The Falling Girls
- Downloads：6244
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-10-10 07:19:05
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Hayley Krischer
- ISBN：0593114140
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
- Download
Summary
Shade and Jadis are everything to each other。 They share clothes， toothbrushes， and even matching stick-and-poke tattoos。 So when Shade unexpectedly joins the cheerleading team， Jadis can hardly recognize who her best friend is becoming。
Shade loves the idea of falling into a group of girls; she loves the discipline it takes to push her body to the limits alongside these athletes 。 Most of all， Shade finds herself drawn to The Three Chloes--the insufferable trio that rules the squad--including the enigmatic cheer captain whose dark side is as compelling as it is alarming。
Jadis won't give Shade up so easily， though， and the pull between her old best friend and her new teammates takes a toll on Shade as she tries to forge her own path。 So when one of the cheerleaders dies under mysterious circumstances， Shade is determined to get to the bottom of her death。 Because she knows Jadis--and if her friend is responsible， doesn't that mean she is， too？
Shade loves the idea of falling into a group of girls; she loves the discipline it takes to push her body to the limits alongside these athletes 。 Most of all， Shade finds herself drawn to The Three Chloes--the insufferable trio that rules the squad--including the enigmatic cheer captain whose dark side is as compelling as it is alarming。
Jadis won't give Shade up so easily， though， and the pull between her old best friend and her new teammates takes a toll on Shade as she tries to forge her own path。 So when one of the cheerleaders dies under mysterious circumstances， Shade is determined to get to the bottom of her death。 Because she knows Jadis--and if her friend is responsible， doesn't that mean she is， too？
Reviews
Rose （booksofmagicandmystery）
，
*Special thanks to Turn the Page Tours for providing me with a finished copy of The Falling Girls！*This book was such a wild ride！ I didn't expect it to be nearly so dark， but it actually had some mystery vibes and could almost be considered a thriller。 It dove deep into exploring adolescent friendships between girls and the darker， all-consuming side of these relationships。 This book dealt heavily with toxic and codependent friendships， which was a little hard for me to read about at times; it *Special thanks to Turn the Page Tours for providing me with a finished copy of The Falling Girls！*This book was such a wild ride！ I didn't expect it to be nearly so dark， but it actually had some mystery vibes and could almost be considered a thriller。 It dove deep into exploring adolescent friendships between girls and the darker， all-consuming side of these relationships。 This book dealt heavily with toxic and codependent friendships， which was a little hard for me to read about at times; it is a very important topic， though， which I haven't seen much in YA literature， so I'm glad that this book tackled these issues head-on。 I also found the cheerleading aspect of this story really interesting！ This book gave an insider's look into the world of high school cheerleading， exploring both the positive and problematic aspects of it。The characters were very interesting， although I unfortunately can't say that I liked any of them （except for sweet Zoey！）。 I felt like our protagonist， Shade， was slightly boring and frustrating sometimes。 However， this book did do a good job of portraying her experience with the difficulty of navigating unhealthy relationships。 The three Chloes were the most interesting characters to read about， mainly because they were so audacious。 At first they seemed very similar， almost the same person， but over the course of the first half of the book their differences were revealed and I began to view them as three separate people。 The author did a good job of making them different enough from one another that they could be told apart， despite having the same first name。 This book had lots of surprises and tackled many important issues。 There were many moments when I was suspicious of nearly all the characters！ Some things that happened were genuinely shocking。 Additionally， I enjoyed the author's notes in the acknowledgements about her inspiration behind many elements of this story。 。。。more
Amivi
，
Thank you Penguin Teen and Netgalley for an arc。 Here is my honest review。 The Falling Girls felt like an honest portrayal of friendships and how toxic they can became。 And though the mysterious death of a certain cheerleader is the premise of this book。 It mainly deals with codependent friendships and the lengths one will go when they feel threatened。 Sometimes friendships in books can come off one dimensional and fake。 But in this book they felt real， complicated and ugly at times。 It was dark Thank you Penguin Teen and Netgalley for an arc。 Here is my honest review。 The Falling Girls felt like an honest portrayal of friendships and how toxic they can became。 And though the mysterious death of a certain cheerleader is the premise of this book。 It mainly deals with codependent friendships and the lengths one will go when they feel threatened。 Sometimes friendships in books can come off one dimensional and fake。 But in this book they felt real， complicated and ugly at times。 It was dark as well in a way that even when I felt like pausing， I couldn’t。 I had to know how the story ended。 Had to know how the cheerleader died and why。 Overall I give this book 4 1/2 stars and can’t wait to read other works from this author。 。。。more
Chelsea Knowles
，
Sometimes I read a truly amazing ya novel that I love other times I read a ya novel and think why bother 🤡
Isabella | ilashreads
，
Shade and Jadis have been best friends for years and they do everything together and promise that they'll never leave the other behind。 When Shade decides to try out for cheerleadingJadis feels like she's losing her bestie。 Shade quickly becomes a star and friends with Chloe Orbach， one of three Chloes that are on the team。 After Chloe unexpectedly dies at the homecoming dance and foul play is suspected， Shade becomes suspicious of Jadis and the other two Chloes。 The Falling Girls examines the t Shade and Jadis have been best friends for years and they do everything together and promise that they'll never leave the other behind。 When Shade decides to try out for cheerleadingJadis feels like she's losing her bestie。 Shade quickly becomes a star and friends with Chloe Orbach， one of three Chloes that are on the team。 After Chloe unexpectedly dies at the homecoming dance and foul play is suspected， Shade becomes suspicious of Jadis and the other two Chloes。 The Falling Girls examines the toxicity that can exist when you're young and trying to fit in。 Krischer examines how different friendships can be: from the toxic relationship the Chloes have to the co-dependent relationship Shade and Jadis have。 The threat of exposing secrets and the lengths that some high schoolers take to fit in made these friendships feel even more real to me。 The Chloes reminded me of the Heathers and I did not like them。 While figuring out who she was and how to stand up for herself， Shade made some stark realizations that felt very real to growing up and apart。 This was an enjoyable YA thriller that kept me engaged and desperate for Shade to realize what had happened。CW: drug overdose， drug use， murderThanks to NetGalley and Penguin Teen for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Brinley
，
I really liked this one！ It was an addicting read， but not necessary a pretty one。 It confronted the evils of friendships， the dark sides to human connection。 It was a refreshing read， and one I'm sure to reread。 My favorite thing about this was that it didn't stray from the darker aspects。 The friendship between Jadis and Shade wasn't pretty， it wasn't even particularly healthy。 I'm not sure how I even felt about their friendship by the end， I just know that I loved the way it was written。 They I really liked this one！ It was an addicting read， but not necessary a pretty one。 It confronted the evils of friendships， the dark sides to human connection。 It was a refreshing read， and one I'm sure to reread。 My favorite thing about this was that it didn't stray from the darker aspects。 The friendship between Jadis and Shade wasn't pretty， it wasn't even particularly healthy。 I'm not sure how I even felt about their friendship by the end， I just know that I loved the way it was written。 They had their hurdles to cross， and their friendship had as many fluctuations as any real one。 I also enjoyed the cheer aspects。 Its not a sport I know anything about， but that didn't hold me back at all。 Shade's passion for cheer was palpable， and it really helped add dimension to her character。 My one complaint about this is very minor， and honestly， it isn't much of a complaint。 I almost wish the death hadn't been mentioned in the synopsis。 As it doesn't happen until 100 pages in， I would've loved to have it be a twist instead of a given。 Other than that， I don't have any complaints！ This one was a super enjoyable read， and I can't wait to see what else the author releases！ Thanks to Turn the Page Tours for providing a free copy！ 。。。more
Zoe and MB
，
This was a rollercoaster of a book。 It started out about friendship， with the main character starting cheerleading and struggling to maintain her friendship through that。 Then this turns into a murder mystery， where a group of people are unsure if and who killed one of them。 I love Hayley Krischer’s books because they always make me think about every side to stories and this book was no different。 It’s a crazy and great read！
Kaley
，
The premise was interesting， but it was a bit of a cliche and nothing was done to make it stand out。 The mystery was predictable。 So。 Meh。 But the part that really bothered me was the writing style。 I don’t know if it was objectively bad， or just really not my vibe， but I found it almost painful to get through at times。 I’ll elaborate tomorrow。
Caitlin Theroux
，
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review。NOTE: I've changed my disclaimer because it was too long to keep typing it every single time。 What was I thinking？People of the book world， take my advice。 Put aside your pre-judgments before you read books--or at least before you read books that sound slightly out of your interest range。 I love YA， and when this got compared to Holly Jackson （love）， I couldn't resist。 Mainly because I thought， "Oh， REALLY？ That's a tall order， per Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review。NOTE: I've changed my disclaimer because it was too long to keep typing it every single time。 What was I thinking？People of the book world， take my advice。 Put aside your pre-judgments before you read books--or at least before you read books that sound slightly out of your interest range。 I love YA， and when this got compared to Holly Jackson （love）， I couldn't resist。 Mainly because I thought， "Oh， REALLY？ That's a tall order， person who wrote the blurb。"But I don't usually do contemporary。 Lately I've been trying to incorporate different stuff into my literary diet， and I've been enjoying for the most part。 （Side-eyes BEWILDERMENT。） So I said to myself that I can deal with this。 It's YA， it's thriller， it's dark academia。 Shut up and drive。 So I drove。I have no regrets。THE FALLING GIRLS starts us out with Shade and Jadis--BFFLs and anti-conformists--watching their high school's pep rally for the start of their junior year。 Shade is fixated， can't take her eyes off the stunts and athleticism of the cheer squad。 She was a gymnast when she was younger and kept up the skills on her own。 Jadis is bored and posting TikToks throughout， mocking and casting aspersions on the entire concept of cheer。 Then Shade decides you know what？ No， I want to do something of my own， outside of Jadis。 And she kicks ass in her cheer audition， making it onto the team as a flyer。Here's where my pre-judgments came in: I was convinced that we'd get a Mean Girls-esque romp through teen Dramaland。 Instead， we got complex characters， real-life bouts of envy， and friendships that broke up， changed， transformed into other levels of complicated。 Especially when one of the three head cheerleaders ends up dead on Homecoming night。The relationships are what made this book spectacular。 Jadis and Shade are in that enmeshed type of friendship where they can safely say， "We're the same person with different hair。" They have to learn what it means to grow apart and become their own woman， and that's a painful process。 Krischer writes about this kind of truth in an empathetic and tender， but inevitably painful， way。Shade's relationship with her mom is also difficult and frustrating and complex， but still filled with love。 All these little moments they have in coming to understand each other were sometimes uncomfortable to read; it felt like we the reader were staring in through a window on this private moment of tension， and that was a good thing。 Her mom is this free-spirit feminist type， who has artist friends from around the world crash at their house for poetry readings and informal wine tastings （well， drinkings）。 Then her daughter wants to become a cheerleader， and Shade knows that'll annoy her because it's "serving the Patriarchy，" but all Shade wants is to push herself to her physical limits and defy gravity。 Their journey toward embracing each other and changing was a hard one， but man， Krischer killed it。Real characters can also be creepy and frustrating， and in this age of social media， it can be even more so。 Krischer says in her afterword/acknowledgements that she based some of the tension in this squad after a real murder case where a 16-year-old girl was killed because the two perpetrators "didn't like her。" （I'll leave a link to the fantastic article by Holly Millea right here for your convenience。） So the psychology is there， the facts are there， and the execution of it in a novel is fantastic。I'm so glad I picked this one up， and it's more than likely something I'll be adding to my personal library。 Read it！ 。。。more
Taylor （25thavenuewest）
，
Let me start by saying I've never seen Heathers。。。。。it's mentioned in the book three times I think？ And I've seen a lot of reviewers talk a lot about the connection。 However， this one was an okay read。 It wasn't horrible， nothing like that。 Just not what I expected in a book that's categorized as mystery/thriller。 It certainly wasn't a thriller。 So if you're looking for a book that focuses heavily on that， you wont find it here。 It did have an air of mystery， simply for the sake of who done it。 Let me start by saying I've never seen Heathers。。。。。it's mentioned in the book three times I think？ And I've seen a lot of reviewers talk a lot about the connection。 However， this one was an okay read。 It wasn't horrible， nothing like that。 Just not what I expected in a book that's categorized as mystery/thriller。 It certainly wasn't a thriller。 So if you're looking for a book that focuses heavily on that， you wont find it here。 It did have an air of mystery， simply for the sake of who done it。 To me this book really focuses on the strains on the bonds of friendships。 How you think you can know everything about someone， yet tragedy strikes， and you question everything。 But it's not just the two main characters， it's the whole cheer squad。 It's the bonds of all the players on the board。Thank you Razorbill， an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC， Turn the Page Tours， and Hayley Krischer for sending me a copy for review。 This review is being left voluntarily， all opinions are my own。 。。。more
Thindbooks
，
*this arc was sent to me by the publisher to give an honest review in return*I enjoyed this book which is about two best friends who share everything until Shade decides to join the cheerleading squad and Jadis doesn't recognize her。 Shade is drawn into the three Chloes but one cheerleader dies and she thinks that if Jadis is behind it then so would she。 I have read Hayley's past book which I enjoyed and let me say that this one didn't disappoint。 I enjoyed the story of this book and the conflic *this arc was sent to me by the publisher to give an honest review in return*I enjoyed this book which is about two best friends who share everything until Shade decides to join the cheerleading squad and Jadis doesn't recognize her。 Shade is drawn into the three Chloes but one cheerleader dies and she thinks that if Jadis is behind it then so would she。 I have read Hayley's past book which I enjoyed and let me say that this one didn't disappoint。 I enjoyed the story of this book and the conflicts that were thrown in。 The pacing was well done for this book and I enjoyed the setting being mostly at school。 I do have to say that some facts about the cheerleading squad sounded very toxic and awful so beware。 This book is written from Slade's pov but when I read the summary， I was expecting it to be Slade AND Jadis pov just because of the way the summary sounded。 So I was kind of disappointed with that。 This book is all about friendships， betrays and family love that brings the whole book together in an amazing way。 I enjoyed the main character Slade in the way she changed throughout the book but I have to say I was confused about her relationship with her bestie Jadis。 For someone who has been best friends with her for a while， it was weird to see her forget about her for most of the book until the murder happens。 The side characters were well done and I enjoyed all of the Chloe's characters as they were all different and have secrets。 There is no romance in this book as this book is mostly about friendships and betrayal。 The ending was well done and I loved the mystery in this book。 It was well done and I kind of didn't expect it to happen。 Overall this book was very well written with very minor problems。 I will for sure be reading more from this author in the future。 I'm so glad that the publisher sent me an early copy to read。 I recommend this to fans of One of Us Is Lying and The Foul Girls。 。。。more
Larissa
，
Thank you PenguinTeen and NetGalley for this eARC！ This book was intense。 I’m not sure what other words can describe it other than that。 The friendships were intense， the plot was intense… I， as a reader， felt stressed out and pressured on behalf of the characters！ This also ended up being a perfect spooky season read since it was kind of thriller-y without being a thriller。 Shade and Jadis are best friends。 In some ways， they even seem like the same person。 When Shade joins the cheerleading tea Thank you PenguinTeen and NetGalley for this eARC！ This book was intense。 I’m not sure what other words can describe it other than that。 The friendships were intense， the plot was intense… I， as a reader， felt stressed out and pressured on behalf of the characters！ This also ended up being a perfect spooky season read since it was kind of thriller-y without being a thriller。 Shade and Jadis are best friends。 In some ways， they even seem like the same person。 When Shade joins the cheerleading team， it throws their friendship off。 As Shade spends more time with the cheer squad， especially Chloe O。， Jadis seems to get angrier。 Then， Chloe O。 dies and suddenly Shade doesn’t know who to trust or what to believe。 Who killed Chole O。？Like I said， this isn’t so much of a thriller as it is a look into power dynamics in friendships and even in cheerleading。 I wasn’t even sure what （or who） to believe at first。 The storytelling in this was just that good。 I think that the author handled some pretty complicated topics really well。 For example， how does one describe what it’s like to be best friends with somebody but also needing your own space to grow and be an individual？ She captured the betrayal， jealously， and anger so well。 It’s hard to convey those feelings verbally， let alone on paper。 In addition to that， I wasn’t even expecting one of the characters to die。 Somehow， I must have missed that in the description。 At first， I thought the book was solely about how Shade and Jadis had a falling out， but then Chloe O。 dies and things get even more complicated。 However， the placement of her death doesn’t feel random at all。 Instead， it feels like everything led right up to that moment—the breaking point。 I’m telling you， this author did an amazing job at conveying pressure in all of the different situations。 I felt like the story flowed really well and was interesting because of that。 I also want to note that I think it’s awesome how the author wants to draw attention to the athleticism， skill， and overall risk in cheerleading。 Cheerleading is ALWAYS brushed off， but it is a cutthroat sport。 I will die on this hill。 The author shows how taxing it is on Shade’s body and even how dangerous it can be。 I hope this book helps people realize that cheerleading isn’t the stereotypical shallow thing that it is made out to be。 There is so much more that goes into it， and this book helped me to see that。Overall， I enjoyed this book。 It reminded me of Pretty Little Liars， so if you enjoy those types of books， I highly suggest giving this one a shot。 。。。more
Kris
，
This book was SO interesting。 I wanted to read it because it reminded me a bit of Heathers and it definitely filled that hole in my heart for a more queer retelling of Heathers。 This book focuses on the all consuming nature of teenage female friendships and everything good and bad that comes with that。 This was such a cool read and I loved the writing style。 And that cover is stunning！
daphnereads
，
2。5To be completely honest， The Falling Girls didn’t have the best shot with me。 I just finished reading a book that I completely fell in love with， and the quality of this novel just couldn’t keep up， so my opinion of this may be lower because of circumstance。The one thing I couldn’t get around was the writing style。 It felt very robotic and stiff， there wasn’t much depth to it， and the maturity was not exactly there。 It’s impossible to connect to the story if the writing doesn’t make those con 2。5To be completely honest， The Falling Girls didn’t have the best shot with me。 I just finished reading a book that I completely fell in love with， and the quality of this novel just couldn’t keep up， so my opinion of this may be lower because of circumstance。The one thing I couldn’t get around was the writing style。 It felt very robotic and stiff， there wasn’t much depth to it， and the maturity was not exactly there。 It’s impossible to connect to the story if the writing doesn’t make those connections。 The entire time I was reading， it almost felt like a news article but with more descriptions。 I was just going through the motions instead of being able to really savor and enjoy what was happening。 Usually， authors are able to transport me to another story， but with The Falling Girls， I couldn’t really get my mind into it， and that was a bit disappointing。 Other than the writing style， the plot also fell short for me。 It was incredibly predictable， which is rare for me to say， and this was nothing too out of the ordinary。 It wasn’t clever， but just felt like another standard “small town murder” novel。What I did appreciate， however， was the focus on how the female friendships were the common denominator， and how consumed teenage girls can get with these relationships。 It was realistic， I’ve had friendships like this before， and it isn’t a good experience。 This novel definitely puts an emphasis on that。 The ebb and flow of power in these group dynamics is something that I’ve been through firsthand， you don’t see many accurate portrayals of girls like the ones featured in the novel， so I applaud the author for that。While this wasn’t the worst novel I’ve read， I do think that with more writing experience and time， it could’ve been much better。 Nothing good or bad stands out in particular， but I may stick to just letting this one fade from memory。Thank you to Penguin Teen for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Allie B I Literally Booked Solid
，
Shade and Jadis have been best friends since 4th grade。 Claiming to be the same person， except for their hair， the fabric of their friendship is upset when Shade decides to try out for the cheer team at school。 As Shade is pulled deeper into the culture of the squad， she quickly becomes close with Chloe Orbach， one of the three Chloes that rules the team。 But when Chloe turns up dead under mysterious circumstances， Shade is forced to examine her inner circle and everyone looks suspicious。The Fal Shade and Jadis have been best friends since 4th grade。 Claiming to be the same person， except for their hair， the fabric of their friendship is upset when Shade decides to try out for the cheer team at school。 As Shade is pulled deeper into the culture of the squad， she quickly becomes close with Chloe Orbach， one of the three Chloes that rules the team。 But when Chloe turns up dead under mysterious circumstances， Shade is forced to examine her inner circle and everyone looks suspicious。The Falling Girls was a wild ride！ Perfect for those that enjoyed They'll Never Catch Us， this book shows the lengths that high schoolers go to when they are desperate to fit in， especially in the world of competitive high school sports。 Popularity， social media， and the hills and valleys of friendships are central themes throughout the book。 It also shines a light on the entitlement that many high schoolers have and how they will do anything to keep their reputations in tact。I loved to hate the Chloes， the core group of mean girls on the cheer squad。 Shade showed tremendous self growth throughout the book。 It broke my heart to see how stretched thin her years-long friendship with Jadis was， but this is a very real thing that happens， especially during high school。 While there were a few unbelievable plot points （high schoolers giving each other tattoos， similar to girls self-piercing their ears back in the day） and a slower start， the book is a fun YA thriller that left me entertained。 Parts II and III really left me turning the pages quickly to know how the story would turn out。Thanks to Penguin Teen for the gifted copy！ 。。。more
Emma Reid
，
I'm a sucker for a cheerleading book， especially when it focuses on the social dynamics of a squad。 This reminded me of a mix of Dare Me and Heathers， but a little less dark。 I really enjoyed following Shade as she works her way up the cheer hierarchy， and then devolves after the death。 There's so much paranoia and mystery throughout， though I wish we could've spent more time developing the Chloes and Jadis as characters。 Plus all of the cheer terminology has me on Netflix looking for a season 2 I'm a sucker for a cheerleading book， especially when it focuses on the social dynamics of a squad。 This reminded me of a mix of Dare Me and Heathers， but a little less dark。 I really enjoyed following Shade as she works her way up the cheer hierarchy， and then devolves after the death。 There's so much paranoia and mystery throughout， though I wish we could've spent more time developing the Chloes and Jadis as characters。 Plus all of the cheer terminology has me on Netflix looking for a season 2 of Cheer， so。。。 Overall a high V for Victory from me。 。。。more
trishla ⚡ | YourLocalBookReader
，
“‘You’re allowed to be a masterpiece and a work in progress simultaneously，’ she says， and I think about what that means… That we’re perfect and messy all at once。 It’s the first time I feel defined。” cw // murder， drugs， mentions of ED， toxic friendshipsRemember that MCR lyric "Teenagers scare the hell outta me"？ Combine that with Heathers and you have my feelings for this book。 The Falling Girls are a ode to the most powerful force we know， the friendships between teenage girls and how far th “‘You’re allowed to be a masterpiece and a work in progress simultaneously，’ she says， and I think about what that means… That we’re perfect and messy all at once。 It’s the first time I feel defined。” cw // murder， drugs， mentions of ED， toxic friendshipsRemember that MCR lyric "Teenagers scare the hell outta me"？ Combine that with Heathers and you have my feelings for this book。 The Falling Girls are a ode to the most powerful force we know， the friendships between teenage girls and how far they're willing to go for each other。 Sometimes healthy， sometimes obsession， this is a sign to what happens when that line is crossed。。。would they kill for each other？Shade and Jadis have been best friends forever - a pair of outsiders against the world。 Their relationship is intricate as they feed off each other's energy - mimicking clothes， tats， moods， opinions， actions。 They say they're the same person with different hair。 But Shade- an ex-gymnast has always wanted to FLY。 After one incredible pep rally， she chooses to join the team - to the utter dismay and jealousy of Jadis。 The cheer squad is lead by the Three Chloes- all more enigmatic than the last， blending into one。 As Shade starts to get close to the Queen Chloe， Jadis vows that nothing will get in the way of their friendship， not now， not ever。 But as Shade and Chloe #1 get close， Chloe #2's hatred of her grows wider and wider by the moment。 Shade， the ever present friend hopes to keep everything and everyone from falling apart and invite Janis to the homecoming dance as a way to connect everyone。 Full of mind games and torture disguised as cheerleading - Shade pushes through and starts her dream of being a flyer。 But the night of the dance comes， and a cheerleader is dead by the end。 Is it murder？ What happens when the line is crossed？ I read this book in essentially one sitting because I was SO hooked。 There is a gorey undertone of evil and hatred marked as love throughout this entire book。 It's like a plant that looks healthy above the soil but the rot is deep in its roots。 The added mystery of the death and Shade's self doubt had me along from the ride from the very start， as the accusations go as far and fast as the girls fly on the mat。 Hayley does an incredible job at capturing what happens when love rots into hate over the years and a decaying friendship is just simply full of jealousy。 She explores the depth of teenage girls' possessiveness and beliefs that a person belongs with them with emphasis on how far they'll go to reclaim what they believe is rightfully theirs。 Much like a train wreck， you can't look away。 Find me on: instagramThank you to the publisher for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Laney Estel
，
✨ The Title/Cover Draw:Thank you to @turnthepagetours and @razorbillbooks for allowing me to be a part of this book tour。 💜 What I liked:This book starts off with a mystery。 But the story is compelling enough that you kind of forget about that。 It’s like Mean Girls， if they were cheerleaders， but also semi-encouraging。 Shade is a unique protagonist， toeing the line between trendy and alternative。 You really want her to fulfill her desire of flying， but sometimes she feels trapped between this ne ✨ The Title/Cover Draw:Thank you to @turnthepagetours and @razorbillbooks for allowing me to be a part of this book tour。 💜 What I liked:This book starts off with a mystery。 But the story is compelling enough that you kind of forget about that。 It’s like Mean Girls， if they were cheerleaders， but also semi-encouraging。 Shade is a unique protagonist， toeing the line between trendy and alternative。 You really want her to fulfill her desire of flying， but sometimes she feels trapped between this new “hobby” and her life with her best friend。 It’s a familiar trope but it’s told with a darkness so if you are going into this for a perky romance story， it’s not。 😱 What I didn’t like:There are some triggering things for me in this book like body shaming and bullying。 Steer clear if these are issues for you。🚦 My face at the end: 🤓🕧 Mini-Summary:Shade has always wanted to fly， as a cheerleader that is。 But sometimes this lifestyle clashes a bit with the life she has known with her best friend， Jadis。 Will this struggle end in death？I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book。 All thoughts and opinions are my own。 。。。more
Beth
，
A very intense “who done it”。 I would definitely purchase this for my library。 The characters were well written， they could be students at any high school， the story was very realistic。 You don’t have to be a cheerleader to enjoy this book。
Kit Frick
，
With The Falling Girls， Hayley Krischer has woven a suspenseful， poignant， and tangled web of friendships set against the electric backdrop of high school cheer。 Like teen girlhood itself， the intensity of these relationships is sometimes beautiful， sometimes dark。 Like the best thrillers， it is ultimately deadly。
Madelinebooks1
，
First of all， thank you so much to Penguin Teen for sending me an ARC of this truly remarkable book。 The way Krischer depicts teen-girl drama is like nothing I’ve read before。 So often girls in literature and film are depicted to be “besties” who have secret handshakes and when they fight it ends in a day or two but the brutal honesty within the pages of this book was so refreshing to finally see。 The Falling Girls follows Shade and her best friend Jadis， two best friends that share everything f First of all， thank you so much to Penguin Teen for sending me an ARC of this truly remarkable book。 The way Krischer depicts teen-girl drama is like nothing I’ve read before。 So often girls in literature and film are depicted to be “besties” who have secret handshakes and when they fight it ends in a day or two but the brutal honesty within the pages of this book was so refreshing to finally see。 The Falling Girls follows Shade and her best friend Jadis， two best friends that share everything from clothes to deodorant。 But when Shade joins the cheer team everything changes。 Being a part of the team means Shade will be with the insufferable trio， the Chloe’s， who rule the squad， and soon she starts to even fall in with them。 Soon Jadis can barely recognize her best friend and things start to fall apart。 Then when one of the cheerleaders mysteriously dies at the school dance and Shade starts to suspect Jadis had something to do with it their friendship strains even more。 This book was more relatable than anything else I’ve ever read and it was such a beautiful experience。 With all of this being said though， the one thing keeping it from being a five-star was its ending。 Overall I loved the way it was written I just found it very predictable although I will still be recommending it to everyone I talk to。 This was also one of the fastest-paced books I’ve read。 It was over 300 pages and I read it in about 2 days， one of which I had school。 Authenticity within teen girl friendships is so important， especially where many girls， including myself， think that they’re the only ones going through it。 。。。more
Olivia
，
See my full review here: https://www。yabookscentral。com/yafict。。。THE FALLING GIRLS is a YA suspense about obsessive friendships， mean girls， and the glow of the in-crowd。 Shade loved gymnastics when she was younger， but she ultimately left because of the bullying。 However， when she sees those same girls in cheerleading， she cannot deny the pull of wanting。 Shade knows she wants to be a flyer， and she is not going to let the mean girls stop her from going for it。 As she joins the cheerleading tea See my full review here: https://www。yabookscentral。com/yafict。。。THE FALLING GIRLS is a YA suspense about obsessive friendships， mean girls， and the glow of the in-crowd。 Shade loved gymnastics when she was younger， but she ultimately left because of the bullying。 However， when she sees those same girls in cheerleading， she cannot deny the pull of wanting。 Shade knows she wants to be a flyer， and she is not going to let the mean girls stop her from going for it。 As she joins the cheerleading team， her BFF Jadis becomes jealous and sullen。 They had always said they were the same person， but that doesn't seem to be true anymore。As Shade becomes engrossed in cheerleading， a sport she finds that she loves， she also becomes ingrained in the drama and volatile friendships。 The 3 Chloes who had bullied her in gymnastics are having their own fights and carry friendships with an intensity of her and Jadis's。 And when the lead Chloe shines her light on Shade， Shade is helpless but to follow。Then， at Homecoming， with Jadis and all the cheerleaders together， something terrible happens - one of the cheerleaders dies。 Does Shade know who she can trust？What I loved: This was an in-depth character study of obsession， co-dependency， and unhealthy relationships， not only from the perspective of Shade/Jadis， but also the other cheerleaders。 The cheerleading team is told to also be of one mind， and they work so hard together at practice that it forms a special bond。 However， with the mind games others are playing and the way affection is given and withheld in turns， the dysfunctional relationships are challenging trust - something absolutely necessary when you are tossing others into the air and catching them。 The relationships start out by seeming strong， but as the book continues， all the flaws are on show with dysfunctionality and danger becoming ever more apparent。The story has a dark atmosphere that makes it read quickly， as we are introduced early to the death （albeit not who died） but then backtrack to see what happened to lead there。 The book really shines a light on problematic friendships and best friend obsessions。 I appreciated the raw and heaviness of the writing that convey all these emotions to the reader。 The related themes about unhealthy family relationships and parenting styles was also thought-provoking， in how these can relate to the adolescent friendships。 Other themes around jealousy， in-crowd， grief， love/hate， and social media were also strong throughout。What left me wanting more: As a small point， the book felt a bit slow in places as we spend a lot of time building to events。 The timeline was also not very clear （though maybe not terribly relevant）， but it made it difficult to gauge some of the push-pull with changing relationships。Final verdict: A dark and compelling YA contemporary/suspense， THE FALLING GIRLS is a raw and atmospheric read that takes the reader inside obsessive and dangerous friendships。 Recommend for fans of THEY'LL NEVER CATCH US， THEY WISH THEY WERE US， and SOME GIRLS ARE。Please note that I received an ARC from the publisher。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Shelby
，
*Thanks to the publisher for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review3。5 starsGoing into this book， I didn't know what to expect: was it about friendship？ Cheerleading？ Was it a thriller？ Turns out， it's a little bit of all of these things and it made for a really interesting story。 We follow Shade who joins the cheerleading team， much to her best friend's dismay。 Soon afterward， one of the top cheerleaders ends up dead at a dance and only a few people may know what happened--b *Thanks to the publisher for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review3。5 starsGoing into this book， I didn't know what to expect: was it about friendship？ Cheerleading？ Was it a thriller？ Turns out， it's a little bit of all of these things and it made for a really interesting story。 We follow Shade who joins the cheerleading team， much to her best friend's dismay。 Soon afterward， one of the top cheerleaders ends up dead at a dance and only a few people may know what happened--but do they really？ I really loved that our main character was a cheerleader; so often we see cheerleaders being mean girls who only seek popularity but in this book， they are dedicated to the sport and being active and they have such a great bond throughout the story。 The group goes through ups and downs but in the end they support each other on and off the field and I really enjoyed seeing that。 Another thing， though， is the morality of each character。 None of the characters in this book are completely good or bad， they all have pretty gray morals， but it makes them more realistic， especially in high school when teenagers are confused and learning。 There is some drug use （and abuse） in this book so be aware of that going in。 This was a good book， if you're looking for a thriller that's lower on the thrill level， this is the one for you！ 。。。more
Laura Bowie
，
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book。 All thoughts and opinions are my own。 A riveting， intimate portrayal of just how intense and all-consuming female friendships can be。 If you liked the movies Heathers this book is for you。 Overall， I did enjoy the book， it was a fast and dark read， if you like YA thrillers this is for you。
Sarah
，
If you're a fan of HEATHERS like me， then this is the book for you。 Instead of the three Heathers， it's the three Chloes。 This is an insightful look at female friendships and the borderline obsessive relationship we can have with our BFFs as teens。 I thought the toxic friendship was done really well and was believable。 I wasn't a cheerleader in high school so knew nothing about the terminology or the grueling practices but it totally sucked me in。 The protagonist， Shade， was sympathetic and I ap If you're a fan of HEATHERS like me， then this is the book for you。 Instead of the three Heathers， it's the three Chloes。 This is an insightful look at female friendships and the borderline obsessive relationship we can have with our BFFs as teens。 I thought the toxic friendship was done really well and was believable。 I wasn't a cheerleader in high school so knew nothing about the terminology or the grueling practices but it totally sucked me in。 The protagonist， Shade， was sympathetic and I appreciated how the writer handled the relationship with her mother too。 The ending was satisfying and the fraught relationship between Shade and Jadis was resolved realistically。 。。。more
Jos
，
i love when i find a book about murder in school with a bunch of pretty girls， always very fruity。 its giving "heathers" i love when i find a book about murder in school with a bunch of pretty girls， always very fruity。 its giving "heathers" 。。。more
Heather~ Nature。books。and。coffee
，
This was a really good YA about the female friendships， high school cliques， jealousy， and so much drama。 Oooh I liked this one。 Fun fun！High school Bff's， Jadis and Shade are inseparable。 But when Shade joins the cheerleading team， and becomes almost obsessed with the cheer captain， and 2 other teammates， The Three Chloes。 Jadis feels left out and doesn't want to let her friend go。 Shade is feeling a pull between her old friend and her teammates。 Then one of the cheerleaders turns up dead under This was a really good YA about the female friendships， high school cliques， jealousy， and so much drama。 Oooh I liked this one。 Fun fun！High school Bff's， Jadis and Shade are inseparable。 But when Shade joins the cheerleading team， and becomes almost obsessed with the cheer captain， and 2 other teammates， The Three Chloes。 Jadis feels left out and doesn't want to let her friend go。 Shade is feeling a pull between her old friend and her teammates。 Then one of the cheerleaders turns up dead under strange circumstances。 Shade is determined to get to the bottom of it， and she wants to know if Jadis is responsible！ Would that， then， make her responsible？！ Ya fans are going to want to add this one to your list！Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the gifted copy！ All opinions are my own！ 。。。more
Danika at The Lesbrary
，
A while back， there used to be a lot of stories about obsessive female friendships。 Stories like Heavenly Creatures or Single White Female。 Now that I think about it， even Carmilla， back in the 1800s， fits in this！ But part of the appeal of these stories， at the time， was the spectre of lesbianism。 As that fear became less culturally relevant or acceptable， those kinds of stories seemed to die out。 Believe me， I’m glad that the monstrous lesbian is no longer a popular movie trope， but I do think A while back， there used to be a lot of stories about obsessive female friendships。 Stories like Heavenly Creatures or Single White Female。 Now that I think about it， even Carmilla， back in the 1800s， fits in this！ But part of the appeal of these stories， at the time， was the spectre of lesbianism。 As that fear became less culturally relevant or acceptable， those kinds of stories seemed to die out。 Believe me， I’m glad that the monstrous lesbian is no longer a popular movie trope， but I do think there’s something really interesting about these stories。 Especially in adolescence， friendships between girls can be all-consuming， The most important relationships in your life， The kind of people who shape your entire personality。 The Falling Girls explores these relationships， the dangers and the appeal of them， without falling into old homophobic tropes。Full review on the October 5th episode of 。 。。。more
Mackenzie
，
Thank you Penguin Teen for sending me this eARC！This book had potential。 The author has a good writing style， and I would be interested in reading her future works。 The main problem I had with this book， however， was that it lacked originality。 It was basically the cheerleader version of Heather's， except the Heather's were all named Chloe （which was really confusing）。 I think if the Three Chloe's were perhaps not named Chloe， the book would have been a lot better and seemed more original。 Thank you Penguin Teen for sending me this eARC！This book had potential。 The author has a good writing style， and I would be interested in reading her future works。 The main problem I had with this book， however， was that it lacked originality。 It was basically the cheerleader version of Heather's， except the Heather's were all named Chloe （which was really confusing）。 I think if the Three Chloe's were perhaps not named Chloe， the book would have been a lot better and seemed more original。 。。。more
Kari
，
My Review OfTHE FALLING GIRLSBy Author， Hayley KrischerPublished by @Penguin Teen @RazorbillGifted by Publicist @MB CommunicationsOn Sale: 10/5/21 - Purchase Link in my Bio******The Author writes a narrative so relevant to some of the heaviness that comes with being a teenager and popularity。 She writes the characters with such precision and depth of what they are thinking when they make some of the bad choices due to trying to fit in， out of jealousy， admiration， revenge and many other things t My Review OfTHE FALLING GIRLSBy Author， Hayley KrischerPublished by @Penguin Teen @RazorbillGifted by Publicist @MB CommunicationsOn Sale: 10/5/21 - Purchase Link in my Bio******The Author writes a narrative so relevant to some of the heaviness that comes with being a teenager and popularity。 She writes the characters with such precision and depth of what they are thinking when they make some of the bad choices due to trying to fit in， out of jealousy， admiration， revenge and many other things that come into play when coming of age。 The characters were all flawed but some liked to feign superiority over others despite this fact。 This leads to a ripple effect that can put others into dangerous situations and usually ends negatively。Jadis and Shade are childhood friends and they promised each other they would never let anything or anyone tear them apart。 But as High School introduces new people， new activities and new strains on their relationship is just what happens。 Jadis has a girlfriend and likes to dye her hair all colors; Shade has done a 360 and decides she wants to become a cheerleader。 She was in gymnastics when she was younger and it never quite left her from wanting to use her talents and become a flyer。 But Shade becoming a cheerleader is not something that Jadis is happy with and the three tied at the hip girls named Chloe on the team won’t make it all easy for Shade either。 Soon promises kept， are now promises broken and Shade finds herself among the cheerleader crowd。 But it’s not all roses being a cheerleader either; especially when one ends up dead。 Could it be the resentment of a friendship left on the back burner that led up to it or is there more secrets than cheers on this High School team？ 。。。more
Nikki Sojkowski
，
**An Advanced Readers Copy was provided to me by the publisher and Meagan Beatie Communications in exchange for an honest review**For an examination of co-dependency and all-consuming female friendships， this is an amazing look into teenage life。 I adore the movie Heathers so I thought I'd give it a try and I did enjoy the cult-like aspect of female trios， where there's always someone feeling like the odd one out。 Hayley Kirscher did a great job in that aspect。 This wasn't the book for me， but t **An Advanced Readers Copy was provided to me by the publisher and Meagan Beatie Communications in exchange for an honest review**For an examination of co-dependency and all-consuming female friendships， this is an amazing look into teenage life。 I adore the movie Heathers so I thought I'd give it a try and I did enjoy the cult-like aspect of female trios， where there's always someone feeling like the odd one out。 Hayley Kirscher did a great job in that aspect。 This wasn't the book for me， but there were definitely pros that I think others would enjoy （especially the way Krischer explores female friendships and the technicalities of cheerleading）。 The cons for me was that while I felt Shade， Jadis， and the Chloes were well-developed， I couldn't personally connect to any of them。 Cheer wasn't big at my high school so even the premise was a bit not-for-me （the freshman would not know the head cheerleaders to be able to theorize about them like they do in this book）。 My last concern was with the indistinct timeline and vague location。 That really made it hard to sink into the story and get swept away。 They mentioned Texas but also a couple of places in New England and I just couldn't figure out where we were in the country。 It was also really hard to tell how long things were taking in-between scenes and events。 It felt like a looong time， but halfway through the book is Homecoming which is generally late September/early October， so from the beginning of the school year to Homecoming it must have only been 4 maybe 5 weeks。 I guess that's a bit nit-picky， but it did take me out of the experience。 That all being said， if you love Heathers and female scheming/betrayals I'd still definitely recommend this book。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Falling Girls
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Falling Girls&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Falling Girls&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0