Hardcover, 368 pagesExpected publication: December 9th 2014 by Harper Teen
ARC Provided by Publisher in Exchange for an Honest Review
Amber Vaughn is a good girl. She sings solos at church, babysits her nephew after school, and spends every Friday night hanging out at her best friend Devon’s house. It’s only when Amber goes exploring in the woods near her home, singing camp songs with the hikers she meets on the Appalachian Trail, that she feels free—and when the bigger world feels just a little bit more in reach.
When Amber learns about an audition at the North Carolina School of the Arts, she decides that her dream—to sing on bigger stages—could also be her ticket to a new life. Devon’s older (and unavailable) brother, Will, helps Amber prepare for her one chance to try out for the hypercompetitive arts school. But the more time Will and Amber spend together, the more complicated their relationship becomes . . . and Amber starts to wonder if she’s such a good girl, after all.
Then, in an afternoon, the bottom drops out of her family’s world—and Amber is faced with an impossible choice between her promise as an artist and the people she loves. Amber always thought she knew what a good girl would do. But between “right” and “wrong,” there’s a whole world of possibilities.
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Jaye Robin Brown, or Jro to her friends, lives and writes in the mountains north of Asheville, North Carolina. She is fond of horses, dogs, the absurd and the ironic. When not writing, you can find her in the art room of the high school where she teaches or roaming the mountains searching for inspiration.
Her debut young adult novel, NO PLACE TO FALL, comes out in the fall of 2014 from Harper Teen. It's about dreams, singing, friendship, love, betrayal, family, and mistakes. It's also a love song to small town girls and mountain music, both of which shape the area that Jaye now calls home.
"A girl...
A dream...
A choice..."
I am really beginning to like contemporary YA novels more and more. No Place To Fall is a debut YA novel that revolves around the life of a young girl named Amber who only wants on thing in life....to live her dream and sing to the world.
Amber lives in a small town with her not-so-normal family. Her father cheats on her mother on a daily basis, her sister is married to a drug dealer, and Amber is just trying to live day by day. To escape her life she and her best friend Devon sometimes sneak out to an old barn where hikers stay and take a break from their cross-country journeys. Amber and Devon party with the hikers, drink alcohol, and smoke marijuana. Amber feels like this is the only place she can go to be free and be herself. At night while everyone is hanging out around the fire, Amber will sing for everyone. Amber's voice is beautiful and she is told over and over that what she has is a gift and that she should use it but all Amber can see is that she is a girl living in a small town who is destined to never leave.
"And I know something else now, too. That my singing, my asking about this audition, lit something up inside my mama. Something I haven't seen on her face since Whitney was married, and Coby was born. Her face, for half a second, was proud. And it was because of me.
I picture the second red tack on my map. Maybe red isn't what I thought it had to be for at all. Maybe red is for love."
Amber's best friend, Devon has a big brother named Will whom Amber has always had a crush on. Well one day after school Devon sends Will to pick Amber up from school and from there Amber and Will develop a secret romance. Will has a girlfriend but is clearly in love with Amber so until they decide what to do ...they keep their relationship a secret.
"Will and I are both looking at our feet but that doesn't stop me from feeling the way I'm feeling. Like we're in each other arms. Like we're connected. Like we just had song sex in front of the entire chorus."
One of my favorite character's is Devon, Amber's best friend. I love his attitude and his complete devotion to Amber. He is still her best friend and stands by her side when her world comes crashing down.
Amber is faced with some hard decisions and ends up making some bad choices. I really enjoyed this book because it reflects real issues that occur in teens lives and exactly what could/would happen should they get caught. This book deals with so many teen issues such as: drugs, alcohol, and sex. The subjects are depicted with a lot more maturity than a normal YA novel so don't expect this to be subdued because...its not. Its real...with real issues.
Jaye Robin Brown's writing is somewhat poetic and deep. No Place To Fall is an emotional coming-of-age story that everyone will connect with. The characters are written into the story in detail and I was really able to connect with each character. The emotions expressed in the writing is truly exceptional. Teens and Fans of Young Adult, Contemporary, and Romance will really enjoy this book.
**The quotes from this book have been taken from an Advanced Reading Copy and are subject to change when the final book is printed. Please refer to the final, finished copy for exact quotes!**
**I want to say Thank You to Harper Teen for the opportunity to review this book!!**
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