The Girl Who Fell From The Sky 2010-08-17

Reviewer: grumpydan

Here is a biracial girl that survives a tremendous fall that kills her mother and two brothers. All her life she was taught to perceive herself as white, but after moving halfway across the country to live with her grandmother, she now is told to be black. As Rachel asks in the book and what I thought to myself; what does color have to do with it. Why can't she be herself? Each chapter of The Girl Who Fell From the Sky is told by a different person's point of view and at times had me confused. Although a tough subject, this was a light read, but I didn't feel connected to the characters.

Tome for teens 2010-08-14

Reviewer: Lynda G Taylor

"The Girl Who Fell from the Sky" is more a book for teens than an adult novel. It concerns a biracial girl who is sent to Portland, Ore. to live with her black grandmother after the tragic and puzzling deaths of her mother and siblings. While the subject matter is always ripe for discussion, I had hoped for something meatier that was part mystery, part thoughtfut treatment of race relations. Intead, I found the book to be a tad juvenile and fell flat when the mystery did not pan out. It was also annoying that the outlook changes from chapter to chapter depending on which character is telling the story. It was ok but I was sorry I chose it for my book club selection.

Could have been better 2010-08-14

Reviewer: T. Edmund Jenkin

Seeped in racial tension, The Girl who Fell from the Sky follows a group of characters directly and indirectly involved in an incident where an entire family falls to their death from a rooftop.

Only one young girl survives - and the majority of the story follows her as she tries to make sense of her life after the tragedy.

The narrative of this novel swings somewhat wildly, providing us with insight into a variety of characters in what I can only describe as a semi-chronological order. The main source of tension comes from the question of whether the family was originally thrown from the rooftop by someone else or whether the protagonist's mother took them down.

Personally The Girl who Fell from the Sky is not my kind of novel. The attempts to be literary seem too obvious, and the lack of real drama isn't adequately replaced by character development or philosophical realisations.

Overall the novel was an easy read and had some genuinely touching moments, but between the unreliable narrative structure and heavy handed symbolism I'd put this one back on the shelf.

A moving perspective on race in our country 2010-08-08

Reviewer: E. Lawrence

"The Girl who fell from the Sky" presents a view of two of the many worlds which exist in our country, from the perspective of a European woman, and her child. You don't realize this until the last chapters, so the weaving of the story is mesmerizing. I finished this in one day, and went right back to read the beginning chapters with much more understanding. A writer with a real gift.

Good summer read! 2010-07-30

Reviewer: Lunavida

Overall, I wil say it was a good book. Not the best piece of lit out there but a good summer afternoon read. The topics could be heavy at times, but the author fails to give you direction, so she leaves you out there to make up your own conclusions or assumptions of the situation or event. It felt flat sometimes, the characters needed more life. But overall, if you are looking for a book to read quickly and forget about, I will recommend it.