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Catch Me Falling
After six years in a cage, teenage Crissa’s life is running short. If she can even call it a life. Kept as a caged display in a traveling circus, Crissa endures the stares, taunts, and whispers of those who call her ugly and strange. But one remark haunts her above all others – how much she resembles the brutish Humans who died long ago. But Crissa can do what no other can. She can sing!
In a ‘what-if’ world where prehistoric Humans fell extinct and others not quite Human inherited the earth, Crissa is like no other. Imprisoned by the brutal Tal-Bern, who murdered her mother and hauled her away, Crissa serves the glory of his circus. Every night she faces hostile crowds who marvel at her disturbing strangeness. And every night she stuns them with passionate singing before returning to a dank cage. If not bad enough, her circumstances grow darker. She is marked for death, sold by Tal-Bern to the highest bidder for sacrifice during the bloodthirsty Rite of Long Moon – which is fast approaching!
Though all seems lost, the shuttered window to her future opens when one evening she spies a young man in shadows beyond the crowd – with a face like hers! The incident sets in motion a chain of events that leaves her running for her life. Crissa’s headlong flight carries her toward the mysteries of a murky past, her Human face, and the wonderment of love and belonging. If only Tal-Bern doesn’t destroy her first!
Crissa’s observant narrative drives a story that explores the burden of exclusion, the power of kindness, and what it means to be human.
In a ‘what-if’ world where prehistoric Humans fell extinct and others not quite Human inherited the earth, Crissa is like no other. Imprisoned by the brutal Tal-Bern, who murdered her mother and hauled her away, Crissa serves the glory of his circus. Every night she faces hostile crowds who marvel at her disturbing strangeness. And every night she stuns them with passionate singing before returning to a dank cage. If not bad enough, her circumstances grow darker. She is marked for death, sold by Tal-Bern to the highest bidder for sacrifice during the bloodthirsty Rite of Long Moon – which is fast approaching!
Though all seems lost, the shuttered window to her future opens when one evening she spies a young man in shadows beyond the crowd – with a face like hers! The incident sets in motion a chain of events that leaves her running for her life. Crissa’s headlong flight carries her toward the mysteries of a murky past, her Human face, and the wonderment of love and belonging. If only Tal-Bern doesn’t destroy her first!
Crissa’s observant narrative drives a story that explores the burden of exclusion, the power of kindness, and what it means to be human.
298 pages, Paperback
First published January 23, 2014
531 people want to read
About the author
David J. Nix
12 books4 followersEngineer by day and writer by night, David broke into traditional publishing in 2020 writing historical romance for Entangled Publishing under the pseudonym Sawyer North. In a stroke of luck, a photo of him wearing a cowboy hat on a Regency romance writers’ social media page landed him the opportunity to write a three-volume progressive western series for Sourcebooks in 2022. His love of researching history and bringing it to life – especially the stories of forgotten women – has led him lately toward writing historical fiction. He has a podcast in the works, Plot Twisted History, that tells true historical stories from a writer’s viewpoint – in service of the surprises and plot twists along the way.
David has called Austin home since 1998 with his wife and three children, where he fully embraces the city motto of “keep Austin weird.” He is a member of Regency Fiction Writers and Romance Writers of Central Texas, female centered organizations that have taken him under their wing and shared their collective wisdom.
David has called Austin home since 1998 with his wife and three children, where he fully embraces the city motto of “keep Austin weird.” He is a member of Regency Fiction Writers and Romance Writers of Central Texas, female centered organizations that have taken him under their wing and shared their collective wisdom.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
May 22, 2014
A sparkling story of self-discovery and identity that many younger readers will be able to relate to
4.5 stars
‘Catch me falling’ is David J Nix’s fourth YA novel about belonging and finding your place in the world. It’s a profoundly poignant tale that speaks with heartfelt sincerity and warmth, which teenagers could certainly connect with through the main character’s personal journey. Catch me falling is also a touching love story of a human girl in a (quote) ‘what-if’ world, whose considered an aberration because of her human face and behaviour. The beautiful, fluid prose contain such profundity of depth and meaning that greatly impacts upon your current outlook on life so as to leave you with lasting memories. Amid the thought-provoking narrative was a heartrending tale of substance; that touched me inwardly and left me feeling empowered and moved.
I was able to identify with the fantastic main protagonist and many of the themes explored within the story, such as for instance isolation and exclusion (namely in connection with bullying and/ or how others judge you on outer appearance). David J Nix delves ultimately into the core of our hearts by extracting the essence of what it means to be human by touching upon humanity itself. Living life is hard and tough times are shared with others through love. This stunning story transcends boundaries by transporting you on an unforgettable journey of wonderment, enlightenment and discovery (including on a personal level) so as to reach out with resolve!
Crissa’s story from caged animal to freedom, set within a magnetic post-apocalyptic (changed) world is one of sweeping magnitude and epicness. From the ‘Tal-Bern’s brutality and mindset, to the disturbingly bloodthirsty and inhumane Rite of Long Moon this shadowy world of terror and torment is a place of divergence. Soul-shaken and with the hairs on the backs of my arms standing up on end, this remarkable novel was an astonishing read and one that I certainly wont be forgetting for a long time. Fans of YA post-apocalyptic (or Dystopia) fiction will be enchanted and beguiled by this unique novel.
*I would like to thank David J Nix for providing me with a physical copy of his novel ‘Catch me falling’ to read & write a non-biased, honest review on. *
4.5 stars
‘Catch me falling’ is David J Nix’s fourth YA novel about belonging and finding your place in the world. It’s a profoundly poignant tale that speaks with heartfelt sincerity and warmth, which teenagers could certainly connect with through the main character’s personal journey. Catch me falling is also a touching love story of a human girl in a (quote) ‘what-if’ world, whose considered an aberration because of her human face and behaviour. The beautiful, fluid prose contain such profundity of depth and meaning that greatly impacts upon your current outlook on life so as to leave you with lasting memories. Amid the thought-provoking narrative was a heartrending tale of substance; that touched me inwardly and left me feeling empowered and moved.
I was able to identify with the fantastic main protagonist and many of the themes explored within the story, such as for instance isolation and exclusion (namely in connection with bullying and/ or how others judge you on outer appearance). David J Nix delves ultimately into the core of our hearts by extracting the essence of what it means to be human by touching upon humanity itself. Living life is hard and tough times are shared with others through love. This stunning story transcends boundaries by transporting you on an unforgettable journey of wonderment, enlightenment and discovery (including on a personal level) so as to reach out with resolve!
Crissa’s story from caged animal to freedom, set within a magnetic post-apocalyptic (changed) world is one of sweeping magnitude and epicness. From the ‘Tal-Bern’s brutality and mindset, to the disturbingly bloodthirsty and inhumane Rite of Long Moon this shadowy world of terror and torment is a place of divergence. Soul-shaken and with the hairs on the backs of my arms standing up on end, this remarkable novel was an astonishing read and one that I certainly wont be forgetting for a long time. Fans of YA post-apocalyptic (or Dystopia) fiction will be enchanted and beguiled by this unique novel.
*I would like to thank David J Nix for providing me with a physical copy of his novel ‘Catch me falling’ to read & write a non-biased, honest review on. *
Displaying 1 of 1 review