Write your own review!
Lynn H. (Clive, IA)
Girl Falling by Hayley Scrivener
This is a fascinating book that explores themes such as friendship, trauma and its aftermath, and the complexities of growing up.
Girl Falling centers on Finn and her best friend, Daphne, who have grown up together in the Blue Mountains of Australia. Bonded by the shared tragedy of losing younger sisters to suicide, their friendship is both deep and sometimes too close. Now in their twenties, their lives are beginning to diverge - Daphne is at university, while Finn remains in their hometown, working and rock climbing.
The book delves into the dynamics of their relationship, especially as it becomes entangled
…more with Finn's girlfriend, Magda. An inciting incident, a climbing accident, leaves Finn to deal with profound grief and unanswered questions.
The portrayal of the Blue Mountains captures the region's natural beauty contrasting it against the dark undertones of the story. The exploration of memory, truth and human connections is thought-provoking in this captivating story. (less)I really enjoyed Hayley Scrivenor's first book, Dirt Creek (in the US), so was thrilled to read an advance copy of her next book. It did not disappoint.
It's been several weeks since I finished the book, but I still find myself thinking about the characters and themes of this book. How much do people change? Who are you/are you truly yourself if you're masking major parts of yourself from the people you love? What motivates people to stay involved in toxic friendships? How do you balance friendship and love when you want to devote time and care to both? Can you ever escape by believing the stories you tell
…more yourself? So much to think about in this book. I think it will make a great book club choice.
I feel the book has both good character development and a plot that moves along at a good pace. As in her prior book, she does an excellent job of describing the setting.
My only nit with the book is that I feel some plot points were left a bit ambiguous at the end, but I know that doesn't bother some people.
I would suggest this book for people who would like a literary lite thriller, who is interested in thinking beyond the action. (less)I really enjoyed this book. The plot kept you interested and intrigued. It also helps a person understand manipulation and how someone can be sucked in when they provide the opportunity. A very good description of a type of mental illness. I recommend this book.
Terrie J. (Eagan, MN)
A book full of feelings
I really liked this book. A tragedy brings out many different feelings on so many levels…friends, parents, relatives and the police. Friendship is tested and there is an undertone of friendship vs love. I feel that women would enjoy this book because women are the key characters. I also think women can relate to the roller coaster of emotions. This book is well written and introduces new plots throughout the book. I highly recommend this book.
Barbara H. (Thomasville, GA)
Friendship to the end....
Another amazing Australian author!! This is a powerful novel about friendship, all its nuances and its power to destroy another. A co-dependent relationship existed for many years between Daphne and Finn, developing and morphing into something else - "like a vine that snakes around a tree until the tree and vine can no longer be separated.....holding each other up...." This story is also about secrets and how a secret in the telling can destroy someone and a secret in the knowing can give a person power over another.
The author graphically depicts the rawness of each character - and brings them to a level of
…more development like the coming together of a great symphony.. I had to read this novel with new acceptance and tolerance and lose prejudices. It is totally amazing how the mind can block the obvious to keep one from seeing what is truly in front of them.....as this novel does. This was a wonderful novel!! (less)I'm generally not a big fan of thrillers so I was surprised at how easily I was drawn into this story. While the mystery of how Magdu died simmered below the surface, the intricacies of the relationships held center stage. The unfolding of the friendship between Finn and Daphne intrigued me and proved to hold much more complexity than I thought initially. The drama in "Girl Falling" exists on several levels. It's so much more than a 'who done it'. Plus I was really blindsided by the ending
Deborah G. (Black Mountain, NC)
Another Girl Book?
My first reaction to Hayley Scrivenor's novel, "Girl Falling," was the use of "girl" in the title. The success of "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" has made "girl" titles so common that I find it off-putting! The novel is well-crafted, but I found it difficult to like the characters. The author focuses on important relationships that Finn and Daphne, the central characters, have with each other, their sisters, their mothers, their therapist, and other friends and lovers. The twists and turns in the plot were clever and surprising, but I found myself dreading finding out what would happen to them rather than
…more caring. The characters' detailed discussion of psychological issues is plausible because of their academic experience, but I found some of their behaviors implausible. Would a particular person really make this sequence of decisions and actions? Would the other characters react to them in this way? I wish I had cared more! (less)An intimate tale of two young women, Finn and Daphne, friends since childhood, bonded by the shared experience of losing a younger sister to suicide and the secrets between them. The setting is the beautiful Blue Mountains of Australia, where the friends hike and go mountain climbing. A third woman, Magdu, becomes Finn's girlfriend. The author excels at character development. One limitation, however, is that Finn is the narrator, so the reader must infer what Daphne and Magdu are feeling and thinking. The story is a psychological drama that becomes more, which kept me guessing about the relationships, the tragic
…more accident, and motives. In fact, I had to go back and reread some sections after finishing the book. I feel that I would have gained more insight from alternating chapters from each character. All in all, though, the book kept my interest. (less)
