Freefall

October 11, 2010
Scott's well-crafted debut reads like a John Hughes–style romantic comedy filtered through a study of teenage grieving. Despite the booze-influenced death of his friend Isaac, high school junior Seth McCoy has continued his partying ways, drinking to excess and getting high with his brother and their rockabilly band. When he finally attempts to stay sober (upsetting his brother in the process), he finds that he now has crippling stage fright. Seth meets Rosetta—a sweet, mysterious girl who is also coping with grief—at a party and is drawn to her, even as he attempts to deal with family and school issues. Subplots involving Seth's former trailer park neighbor, Kendall, and Seth's new band enrich the story, but it's the awkward courtship between Seth and Rosetta that forms the meat of the novel. Scott stumbles a bit—Rosetta epitomizes the "Manic Pixie Dream Girl" archetype (even her name suggests that she's more of a device to help Seth better understand himself)—but Seth's slow discovery of his own potential keeps the story moving and entertaining. Ages 14–up.

November 1, 2010
Grades 9-12 Sixteen-year-old Seth begins a new year of high school, wracked with guilt over his best friend Isaacs death during the summer and suffering from stage fright that gets in the way of performing comfortably with his band. In addition, he feels pressure to keep Isaacs free-spirited former girlfriend at arms length while he grows interested in a new girl, who seems out of his league. In a story stocked with full and credible characters, Scott portrays a convincing contemporary world of a teen who is smart but inexperienced, and talented yet uncertain of himself. Class dynamics are cogently communicated through the various characters interactions as well as in Seths own observations. This is a realistic novel with compelling issues depicted as they are in lifeintertwined with one another yet broachable when addressed one at a time rather than relying on any deus ex machina to resolve things in the end. With this first novel, Scott proves herself a formidable talent in the field of YA fiction.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)