Love how this author explored themes of female friendship and high school. This book felt very real and I think it's a good YA novel for teen girls.

dnf'd! not for me personally but nothing explicitly wrong with it. giving four stars since it's unfair to judge an unfinished book

"The Falling Girls" focuses on the intense relationships that teenage girls experience, including the dynamics of friendship, obsession, and betrayal. The story of Shade and Jadis highlights the thin line between close companionship and unhealthy fixation, wrapped in a thrilling narrative of cheerleading, jealousy, and mysterious death. This novel explores the dark side of friendships that go too far, providing a gripping read that examines the emotional turmoil and potential dangers of codependent relationships. Overall, the book captures the essence of adolescent connections with a chilling undertone, making it a compelling read for fans of psychological dramas and young adult thrillers.

I think I may have just not been in the mood for this kind of book. I've tried to get into this story but it wasn't for me. I don't like to rate something that I didn't finish so if I could, I'd leave it unrated. Since I can't I am going to give it 2 stars, but it really think it was just my mood. I may come back and try it again at a different time.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for giving me a free eARC of this book to read in exchange for my review!

With the right blend of mystery, teen angst, and tension, this is definitely a book I can see myself recommending to my young adult readers. I feel like they may see themselves Shade and Jadis and may have experienced the feeling of losing a close friend who has decided to try new things.

I really don't know how to start this review. The book reminded me of One of Us Is Lying and other books with the same concept, which I enjoy.

In this story, we meet Shade, who wants to be a cheerleader again, even though this might cause a rift with Jadis because she can't stand The Three Chloes. Jadis won't give Shade up so easily, though, and the pull between her old best friend and her new teammates takes a toll on Shade as she tries to forge her own path. So when one of the cheerleaders dies under mysterious circumstances, Shade is determined to get to the bottom of her death. Because she knows Jadis, and if her friend is responsible, doesn't that mean she is, too?

As mentioned before, the story is interesting, and I found the cheerleading descriptions precise and fascinating. But, there was something off with the discovery of the culprit, it was easy and not dramatic as I was expecting.

Despite it all, it was an intriguing read with annoying characters but many life lessons, especially for youngsters. 

Be aware that this book contains trigger warnings.

Best friends who are definitely toxic and codependent? Yes, please. This book was captivating and I loved the truthful look into teenage girl friendships. It was such a good read and I think people who like Bunny by Mona Awad will love The Falling Girls.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an arc!

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for giving me access to the advanced copy of this book to read.

Obsessive and competitive female friendships in high school are always interesting to me, and I don’t know if it’s just a fascinating topic in general or if I’m just intrigued because I didn’t have this experience.

I did have a female best friend in high school, but our relationship wasn’t like this, and I don’t think I properly appreciated at the time how much easier life was for us because we didn’t see our friendship this way.

But lack of experience aside, it was clear to me that this was a pretty accurate portrait (minus the slight absurdity of what happens to one of the central characters) of how these things tend to go.

I also really appreciated the way the book focused on friendships and sport instead of romance. We need more of this in YA! I didn’t find the characters terribly likable, especially Jadis who, loyal though she may have been, is exactly the kind of envious manipulator you want to run screaming from. Shade’s mother was also…kind of hard to take.

Still, the group dynamics are well rendered, and I appreciated the homage to cheerleading as a competitive sport (yes, cheerleading is absolutely a sport), and aside from the drug use, which seemed like a lot to me for high school, this felt realistic at least in terms of the way kids think and behave.

(i received this e-arc from netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)

a poignant novel that hooked me in from start to finish, the falling girls asks the question: "how far would you go?"

we need more books like this.

While I always love a YA sapphic book, these two were a bit too close for me. They share a toothbrush! That incident in the first chapter really set the tone for the rest of the book for me and kind of ruined it.

Actual Rating: 3.5

This book was a good look into codependent and toxic relationships. It didn’t stick with me as much as the author’s first book did, but I still thought it was a good, at some points downright scary, read. The obsessions and bonds were written very well, and I enjoyed seeing the way Shade struggled with her changing friendship with Jadis.

I went into The Falling Girls without having real expectations. I knew it was a contemporary book with a dark tone, and that part was 100% right.
I know this is also generated as a mystery and although it has a mystery inside, I would rather call it a teen drama.
In fact, the whole story reminded me of a lifetime movie.
Did I love it? Absolutely!

I am an adult who read this novel that is aimed towards teenagers.
I am aware that some things I take differently then the appropriate age rang, and maybe my reasons for liking the story are completely different then they would be 15 years ago.

My favourite thing about this book is the exploration of female friendships that can be very unhealthy and how those friendships in teen years define future.
I appreciate how the author pictured possessive one on one relationship between friends and how even if it is usually comfortable to bond on such a strong level, it can also be destructive.

The other thing I appreciate is how Hayley Krischer showed us/told us that neglected kids often look for a substitute for absent parents in their friends and how they can become possessive.

The book was written in a simple, entertaining way that was easy to read.

The story was little predictable and the motive behind the crime was a bit stupid, but the author acknowledged it through character conversations, which pleasantly surprised me.

I want to say that I come from a country where cheerleading isn’t a part of the culture and all I know about it is what I learned from the movies.
This book made me think how hard and competitive that sport can be and how it’ it’s not appreciated enough.

I enjoyed my time with The Falleng Girls and would recommend it.

Written in the first person, this book feels immediate and immersive. The character of Shade reads as true - a teenager trying to navigate relationships with family and friends while exploring who she wants to be seen as and who she really is. Add to this a mix of jealousy, betrayal, and tragedy and you get an engaging, raw thriller.

I enjoyed the characterizations and grittiness of this book. Shade's personality and observations were a realistic portrayal of someone her age. As other reviewers have noted, the book is dark and deals with themes that may seem mature for a book about a high school cheerleader, but I think that is one of the things that contributes to the book's appeal.

A complaint I had with this book was the pacing of the ending - while compelling, it felt uneven, with some parts dragging and other parts sped up.

After really enjoying Something Happened to Ali Greenleaf, I decided to go in blind for this one. I was not expecting it to be so dark (for a YA novel) but I still enjoyed it.

I’ve only read two books by Hayley Krischer but I can already tell she’s such an important voice for this generation. While her books can get a little uncomfortable at times, I think it’s important that these topics are talked about.

The story follows Shade and Jadis, best friends who are like sisters. So when Shade makes the decision to join the school cheerleading team, Jadis feels left out and upset. Shade falls into the orbit of the Three Chloes: the girls who rule the cheer squad. In other words, the mean girls.

This book explores toxic female friendships and codependency, which is not talked about enough in YA books. This book gave me Heathers vibes.

I really enjoyed the story and the characters. I found the friendship between Shade and Jadis so interesting. It was a beautiful relationship yet toxic at the same time.

This book was very realistic, the author obviously did her research.
Overall I enjoyed this one a lot and I highly recommend it!

This book is well-written and just as intoxicating as the friendship of the two main characters. The book was a bit darker than I expected but that darkness was filtered in so seamlessly. A story about obsession and toxicity, jealousy and codependency. There are so many layers here and it is a gut-punch of a book.

this book was like a PG bunny (by mona awad).... it was good but not great. for these kind of books i want it to be CRAZY and that is not what i got here... but overall good!

After really enjoying Something Happened to Ali Greenleaf, I wanted to check this one out. It wasn't quite as good but I still flew through it. It had a lot of your typical YA tropes- catty girls, cliques, and rumors, but it also took a deeper look at how those friendships you think will last forever can quickly turn toxic. The obsessive female friendships in this book were so dark and disturbing and it kept me turning the pages. The murder mystery aspect fell a little flat for me and I almost think it could have been left out of the book entirely. But regardless, I will read more by Krischer in the future.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a copy to review.

Two stars

For starters, I did not read the synopsis until I was already 25% through the book. I was under the impression this was a cute YA contemporary. Turns out, it was the exact opposite. I am going to blame the cover, it tricked me.

Now The Falling Girls wasn't a bad book, but it also wasn't great. I like the idea of bringing awareness to toxic friendships. I know I have had a few of those myself. So it was nice to see it accurately portrayed. Sometimes distance is what's best and this book screams that at you.

But I didn't care for any of the characters. They all felt the same and one-dimensional. I don't think I can recall a single character's name. They all blend together.

I did enjoy the author's previous book, so I won't write this author off. But this book was just not for me.