meaning of being successful on her own terms.

While I loved all the characters and was surprised with how well I thought I knew them from such a small amount of text, Chance was easily my favourite!

[C.H. Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

***I received a free E-arc from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review***

I ADORED this story!

I worried, I laughed, I audibly gasped. I could not get through it quick enough!

The writing is brilliant - I had so many favourite sentences, I wanted to highlight them all to come back to later.

So much story, in such a short book.
This author really knocked it out of the park!

Can't wait to read whatever she writes next!

[Nicole Glynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great story of determination ans self discovery. Told in poetry form a young lady deals with the pressures of living up to expectations not just from her mother but those she has put on herself.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. Very fast paced. Thirty minute max reading time. 200 pages!

I loved the story & the journey Angela went on. Was it written for my age group? No absolutely not, but I still took something from it. I 100% recommend this book!

[Adrienne Carrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

A story about being scared to try something new, doing something just for yourself and allowing yourself to be less than perfect. Also explores parent/child relationships in a realistic and loving way 🫶

[Brandi Fundingsland · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great quick read of a story about determination and resilience.

[Iara Moure · Rating 2 out of 5]

creo que, al ser un poemario, estuvo bastante bien. Nos cuenta la historia de la autora a traves de sus años en la secundaria. Fue un poco tedioso? Si, pero fue llevadero.

[Mps · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another short and sweet coming of age verse novel by Claudia, and another enjoyable read.

[Becca shybookstagramer · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think this book had a lot of promise but it fell pretty flat for me. I think that if it had been in prose instead of poetry verses, it would have worked so much better. The characters and story needed more substance than poetry was able to give. I think that the message of the story, about pushing yourself too hard/fear of failure but coming out stronger, had potential but it just didn’t pack the punch that it needed to. That being said, this is a very quick read so if you like poetry then give it a try.


Thank you to Netgalley for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review