Vendor
	Foundry Claire Harris
Original language
English
Categories
Children’s, Teenage & Educational

AFTER THE FALL

Kate Hart

YA Highway blogger Kate Hart's debut YA novel, about a girl who refuses to play the damsel in distress, even in the face of sexual assault, and the boy who's always hoped to rescue her, until she seeks comfort in his brother's arms and a terrible accident changes everything.

Seventeen-year-old Raychel is sleeping with two boys: her best friend Matt…and his brother, Andrew. Raychel sneaks into Matt’s bed on sleepless nights, but nothing ever happens. He doesn’t even seem to realize she’s a girl, except when he thinks she’s a damsel in distress who needs his rescue. But Raychel doesn’t want to be that girl. Besides, after Matt leaves for college in the fall, she’ll be left alone to deal with her creepy boss, the guy at school who won’t stop pushing himself on her, and her fear that she’ll never feel in control of her life.

So, she doesn’t let herself ask for his help. But bottling everything up feels terrible. And, flirting with Andrew – falling into his arms, no questions asked – feels better. Even though he’s not the brother she really wants. When Matt catches on, his overreaction sends Andrew off the side of a cliff. After the fall, it’s Matt who’s in distress, and it falls to Raychel to rescue them both.

YA Highway blogger Kate Hart writes from a similar place as Sara Zarr, Courtney Summers, and Laurie Halse Anderson. With challenging themes that touch on sexual assault & consent, AFTER THE FALL is about what girls are allowed to do, what guys expect girls to do, and who we let ourselves be; this debut novel is such a conversation starter.

Available products
Book Published 2017-01-24 by Farrar, Straus & Giroux
Book Published 2017-01-24 by Farrar, Straus & Giroux

Comments

In AFTER THE FALL, Kate Hart will give words to girls who need them, and open the eyes of boys who need them, too.

In her remarkably crafted and unforgettable debut, Kate Hart proves herself a force to be reckoned with. AFTER THE FALL is a beautiful and brutal exploration of love, feminism, consent and identity; of who we are, who we think we are--and who we have the potential to be. Everyone should read this book.

... Hart does a good job of handling her ambitious plot...Like Laurie Halse Anderson’s Speak and Courtney Summers’s All the Rage, this is an important novel for teens and adults to discuss together.

In her gorgeous and unflinching debut, Hart brilliantly unwinds the many facets of consent and entitlement, and the tragic ways these dynamics can play out, even among friends. Both heartbreaking and heartbreakingly relevant, AFTER THE FALL is a must-read.

Achingly real characters navigate the complexities of their everyday lives in AFTER THE FALL, an honest tale about love, lust, friendship, and the lines in between.

Thought-provoking moments regarding such issues as female sexuality, racial microaggressions, and class differences add depth to the characters. Recommend to fans of character-driven novels such as Sara Zarr’s How to Save a Life (2011) or Jennifer Niven’s All the Bright Places (2015).

Raychel's interactions with Carson raise important questions about what it means to consent to sexual activity...

This memorable debut novel is told in the alternating perspectives of Raychel and Matt. Both characters are very well portrayed as complex characters with strengths and weaknesses. The supporting cast is also well developed, with most characters avoiding the trap of falling into mere stereotypes...This would be an excellent addition to most high school libraries.