Falling Hard

Roller Girls #1

by Megan Sparks

When Annie moves from London to a small town in the midwest, she struggles to fit in. She gets off to a bad start when she makes an enemy of her school's queen bee, Kelsey. But she discovers a new passion, the exciting sport of roller derby, and makes friends with the cool and quirky girls on her team, the Liberty Belles. She also meets Jesse, the friendly boy who works at the roller rink, and Tyler, a cute, all-American sports star.

Genres: Young Adult, Roller Derby, Fiction, Romance, Contemporary, Realistic Fiction, Sports

256 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Megan Sparks is the author of the Roller Girls series. The first two books in the series, Falling Hard and Hell's Belles, were published by Capstone Young Readers in 2013. Kirkus Reviews called Falling Hard a "fun romp of a girls' sports story."

Reviews

[Big Book Little Book · Rating 4 out of 5]

Caroline for www.bigbooklittlebook.com
Copy provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I was browsing for titles when the cover for Roller Girls: Falling Hard caught my eye. While it’s bright pink cover and kookie styling, makes it hard to miss, what really grabbed my attention was the subject matter – a female dominated, full contact, team sport, populated by awesome kick arse women on retro quad skates* – like our protagonist, this Brit was ignorant, and fascinated.

Annie has had some experience at making difficult decisions. After the premature end of her gymnastics career (damn you, growth spurt) and her parents separation, she makes the difficult choice to leave her mother behind in England and move to the US, to the house her father grew up in, to support him in his dream of opening an English themed tea shop.

After some settling in time, which includes getting to grips with the local vernacular and everyone infuriatingly calling her accent cute, Anne decides that it is time to leave the shadow of her former sport and find a new passion. Now Annie has a new choice to make; does she utilise her hard earned Gymnastic skills and becoming a cheerleader with its cookie cutter aesthetic, instant popularity and ability to catch the attention of the football star? Or, does she take the harder road, starting from scratch in entirely new sport, with unfamiliar rules, new skills, risking the wrath of Kelsey and the resulting social suicide?

In some ways Falling Hard felt like every cheesy American high school movie I’ve ever seen, there were the mean but popular cheerleaders, the all America high school hottie, the mysterious boy, the kookie friend and the “so alternative they are cool” outsiders. Despite the stereotypes I found the book fresh and interesting. Roller Derby; the rules, the training, the plays and the characters, made up the majority of the story and I found that my interest was so captured by Annie’s exploration of the sport that my mind didn’t need to be complicated with extensive development of the secondary characters.

Annie felt much older than her fourteen years, not in the sense of adult like behavior but rather in her mature approach to the changes and challenges in her life. I loved Annie’s loyalty – to herself and to the positive influences she surrounded herself with.

I adored Annie’s Dad and their mutually supportive relationship. Not only was he very much present in her life (a rarity on YA fiction) in all of his embarrassing -dad glory but he was a fantastic role model for being yourself, following your dreams and making the hard but important choices; it was easy to see where Annie got her awesomeness from!

Falling hard made me wish that I could don some quad skates and join a Roller Derby. I think that this four book series has great potential. Not only am I looking forward to discovering how Annie fares with her new hobby, I am also really interested to witness the character development of the secondary characters, I feel as though some of them have interesting stories to tell. Not to mention Annie’s potential romance with one of two cute guys.

Although the publishers have recommended this read for 12-16 year olds I think that it would also be suitable for mature middle graders. The book is clean, with sweet lessons in friendship and being true to yourself.
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Verdict: Like the sport of Roller derby, Roller Girls: Falling Hard was fun, fast and filled to the brim with girl power.

*I can’t believe I’ve just referred to the skates of my youth as retro. Just to be clear I was very young, and my “retro” quad skates were secondhand and white, with pink wheels and a My Little Pony motif

Ps. Annie makes Earl Grey Cupcakes. I LOVE Early Grey Cup Cakes! (See my recipe here: http://www.bigbooklittlebook.com/2012...)

[ari · Rating 5 out of 5]

It has been a while since I have read a 5/5 star book. Though directed towards teens, Falling Hard is the perfect summer read even for YA lovers!

Annie is fourteen and had just moved to Liberty Heights, Illinois with her father; leaving her life in London behind. Her first of day of school turns out to be just as she has seen in all the American Teenage movies -- haughty kids, stuck up cheerleaders, model-like jocks, and of course the unwanted attention of being the new girl – her 5’11 height and British accent doesn’t really help. As Annie starts to question her decision to move here, she meets Lexie, her neighbor and Jessie a friend with the same taste in music. Lexie shows her around the school and the incredible thrill of Roller Derby. The competition is tough, and whether or not she is cut out for it, you’ll have to read it to find out.

I am impressed with Megan Sparks! After countless reads about troubled and angst-y teens in YA novels, it is refreshing to read something more light. Annie has her own family problems, but instead of turning to the dark, she deals with it and tries to live her life to the best. I wished I had a book like this when I was in middle school or high school, to help me understand the importance of making the right decisions and choosing your friends wisely -- a great message towards young readers.

The plot seems like your every other typical teenage drama, but better. For one, the drama itself isn’t domineering – never had I felt it was over dramatic or over done. The cheerleader squad is annoying and has a problem with Annie, but they don’t play the major part in the book, which usually I find boring and irritating. In the end, you’ll see that it’s about accepting a new life, the changes, and Annie’s fun and amazing relationship with her dad (I love my Pa, but you have to admit Annie’s dad is pretty cool), rather than her guardian, he felt more of her friend. Their relationship was awing.

Lexie is the friend that every person needs! She’s cool and upfront with things, but she doesn’t tell you how to live your life, or get hysterics with you when you choose to enjoy something entirely different then what she is for. She also doesn’t let other tell her what she is to do – what she wants to be. Lexie definitely brought colors into Falling Hard. If Megan Sparks decides to write a companion novel, I am all for Lexie being the protagonist!

What surprised me most was the ending. The downside to reading an e-book, is not knowing, when you are nearing the last page. It took me by surprise, but it wasn’t bad. It ended with everything falling in to place, but because I am so use to more intense relations between a male and female protagonist, I sort of expected the same for Falling Hard. I wouldn’t change the ending for anything, though!

A perfect five star rating, if you are in need of a light-hearted summer read, with fun and sporty characters, I recommend Falling Hard for you.

Happy reading!

Thank you to those at Capstone Young Readers for offering me the chance to discover Megan Sparks, and her amazing novel! Also, thank you for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[M · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*


This was an adorable story with a twist of bad-ass roller girls... they made me want to grab my skates and run to the nearest roller derby club and attempt to skate! (For me, thats the first step.)

The cover is gorgeous, I love the theme of yellow as it causes it to stand out and the whole roller-derby-game-face thing going on, very creepy which makes me scared and not want to face her.

Annie is a fourteen-year-old teen and just moved from London to the quiet town of Illinois. To be honest, she sticks out like a sore thumb, but immediately becomes best friends with Lexie, one of her neighbours. Due to Annie's height, she was unable to continue doing gymnastics of which she loves! So, she auditions to become a cheerleader which allows her to use her effortless gymnastic skills to blow the audiences minds... but she never thought she could use them in roller derby. After seeing the life of a roller girl, where all are equal, they all help eachother and are never sore losers against the cheerleaders who are only in it for themselves, are selfish and treat others with complete disrespect, Annie must decide if she goes down the path of fun and bad-ass roller derby or to the ever jealous cheerleaders...

Annie is a wonderful character. Born and bred in London with an overworking mum of whom she rarely sees and a dad who could give Jamie Oliver a run for his money, she moves miles away to start a fresh... and help her dad bring his dream to life. Being British, she is immediatly hounded with questions and comments about her accent of which she deals with very maturely, even if she does find it very annoying at times. She thinks things through and always does her best in everything she does. She is mature, five foot eleven and faces the challenge of surviving the first week of school without making any enemies... lets just say that failed IMMEDIATELY! Then we have Lexie, everyone needs one of her. She is a very quirky character who says it how it is and never holds back, she is also a very dear friend to Annie and earned a lifetime of scones for painting their british themed cafe.

Megan Sparks highlights a lot of key aspects of the challenges a British teen would face when moving to the States, for example her words, accent and references. This was a very refreshing read of which made you laugh in hysterics and bite-your-nails with nervousness, it also gave a real insight into the sport of roller derby which I really enjoyed seeing as I haven't heard much about it before.

I highly recommend this book as I enjoyed it greatly and could not stop laughing!

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great girly teen read with a sporty story line with undertones of romance but no insta-love! YES!

Plot
The plot was progressive and made a great coming of age story for younger readers experiencing the YA genre for the first time. There is no elicit content yet it is still an enjoyable read for an older or more experienced reader. The progression of the plot was good and very subtle. There are romantic undertones but it is not a poignant and overwhelming element of the novel which is something that I find very endearing to see in the first book in a series.

Characters
In a book this small, the character development involved was great for such a short book. You connect with the characters very early on and sympathise with Annie easily as she is a very likeable and a realistic teenage girl thrown into a new situation and life that she has to get to grips with.
The relationship that Annie has with her father in the book is a very positive one and it is nice to see a positive parent/teenager relationship in a YA novel as this is something that we rarely experience in the YA category. As for her father, he is such a charming and funny character in the book that is very light hearted and loveable. The perfect and ideal dad.
The conflicting character in the novel, Kelsey, was also very well developed and was a very realistic girl of her type. She is the type of girl that everyone has experienced in their schooling and she is the classic mean popular girl.

Ending
It was such a positive and happy ending to the first book in this new YA series by Megan Sparks. The idealistic picture and portrait that the ending painted was enjoyable and kept tension throughout. It also worked well to leave questions for the second book in the Roller Girls series.

Overall Impression
A great light hearted, fun and quick teen read. The plot is entertaining and it is also very nice to gain a better understanding of roller derby and to experience it as Annie does, something totally new. Also, I found the emphasis of Annie’s thoughts focusing mainly on her life and helping others to be very inspirational and something that I wish more YA authors embraced more often, instead of revolving everything the female protagonist does around her love interest. It has set a great grounding for the coming books in the series and a possible love triangle.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes books about High School Issues, Romance, Teen Literature in general.

[Mehsi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Received an ARC from the publisher at Netgalley.

When I first saw this cover, I expected a story with lots of action or a real life situation. Then I read the blurb, and I fell in love. :)

This book is about Annie, a British girl who moves with her dad to the US. Her parents are divorced and her dad wanted to go back to his old place and start a cafe/restaurant.

I really loved this book. For many reasons. I really like the differences between British and American, and how both sides always get a bit huffy if you do things wrong with their language. And I like it when an English/British girl (or the other way around) moves to America, and has to adapt. Afterall her English is not really the right one, and many words are not the same.
Annie does her best though, trying to adapt to American, and showing everyone she is kick-ass.

Then we also have our cliche (but oh so fitting) mean girl (who also is cheerleader) Kelsey. Annie accidentally bumped into her when she was skating and had to dodge a dog. After that, Kelsey hates Annie's guts.

I loved how Annie first went to try out Cheerleading (because of her gymnastics, and the fact she was too tall for that) and how she slowly finds her love for Roller Derby.

I loved the Roller Derby, I heard about it a little, but wasn't sure what it was about. But this author has done her research, everything is carefully explained in a fun way. So no matter if you never done Roller Derby, after this book you will know enough. The Derby sounds like a fun sport to do, maybe a bit painful, but I liked the whole Jammer and scoring process.

Annie makes friends pretty fast, first with Lexie and than with other people. Also befriends people who she first found to be mean.

I loved the little references towards Engeland, but also how she talked, it was as other people in the book said: cute. :)

Also her love interests. She really knows how to get her guys. I really hope she and a certain someone will get together! (I will be cheering for them.)

One last good note, I loved the dad, he was just awesome. Silly and just being himself, and his dedication to make a beautiful new cafe.

And I am really hoping that there will be more coming out, though with the ending, I am sure there will be more.

Recommended to everyone who like a girl from another country switching, roller derby, and ofcourse romance!!

[WickedLovely1 · Rating 5 out of 5]

* I received this book from the publisher, via Netgalley*

Falling Hard is the story of Annie, former gymnast from London, and the way she reshapes her life. Annie makes the hard decision to come to the States with her American-born dad, because of her parents separation, leaving her mom behind in London. Her whole life has been her gymnastics, which she has to give up... But Annie also loves roller-skating, punk bands of the 80's, and her dad's cooking. She goes to a local roller derby bout, and knows this may be her chance to do something, and be someone, different.

This story brought back a lot of memories for me. As a former "derby girl" myself, I found the descriptions of the skating, atmosphere, and participants to be very accurate. The author paints a very positive picture of the girl's sport of roller derby, which has gained popularity world-wide. This sport encourages team-work, girl power, and individuality to girls (and women) who may not feel like they "fit in" anywhere else. Girls of all shapes, sizes and skill levels are accepted in this sport.

I love Annie! Her character is so unique, and she comes to understand the importance of standing out in a crowd, instead of conforming to fit in. This story teaches some very important life lessons for the YA genre. The author captures the teenage worries and hopes so well, I felt like I was pulled in to the story, and was able to connect with the characters.

Overall, this story will appeal to almost all age groups, and this author is one to watch! I am looking forward to the next book.

[M.B. Mulhall · Rating 3 out of 5]

*I received a copy via Net Galley in return for an honest review*

A fun light read that's suitable for a younger crowd (perfect for your Middle Grade aged readers who are reading on a YA level). There's no swearing, no risque situations and a very present parent figure (uncommon in a lot of YA stuff).

It's definitely a coming of age kind of story where Annie is learning to fit in with a new school, new friends and a new culture. Readers get a taste of the kind of culture shock a British teen might get if they come to live in the states. There's fun Brit slang and references (even a Doctor Who mention!).

I love the introduction to roller derby. There's definitely a resurgence of the sport here and I think it's a good one to introduce to girls, especially when there's an uptick in girls wanting to show they're not dainty flowers and can play as hard as the boys do. Lots of lingo is thrown out in the story but it's well explained and readers will get a decent idea of how the sport is played.

The only downside to the story, for me, is that it seemed to end a bit abruptly. We don't find out what happens with the two possible love interests or the annoying catty cheerleader chick. I'm guessing this is the first in a series so those things will be addressed in following books.

All in all, a cute, quick read about fitting in and being yourself.

[Lex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow. This is pretty good. Light and fun. :) BTW, is it just me? LOL. I feel proud of Annie and I feel tears of happiness coming out of my eyes. >,<

I love Annie! I love her Dad too! They are such an awesome pair for a Dad and daughter. They moved from London back to her Dad's neighborhood in the States. It's nice to see that she adapted well. Also, I love that her Dad is so awesome. Supporting his daughter in all things and still managed to be such an awesome father. LOL.

He supported Annie in pursuing Roller Derby for her passion. I'm not really sure about what is a roller derby or if it's also what we called roller blades. But oh well, I like it. ;)

And oh, her Dad could really bake and cook. Nice. :)

[Nasreen Drew · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the action scenes. Knowing the game, I can easily visualize the bouts, especially Annie’s first bout. It was awesome, but I could do without the typical high school drama, ya know? Makes me roll my eyes, haha.... still feels somewhat familiar though. I do love that Annie remained true to herself throughout the book.

[Anu Vaarama · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really nice. Good plot, fluently written. Also translated very well - I read this in Finnish.

[Moss Collins · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun, easy read about roller derby. The plot is definitely YA, but it was still good to read about young women being strong and powerful, and having moxie

[Lady Alexandra Lai · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Annie's confidence in doing something that she enjoys and loves. One day I'll be just like her.

[Isis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would really like to thank Curious Fox for generously giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. The fact that I received this book for free has no impact on the content of my review. I elected to give this book 4 stars because of the positive messages and potential impact this book can have on younger readers. It is a sweet read for an adult, but very clearly targeting the middle grades and early teens.

Goodreads Description:

When Annie moves from London to a small town in the midwest, she struggles to fit in. She gets off to a bad start when she makes an enemy of her school's queen bee, Kelsey. But she discovers a new passion, the exciting sport of roller derby, and makes friends with the cool and quirky girls on her team, the Liberty Belles. She also meets Jesse, the friendly boy who works at the roller rink, and Tyler, a cute, all-American sports star.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The characters are well written, and come across as believable and relatable. Annie and her Dad have an amazing relationship, something rarely portrayed between teens and their parent(s).

I really appreciate that Ms. Sparks keeps the girls wholesome, even while putting them into realistic situations. Their wholesomeness doesn't come across as phony or gimmicky, but instead feels authentic. They're allowed to behave appropriately for their age & still be popular, cool, creative, smart, athletic - in short they get to be individuals. Sure they are still learning about who they want to be when they 'grow up,' but really, at what age do we ever stop growing up? Including kids of all different races, sizes, ethnicities, physical & emotional abilities, each with their own interests, just broadens the appeal and increases the target market. Not to mention helping educate readers about all the differences & similarities among people, yet many of them share the same experiences, showing the reader that they aren't alone.

Showing the way Annie thinks things through is an excellent guide for young readers on ways to handle difficult situations with as much grace as one can. Annie isn't perfect, and she struggles with her parents splitting up, but she deals with it, just as she deals with the guilt she feels for deciding to move to the States with her Dad rather than stay in London with her workaholic Mom. She loves her Mom, but realizes that she is actually happy in the States and needs to do what is right for her, especially when it is impossible for her to make both parents happy by living with them - at least not unless she clones herself.

Lexie, Annie's first and best friend in town is an incredible artist. Together they dream up a way to surprise Annie's Dad with a mural of Lexie's artwork on one of the newly painted white walls. The two of them have a great time with the project and even more fun showing Annie's Dad their surprise, demonstrating that doing things for others can be even more gratifying than doing them for yourself. By asking Lexie to create the mural Annie is showing her friend how much she appreciates her talent as an artist, boosting Lexie's self-esteem.

Another great example of independent thinking and reasoning comes when Annie tries out for cheerleading even though she worries that she will lose her two new friends Lexie and Jesse if she makes the squad. While waiting to hear if she made the squad or not Annie participates in the weekend training session for the Roller Derby league, with a chance to make the league at the end of training. She ends up loving it, and can't help but compare the genuine camaraderie the derby girls share to the petty meanness she witnessed during the cheerleading try outs and from those already on the squad. Eventually something happens that forces Annie to choose between being a cheerleader or a roller girl. She struggles with the decision, but once made she feels lighter than she has in days. Throughout it all Annie never opts for being popular over having authentic friendships. The difference between how happy Annie is with her friends and how insecure Kelsey is even when surrounded by her' followers' is pretty obvious.

This book is a fun and easy read, and even more fun because it is easy. By easy I mean entertaining enough to hook you, pull you into the story, and make you invested in how it all turns out. It is easy to see more books in this series as Annie and her friends grow up and deal with more adult issues the older they get. But for now it is really nice to see kids being kids, and written in a way that I really think middle grade kids will relate to. I can also see teens & young adults enjoying the story, as it has elements they are either living through or have experienced in the not so distant past. Even those of us old enough to be the parents in the book will find it a sweet read. At least I know I found it to be engaging, even if I'm old enough to clearly see the subtle, positive messages in the book.

[Zoe Dortch]

“Roller Girls Falling Hard” is a good book because it’s shows how a being a static character can be a good thing. I think that it is a good book because it teaches the readers that you should always follow your heart no matter what anyone tells you.
“Roller Girls Falling Hard” is a story about a girl named Annie who moves with her dad to Chicago and tries out for the cheer team and roller derby and makes both teams, but she decided to play derby instead of cheer because she wanted to try something new because when she lived in London she did gymnastics and got kicked out because they said that was became too tall.
Annie is a static character because she stayed the same from the beginning of the story to the end of the story. At the beginning of the story Annie’s dad to her to try out for cheerleading because she missed gymnastics so much. Annie was just going to cheer until this girl which became her best friend introduced her to roller derby. Annie was the first person to ever turn down being on the cheer team because she decided to follow her heart and stick to roller derby no matter what anyone said.
“Roller Girls Falling Hard” teaches the readers that you should always follow your heart no matter what anyone tells you and that something good can come out of it.

[BookHookup · Rating 4 out of 5]

The original review for this title can be found HERE on The Book Hookup.

Christina's Review:

**SPECIAL NOTE:** An eARC of this title was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. However, that did not influence this review in any way. All thoughts, quotes, and opinions will be of this version and not of the published edition.

♥ Initial Thoughts and Actual Rating: I’m giving this an actual rating of 3.5 stars! At fourteen years old, Annie is a little younger than the heroines I typically read about, though a vast majority of what I read is young adult. However, I never really seemed to get hung up over it because she and her dad were hilarious together. There were a few moments that read as cliché-ish, but overall, it was a cute, light read and just what I was in the mood to read.

♥ The Lowdown: Annie’s parents are separating, and her dad has taken the opportunity to move back to his hometown in the States and open up a London-inspired café to live out his passion of cooking. When faced with the choice of staying with her overbearing mother or to leave her life in London, Annie quickly decides to make the trek across the ocean and go with the parent she’s always felt closer to, especially because her father has always been there to support her, now there’s a chance for her to return the favor.

Adjusting to life in the U.S. isn’t going as smoothly as Annie thought it would– everyone’s always commenting on how “cute” her accent is and making an enemy of the school’s head cheerleader and queen bee has a particular way of making things infinitely more difficult. But Annie does find friends, a few possible love interests, and a new passion in roller derby.

♥ My Thoughts: I really enjoyed getting to know Annie and her father. I liked that they were really close, as often times, you don’t feel a strong parental presence in young adult novels. They were always up to some kind of shenanigans and provided a constant source of giggles and laughter for me. I also appreciated that as a parent, he weighed in what he thought she should do, but basically let her be her own person and make her own decisions. As a collective group, I liked a majority of the secondary characters as well, but I would have been grateful had I had a little more development from them, the roller girls in particular. I had a harder time connecting names with physical appearance and separating who was who when they were all thrown together in one scene. But like I said, on the surface though, all these side characters were likable and added a bit of spice to the novel. Well, all except for maybe the typical high school “mean girl” that I didn’t really care for all that much, but that’s just personal preference really.

As far as pacing, I found it to be a quick read that flowed easily from one scene to the next. However, I could have used a little more meat and depth on the plotting front. Even though it’s a series, I would have liked this novel to have a little more focus on particular elements, but found the attention of the novel to be spread thinly between Annie’s romantic interests, struggling to decide between cheerleading and roller derby, and missing her mom and balancing her home-life with her dad and school. I feel had a larger portion of the novel been concentrated on one of these aspects more heavily, I would have gotten a better sense of the characters and grasp of the story Annie was trying to tell.

♥ Rec It? Sure, especially if you’re looking for a lighter read between heavier books. I finished Falling Hard in a matter of hours and laughed throughout most of it. I’ll probably continue with this series when I’m in need of a giggle or two and could use something fluffier after an angstier novel.

♥ A very special thanks to Capstone Young Readers and NetGalley for providing me with an early copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

My original review for this title can be found HERE on The Book Hookup.

**SPECIAL NOTE:** An eARC of this title was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. However, that did not influence this review in any way. All thoughts, quotes, and opinions will be of this version and not of the published edition.

♥ Initial Thoughts and Actual Rating: I’m giving this an actual rating of 3.5 stars! At fourteen years old, Annie is a little younger than the heroines I typically read about, though a vast majority of what I read is young adult. However, I never really seemed to get hung up over it because she and her dad were hilarious together. There were a few moments that read as cliché-ish, but overall, it was a cute, light read and just what I was in the mood to read.

♥ The Lowdown: Annie’s parents are separating, and her dad has taken the opportunity to move back to his hometown in the States and open up a London-inspired café to live out his passion of cooking. When faced with the choice of staying with her overbearing mother or to leave her life in London, Annie quickly decides to make the trek across the ocean and go with the parent she’s always felt closer to, especially because her father has always been there to support her, now there’s a chance for her to return the favor.

Adjusting to life in the U.S. isn’t going as smoothly as Annie thought it would– everyone’s always commenting on how “cute” her accent is and making an enemy of the school’s head cheerleader and queen bee has a particular way of making things infinitely more difficult. But Annie does find friends, a few possible love interests, and a new passion in roller derby.

♥ My Thoughts: I really enjoyed getting to know Annie and her father. I liked that they were really close, as often times, you don’t feel a strong parental presence in young adult novels. They were always up to some kind of shenanigans and provided a constant source of giggles and laughter for me. I also appreciated that as a parent, he weighed in what he thought she should do, but basically let her be her own person and make her own decisions. As a collective group, I liked a majority of the secondary characters as well, but I would have been grateful had I had a little more development from them, the roller girls in particular. I had a harder time connecting names with physical appearance and separating who was who when they were all thrown together in one scene. But like I said, on the surface though, all these side characters were likable and added a bit of spice to the novel. Well, all except for maybe the typical high school “mean girl” that I didn’t really care for all that much, but that’s just personal preference really.

As far as pacing, I found it to be a quick read that flowed easily from one scene to the next. However, I could have used a little more meat and depth on the plotting front. Even though it’s a series, I would have liked this novel to have a little more focus on particular elements, but found the attention of the novel to be spread thinly between Annie’s romantic interests, struggling to decide between cheerleading and roller derby, and missing her mom and balancing her home-life with her dad and school. I feel had a larger portion of the novel been concentrated on one of these aspects more heavily, I would have gotten a better sense of the characters and grasp of the story Annie was trying to tell.

♥ Rec It? Sure, especially if you’re looking for a lighter read between heavier books. I finished Falling Hard in a matter of hours and laughed throughout most of it. I’ll probably continue with this series when I’m in need of a giggle or two and could use something fluffier after an angstier novel.

♥ A very special thanks to Capstone Young Readers and NetGalley for providing me with an early copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.

[Kate McMurry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terrific, YA, girl-power sports adventure suitable for all ages

Annie is the fourteen-year-old daughter of an American father and a British mother, who met and married when her father was a student in London. When their marriage recently ended, Annie opted to move with her father to Liberty Heights, Illinois, the small town where he grew up. Though Annie misses her mother and all her friends in London, she couldn't bear the thought of being separated from her father, who is sweet, funny, and has always been more nurturing than her mother, who is an emotionally distant, workaholic attorney.

Annie decides to use the move as an opportunity to explore American culture while helping her father fulfill his dream, opening a cafe where he serves as both owner and a talented chef, specializing in British tea and pastries. Annie's father has chosen as his cafe's location an old diner which was a favorite hangout for teens in his youth, but which has been deserted for many years.

Annie's grandparents are currently living in Florida, and she and her father have taken over his childhood home. Its old-fashioned furnishings definitely need updating, but it is the dilapidated diner that needs the most work. Annie's father is so good-natured, and the two are so close, though, they make a game of all the hard work involved in refurbishing the house and completely re-doing the diner.

Annie is really good at gymnastics and participated in it for years until over the past year a tremendous growth spurt increased her height to 5-foot-11-1/2 inches, which is too tall to be a gymnast. Her father suggests she try out for cheerleading because it could give her a chance to use her gymnastics skills. Annie has made friends with a girl from her neighborhood, Lexie, a brilliant artist, and Lexie is appalled that Annie would want anything to do with the cheerleaders, who are rude snobs who take their cue from the head cheerleader, Kelsey, who has been consistently mean to Annie from the first moment they met.

In addition to gymnastics, Annie has had a hobby of inline skating for many years and is quite good at it. When she learns there is a contact sport called roller derby which is dominated by girls and women and utilizes skating, she signs up immediately for a free training class and falls in love with the sport. Unlike cheerleading, which has a harsh, every-girl-for-herself mentality, the girls she meets in roller derby are all for one, and one for all in their attitude. When Annie learns she's been accepted for both cheerleading and roller derby, and their schedules conflict, she is forced to choose between them.

This book is extremely well written. Annie is an engaging heroine with amazing athletic abilities, and she has one of the best dads in YA fiction I've encountered. It's terrific to see their warm, loving relationship. The descriptions of Annie's cheerleader and roller derby experiences are both authentically and excitingly written.

All in all, this is an excellent example of the girl-power, athletic-competition type of YA book. It is a "clean read," with no swearing, drinking or sexuality, making it suitable for preteens as young as nine, up to and including girls of 14. However, this is such a fun book, anyone who enjoys sports stories with scrappy heroines will love it.

There is no romance plot in this book, but I understand this is going to be a series, and the author has introduced two possible future romantic interests, a cute, nerdy boy around Annie's age who announces for the roller derby games at the skating rink, and a handsome, sixteen-year-old jock who is obviously interested in Annie, and whom the queen bee cheerleader covets.

Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book through NetGalley.

I rate this book as follows:
Heroine: 5 stars
Subcharacters: 5 stars
Girl-power plot: 5 stars
Writing: 5 stars
Overall: 5 stars

[The SMART Book Club · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title: Falling Hard
Author: Megan Sparks
Publisher: Capstone Young Readers
Pages: 255
Genre: Young Adult
Rating: 3.5/5
Source: Netgalley

Annie R. Key is in for a huge change – she’s moving to the States. After living in London her whole life, this 14 year old is moving to a whole other continent with her father. But fitting in with the crazy, high-school students in her new hometown is harder than Annie had ever thought it would be. Between making an enemy of the most popular girl in school, and falling for the cutest guy ever, things are off to a hectic start. It’s only her newfound love for roller derby that can tide her through all this American craziness. Annie’s going to have to figure out the secret to fitting into high school – but she’s going to need all of her new friends to help her do it.

My favorite character in this book would be Annie. At the beginning, she was shy and not very confident, but as the story progressed, her character developed; she essentially grew a back bone and became more outgoing. One thing I liked about Annie’s character as the book progressed was her smart-alecky attitude. The following quote describes her snarky thoughts when yet another person remarks on Annie’s English accent. This leads Annie to think about asking her friend Lexie, who has an abundance of buttons, to help her out with this problem:

“Maybe Lexie could get her a button that said, ‘I’ve got an English accent. Get over it’.”

I enjoyed phrases such as this one because they were hilarious to read, and they provided some insight on what Annie truly felt.

Overall, this book is very cute. The characters and how they interacted were like a fairytale; everything ended out working well and everybody’s happy. It’s a feel-good book.

I liked the plot of ‘Falling Hard’. Towards the beginning, the pacing was just right. The plot wasn’t going too fast, or too slow; it was going at a speed that made it easy for me to acquaint myself with Annie and her life. As the book progresses, the plot begins to speed up, becoming more interesting. And towards the very end, the whole book is thrumming with energy.

But on the flip side of things, I felt that the word choice that Megan Sparks used was overly simple, especially towards the beginning. While everything moving slowly in the beginning is a good thing, the vocabulary used makes this book seem very basic. The sentence structure is no help either. The phrases Sparks uses just don’t carry much emotion; it’s as if Annie didn’t have any strong feelings as the book begins. All the nervousness and excitement that a girl should be feeling on her first day of school are muted. But, as the book progressed, the words and sentences became more energetic and the increase in emotion made the book come alive.

Then, there is the romance plot, which I absolutely abhorred. Throughout the book, the romance plot grows, and grows, and grows some more. And I usually like it when the romance in a book is kept fresh. But, in a book where the main idea is for Annie to fit in a new environment, I most certainly did not want to read about some character she found handsome. That completely takes away from the main point of this book!

But, on the whole, ‘Falling Hard’ is an engaging book about a girl learning to fit in with others. I enjoyed the overall plot and recommend this book to people ages 10+ because of the exceedingly simple language. If you like reading novels about fitting in, this is definitely one you would want to check out. Don’t miss out on the second book in this series, ‘Hell’s Belles’.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: Four Stars

Acquired: via netgalley



Annie has a choice to make: become a fearless roller girl, or join become a British All-American cheerleader with the head cheerleader already marking you on her list.

After growing up in London, Annie relocates to the Midwest to live with her American father after her parents separated; leaving her life behind and starting high school as both a freshman and a foreigner. Wanting to please her dad, she tries out for the cheer-leading team, even though the captain, Miss Popular Kelsey, has it out for her. But there is another sport that catches her eye, roller derby. After watching one game, with her new best friend, Annie is hooked. But, what about cheer-leading? And, the hot soccer player Tyler, perfect All-American boy. Can Annie juggle everything?

I read this book in a day. I couldn't put it down. I laughed, a lot. It isn't a book that is going to be a classic, or make it on any prestigious lists; I think that's why I enjoyed it. It is such a light-hearted gem not to be missed. I liked Annie a lot, but it was her best friend I enjoyed maybe a little bit more. She just had such a great sense of humor. Called cheer-leading, cheer-weeding. She was one of those characters that was someone I would like to have in my corner. I could pass on oogling over Tyler, but there was also Jesse, who works at the roller rink and could have potential with Annie if she gets over the All-American Soccer boy crush. I don't think dating an athlete is all that in regards to having a social life, but Annie thinks so. It was kind of annoying. But, really one of the only flaws in the book.

The writing was nothing fancy; which worked. The story wasn't convoluted; it was very suitable for the age group the book is geared towards. Although I am no longer in that intended age group, I liked how I didn't have to think while reading it. The flow was good. The dialogue was decent. It all meshed well. There is definitely a positive message in this book. Annie is a good role model; she is strong, speaks up for herself, a good friend, and makes good decisions (on what, you'll have to guess. Is it roller derby or cheer-weeding?) I am looking forward to reading the second book. It was just too fun to not want to continue the series. I am a little biased though, because I do like the roller derby. I loved the movie adaptation of Whip It starring Ellen Page (I haven't read the book yet) that is very similar to this novel. Both girls are discovering themselves and how they fit in where they are living. Many girls in high school can relate to this book. The roller derby choice isn't brought in for the violence factor. It is tied in a great, encouraging way.

I would recommend this book if you are looking for some light reading material. It is a great, one to two sitting read. You aren't dedicating too much of your time. It isn't a heavy commitment. And funny. Endearing. Leaves you with a smile. Give this little gem a try. You won't regret it.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like reading or watching anything to do with Roller Derby, it may be because I have no balance myself so I love to live vicariously through others...and watch them fall down....hard.
Falling Hard is Annie's story, she has just moved to Illinois from England, with her father. He is starting a business and she is staring a new life, thousands of miles away from home. Within the first few days of being in Illinois Annie literally bumps into the popular girl, while trying to avoid a dog, by performing some awesome moves on roller-blades. The girls is less than impressed and in typical fashion has set her sights on Annie and wants revenge. The owner of the dog, who is called Sid, is a skater boy and complements Annie on her skills, we later learn the skater boy is Jesse and has some serious skills himself.
Lexie, who is the first teenager Annie sees and also the first friend she makes, is perfect for Annie. She supports Annie in her plans to join the Liberty Belles roller derby team, and supports her 100%. She also works wonders in Annie's Dad's restaurant, painting amazing murals on the walls with British themes, which I absolutely loved and I wish there were illustrations in Falling Hard so we got to see these amazing pieces of art.

From the minute I began reading Falling Hard I was hooked, getting an insight into Annie's thoughts as she tries to traverse her new life, known as school, and try to fit in with the right people. She tries out for cheer leading and roller derby, trying to find her own little niche and comfort zone. She then has to make the decision which to pick, be part of the popular crowd or be a derby girl where they all stand up for one another and everyone is part of the family

I really enjoyed Falling Hard Annie shows how hard it is to adjust to a different country and the struggles she faces everyday, no only with trying to blend in with a British accent, but also overcoming the different uses of words. She also shows what you are capable of doing if you put your mind to it and I liked getting to see her adjust to her new home, making friends and succeeding at something.

When I began reading I expected Falling Hard to take a while to get through, but honestly it didn't take long to read and my only issue with the book is that it finished far too soon. The way the chapter ends I initially thought that it had reached a new part to the book, when I fact I had reached the end of the book, which was disappointing. I do hope there will be another book to follow Falling Hard as I feel like there hasn't been closure, there are things left undone between Kelsey and Annie, and there was never a definite answer between Jesse and Tyler. We know how Annie feels about Tyler and Jesse but we don't get to see if she makes a decision on either of the boys.
Upon this review going live there are in fact more books to this series which makes me very happy.

[Anna Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Annie is the new girl in a small, Midwestern town and not only is she dealing with going from big city to small town, but England to America. When her parents separated, Annie decided to go back to her Dad's hometown with him and help him open the café that has been his dream for quite some time now. Struggling to find her own place in a new and strange life, Annie is drawn to both cheerleading (as a substitute for gymnastics) and roller derby. Making friends with her next door neighbor Lexie, a sarcastic and individualistic artist, and Jesse, the boy who works at the roller rink, definitely keeps things interesting. When she's forced to choose between cheer and derby, can Annie make the right decision? Most importantly, can she decide to do what will make herself happy even in the face of the rules of high school popularity?

I requested this from NetGalley on a whim, and mostly because after seeing the movie Whip It in 2009, I always wanted to know more about roller derby as a sport. I thought it sounded interesting for the fish out of water aspect as well and I am a sucker for characters who move from one country to another! It ended up being younger than I expected, but I'm glad because it lent a real sweetness to the book as a whole that might not have been there if the characters had been near the end of high school, rather than the start. Annie was a really strong, interesting girl who loved her parents and didn't do stupid, clichéd 'teenager' stuff. I liked the fact that she knew what she wanted, who she was and refused to cave into the cheerleaders' bullying and shallow opinions about her friends, etc. Lexie's artwork was described great and the friendship Annie has with Lexie was very realistic for small town outcasts.

I feel like Jesse (outcast love interest) and Tyler (jock love interest) were both kind of underdeveloped and like the cheerleaders were very one-dimensional. I feel like the conflict pretty much disappeared once Annie went for the second tryout for cheerleading and the other cheerleaders stopped picking on her really out of the blue. The relationship of Annie with both her parents, especially in relation to the separation and the guilt over choosing her Dad to live with was well written. I liked how invested both parents were in her life, where in YA lit a lot of times parents are non-existent, crappy, or just plain weird/stereotypical. Sparks avoided that and made me really like Annie's Dad especially. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and found it to be a light, fluffy and fun read that is something I'd recommend for younger teens in middle school or early high school. Very cute! :)

VERDICT: 4/5 Stars

*I received an Advanced Reading E-book Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book was published on July 1st, 2013.*

[SARIT · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well "derby girl" before reading this book I never know this term before, and I wish that I would was familiar with it in my time ( this is why that paragraphs who describe the game detail made me a little strange and of course there were a lot descriptions of those). But... It seams that this sport encourages team-work, girl power, and individuality to girls (and women) who may not feel like they "fit in" anywhere else. Girls of all shapes, sizes and skill levels are accepted in this sport.

The main character -
Annie - has her own family problems, but instead of turning to the dark, she deals with it and tries to live her life to the best. Annie makes the hard decision to come to the States with her American-born dad, because of her parents separation, leaving her mom behind in London. Being British, she is immediately hounded with questions and comments about her accent of which she deals with very maturely, even if she does find it very annoying at times (In my part I wished that this would be more presented along the book... it is funny and as a foreigner myself in the US which my English came from both countries this was hilarious experience for me. I still rememeber looking for some ingredients in the super wonder what the hell are their name here). Her whole life has been her gymnastics, which she has to give up... But Annie also loves roller-skating, punk bands of the 80's, and her dad's cooking. She goes to a local roller derby bout, and knows this may be her chance to do something, and be someone, different.The author direct the plot to the importance of making the right decisions and choosing your friends wisely -- a great message towards young readers. She is, former gymnast from London, and the way she reshapes her life.

For one, the drama itself isn’t domineering – never had I felt it was over dramatic or over done. The cheerleader squad is annoying and has a problem with Annie, but they don’t play the major part in the book, which usually I find boring and irritating.
Annie’s have a fun and amazing relationship with her dad, a very positive one and it is nice to see a positive parent/teenager relationship in a YA novel as this is something that we rarely experience in the YA category.

Lexie is the friend that every person needs! She’s cool and upfront with things, but she doesn’t tell you how to live your life, or get hysterics with you when you choose to enjoy something entirely different then what she is for. She also doesn’t let other tell her what she is to do – what she wants to be.

I think it would be great for the younger crowd - No fighting, illegal activity and very minimal swearing. It was a good story about setting your mind to something and succeeding.

[Charli - To Another World · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this review and many more at To Another World

Joint review for Falling Hard and Hell's Belles!

I was sent these books for review from Curious Fox in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my review.

Falling Hard and Hell's Belles are the first two books in the Roller Girls' series about a girl named Annie who has to move to the USA with her dad. She discovers roller derby and meets lots of new people!

The books are contemporary reads that are short, sweet and exciting! I read both books in about two hours flat, and didn't get bored at all. The author flawlessly forms the characters and gives them backgrounds without even really having to describe them, you can just tell by reading about them and their personalities.

I loved the fact that Annie kept to some of her British roots whilst adapting to her new American lifestyle. She dressed the same, talked the same and didn't feel the need to take on a faux accent and change her personality. Another thing I really enjoyed was the development and beauty of Annie and her dad's relationship. They were really close and I loved that; most teenage girls are closer to their mums.If anything, Annie disliked her mum and was influenced by her as a strict mother.

"Dad roller his eyes and gave an exasperated sigh. "Girls. Always want to look their best. Annie mimicked him. "Dads. Always in a hurry." "

My favourite character was definitely Lexie! She balanced Annie out, and was just generally awesome. Arty and quirky, she didn't care at all about what people thought or society in general.

The books aren't too stereotypical, though they have the typical cheerleader-bullying scenario; but I liked this and wanted to see where Kelsey went with it. I normally hate stereotypes, but the one in these books totally worked for me. The fact that roller derby compared to cheerleading, where at cheerleading everyone was "slim and pretty", but at roller derby there were all sizes and shapes, make the contrast in the book more outed.

I think perhaps I would have liked some of the book to be in diary form, so we got an insight more into Annie's feelings. However, we could see them anyway, so this doesn't particularly matter; it's just one of the things I'm picky about!

When roller derby was explained in detail, I thought I would be bored and uninterested into how it worked, and would just want to see where it went. But, I didn't! It intrigued me and I longed for the scenes where the derbies and scrimmages took place.

So, overall, the first two books in this series are amazing and I definitely want to read it

[Rosa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Annie and her father move from London, England to her father's small home town in Illinois where her father plans on opening a cafe. While searching for a place to fit in at high school Annie makes new friends (including artist best friend Lexie)and tries to decide whether her gymnastics replacement should be cheer leading or roller derby.

This was a nice coming of age tale that most tween girls will be able to relate to in some way. There is a small love triangle forming but as the book is part of a larger series that was not the focus of the book and is in fact left hanging only partially formed. The real focus of the book is Annie's journey to finding a place for herself and her new love affair with roller derby, which I thought was a nice change from other realistic fiction books I've read for this age group. Annie has a nice relationship with her father and I thought the author did a good job with both that relationship and Annie's relationship with her mother.

As a Non Skating Official who has worked with women's, men's and junior roller derby leagues I will say that the roller derby is fairly accurate. The drills, amount of work and athleticism required were accurate although their timeline for passing a skills test and playing in a bout was a bit expedited. The author also did a wonderful job illustrating the camaraderie that develops between those involved in roller derby and the sense of welcoming and openness that teams try to foster.

The relationship Jesse has with the players and team which may surprise people from other sports is accurate for the way roller derby officiating currently works. The book was also written during the last rules set (for those that aren't derby familiar; in January a major revision to the rules of roller derby came out.) That being said it was only one or two references and I don't think it would keep a reader from going to a game and being able to follow what's going on; it's more that it made me chuckle about trying to get rules classes rewritten in the beginning of the season.

There was one disparaging comment written about men's and women's roller derby being different games because men don't wear fishnets. I know not everyone is a supporter of men's roller derby however I found the comment demeaning to both men and women's players. The sport is about more then fishnets as the rest of the book spends a lot of time proving and while I believe there are differences in how the men play vs how the women play I thought the comment was unnecessarily disparaging of everyone and honestly lowered the rating a star for me.

E-book copy provided by netgalley.

[Chrissy · Rating 3 out of 5]

After the separation of her parents causes her to move from her hometown of London to a tiny town in the middle of nowhere in the midwest US, Annie knows that she will have a huge struggle to fit in with her new peers. In London, Annie was a star gymnast, always part of a winning team, but here in the US she just can't seem to find her niche. The closest sport her new school has to gymnastics is cheerleading, but does Annie really want to hang out with the snooty primadonnas who have already tried to make her new life a living hell?

So, when Annie randomly comes across the art of roller derby, she is immediately infatuated. These girls are so spunky, brave, and independent, and the amazing things they can do on roller skates are nothing short of magical to Annie. But, does her training in the grace of gymnastics really qualify her to kick butt in the derby?

Unconfident in her abilities to make it as a roller derby girl, Annie decides to take the safer route and try out for cheerleading, which earns her the attention of the most popular hunk in school -- something Annie thought she could never achieve. But, is Annie making a mistake by choosing the pom-poms instead of the skates?

In FALLING HARD, one young teenage girl learns to recreate herself after being completely displaced from her safe life at home, which sets the scene for a charming coming-of-age tale centered around friendship and athletics in a way that will definitely appeal to the younger teen audience. I would especially recommend FALLING HARD for any fans of the movie WHIP IT (2009), which was my introduction into the sport of roller derby. While there is a hint of romance in FALLING HARD, the plot primarily focuses on Annie's friendships during her adjustment period, as well as the details of her roller derby practices. So, those who aren't fond of sporty novels may not find this one quite as enjoyable.

I would have liked to see a bit more of the tension between Annie and the cheerleaders, I think -- that aspect of the story hit hard but then seemed to completely disappear. That said, I am very glad that FALLING HARD didn't become yet another young-adult love triangle, which is what I was fearing when the two main male characters were introduced to the story.

FALLING HARD was a quick, fun read that was something a little different than the trends of paranormal insta-love or hard-hitting dystopia that are so popular in young adult fiction. Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read and review this novel -- I enjoyed it a lot (and I LOVE the cover!)

[Timothy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Annie moves with her father from London to a small town in Illinois, where she struggles to fit in, but discovers a new passion—and a supportive community—in the exciting world of roller derby.

Overall this is slightly formulaic, with stock characters; from the clichéd antagonist the nasty queen bee, to the hot boy love interest, the cool hip girlfriend, and the skate rat male friend who the heroine maybe should end up with other than the stud but of course that’s what sequels are for.

Once roller derby enters the storyline, it all seems less formulaic, although anyone who has read Derby Girl by Shauna Cross or seen Whip It might disagree. Short chapters—like Hershey's Miniatures—can be knocked off rapidly enough to satisfy even the most reluctant reader. There are some genuinely poignant moments throughout that remain convincing, particularly between Annie and her father, and Megan Sparks gets the all-accepting roller derby vibe to a tee.

While it might seem obvious to any reader—one familiar with roller derby or not—what choices Annie will end up making and how the story will end, it is a satisfying reflection of the common roller derby experience to see it contrasted so starkly against universal, albeit stereotypical, high school experiences. It's an interesting divergence from Whip It in that Annie's teammates are also her classmates (I am a little unclear on how a 14 year-old is eligible to skate in an adult league.)

Somewhat arbitrary covers for the entire series mask the connection to roller derby, but overall this is an enjoyable read for any fan of roller derby, or a voracious reader of light teen romance.

[Liralen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute—girl moves to new country; girl discovers cheerleading and roller derby at the same time; shenanigans ensue. It's all pretty low-stakes drama: there's some family stuff and some mean-girls-at-school stuff, but Annie maintains a reasonable head on her shoulders.

The one thing I really would have liked to see here: Annie tries out for both the cheerleading squad and the roller derby team, and she's forced to choose between them pretty quickly (a choice made easier by the fact that one team is evil and one team is nice). I'd have loved to see more balance or, better yet, see Annie spend some/all of the book trying to do both and learning the ups and downs of both.

One nit-picky note: The paper money was easy enough to sort out with their numbers, even though they were all the same size and color. But the coins were a nightmare. Annie felt like she was dealing with play money when she looked at them. She couldn't understand why the five-cent coins were larger than the ten-cent ones. It made no sense. (41) Annie's talking about American money here—she's English. But has she not seen, oh, British money before? Where the 1p-2p-5p-10p-20p-50p-pound coins go small-big-small-big-small-big-smallbuthefty? (Yes, I just lined up a bunch of coinage next to my computer to make this point.) And where, yes, the 5p coin is smaller than the 10p coin...but the 20p coin is also smaller than the 10p coin.

But as I said, that's just nit-picking. Will probably read the rest of the series the next time I'm at my parents' (as their library has the books), because, you know, roller derby.

[Kristin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Annie makes the move from London to the States with her father to be with him when he opens a London inspired cafe. She has to not only learn the terminology that the Americans use but also figure out where her niche is with school. The story follows Annie as she decides whether she wants to be popular and thus gain the attention of soccer star Tyler by joining the cheerleading squad or join the roller derby team where the group of girls are more welcoming to her.

This is great for a younger teen crowd. There isn't a lot of conflict that takes place. Yeah you have the mean popular cheerleader but that's about it. The two potential love interests aren't really love interests, just two cute guys. There's even a potential love interest for her father but again, that's left with a big question mark. There were just a lot of things that weren't really concluded by the end of the book. It sort of felt like a feel good book that ran out of pages before the ending.

It was a bit below my reading level but for a younger crowd, I think it would be great. No fighting, illegal activity and very minimal swearing. I liked that it revolved around roller derby which is something that I've heard of but am not really familiar with. So the author sort of talks you through the logistics of it as Annie learns the ropes. It was a good story about setting your mind to something and succeeding.

Favorite Part...
"Annie didn't know what to say. She thought Americans were supposed to be friendly, like Mrs. Jones. Obviously this girl hadn't read the American Stereotypes Handbook.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Falling Hard" is the story of 14-year-old Annie who has recently moved to the U.S. with her father from London – it is the first in the “Roller Girls” series which will follow the teenage girls taking part in a roller derby team. As Annie navigates her first days in high school, she meets cute boys, mean girls, tries out for cheerleading, and discovers the world of roller derby. This book is clearly meant to set the foundation for a series of books, so there's actually not much in the way of plot or twists in this story.

We meet Annie, her friends, protagonists, potential love interests, and then the roller derby girls, but not much actually happens. I would definitely recommend this book for the younger readers in the Young Adult spectrum, as it is a very simple, clean story. It does hold the unique conflicts of a British girl facing an American lifestyle, though I think that could have been explored more thoroughly.

I would think there'd be a little more of a culture shock, though maybe that's my adult mind envisioning the situation - kids tend to be more resilient to change. My hope as the series continues would be that Annie's personality would sharpen a bit to give readers more of a feel for her distinctive qualities.

Ultimately, I think this is a harmless, fun read that for younger readers would introduce them to some new concepts they might not read in other books targeting their age group.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

[Alisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

When her parents divorce, Annie decides to go with her Dad back to his native town in the US, for a new start after she had to stop competing in gymnastics due to her new height. Struggling to fit in, with the Kelsey the schools queen bee as her enemy, she tries to rekindle her Gymnastics love by trying out for the cheerleading team. At the same time she hears about Roller Derby, and decides to give a workshop a shot. As she finds herself discovering a new passion for the Roller Derby, she also finds a place she fits in, with girls who accept her for who she is. Will she choose to be a cheerleader, or a Derby girl?

The title of this book led me to believe it was a romance, it was in a way, just not with a guy, with a new sport. I found the insight into the Roller Derby scene refreshing as it was something I didn't know about, and I enjoyed it hugely. There where two love interests for Annie, Tyler the soccer star and Jesse the cute guy who worked at the ring, and while we saw Annie interact with the two guys, she never picked one or developed it into a romance and it was left with plenty of space for a second one, I kind of want to know what happens with her and Jesse and Tyler!

The main focus of the story was moving to a new place and not fitting in, being torn between the thing you know you're good at and the thing you're less certain about, but that you enjoy, and finding love for a new sport.