The Falling Between Us

January 1, 2018

Gr 7 Up-Roxy lives on the periphery after her boyfriend's meteoric rise to pop music superstardom. She travels on tour with Joshua Blackbird, "the girl from home" always present in the background. She gives him unconditional support while seething at the demands others place on him: the relentless schedule set by his prescription-pushing manager, a manufactured romance with a female pop star, a distant mother always asking for money, and unceasing frenetic attention from fans. The intense pressure makes Joshua distant and fragile, and Roxy's worry for his well-being increases. When Joshua goes for a midnight swim off a yacht and disappears, the protagonist spirals into profound grief even as she questions what happened to the boy she loves. Roxy is an engaging narrator who offers a perceptive glimpse into the celebrity industry alongside her own emotional landscape. She constantly compares their new reality to a circus and becomes obsessed with 1920s aerialist Lillian Leitzel, whose gravity-defying acrobatics and eventual tragic plummet are one means through which Parsons presents the pervasive theme of falling and losing control. The story moves quickly, its dark intensity crafted from raw emotion delivered in lyrical prose and staccato sentences. The novel includes a biting critique of celebrity culture and a hint of mystery, but the heart of the story is an exploration of grief, depression, and suicide. While the ending may feel too pat for some readers, it subtly delivers a positive message about choosing life over suicide. VERDICT With a shrewd and sympathetic narrator and multiple elements of interest-music, celebrity, grief, mental health-this novel is a recommended first purchase.-Elizabeth Lovsin, Deerfield Public Library, IL

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 15, 2018
Eight months ago, 17-year-old Joshua Blackbird was making music for friends and family in a trailer in small-town Georgia. Now he's an international music star performing at one of the most famous venues in the world.Joshua's girlfriend, narrator Roxanne, has been there since long before Joshua became a "brand." She sees what no one else wants to see: Joshua is miserable. His life is a circus, one Rox wishes she could burn down: his faux romance with a pop singer; his domineering manager; the ever present paparazzi; the grueling schedule; and the demanding fans. When Joshua disappears, a devastated Rox becomes obsessed with searching the web for anything related to Joshua. His fans, called Birdies, keep his memory alive; their devotion allows Rox to hold onto him. Rox also finds comfort in stories about 1920s aerialist Lillian Leitzel. Leitzel's intense celebrity parallels that of Joshua's, while her ability to accept physical and emotional pain as parts of life gives Rox hope. Most characters appear to be white by default; Joshua's drummer and close friend, Speed, is described as having dark brown skin, and his bodyguard is named Santiago. Rox navigates dissolution, anxiety, grief, and recovery in a delicate, heightened present-tense prose that hangs on every emotion.An uplifting story of love, grief, and forgiveness. (author's note) (Fiction. 14-18)

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January 1, 2018
Grades 7-10 It was just another YouTube song from an unknown Georgia teen named Joshua. No one could have predicted the dizzying heights to which that song would catapult him. Girlfriend Rox tells the story of Joshua Blackbird's sudden rise to fame and all its trappingsthe frenzied fans called Birdies, the massive concert audiences, the manager and others who all want part of Joshua, the forced march of living as a scripted piece of property. Who could blame Joshua for eventually wanting out? Rox, who traveled with Joshua, is hollowed out after his disappearance, the mystery of which forms the center of the narrative. In addition to telling his tale, she weaves in the story of circus celebrity Lillian Leitzel, whose high-wire acts dazzled audiences a century ago and whose story, Rox believes, parallels part of Joshua's. Readers may be less interested in this, but the frenetic whirl of Joshua's life, the social media excess, the scary fan frenzy, and the suspense and discovery surrounding what really happens to Joshua will hook them.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)