What do readers think of Girl Falling by Hayley Scrivenor? Write your own review.

An intimate tale of two young women, Finn and Daphne, friends since childhood, bonded by the shared experience of losing a younger sister to suicide and the secrets between them. The setting is the beautiful Blue Mountains of Australia, where the friends hike and go mountain climbing. A third woman, Magdu, becomes Finn's girlfriend. The author excels at character development. One limitation, however, is that Finn is the narrator, so the reader must infer what Daphne and Magdu are feeling and thinking. The story is a psychological drama that becomes more, which kept me guessing about the relationships, the tragic accident, and motives. In fact, I had to go back and reread some sections after finishing the book. I feel that I would have gained more insight from alternating chapters from each character. All in all, though, the book kept my interest.

Girl Falling follows the first person narration of Finn, a hiker in her mid-twenties who has recently begun dating a new girlfriend with a best friend that appeared to have her 'own' agenda. I read almost all of this book in one sitting. It's a crime novel, a psychological thriller and an exploration of grief. Told through chapters that alternate between the present and the past we slowly see the tale of twisted, complicated and toxic relationships. This book will have you at the edge of your seat with a very unexpected ending. All in all, I really enjoyed this book. It was well-written, easy to read and pulled me right in. I finished it in less than two days. I would definitely recommend it for anyone who likes to read crime fiction.

At first, my conservative self thought the relationships between the girls in the story, or the love of rock climbing, would not appeal to me. Wrong! The old girlfriend who knew too much about Finn's past to give up made me nervous, and the story was put together to keep me reading quickly to keep her in check. As if reading more quickly would solve any problems! A good novel, with nothing to ever make me think it wasn't well written. There is a surprise, yet I wished I had considered that as part of the plot myself.

When I first began Girl Falling, I thought it should be categorized as "Young Adult". It seemed to be about young love and as a mature woman I was sure I wouldn't find it interesting. However, after a few more chapters, I found it was a much more in depth book than I had previously thought. and Scrivenor's talent as an author became evident. I much admired her use of simile as well as her skill with description. I finished the book quickly since I found my self picking it up to read whenever I had a free moment. I truly enjoyed Girl Falling.

I found the book to be a slow starter, but as I kept reading, I was hooked. Finn has a new love, but her former lover is very jealous. I was shocked that Finn didn't realize that. Daphne was extremely manipulative and went out of her way to get what she wanted. Magdu realized that, but Finn was too much in love with Magdu to see what was happening.
I felt sorry for Finn because of how Daphne treated her and also because she was dyslexic.
The ending was a real shocker!!







aphne

I enjoyed this book although it was not as good as Scrivenor's first book Dirt Creek. This book is well-written and there is a good twist at the end.

The narrator, Finn is a young woman who has begun dating Magdu. The other main character is Daphne, who at times has been Finn's lover and is now jealous of Magdu. The three of them go climbing and Magdu falls to her death. This action happens at the very beginning of the book and after that the book's focus is on the past relationships of these women and of course figuring how Magdu fell.

My reason for giving the book 4 stars instead of 5, is that the characters are not all that likable, including the narrator. The author throws in a lot of superfluous details (like the many times Finn talks about her period and cramps---do we really need that detail?)

I can recommend the book, but Dirt Creek is much better.

"Girl Falling" is a psychosocial story of three women who are woven together into a love triangle of sorts. It begins with Daphne and Finn, friends since high school, who know each other's most devastating secret. Finn, who is desperate to have her secret remain hidden, is basically at Daphne's beck and call. When a new woman, Magdu, enters, and Finn falls madly in love with her, the balance of her friendship with Daphne goes way off kilter in an almost unhealthy way, resulting in a horrible accident. Or was it murder? There were parts of this novel that I found to be very well done. The writing detailing Finn's grief was substantial. I could clearly feel the heaviness and disbelief that overtakes Finn after the death of her lover. I was shocked, however, and not at all prepared for the twist at the very end. I would have preferred to understand better the deeper motives for such a surprise. All in all, the book had me hooked from the beginning.

A triangle is a meticulous structure. 1st person Narration requires a fixed focus and this suspenseful novel is very specific in clues and a distinct sense of place. The Blue Mountains play a part in the Back and Forth narration of three people "having something kind of good" and wanting more. Finn, Magdu and Daphne -One is treacherous, one is good, and what about the third?