Reviews

The Girl Who Fell from the Sky by Heidi W. Durrow

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skyfall's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

izywithonez's review against another edition

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4.0

beautiful book, very well written, and the stories interlocking makes it even better.

heathercottledillon's review against another edition

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3.0

If you dislike sad books, I don't recommend this one. It's about an 11-year-old girl named Rachel who is trying to restart her life after a horrific event that destroyed her family. On top of that, she's adjusting to life in a new city and trying to find somewhere to fit in as a half-black, half-white girl in the 1980s. About half of the story is told from her perspective and the rest from the perspectives of various other characters, including her mother, her father, her mother's former boss, and the young boy who witnessed the tragedy that changed her life.

This story held my interest throughout because it's not clear what really happened to Rachel's family and there are hints that build the suspense. However, I didn't really connect with the characters and that prevented me from enjoying the book more. Rachel blocks off her feelings about all that has happened, which makes sense but made it difficult for me to relate to her. On the other hand, this book made me think a lot about guilt, race, identity, and more, and that's always a good thing.

maddiepalmer443's review against another edition

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emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

the ending felt a little rushed teehee

home_again's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

4.0

This story revolves around a girl who survives a lethal fall that kills her mother and siblings. It's a dark subject. Throughout the story other dark subjects come into play.

The characters, for the most part, are real. They struggle with real problems in real ways.

The narrative keeps you guessing. As the story unfolds, the writer offers you clues that could go one way or another. It's not until the very end that you really know what happened.

My one criticism is the abusive men in the story. They all have what are presented as valid reasons for being abusive. I wish that the story emphasized more how shallow their excuses were.

In spite of this, I still consider this a heartwarming tale that presents some really difficult situations but also presents hope. It gives you the sense that a person with a good heart can succeed.

jennrocca's review against another edition

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5.0

The writing was good, the story was unique. The characters were nuanced and meaningful. If I think about this as a classroom text I am hesitating... still thinking it through. There are multiple characters talking at multiple points in time. The main character is telling her own story and telling about her memories. It may be complex as a whole classroom text. But the themes and topics it addresses are perfect and just what I would want students to read.