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Chris & Tilly #1
Fall Line (Downhill Series) (Volume 1) by Tudor Robins
Everything’s forward.Those are fifteen-year-old Chris Myers’ words for the year.The next gate, the next race, his spot on the district ski team; they’re all his for the taking.Except training is such hard work. And then there’s Jenna – the very opposite of hard work – gorgeous, curvy, and into partying. Into Chris.Instead of moving forward, Chris is sliding back. Slower times, worse results, and his best friend, Tilly, drifting away.“The thing you want is right in front of you,” Tilly said. Now Chris just has to figure out what that thing is – and how to get it – before it’s too late.Fast-paced, fun, and intense, Fall Line is a refreshing read from start gate to finish line.
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First published January 1, 2015
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November 28, 2016
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Favorite Quotes
She never meets my eyes. I never even get the tail end of any of the smiles she has for anyone else. Meanwhile a grinding headache builds in my temples. My reflexes are slow, my stamina’s shot, and my temper is on a hair–trigger.
4 stars
I really enjoyed this book. It was unusual in the fact that the POV was entirely male. At first I was confused because I automatically thought it was female. Probably because most of the POVs I read are female. But I really liked his 'voice' It was genuine and showed a different side to most male leads I read. This one was a beta boy for sure and he was super cute. The fact that his performance in skiiing was actively affected by his personal life was just a great parallel to read about.
Chris has dedication to his craft and knows what he wants to do with his future. He shows humility when things start to go downhill and takes responsibility for his screw ups. And I think he shows great courage in asking for help instead of trying to fix everything himself. I really loved how Chris wasn't cocky about himself. Too often in YA, the boys are way too arrogant, which we all know isn't the case IRL. You could totally see and understand his worry, fear and confusion with his personal life. He really had no idea what he was doing, poor kid. And his parents played a bit more of a prominent role than most other YA's I read, a fact which also made this book stand out for me.
Tilly was a pretty straight forward female lead. She made it very clear early on what she wanted and what she was on the fence about. While I think she maybe took her anger a bit too far, placing blame where I don't think it was so heavily warranted, their were no deliberate misunderstandings in her character and voice. So that was pretty refreshing in this story.
The skiing was a great addition to the plot of the book. I never used to read sports romances till I met Lenore, but they are fast becoming some of my favorite YA reads.
I'm really shocked this book only has 11 reviews. It is a great YA, sports romance! Go wive this author some love and read it!
Favorite Quotes
She never meets my eyes. I never even get the tail end of any of the smiles she has for anyone else. Meanwhile a grinding headache builds in my temples. My reflexes are slow, my stamina’s shot, and my temper is on a hair–trigger.
4 stars
I really enjoyed this book. It was unusual in the fact that the POV was entirely male. At first I was confused because I automatically thought it was female. Probably because most of the POVs I read are female. But I really liked his 'voice' It was genuine and showed a different side to most male leads I read. This one was a beta boy for sure and he was super cute. The fact that his performance in skiiing was actively affected by his personal life was just a great parallel to read about.
Chris has dedication to his craft and knows what he wants to do with his future. He shows humility when things start to go downhill and takes responsibility for his screw ups. And I think he shows great courage in asking for help instead of trying to fix everything himself. I really loved how Chris wasn't cocky about himself. Too often in YA, the boys are way too arrogant, which we all know isn't the case IRL. You could totally see and understand his worry, fear and confusion with his personal life. He really had no idea what he was doing, poor kid. And his parents played a bit more of a prominent role than most other YA's I read, a fact which also made this book stand out for me.
Tilly was a pretty straight forward female lead. She made it very clear early on what she wanted and what she was on the fence about. While I think she maybe took her anger a bit too far, placing blame where I don't think it was so heavily warranted, their were no deliberate misunderstandings in her character and voice. So that was pretty refreshing in this story.
The skiing was a great addition to the plot of the book. I never used to read sports romances till I met Lenore, but they are fast becoming some of my favorite YA reads.
I'm really shocked this book only has 11 reviews. It is a great YA, sports romance! Go wive this author some love and read it!
October 7, 2015
In ‘Fall Line’ we meet best friends Chris and Tilly. Both are fifteen years old and crazy about ski racing. They have been best friends forever and always train together. But this year everything feels different for Chris. Everything seems to be changing: school, skiing and even the way he sees Tilly. Now all Chris wants is for things to stay the same.
Instead of expressing how he feels, Chris seems to lose control of who he really is and soon he seems to be losing everything he worked so hard for. Not everything can be easily forgotten and Chris really has to work hard to make up with the things he’s done.
This book is definitely different from the other books I read recently. I honestly think this book is perfect for younger readers, like readers in their teens. Don’t get me wrong.. I really liked this book and read it in just one sitting. But the story would have grabbed me even more if I myself was in my teens.
From the moment I started reading this book I just didn’t want to stop. Tudor Robins was ones again able to completely pull me in with her writing. Although I didn’t get the things Chris did, I really was rooting for him to get himself back together and to find his way. And I did get why he sort of lost himself for a moment.
‘Fall Line’ really is a story of growing up and finding your way in life. In combination with the close friendship of Chris and Tilly it was really a fun and touching story.
Since this book isn’t very long, it’s the perfect book to read when you don’t have a lot of time.
The two main characters were really fun to read about. And it definitely made me think of how everything in your teens feels like the end of the world.
‘Fall Line’ is the a fun and touching teen story and I really recommend it.
Instead of expressing how he feels, Chris seems to lose control of who he really is and soon he seems to be losing everything he worked so hard for. Not everything can be easily forgotten and Chris really has to work hard to make up with the things he’s done.
This book is definitely different from the other books I read recently. I honestly think this book is perfect for younger readers, like readers in their teens. Don’t get me wrong.. I really liked this book and read it in just one sitting. But the story would have grabbed me even more if I myself was in my teens.
From the moment I started reading this book I just didn’t want to stop. Tudor Robins was ones again able to completely pull me in with her writing. Although I didn’t get the things Chris did, I really was rooting for him to get himself back together and to find his way. And I did get why he sort of lost himself for a moment.
‘Fall Line’ really is a story of growing up and finding your way in life. In combination with the close friendship of Chris and Tilly it was really a fun and touching story.
Since this book isn’t very long, it’s the perfect book to read when you don’t have a lot of time.
The two main characters were really fun to read about. And it definitely made me think of how everything in your teens feels like the end of the world.
‘Fall Line’ is the a fun and touching teen story and I really recommend it.
September 24, 2017
I really liked this book. The snowy crisp world of skiing is the perfect backdrop for a best-friends falling in love love story. With a likeable and realistic male teen lead, great mix of sport and romance and friendship and family, this was a very enjoyable book.
Chris has everything going for him. The ski season is just about to begin and he knows this year could be big. But as he starts to feel more for his best-friend, Tilly, he becomes terrified that he stands to lose her if things don't work out. Determined not to let that happen, he falls in with Jenna, the older step-sister of his friend Mike. But as things heat up with Jenna, her world of partying and drinking starts to take a heavy toll on his skiing, not to mention his friendship with Tilly (oh, and school). The question is, can he fix things before it all falls apart completely.
I really enjoyed Fall Line. Chris is a totally relatable teenage boy and, despite his choices the majority of the book, he was equally likeable. The sections where Chris is with Jenna are mostly glossed over or told in reflection which really helps the reader stay connected with him (and prevented me from wanting to shake some sense into him). You know where this book is going, but so does Chris. He can see his impending doom, but can't seem to stop. Luckily, he's a smart kid and pulls it together.
I liked every aspect of the skiing. Loved the anticipation of the first decent snow fall, the hard push of training, the nerves of races, the team's camaraderie and Chris and Tilly's love of the sport. It all made curling up under a blanket to read this book so very cozy. The sport dominates the storyline, but it thought that was perfect and fitting. Tilly and Chris's friendship is solid. I loved how you could feel their friendship and see it in how they interacted (definitely not like some books where you are told, over and over again, that they are the best of friends, but are never shown it). As they progress (or don't progress) to more than friends, the tension between them builds. You know what Chris wants and you know what Tilly wants, it's just a matter of Chris getting it together. Will it happen, won't it happen? But it's not an agonising read and I never gave up on the characters or the story.
A sweet romance all wrapped up in the loveable and challenging sport of downhill skiing.
The author provided a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Find this review and more like it on my blog Madison's Library.
Chris has everything going for him. The ski season is just about to begin and he knows this year could be big. But as he starts to feel more for his best-friend, Tilly, he becomes terrified that he stands to lose her if things don't work out. Determined not to let that happen, he falls in with Jenna, the older step-sister of his friend Mike. But as things heat up with Jenna, her world of partying and drinking starts to take a heavy toll on his skiing, not to mention his friendship with Tilly (oh, and school). The question is, can he fix things before it all falls apart completely.
I really enjoyed Fall Line. Chris is a totally relatable teenage boy and, despite his choices the majority of the book, he was equally likeable. The sections where Chris is with Jenna are mostly glossed over or told in reflection which really helps the reader stay connected with him (and prevented me from wanting to shake some sense into him). You know where this book is going, but so does Chris. He can see his impending doom, but can't seem to stop. Luckily, he's a smart kid and pulls it together.
I liked every aspect of the skiing. Loved the anticipation of the first decent snow fall, the hard push of training, the nerves of races, the team's camaraderie and Chris and Tilly's love of the sport. It all made curling up under a blanket to read this book so very cozy. The sport dominates the storyline, but it thought that was perfect and fitting. Tilly and Chris's friendship is solid. I loved how you could feel their friendship and see it in how they interacted (definitely not like some books where you are told, over and over again, that they are the best of friends, but are never shown it). As they progress (or don't progress) to more than friends, the tension between them builds. You know what Chris wants and you know what Tilly wants, it's just a matter of Chris getting it together. Will it happen, won't it happen? But it's not an agonising read and I never gave up on the characters or the story.
A sweet romance all wrapped up in the loveable and challenging sport of downhill skiing.
The author provided a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Find this review and more like it on my blog Madison's Library.
July 2, 2015
I received an ARC from the author in exchange for my honest review!!
This was a fantastic male POV coming-of-age type story. I thought Chris's voice was very authentic, though at times that meant I wanted to just smack him. The problem with stories about characters growing up is that they inevitably do some really stupid stuff on the way to getting there. And hoooweee did Chris do some stupid stuff. But it felt realistic to what a teenage boy might have gone through, kwim? And you could still see the good heart in him, even as he was ignoring it for all he was worth.
The skiing stuff was actually pretty interesting. My hubby has recently turned into a huge ski-nerd, so the excitement for ski season reminded me of my husband in the fall/winter, waiting for any snow to fall. I don't know much about the racing circuit, but those details only added and never left me confused.
Tilly was, of course, amazing. It was heartbreaking to watch Chris be such a dumbass, but I really felt his desire to not lose her as a friend.
One thing I have always loved about Ms. Robins series is that each book can feel like a standalone... It's like you get a bit of a HEA at the end of the book, and it really doesn't feel like a series. But then if you've fallen in love with the characters, you get to read more of their lives in the next book. B/C real life is a series of ups and downs.
All in all, classic YA goodness. I really love the way Ms. Robins brings such authenticity to her characters...they feel like their age, and their experiences are realistic. Makes for some refreshing reading.
This was a fantastic male POV coming-of-age type story. I thought Chris's voice was very authentic, though at times that meant I wanted to just smack him. The problem with stories about characters growing up is that they inevitably do some really stupid stuff on the way to getting there. And hoooweee did Chris do some stupid stuff. But it felt realistic to what a teenage boy might have gone through, kwim? And you could still see the good heart in him, even as he was ignoring it for all he was worth.
The skiing stuff was actually pretty interesting. My hubby has recently turned into a huge ski-nerd, so the excitement for ski season reminded me of my husband in the fall/winter, waiting for any snow to fall. I don't know much about the racing circuit, but those details only added and never left me confused.
Tilly was, of course, amazing. It was heartbreaking to watch Chris be such a dumbass, but I really felt his desire to not lose her as a friend.
One thing I have always loved about Ms. Robins series is that each book can feel like a standalone... It's like you get a bit of a HEA at the end of the book, and it really doesn't feel like a series. But then if you've fallen in love with the characters, you get to read more of their lives in the next book. B/C real life is a series of ups and downs.
All in all, classic YA goodness. I really love the way Ms. Robins brings such authenticity to her characters...they feel like their age, and their experiences are realistic. Makes for some refreshing reading.
September 5, 2015
Living in British Columbia means plenty of snow. For teens that provides extra sports. In Fall Line we learn about downhill skiing and the guys and girls desperate to make the regional team.
Not everyone understands that winning ski races requires running, Pilates, squats and sessions with a coach. For one guy, dedication goes out the window when the hottest girl in town asks this fit, strong lad for a date. Can he hold his times together and keep his place alongside the fastest girl on the slopes - who hardly feels she knows him anymore as he spends his time with the new girlfriend?
I prefer Tudor Robins' books about Meg in the Island series but that is because I know about horses and don't know much about skiing. If you are into skiing you will love this book a hundred percent. If you are a sports person you will identify with so much, from the constant training to the lack of a social life, and the thrill of the competition.
Not everyone understands that winning ski races requires running, Pilates, squats and sessions with a coach. For one guy, dedication goes out the window when the hottest girl in town asks this fit, strong lad for a date. Can he hold his times together and keep his place alongside the fastest girl on the slopes - who hardly feels she knows him anymore as he spends his time with the new girlfriend?
I prefer Tudor Robins' books about Meg in the Island series but that is because I know about horses and don't know much about skiing. If you are into skiing you will love this book a hundred percent. If you are a sports person you will identify with so much, from the constant training to the lack of a social life, and the thrill of the competition.
September 14, 2015
This was a light, cute YA read, perfect for the beach or car ride where you just want to checkout and get wrapped up in a story. This is your typical YA romance, a little on the predictable side but that's not always a bad thing. If you're looking for something light and quick then I'd suggest this.
January 2, 2018
This book started off a little slow for me, and I'm not sure if it was because I hadn't actually read a book in a while, or if it was because it was just a bit slow to take off for me. Given a few chapters, however, I was sucked in and invested in Chris and Tilly's story.
I enjoy books told from the guy's point of view, I'm not even sure why that is, except that most books -especially of the coming of age/romance category, are written from the girls perspective. More than Chris' POV, I enjoyed Tilly's and her assertiveness and resolve. She wasn't whiny or annoying as a character, she put herself out there and let the chips fall. She was patient while Chris worked out his own feelings. It was Chris who drove me nuts with his...other Jenna. And then there is Jenna who you want to hate, and then she dishes out a bit of advice that makes you not hate her as much.
In the end, I think it was just nice to have a book where everyone was who they seemed to be. The story didn't seem forced or dramatic, just real.
This story did NOT, however, make me want to go skiing. It will take more than a book to convince me outside into sub-zero temperatures (which is where the weather sits where I'm at right now).
I enjoy books told from the guy's point of view, I'm not even sure why that is, except that most books -especially of the coming of age/romance category, are written from the girls perspective. More than Chris' POV, I enjoyed Tilly's and her assertiveness and resolve. She wasn't whiny or annoying as a character, she put herself out there and let the chips fall. She was patient while Chris worked out his own feelings. It was Chris who drove me nuts with his...other Jenna. And then there is Jenna who you want to hate, and then she dishes out a bit of advice that makes you not hate her as much.
In the end, I think it was just nice to have a book where everyone was who they seemed to be. The story didn't seem forced or dramatic, just real.
This story did NOT, however, make me want to go skiing. It will take more than a book to convince me outside into sub-zero temperatures (which is where the weather sits where I'm at right now).
January 2, 2018
YA Romance featuring a male protag with a female best friend.
Initially thought the protagonist was a girl. Not! :) The story is told from the boy's point of view.
Chris is well on his way to messing up his life as well as his friendship with Tilly, and it's interesting to read his thoughts on the matter as even he realizes what he's doing and what the potential costs will be.
Lots of skiing and outdoor action to accompany the teen angst and sweet love.
Initially thought the protagonist was a girl. Not! :) The story is told from the boy's point of view.
Chris is well on his way to messing up his life as well as his friendship with Tilly, and it's interesting to read his thoughts on the matter as even he realizes what he's doing and what the potential costs will be.
Lots of skiing and outdoor action to accompany the teen angst and sweet love.
August 13, 2022
Even though I’m not a skier, I’ve enjoyed all of Tudor Robins’ books so I thought I’d give this one a try. I’m glad I did! What a great love story developing from friendship as ‘kids’ grow up. I didn’t want this book to end! There needs to be a book 2 and make this into a series.
Read
August 15, 2023If you like skiing you will love this engrossing story. Meant more for young adults it's a good read for anyone. Such a poignent look at the mind set of teens when it comes to beat friends and hormones.
I liked the story and think you will to.
I liked the story and think you will to.
August 12, 2015
I really enjoyed Tudor Robins’ books about horses so when she contacted me about reviewing her latest book about skiing, I just had to say yes! Even though I don’t ski I really enjoyed reading about skiing and Chris and Tilly’s lives. So much training! Sigh, I wish I could ride/skate as much as they ski.
Chris and Tilly have an incredible friendship in the book, and the skiing elements seem very authentic. However, the main disappointment of the novel was Jenna, who distracts Chris from his training, causing him to fall back.
The skiing season is approaching for Chris Myers and his best friend Tilly. They’re both competition skiers and Chris has a chance to make the district ski team. All is going well until Jenna comes along. Jenna is a major distraction to Chris and he begins to fall behind his teammates. He makes a lot of bad decisions and begins to lose Tilly in the process.
Chris and Tilly were incredible! Their passion for skiing was incredible as well as their relationship with each other. There’s a lot of good banter and friendly stuff between them. It felt totally authentic and was great fun to read about.
Tilly was a very lovely character but knew when to get upset as well, which I liked. Far too many authors try to create the perfect good girl character, only to have the character themselves to turn out meek and uninteresting. It
was great to see that Tilly knew how to stand up for herself.
Unlike Tilly, Chris was a little more frustrating. His constant bad decisions in the middle of the novel got a little annoying. I have to admit that I really hoping that Chris would get a grip, especially after others had already had a good talk to him about it. He definitely went on a bit of a downward spiral where he acted out of spite and ignored those around him. While his bad decisions seemed a little excessive at times, I think this is relatively realistic for a 15 year old. What 15 year old hasn’t ignored their parents/coach and done something bad?
My biggest problem with this book was Jenna. I couldn’t stand her. She was so fake and clingy. I totally understand that she’s the antagonist, and I’m not really supposed to like her, but I felt that she was rather one dimensional. She was the typical trashy girl with revealing clothes, annoying friends, and way into partying. Meh. Very uninteresting, really. She seemed completely evil and bitchy. There was never really a reprieve from this, even at the end of the novel. She seemed like an empty shell placed in the book only to act as a distraction for Chris.
I really wish that Jenna was fleshed out a little more. She doesn’t really have to change and become like Tilly or anything, but I would have liked to learn a little bit more about her and her intentions. I have trouble believing that she is a truly malicious person for no reason. Jenna had a lot of potential as a character, because even though she’s a party girl (the most evil character of all in YA books!) it doesn’t make her a horrible or boring person.
I liked the skiing plot as well, and reading about their training and competitions was great fun. There is some light skiing jargon used in this book, but it is not difficult to understand. The coaches and the program itself seemed realistic and I especially liked the way the coaches dealt with Chris and his training.
The content in this book is probably suitable for readers 14 years and over. There’s nothing too explicit, but there’s some swearing and some other themes that would be unsuitable for very young readers. The themes in the book are definitely suitable for the young adult genre and I believe that they are commonly dealt with by teenagers in real life.
All in all, I did really enjoy Fall Line. Tilly and Chris’ relationship is the cutest thing ever and the pressures that Chris faces are realistic and well written. You definitely don’t need to be a skier to read this, because the book is very light on jargon. I’d recommend it to people who enjoy reading about sport.
A copy was provided free of charge by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Chris and Tilly have an incredible friendship in the book, and the skiing elements seem very authentic. However, the main disappointment of the novel was Jenna, who distracts Chris from his training, causing him to fall back.
The skiing season is approaching for Chris Myers and his best friend Tilly. They’re both competition skiers and Chris has a chance to make the district ski team. All is going well until Jenna comes along. Jenna is a major distraction to Chris and he begins to fall behind his teammates. He makes a lot of bad decisions and begins to lose Tilly in the process.
Chris and Tilly were incredible! Their passion for skiing was incredible as well as their relationship with each other. There’s a lot of good banter and friendly stuff between them. It felt totally authentic and was great fun to read about.
Tilly was a very lovely character but knew when to get upset as well, which I liked. Far too many authors try to create the perfect good girl character, only to have the character themselves to turn out meek and uninteresting. It
was great to see that Tilly knew how to stand up for herself.
Unlike Tilly, Chris was a little more frustrating. His constant bad decisions in the middle of the novel got a little annoying. I have to admit that I really hoping that Chris would get a grip, especially after others had already had a good talk to him about it. He definitely went on a bit of a downward spiral where he acted out of spite and ignored those around him. While his bad decisions seemed a little excessive at times, I think this is relatively realistic for a 15 year old. What 15 year old hasn’t ignored their parents/coach and done something bad?
My biggest problem with this book was Jenna. I couldn’t stand her. She was so fake and clingy. I totally understand that she’s the antagonist, and I’m not really supposed to like her, but I felt that she was rather one dimensional. She was the typical trashy girl with revealing clothes, annoying friends, and way into partying. Meh. Very uninteresting, really. She seemed completely evil and bitchy. There was never really a reprieve from this, even at the end of the novel. She seemed like an empty shell placed in the book only to act as a distraction for Chris.
I really wish that Jenna was fleshed out a little more. She doesn’t really have to change and become like Tilly or anything, but I would have liked to learn a little bit more about her and her intentions. I have trouble believing that she is a truly malicious person for no reason. Jenna had a lot of potential as a character, because even though she’s a party girl (the most evil character of all in YA books!) it doesn’t make her a horrible or boring person.
I liked the skiing plot as well, and reading about their training and competitions was great fun. There is some light skiing jargon used in this book, but it is not difficult to understand. The coaches and the program itself seemed realistic and I especially liked the way the coaches dealt with Chris and his training.
The content in this book is probably suitable for readers 14 years and over. There’s nothing too explicit, but there’s some swearing and some other themes that would be unsuitable for very young readers. The themes in the book are definitely suitable for the young adult genre and I believe that they are commonly dealt with by teenagers in real life.
All in all, I did really enjoy Fall Line. Tilly and Chris’ relationship is the cutest thing ever and the pressures that Chris faces are realistic and well written. You definitely don’t need to be a skier to read this, because the book is very light on jargon. I’d recommend it to people who enjoy reading about sport.
A copy was provided free of charge by the author in exchange for an honest review.
January 17, 2016
Tudor Robins is mostly known for her horse books--the Island Series in particular--which are immensely good and deserve all the praise. Like many horse book people, I wasn't sure if I'd enjoy a book about skiing, because I have not been known to enjoy "slippery sports," as I call them. Although then I reminded myself that I have been in love with The Cutting Edge since forever, so I downloaded Fall Line and took a crack at it.
Chris and Tilly have known each other forever. They're best friends, and of everything they have in common, skiing is the be all and end all. But Tilly is motivated and a hard worker, always showing up at training and giving way more than 100% of herself to the sport, whereas Chris tends to rest on his raw talent. They're also stumbling face first into hormones. Chris is starting to notice that Tilly is also a girl--a girl he might have more than friendly feelings for. And because he's a fifteen-year-old wreck of a boy, he had no idea how to handle this.
Because what if they do get together? And then what if they break up? The very thought of this puts Chris into a tailspin, so when Tilly's word of the year is "forward," Chris is literally falling behind. Chris will do anything to keep being Tilly's friend, even if it means ruining his training, ruining his skiing, and driving Tilly so far away that being friends? Yeah, not so much.
Sometimes you want to slap sense into Chris. You want to grab him by his stupid shoulders and shake until he gets it. It's a testament to Tudor's writing that you stick with him and want him to figure it out. Budding teen relationships are hard, and I loved how Tudor tackled the subject of friends trying to take those first steps when they both know what they could lose if they keep going forward, only to discover that they can lose the exact same thing if they never take those steps at all.
So hey, I'm not a skiing person. I'm not even much of a male protagonist person. But I'm on board for the second in the Downhill Series. I can't wait to see where these characters go next.
Chris and Tilly have known each other forever. They're best friends, and of everything they have in common, skiing is the be all and end all. But Tilly is motivated and a hard worker, always showing up at training and giving way more than 100% of herself to the sport, whereas Chris tends to rest on his raw talent. They're also stumbling face first into hormones. Chris is starting to notice that Tilly is also a girl--a girl he might have more than friendly feelings for. And because he's a fifteen-year-old wreck of a boy, he had no idea how to handle this.
Because what if they do get together? And then what if they break up? The very thought of this puts Chris into a tailspin, so when Tilly's word of the year is "forward," Chris is literally falling behind. Chris will do anything to keep being Tilly's friend, even if it means ruining his training, ruining his skiing, and driving Tilly so far away that being friends? Yeah, not so much.
Sometimes you want to slap sense into Chris. You want to grab him by his stupid shoulders and shake until he gets it. It's a testament to Tudor's writing that you stick with him and want him to figure it out. Budding teen relationships are hard, and I loved how Tudor tackled the subject of friends trying to take those first steps when they both know what they could lose if they keep going forward, only to discover that they can lose the exact same thing if they never take those steps at all.
So hey, I'm not a skiing person. I'm not even much of a male protagonist person. But I'm on board for the second in the Downhill Series. I can't wait to see where these characters go next.
July 24, 2015
If I hadn't read previous books by Tudor Robins I would have loved this book more. The other books I've read were so amazing, that the bar for this one was very high. And unfortunately, I didn't like this book as much for one reason: Chris. It was so annoying that he was so oblivious, I wanted to shake him and tell him to wake up and see how amazing Tilly is. I guess Tudor Robins just portrayed a realistic picture of a young man growing up, and I (as a bystander looking in and with a lot more life experience) can see things he can't.
So me being annoyed by Chris isn't the authors fault. She has the amazing ability to write about emotions and make you feel what each character is feeling and thinking. This is an amazingly well written book, with a very authentic voice for each individual character. That deserves 5 stars and a high recommendation, but if I'm honest, I can only give 4 stars, because there were a couple of times where I had to put the book down and walk away due to my frustration with Chris. That impacted my overall enjoyment of the book
So me being annoyed by Chris isn't the authors fault. She has the amazing ability to write about emotions and make you feel what each character is feeling and thinking. This is an amazingly well written book, with a very authentic voice for each individual character. That deserves 5 stars and a high recommendation, but if I'm honest, I can only give 4 stars, because there were a couple of times where I had to put the book down and walk away due to my frustration with Chris. That impacted my overall enjoyment of the book
did-not-finish
July 20, 2015I ADORE Tudor Robins' work, and I was over the moon when she offered me a free copy for reveiw of Fall Line.
The writing was excellent, the two main characters were intriguing and the world was fascinating, but there was just too much content of a sexual nature for my tastes, so I DNF'd it. I'm sure, based on my impressions of the book and plot, that had I continued, I would understand the excellent character development reasons that all that content was there, but there was too much of it. Tudor is an AMAZING author, but this book was not my cup of tea. Fabulous writing, though!
(Clarification: I did not ever reach any actual sex scenes in the book, and don't know if they're present.)
I'm 17, and I did not finish this book.
The writing was excellent, the two main characters were intriguing and the world was fascinating, but there was just too much content of a sexual nature for my tastes, so I DNF'd it. I'm sure, based on my impressions of the book and plot, that had I continued, I would understand the excellent character development reasons that all that content was there, but there was too much of it. Tudor is an AMAZING author, but this book was not my cup of tea. Fabulous writing, though!
(Clarification: I did not ever reach any actual sex scenes in the book, and don't know if they're present.)
I'm 17, and I did not finish this book.
June 24, 2016
I'm always afraid to read an author's work once I know them and like them - what if I don't like them? What if I have to lie? I'm a pretty good liar, admittedly, but it's hard to lie about liking a book and make it convincing. Happily, this is really good YA. The dialogue is letter-perfect, the inner life of the main character is completely convincing, and the whole thing is very realistic, especially to someone with a kid in a competitive sport. I generally prefer my YA with a vampire or ancient curse in the mix, but this is a refreshing slice-of-life example of the genre.
July 14, 2015
Fall line follows Chris as he works on his ski career and tries to figure out his life on the side.
I usually read Tudor Robins horse themed books, which fall line is not. However I still enjoyed it just as much. There is something about Tudors writing I can't put down. I know nothing about the ski world, I snowboarder when I was younger, but I loves the story. It's a great young adult story that can be enjoyed even when your no longer a teen.
I usually read Tudor Robins horse themed books, which fall line is not. However I still enjoyed it just as much. There is something about Tudors writing I can't put down. I know nothing about the ski world, I snowboarder when I was younger, but I loves the story. It's a great young adult story that can be enjoyed even when your no longer a teen.
September 14, 2019
Language: PG+ (6+ swears, 0+ "f"); Mature Content: PG13+; Violence: G+
I started reading this book but couldn't get immersed in it. I'm not sure why, but I just wasn't feeling the story and quit reading about 10% of the way in. It's not bad, but I wasn't interested in seeing where the story was going.
I started reading this book but couldn't get immersed in it. I'm not sure why, but I just wasn't feeling the story and quit reading about 10% of the way in. It's not bad, but I wasn't interested in seeing where the story was going.
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