Behind the Falls edition by Brenda Zalegowski Literature Fiction eBooks
Download As PDF : Behind the Falls edition by Brenda Zalegowski Literature Fiction eBooks 
Sixteen-year-old Noah Blakey's life is about to change. After years of being home schooled he's moving to a new town and starting public high school- as a senior! As if a new school, new friends, dating for the first time and a whole new life aren't challenging enough, Noah has suffered from panic and anxiety disorders for years. All Noah wants is a chance to prove to his parents and doctor that he's normal. Noah soon finds himself facing responsibilities and pressures he’s never had to deal with and is faced with choices he never imagined. In order to gain acceptance from his new friends Noah must first find a way to accept himself. That might be the hardest lesson of all.
Behind the Falls edition by Brenda Zalegowski Literature Fiction eBooks
This book starts out with Noah in a car traveling halfway across the country with his parents to go live in his grandmother's house. Because I kinda know this author and because I did not ask what this book was about (remember I try not to know anything about the book I am about to read)....I half way expected old granny to be kept in the shed in the back garden feeding on live chickens. Yes....a zombie book wouldn't have surprised me at all.....however, once Noah gets to school and sees all the *pretty* people in the lunch room, I thought I might be wrong and it would have been some posh vampires that were feeding on grandma....However, I couldn't have been farther from the truth....
Although.....this book is full of *real-life* monsters....
I must admit, at times I did feel that the author was long winded. That the stuff going on inside Noah's mind was just so bogged down with details....however, after reading it....well I have to wonder....If I felt overwhelmed at times and over sensitized....well just imagine how Noah felt....
This book brings more than a few very important issues to light....and it's a hard read....not because it's hard to understand....it's just a tough subject....and the ripples this book leaves you with....well they are far reaching...it's blatantly obvious after reading a book like this that we are all so often look at just the one person in life. We often isolate them in our minds and we neglect to see the ripple effects that issues cause with not just one person, but all of those around them.
If someone has cancer....or is killed in an accident....or hurts another person.....well that doesn't just effect them....Mrs. Z does an outstanding job displaying this throughout the entire novel (ALL 698 PAGES OF IT!!!)
Now there's just no way for me to continue this review without providing spoilers....so I am asking you now...if you haven't read this book, please stop reading now and go try to find a copy....This book isn't a subject matter I would ever imagine myself reading....let alone giving top ratings to. I almost hesitated to give 5 stars because I almost feel guilty....I don't want anyone to think I did so because I know the author....I do so because this novel deserves it....although as I said, I felt it was too many words at sometimes....however the subject matter and the way it was handled, the way I felt at the end....the way I stayed up late and woke early to finish it....well, I would be dishonest if I gave it anything less....
But again....spoilers now! so if you haven't read it....take off and go do so....please don't let my need to voice all of my feelings ruin this great book for you!!!
First the ending.....uffda....again....ripples....this book is full of them, innit? I realise some people will hate the ending....screw it.....I hate the ending.....but I would have hated an ending that wrapped it all up and created a stopping point even more.....again.....ripples! Key word here.....RIPPLES.....I just can't stop thinking about all the ripples that closing scene is going to make in the hours after the reader finishes....
How can you not love a book that the characters feel so real that you finish the last page and you still are concerned for ALL of those involved. How can you not love a book where you physically hurt for what they have to go through?
Another thing I want to point out to anyone that has read the book....I am sure many think of the father behind the closed door at the end....and they are disappointed perhaps....Me? I know 100% that he has closed that door because he is disappointed in himself....that he is blaming himself for not being there as he thinks he should have been....even though I know 100% that Noah feels it is shut because of his father's disappointment in Noah.....
Again, this whole book....just wow....it's so complex...and the more you think about it....well the more confused you become....
Mental illness....sexual identity....these are such tough issues....why do we feel such a need to label everything in life? Perhaps not the labels themselves, but the stigma that goes with them...I've always been a strong proponent of letting people live their lives as they see the need to. I try very hard to not pass judgement....
This novel points out that not only is it very important to not put stigmas on labels....but it's also now blatantly obvious that the stigma we put on our own labels used to define us....well they can be the most cutting of all..I've always tried to remember that we never know what people are going through in their daily lives...so we should never judge.....this novel pushes me belief system even further....I now realise that it's not just what's going on in their lives...it's also sometimes more important about what is going on in their heads....and those are things that sometimes we are *never* made aware of....
At times this novel is so tough to read....the implications of what mental illness does to a person....well when you pile it on top of the worries of the mental illness...and how you will be perceived by others....well at some point you have to stop and ask....which is which....which one does the most damage...and which one causes which....are they all interchangeable? Can you have one without the other? If one did not exist would the other cease as well?
The second major issue of the novel....sexual identification.....that is all so....well.....it does come down to labels here....and this is the thing I struggle with the most....I always have....but now it makes me angry....it seems that more society opens up....the more it shuts down....if Noah wants to kiss boys or girls...why should he have to announce it? Why should it matter? I realise that identity is very important to teenagers...however....I really wish society would change how we define ourselves....it's tough I know....but I just wish in my heart that Noah had gave a few less cares how people defined him....the only opinions that should guide and define us are those of people who truly love and know us....but most importantly...our own....we should all be allowed to be happy with whom we are....
again...ripples....the beautiful person that Noah is....it's so easy to see and define the ripples that brings to others around him....even if he is, sadly, unable to see those ripples himself....however, the lack of Noah sharing what's really going on in his life? Those ripples? They are far more outreaching and long lasting then he will ever realise....
Those ripples will be residing in me for a very long time to come....x
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Behind the Falls edition by Brenda Zalegowski Literature Fiction eBooks Reviews
Excellent book; couldn't put it down!
A story which needed to be told....a story which will resonate with many readers....even those who won't expect it to.
An amazing first novel....let's hope there will be many more!
Full of angst. Unforgettable characters.
I couldn't put this book down. I normally don't read Coming of Age genre books, but this is such a great story, I don't think it matters what type of books you are into. It's a well-developed tale of a boy trying to discover friendship, self acceptance and love in a landscape where he is imprisoned by his own mental health, family, and yearning for normalcy. Great read!
I had read the reviews about the length and perhaps too much detail in the book and as I began the book I disagreed with these reviewers, thinking it seemed to fit with Noah's character that this is how he would think and view the world. That said, around three quarters of the way through I did start to feel it was a little bogged down with detail, but such an good story I never considered not finishing it. I also knew from the reviews that there would be an open ending so, of course, as I read I tried to figure what it would be..........but I was way off! Heavy material to read, but at the same time a fascinating story, and as soon as the book ended like it did, I felt compelled to immediately start the sequel to see what was going to happen to Noah
I must admit the first 25% of the story seemed unnecessarily wordy to me, and I didn't like the ending. So why 5 stars? The last 75% sucked me in, and I couldn't read fast enough. I loved the characters in the story, all of them. And the story was quite a unique take on teenager angst. If I told you what the story was about, you might dismiss this as just a typical YA book about teenagers. This would be so not fair. The characters are highly developed and you feel their pains and tribulations. The author so easily conveys what they are feeling and thinking. It is not an easy read, there are troubling matters that are dealt with. But it easy an easy read in the fact that you can't put the book down. I was reading every spare minute of the last three days to get to the end, all 700 pages of it. While I wasn't happy with the ending, that doesn't distract from Ms. Zelegowski superb characterizations, and story telling. It's been a while since a book sucked me in this much. I highly recommend it, and look forward to her next novel.
This story is about a boy who experiences changes and how he responds to them. Noah is starting public school for the first time and making friends. These experiences would be hard for anyone, but Noah has generalized anxiety disorder. Can he reach out to others for help to get through things?
Throw in a best friend, Max, who Noah thinks would turn away from him if he knew the truth about his anxiety and dating for the first time and you could have a recipe for disaster.
I love this book, Noah goes through a lot of changes and this book doesn't pull any punches about how someone with anxiety deals with them. All I wanted to do at the end was give Noah a hug and tell him everything will be alright. Five stars all the way!!
This book starts out with Noah in a car traveling halfway across the country with his parents to go live in his grandmother's house. Because I kinda know this author and because I did not ask what this book was about (remember I try not to know anything about the book I am about to read)....I half way expected old granny to be kept in the shed in the back garden feeding on live chickens. Yes....a zombie book wouldn't have surprised me at all.....however, once Noah gets to school and sees all the *pretty* people in the lunch room, I thought I might be wrong and it would have been some posh vampires that were feeding on grandma....
However, I couldn't have been farther from the truth....
Although.....this book is full of *real-life* monsters....
I must admit, at times I did feel that the author was long winded. That the stuff going on inside Noah's mind was just so bogged down with details....however, after reading it....well I have to wonder....If I felt overwhelmed at times and over sensitized....well just imagine how Noah felt....
This book brings more than a few very important issues to light....and it's a hard read....not because it's hard to understand....it's just a tough subject....and the ripples this book leaves you with....well they are far reaching...it's blatantly obvious after reading a book like this that we are all so often look at just the one person in life. We often isolate them in our minds and we neglect to see the ripple effects that issues cause with not just one person, but all of those around them.
If someone has cancer....or is killed in an accident....or hurts another person.....well that doesn't just effect them....Mrs. Z does an outstanding job displaying this throughout the entire novel (ALL 698 PAGES OF IT!!!)
Now there's just no way for me to continue this review without providing spoilers....so I am asking you now...if you haven't read this book, please stop reading now and go try to find a copy....This book isn't a subject matter I would ever imagine myself reading....let alone giving top ratings to. I almost hesitated to give 5 stars because I almost feel guilty....I don't want anyone to think I did so because I know the author....I do so because this novel deserves it....although as I said, I felt it was too many words at sometimes....however the subject matter and the way it was handled, the way I felt at the end....the way I stayed up late and woke early to finish it....well, I would be dishonest if I gave it anything less....
But again....spoilers now! so if you haven't read it....take off and go do so....please don't let my need to voice all of my feelings ruin this great book for you!!!
First the ending.....uffda....again....ripples....this book is full of them, innit? I realise some people will hate the ending....screw it.....I hate the ending.....but I would have hated an ending that wrapped it all up and created a stopping point even more.....again.....ripples! Key word here.....RIPPLES.....I just can't stop thinking about all the ripples that closing scene is going to make in the hours after the reader finishes....
How can you not love a book that the characters feel so real that you finish the last page and you still are concerned for ALL of those involved. How can you not love a book where you physically hurt for what they have to go through?
Another thing I want to point out to anyone that has read the book....I am sure many think of the father behind the closed door at the end....and they are disappointed perhaps....Me? I know 100% that he has closed that door because he is disappointed in himself....that he is blaming himself for not being there as he thinks he should have been....even though I know 100% that Noah feels it is shut because of his father's disappointment in Noah.....
Again, this whole book....just wow....it's so complex...and the more you think about it....well the more confused you become....
Mental illness....sexual identity....these are such tough issues....why do we feel such a need to label everything in life? Perhaps not the labels themselves, but the stigma that goes with them...I've always been a strong proponent of letting people live their lives as they see the need to. I try very hard to not pass judgement....
This novel points out that not only is it very important to not put stigmas on labels....but it's also now blatantly obvious that the stigma we put on our own labels used to define us....well they can be the most cutting of all..I've always tried to remember that we never know what people are going through in their daily lives...so we should never judge.....this novel pushes me belief system even further....I now realise that it's not just what's going on in their lives...it's also sometimes more important about what is going on in their heads....and those are things that sometimes we are *never* made aware of....
At times this novel is so tough to read....the implications of what mental illness does to a person....well when you pile it on top of the worries of the mental illness...and how you will be perceived by others....well at some point you have to stop and ask....which is which....which one does the most damage...and which one causes which....are they all interchangeable? Can you have one without the other? If one did not exist would the other cease as well?
The second major issue of the novel....sexual identification.....that is all so....well.....it does come down to labels here....and this is the thing I struggle with the most....I always have....but now it makes me angry....it seems that more society opens up....the more it shuts down....if Noah wants to kiss boys or girls...why should he have to announce it? Why should it matter? I realise that identity is very important to teenagers...however....I really wish society would change how we define ourselves....it's tough I know....but I just wish in my heart that Noah had gave a few less cares how people defined him....the only opinions that should guide and define us are those of people who truly love and know us....but most importantly...our own....we should all be allowed to be happy with whom we are....
again...ripples....the beautiful person that Noah is....it's so easy to see and define the ripples that brings to others around him....even if he is, sadly, unable to see those ripples himself....however, the lack of Noah sharing what's really going on in his life? Those ripples? They are far more outreaching and long lasting then he will ever realise....
Those ripples will be residing in me for a very long time to come....x
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