Blog Tour: The Girl Who Fell + Giveaway + iPhone WallPaper

Book Detail: 

Release Date: March 1st 2016
Publisher: Simon & Schuster/Simon Pulse

Synopsis:

His obsession.

Her fall.

High school senior Zephyr Doyle is swept off her feet—and into an intense relationship—by the new boy in school.

Zephyr is focused. Focused on leading her team to the field hockey state championship and leaving her small town for her dream school, Boston College.

But love has a way of changing things.

Enter the new boy in school: the hockey team’s starting goaltender, Alec. He’s cute, charming, and most important, Alec doesn’t judge Zephyr. He understands her fears and insecurities—he even shares them. Soon, their relationship becomes something bigger than Zephyr, something she can’t control, something she doesn’t want to control.

Zephyr swears it must be love. Because love is powerful, and overwhelming, and…terrifying?

But love shouldn’t make you abandon your dreams, or push your friends away. And love shouldn’t make you feel guilty—or worse, ashamed.

So when Zephyr finally begins to see Alec for who he really is, she knows it’s time to take back control of her life.

If she waits any longer, it may be too late.

Pre-order Links:  Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Book Depository | Kobo

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This book was exciting in the ways it challenged our expectations and preconception about the YA genre. I feel privileged to be part of the blog tour. I want to share with you how this book turned tropes around on its head – as well as give you two book-inspired iPhone wallpapers to take away!

5 Ways THE GIRL WHO FELL Destroyed YA Tropes

1.  The Side Characters’ Lives Doesn’t Revolve Around The Protagonist

It’s so often the case in YA that many side characters lose their agency, only fulfilling their purpose in the plot as either a dispenser of advice, or a motivation for the protagonist. We hardly glimpse at their own ambitions and plans. Their only goal seem to be servicing the main character in their story.

Zephyr’s best friend, Lizzie, defies this role. Yes, she’s an excellent friend who dispenses many warnings and advice, always steadfast and loyal. But she also has her own life outside: working towards her goal in becoming a journalist, and dealing with her own long distance relationship. Similarly, Gregg has his own group of friends and his own agency. They both love her, but they also love themselves – and that note made the book all the more authentic.

2. Family Members Don’t Magically Vanish Into Thin Air

I was impressed with how many parental figures there were in the book. Not just Zephyr’s, but also the presence of Gregg’s large and loving family. So often, books dispense with pesky parents in order to allow the protagonist more freedom in the plot. However, the author weaves the parents into the narrative and make them integral to the story. It also reminds us that it’s not just the poor, abandoned orphan that struggles with abuse from their partner. Sometimes, it could be that one girl with the seemingly charmed life.

3.  The Main Character Has Real Life Goals

While in many books, I find it hard to imagine the life of the protagonist after the last page is turned: for their motivation and goals tend to lead to the endpoint of the novel – I could imagine Zephyr’s life well beyond the last sentence. She felt all the more real with her multitude of commitments: her passion for Hockey, her desire to go to Boston College. A sense of realism and depth is conveyed when I realise that Zephyr is more than a girl in the pages, she could be a real human being. Which makes her tragedy in this novel all the more alarming.

2. The Beautiful, Sweet Talking Stranger Is Too Good To Be True

If you’re like me, you’d be ready to roll your eyes every time you read about that handsome stranger who smoulders from across the room. You know the one, he pops up out of nowhere, he’s utterly gorgeous, he finds you quirky and charming and the so different to other girls. I felt strangely satisfied when this trope begins to turn on its head, and the perfect Alec increasingly unsettles the reader by his subtly controlling ways. I want to give this book to all the teenage girls in my life, the message it sends is relevant and crucial.

1.  Romantic Love Isn’t The Be All And End All

I’ve seen this discussion numerous times on the blogosphere, so I know I’m not alone in how YA as a genre is predominated by all-consuming romantic love. There are teen protagonists all over who find their one true love in high school, and pledge eternal and everlasting commitment before the trilogy is over. While I am a huge fan of romance, I also love this book for taking a stance that you should not lose yourself in it. You need to be your own person. You need to value and treasure all the other meaningful relationships in your life as well. So, thank you, Shannon M Parker, for writing this novel.

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iPhone 6 Wallpapers

Pink Version // Teal Version

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Author Info:

Shannon Parker lives on the Atlantic coast with a house full of boys. She’s traveled to over three dozen countries and has a few dozen more to go. She works in education and can usually be found rescuing dogs, chickens, old houses and wooden boats. Shannon has a weakness for chocolate chip cookies and ridiculous laughter—ideally, at the same time. The Girl Who Fell is her first novel. Find her at www.shannonmparker.com

Author Links: Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Instagram

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RaffleCopter Giveaway

Thanks to the publisher for hosting this giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Blog Tour Schedule

Interested in more thoughts about The Girl Who Fell? Check out the rest of the blogs on this tour! All are certified awesome.

Tuesday, Jan 12: Blessie @ Mischievous Reads Dreamcast

Wednesday, Jan 13: Emily @  Emily Reads Everything Review

Thursday, Jan 14: Bex @ Aurelia Lit Review

Friday, Jan 15: Tika @ Fangirl Confessions Movie Playlist

Saturday, Jan 16: Kristen @ My Friends Are Fiction Review

Sunday, Jan 17: Melanie @ One Less Lonely Blog Review + Interview

Monday, Jan 18: Cyra @ Rattle The Pages Review + 5 Reasons You Need to Read TGWF

Tuesday, Jan 19: Jocelyn @ Novels and Necklaces Interview

Wednesday, Jan 20: Cat @ Let the Pages Reign Review

Thursday, Jan 21: Aentee @ Read at Midnight 5 Ways TGWF Destroyed YA Tropes + iPhone wallpapers

Friday, Jan 22: Brittany @ Brittany‘s Book Rambles Review + Interview

Saturday, Jan 23: Joey @ Another After Thought Review

Sunday, Jan 24: Stefani @ Caught Read Handed Review + Interview

Monday, Jan 25: Hanna @ Two Sister’s Blogging Review

Tuesday, Jan 26: Michella @ YA Books Girl Review + Playlist

Wednesday, Jan 27: Michelle @ Dreaming of Alba Review

Thursday, Jan 28: Jamie @ Books and Ladders Review + Interview

Friday, Jan 29: Eileen @ BookCatPin Review

Saturday, Jan 30: Brian @ Brian’s Book Thoughts Review

Sunday, Jan 31: Sarah @ The YA Book Traveler Review + Interview

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