Books I’ve Read: The Art of Falling by Jenny Kaczorowski

Image from Goodreads

Title: The Art of Falling
Series: Oceanside High #1
Author: Jenny Kaczorowski
Publisher: Bloomsbury Spark
Publication Date: Dec 2013
Source: Review Copy
Rating: 3/5

Synopsis from Goodreads

For seventeen-year-old Bria Hale, image is everything. She’s a militant vegan with purple hair, Doc Martens and a permanent scowl. Kissing captain of the football team Ben Harris? Definitely not part of that image.

Now with each secret kiss, she’s falling deeper for the boy every girl at Oceanside High is crushing on. Throw in a few forbidden bacon cheeseburgers and she’s facing one major identity crisis.

Ignoring Ben should be easy, but when a flashy display of artistic spirit lands her in close quarters after hours with the boy she’s too cool to like, she can’t keep pretending those kisses meant nothing. With her reputation and her heart on a collision course, Bria must either be true to herself or to the persona she’s spent all of high school creating.

Soo I was totally won over by the fact the main character has PURPLE HAIR – I totally want it

The Art of Falling deals with a lot of issues within the narrative relevant to the majority of teenagers today. Inspection of the ubiquitous high school cliques and how they pigeon-hole people as well as justifying segregation is the main focus of the plot crossing the romance between an art geek and a jock.

The portrayal of how image and popularity are important at this stage of life, on both sides not just the jock as you would suspect. However, the act of maintaining the image you have created can place extra pressure on an already stressful time of life. Even creating barriers to real feelings and emotions.

Tragedy, identity, family, friendship, grief, romance and the pressure to decide your future at such a young age all play a part within the narrative ensuring a very fast paced plot.

Engaging characters you can’t help but fall for