A Scar like a River

by Lisa Graff

A coming-of-age story about Fallon Little, a thirteen-year-old with a mysterious scar on her face—and a big secret she feels pressured to keep—by bestselling author Lisa Graff.

Everyone assumes that the day Fallon got the awful scar across her face must have been the worst day of her life. But when Uncle Geebie dies, his funeral starts a cascade of events that force Fallon to confront the big and small tragedies she has lived through, all of which feel worse than Scar Day. Her best friends Trent and Darcy are crushing on each other and feel more distant than ever, the school play in which Fallon is cast as the lead is spiraling out of control, and her Mom’s grief has her in despair. Still, none of these things compare to the worst day of her life—not even close.

Through unflinching prose and with a pitch-perfect voice, Lisa Graff explores the power of confronting the past as a way to heal in the present.

Genres: Middle Grade, Abuse, Realistic Fiction, Friendship, Mental Health, Fiction, Family

400 pages, Hardcover

First published February 3, 2026

About the author

Lisa Graff is the critically acclaimed and award-winning author of the National Book Award nominee A Tangle of Knots, as well as Lost in the Sun, Absolutely Almost, Double Dog Dare, Umbrella Summer, The Life and Crimes of Bernetta Wallflower, The Thing About Georgie and Sophie Simon Solves Them All. Originally from California, she lived for many years in New York City and now makes her home just outside of Philadelphia.

Reviews

[Emily Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lisa Graff’s A Scar Like a River is a deeply moving middle-grade novel that handles a complex web of plotlines with remarkable skill. At its center is Fallon, a young girl whose life is defined by the physical scar on her face and the heavy, unspoken secrets behind it. Graff does an amazing job of putting the reader directly in Fallon's shoes as she navigates her mother’s undiagnosed illness, auditions for a school play that challenges her beliefs, and the shifting dynamics of her friendships.

The story truly excels in its depiction of the messy reality of trauma. While adult readers might anticipate the "secrets" Fallon is harboring, it doesn't make her journey any less heartbreaking. Graff explores heavy themes—sexual assault, gaslighting, and accountability—alongside the typical middle-grade struggles of navigating best friendships and family dynamics. The way everything unravels following her uncle's death feels authentic and painfully real.

Fallon is an exceptionally well-drawn protagonist. Her relationship with her rival-turned-friend, Stella, is a highlight, as is the normalization of therapy within her loving family dynamic. However, potential readers and caregivers should be aware of the book's content. The book is clear about the sexual abuse Fallon suffered at age five. Though the description isn't overly graphic, it doesn't skirt the details of how her abuser manipulated her.

This book absolutely needs a trigger warning, but its existence is vital. It addresses the reality that children can keep secrets even in "good" environments and emphasizes that they need time to process before speaking out. This is a title that will stick with me; it’s a powerful tool for building empathy and could be a crucial way to start difficult but necessary conversations with young people.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

[Mar 🧡🤍🩷 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a hard read but beautifully told, and the difficult subjects are handled with all the appropriate care and seriousness that they deserve. Fallon is a well written character whose voice feels so real and vivid that I had to see the book aside a few times just to catch my breath.

I often wonder what I would have felt if I’d read books like this when I was the target audience. When I was Fallon’s age my trauma was already buried so deep that I’d convinced myself that it never happened in the first place. It wasn’t until I was in my twenties that I acknowledged to myself that I was sexually assaulted as a young child and that it had significantly impacted my life in ways I had persistently ignored.
Fighting Words by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley was one of the books that helped me the most in facing what was done to me.
Books like these two are hard but so necessary. I’m glad I read this one and I hope it helps others too.

[Beth Given · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first thing anyone notices about thirteen-year-old Fallon Little is the scar across her face. But she's kept her scar story to herself since she was five ... and that's not the only secret she's keeping. When her uncle dies, it feels like things in Fallon life start spiraling out of control. Her mom is dealing with chronic illness, her despised Aunt Lune moves in, her best friends start crushing on each other and leaving her out, and the middle school play (which Fallon's starring in!) is in danger of being canceled. Fallon learns to speak up and speak out about the things she cares about -- and maybe that means giving voice to some secrets she's been hiding for a long, long time.

I guess this book is a follow-up to Lost in the Sun, published over a decade ago; there were some paragraphs explaining some plot points to that book that felt a little out-of-place in this one. I didn't read that one first (I plan to change that soon!), but this novel stands alone.

The writing in this book was excellent. I loved Fallon as a character; I loved her authentic voice. Her humor shines through, even while dealing with difficult topics.

I did this one partially on audio and the narration was really, really good -- but then my Libby hold expired so I finished it via ebook.


Content warning for violence toward a child and sexual assault of a child.
There is a scene that is brief but still descriptive about the sexual assault. I think that scene is just the right length so that young readers are clear about happened. Too many children are victims of sexual assault. This book could give a child both the vocabulary and courage to tell a trusted adult about their own trauma.

[Jeni Enjaian · Rating 5 out of 5]

(Actual rating: 4.75 stars)
This is a heavy yet beautiful read. Graff's narrative treads with care through difficult, traumatic topics creating a beautiful and real main character. Fallon has three secrets that she gradually reveals throughout the narrative. These terrible things happen to precious children like Fallon all too often. Graff showed the consequences of this trauma while also existing as a middle school girl in a delicate balance that I have not seen in many, if any, other middle grade books. I highly recommend this.

[Wendy MacKnight · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so fortunate to receive an advance reader’s copy of this novel and read it in one day. The compelling story perfectly demonstrates the toll that keeping secrets has on us. Fallon Little is a wonderfully complex and creative character, and I especially loved her various friendships. And while she is self-aware and kind with her friends - until multiple stresses create fissures - she isn’t as kind as she is with herself. Graff does a wonderful job of dealing with a sensitive subject, and nicely balances Fallon’s pain with regular middle school drama. The story is riveting and moving and beautifully written. Bravo.

[Sab Ay · Rating 5 out of 5]

fallon little, my beloved :,)


genre: contemporary/coming-of-age
recommended age: 11+

tw’s:
graphic
chronic illness
gaslighting
sexual tr4uma

moderate
vomit
death
grief

mild
p3dophilia
sexual assau1t
!ncest

[Ann Haefele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, this might be Lisa Graff’s best book yet. She chose a very serious topic (childhood sexual abuse) but managed to insert a lot of light hearted moments. Fallon is 13 when the book begins and the abuse happened when she was 5. She has tucked it away and never told her family about it. She is just going about normal middle school life when some events come together that ignites a storm within her. This story should encourage youth to speak up about traumas that might have left them scarred and help them heal along the way. My favorite quote of the book was on page 337. “Because the first step in healing, I realized, was to find someone to listen. Sometimes that was the hardest part.” A quote by author Sarah Weeks on the back of the book jacket is perfect. “Quirky, funny, timely, and deeply moving.”

[B Croz · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5?

[Harmony Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW that's all I have to say.

[Angee]

This one was heavy. It should definitely include trigger warnings and, in my opinion, should lean toward older middle grade and up.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 - will come back to rerank it after I've read more books for the new round of Mock Printz committee, this is my first read of the new cycle. I devoured this in a day. Mainly because I have a HUGE STACK of books to read in the midst of my busiest portion of the year (cries) and so much to do, but I'd recommend trying to read all of this at once too to get the full experience. I gotta say, I have never read a J FIC book that talks about childhood sexual abuse, so I don't really have anything to compare it to in its age range, and I think this is an underrepresented topic written about for this age range, so props to Graff! Covers sexual assault, physical/sexual/emotional abuse, speaking up when you see injustice, navigating relationships while coming of age, and learning how to heal and find joy in life while dealing with trauma.

Thirteen-year-old scar-on-her-face Fallon Little has three secrets. After her uncle dies, her buried trauma resurfaces and she struggles with navigating it, going to therapy and considering telling someone who will listen. At the same time, she gets the lead role in a play that carries themes she refuses to support, so she speaks out against it and as a result gets the play canceled. Her best friends Trent and Kaia start dating and she feels left out, but she begins to make friends with Stella, her old rival, after they both discover they share something in common: having experienced sexual assault. Fallon navigates family dynamics with her aunt (who shut down her concerns when Fallon told her as a child) and telling her parents the truth about her scar and her experiences. Though things appear to come crashing down with the play, friendships, and family relationships, Fallon learns and grows and is joyfully supported by her loved ones in the end.

Story: I can see this being like a childhood sexual abuse version of Speak for middle-grade/young YA readers. Its portrayal of the effects of sexual assault on a young person is important to showcase to readers of all ages, especially for pre-teens and young teens. There was a lot going on - protesting the play, struggles with her chronically ill mom, difficulty with her aunt, navigating her trauma and uncle's death, friendship drama, therapy - but that's life. But it felt like a lot to fit into one story, and the book was a tad lengthy in my opinion - I wish some parts could have been condensed. The story felt realistic in the circumstances, character decisions, and outcomes. The writing was clear and easy to read. The plot flowed naturally at a consistent pace. I cried when Fallon confronts her aunt yelling that she knew and that had happened to her aunt too, and then again when her dad talks to her about her sexual assault. I really appreciated that while there were a lot of heavy topics in this work, they were all covered carefully without gratuitous detail, AND there were so many moments of joy and silliness - getting the lead in the school play, watching movies with friends, teaching her dog to dance, putting on a fantastic skit with Kaia, and singing on the field trip to the aquarium. 
 
Voice: It was an adjustment for me to read this middle-grade/young YA book and get used to the youngness of the voice. Fallon is thirteen and in seventh grade. Her voice definitely reflects that. She has a sense of humor, is a bit dramatic at times/huffy/quick to anger, feels the unfairness of things strongly, isn't afraid to use her voice and speak her mind and hold to her convictions, and uses sarcasm/side remarks in paratheses often. Her voice is clear and consistent throughout the work.
 
Style: Uses a lot of paratheses, which works well to show the early teenage year angst, sarcasm, and dry sense of humor. The repetition of certain items throughout the book was excellent. The opening pages were so good! Especially with the details about her scar, visiting the river with family, and how like the river her scar is hiding secrets. She wraps up the book in a similar fashion, talking about how rivers can be always changing and how memories are not just one thing or one feeling. You can tilt some memories a certain way, and she decides to tilt towards joy, choosing joy as she moves forward in life. I like the stylistic choice of continually referring to secrets, both in the section divisions, chapter headers, and chapter text. The repeated use of the phrases that haunt her ("You're fine, Fallon. Nothing happened. Go back to sleep.") and the lights blinking helped readers to feel and connect with her trauma responses and see how it affects her life. I also loved how the author tied in Fallon's interest in spotting movie continuity inconsistencies and connected it to how Fallon learns people are inconsistent, changing, and multiple-things-at-once in real life.
 
Setting: Clear setting in her small town. Nothing confusing about it. Felt consistent throughout the work.
 
Accuracy: Discusses the difficulty of having facial/physical scars, navigating what people think, and beauty standards in society. Fallon displays multiple natural responses to her sexual assault - triggers (Christmas lights, Christmas), avoidance (her "robot brain" after being triggered, doing things on autopilot, avoiding conversations), numbness (not remembering things, sitting in the same spot for hours), anger (breaking the Christmas lights on someone’s house because it reminds her of the night she was assaulted, yelling at Lune and her mom, throwing snowballs at her uncle’s door), guilt (maybe it was her fault, she should have told her parents), and fear (throwing up, chest is tight at the memories). I enjoyed the diversity in responses to trauma shown in the book - her father quietly speaks with her about how he hates he didn't protect her and see it as the adult, her mom screams/throws things at her uncle's door and takes Fallon out for time together frequently, her aunt avoids her trauma initially but defended Fallon as a child even if Fallon didn't see it and then apologizes to teenage Fallon while trying to better herself and restart their aunt/niece relationship. I appreciated the inclusion that people who have been sexually assaulted commonly have the response of denying/avoiding sexual assault because of what that would mean for them, but we get to see the aunt did stand up for Fallon in the way she knew how. I liked how we saw the devastation of Fallon having told an adult who she thought would help her (her aunt) and the betrayal of not being helped, especially since readers are often told to tell a trusted adult. I like that it shows that if the first adult doesn't listen, you can find another adult to listen until someone hears you and addresses the wrong. The portrayal of Fallon's anger throughout the book was a clear theme, and we see her grow as a character in recognizing and using her anger. She and readers learn to understand through the consequences of the play that the results of your actions may lead to things you did not intend, and you have to learn to live with those results. It also teaches readers the importance of using their voices but also in thinking through strategically how to use them and to offer concrete plans of action for change. 
 
Characters: I liked that Fallon was a fallible protagonist - she storms off in anger, she ignores her friends and struggles to figure out if she's mad at them, she avoids her trauma, she protests the school play and gets it shut down by her actions and says she didn't know that would happen. She's not perfect. Liked the friendship tension with Trent/Kaia dating and the relevant struggle we often feel in feeling left behind when two of your closest friends date. Appreciated the interesting relationships Fallon had with rival-turned-friend Stella and villain-turned-maybe-ok-aunt Lune. She has supportive and loving parents and positive interactions with teachers at school. Black character (Kaia). Open discussion of potentially not being straight but not getting with anyone romantically at the end. Chronic illness (Mom, chronic fatigue syndrome). Pedophile (Uncle Geebie). 
 
Theme: The book showcases to readers how they can learn to handle sexual assault and trauma - finding someone who will listen, being ready and able to share their story, and finding ways to heal (therapy, loved ones, different actions). The theme is also that there is joy in life and moving forward, and while there are painful memories mixed with good and bad, you can choose to tilt some and see them with joy, if you want. There is healing after sexual assault. You can choose how to think about things, where you want to go, and how you want to feel.
 
Illustrations: The cover is fitting - a silhouette of a girl with a river flowing behind her and swirls of gold tracing around the book like the scar on her face, with butterflies flying. There are butterflies inside the book illustrated as chapter divisions.
 
Design (including format, organization, etc.): OK MY BIGGEST GRIPE IS HERE - I liked that there was a content note stating that the work included physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, but the placement of the note was NOT good (it's located on top of all the book cataloging publication information, but what normal reader reads that fine print???? hello?????). I appreciated the division of the book into 3 parts -  her 3 biggest secrets - and how each chapter was short and aptly named. I liked how the three biggest secrets were revealed in the chapters labeled as such (her three biggest secrets were 1) her uncle sexually assaulted her when she was five, 2) she told her aunt who didn’t do anything about it, and 3) her uncle gave her her facial scar).

Appreciated the author’s note answering if the story is based on her life (no but yes, yes because she was sexually assaulted) and encouraging those who have experienced sexual assault to reach out to someone with resources included. 

No profanity/cursing (heck and mentions of a word that rhymes with witch). Mention of knife slashing a face but not violently described. No explicit sex detail. Sexual assault briefly described without being too graphic. Childhood sexual abuse. Fallon mentions considering both male/female romantic interests but does not choose either. Contains physical, sexual, and emotional abuse.

"Because the first step in healing, I realized, was to find someone to listen. Sometimes that was the hardest part." (337)

" 'But maybe the lesson isn't that you shouldn't speak up when you see injustice,' Dad went on...'Maybe the lesson is, now that you know that matches set fires, you need to be more careful where and when you light them.'" (349)

[Betsy · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I was a kid, my best friend loved difficult books. This was utterly baffling to me. For the most part they had previously liked a lot of what I liked. The Baby-Sitters Club series. Trixie Belden titles. Roald Dahl’s The Witches. But on occasion they’d seek out more realistic, darker fare. J.T. by Jane Wagner, for example. For my part, I was the kid who avoided Julie of the Wolves and Island of the Blue Dolphins like the plague because I sensed that they were too serious for me (and don’t even TALK to me about Bridge to Terabithia!). Had A Scar Like a River fallen into our laps, my friend would have devoured it in a single setting. I would not. I would have taken one look and figured it was a story here that might not gel with my preferences. Kids are incredible self-selectors. They know what they generally can and cannot handle. Of course, for all that Graff has written the most serious book of her career, she still has the incredible ability to fill the book with good jokes and real humor. This is not an easy read, but by god it may be one of the best.

Fallon doesn’t talk about how she got the scar on her face. It happened years ago when she was just five-years-old, but no matter how much her parents asked, she never said who did it. Now she’s thirteen and her Uncle Geebie has just died in a car accident. Little does Fallon suspect that the funeral will be the catalyst that sets everything off. Her Aunt Lune, for example, with whom she has never seen eye-to-eye, is coming to live with her family. And then her two best friends Trent and Kaia start to become a lot more than just friends with one another. And all that could be fine, if it weren’t for the secrets Fallon’s been sitting on all these years. Not just one secret. Three. She’s determined never to tell them to anyone, but sometimes secrets like these have a way of coming to light, whether you intend them to or not.

There's a lot to admire about this book. For example, how Graff chooses to parcel out her information is a masterclass in timing. No one in their right mind would call this book a mystery, but reading through these pages you have to be somewhat in awe of how information is disseminated to the reader. You have to be sympathetic to Fallon, even when her actions don’t yet make a lot of sense to the reader. She’s seemingly making bad choices and you’re in the dark as much as other people. Graff is also sort of counting on you to forget that there’s more than one secret Fallon is hiding. The fact that her uncle scarred her face when she was young is such a big and horrific act (one that's revealed relatively early) that it probably never even occurs to the average reader that there might be even more to the story. Personally, I didn’t expect the final secrets to come out when they did. It’s around pages 290 or 291 that everything really comes to a head. That’s about 100 pages before the end of the story, which is a generous portion to leave for the reader. At first I was shocked, but I came to really appreciate the extra time. This isn’t the kind of story that you can wrap up in a hurry or anything.

Sexual abuse, like the kind that this book contains, does show up in children’s middle grade fiction periodically. I’ve seen it in a range of different books, to varying degrees of description. To those who would declare that it is never necessary in any book for younger readers, one may merely point out that considering the sheer number of kids who live through such experiences, information is always important (and Graff takes care to provide help and support in the back of her book). Understanding that books like A Scar Like a River exist not to exploit the topic but inform and fill a need, this title was pretty straightforward, but not violent in its description of what Fallon experiences (the violence comes more in the form of a knife to the face later). There is no mistake that what Fallon experiences is abusive, and I thought Graff took a deft hand to what had to be an almost impossible scene to write. What particularly impressed me, too, was the sexual abuse survivor support group that Fallon manages to find for herself. It’s a little messy, like actual groups can be, but still begins to heal that wound Fallon has carried solo for so wrong. All told, I suppose that this is a book destined for middle school libraries. But, as I mentioned before, what happens to Fallon happens and has happened to younger kids all the time. It’s a book that could do a lot of good when it finds the right audience. An excellent accompaniment to Kimberly Brubaker Bradley's Fighting Words.

There’s a moment near the end of the book when Fallon’s mom tells her daughter that, “Every time life throws something awful your way – and it sure has thrown you some awful stuff – you change, of course, but you just get better.” But Fallon isn’t some saintly little do-gooder without a flaw. She's strong and obtuse. Capable of great love and great blind spots. Now imagine having to write such a character. Oh, and make her funny too. It’s the humor of the book that is so tricky and, also, so necessary. Sometimes an author just works themselves up to the book of a lifetime and you are lucky enough to watch that happen in real time. That’s pretty much what we have here. The kids that get to read this book for the first time are lucky too. A necessary story that hits all the right marks.

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Fallon Little has two good friends in Cedar Haven, California. Neither Trent nor Kiara care about the significant scar that Fallon has had since she was five years old, but they don't know the secret of how she got it, either. There's a lot going on in Fallon's life, especially since her mother is struggling with the after effects of a virus and can barely get out of bed some days. After Fallon's Uncle Geebie dies, feelings from the past resurface and cause problems, especially when Fallon's Aunt Claire (aka Lune) comes to live with the family to help out. Claire gets a job at the local newspaper. When Fallon auditions for the school production of Hello, Dolly!, she is surprised to win the leading role, since Stella Brymer usually stars in the plays. She even asked the director, Mr. Castiglioni, if her scar won't distract people from her performance, but he assures her that she has talent enough that no one will care. Fallon is in therapy, and is surprised to see Stella at the office. The two talk, and Fallon shares her opinion that the message of Hello, Dolly! is problematic, but Mr. Castiglioni says that play can't be changed. This bothers Fallon, but she's also dealing with doctors who are dismissive of her mother's condition, the fact that Kiara and Trent are dating and haven't told her, and Aunt Claire being around the house. When she finds that Stella is attending a Survivors of Sexual Assault Group, secrets from Fallon's past surface. After she protests the play and writes a letter to the newspaper, she is surprised that her aunt doesn't support her. She finds old news articles of her aunt's and reads them to try to find ammunition to fight her, and finds that her aunt has secrets of her own. These anger Fallon, and she finally decided to tell her parents what really happened in the past.
Strengths: Fallon is dealing with a variety of very serious issues, so it is good to see that she has access to a therapist. Even with her own challenges, it was good to see that she was willing to advocate for her mother at a doctor's appointment! It is also good to see that she has good friends, and that she is involved in school activities. I really enjoyed her developing friendship with Stella, whom she thought was stuck up at first. Aunt Claire's presence in the home was unsettling, and it turns out there was a good reason for that feeling! I really wish that schools would look more critically before they choose plays; our local community children's theater put on Oklahoma several years ago and I was absolutely appalled at how completely inappropriate it was. Surely, there are other plays out there, despite what Mr. Castiglioni says about most plays having some issues of not aging well!
Weaknesses: There is quite a lot going on in this book, and since there is a fairly graphic description of inappropriate touching, this might be a better choice for readers who are in middle school. It's done very sensitively, but you might want to be aware of this if it is in your library.
What I really think: I read this right after Haydu's The Ordinary and Extraordinary Auden Greene, and there are some similarities in those two books; school plays, mothers with debilitating conditions, and being at odds with friends! The two stories will always be connected in my brain! Graff, who deals with a chronic illness of her own, has written a wide variety of middle grade novels. A Scar Like a River is more like her Lost in the Sun than her more upbeat Rewind, and is comparable to Brubaker Bradley's Fighting Words.

[Melanie Dulaney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lisa Graff (A Tangle of Knots, The Thing About Georgie, Almost Absolutely, Umbrella Summer…) has a gift for writing books that tug on the heartstrings of readers and help them experience significant life events through the safety of fictional novels. Some of her topics include disfigurement, bullying, death, loss, self-image and in A Scar Like a River, she introduces Fallon, a girl with a visible facial scar and secrets she has kept buried for years.

Fallon is in the 7th grade, is blessed with parents who love her, two best friends and a talent for performing, a seemingly great life even after enduring a vicious attack when she was only five. But she has been burying not only the identity of the person who sliced her face but the fact that her attacker sexually abused her around the same time. Using Fallon’s casting in the role of Dolly in her school’s performance of “Hello, Dolly,” Graff crafts a story that begins to reveal fractures in her relationship with an aunt, her deep friendship and sharing of part of her secrets with best friend Trent, and brings her to counseling office where she discovers a new friend who just may be able to help her finally share the truth.

Graff’s ability to weave so many threads together and gently reveal the depth of Fallon’s wounds is, once again, powerful and in a school friendship setting that is highly relatable to middle grade readers. The author’s note indicates that she did a great deal of research and used sensitivity readers in areas of abuse and those who cope with disfigurement leading to my belief that Fallon’s feelings are valid for many with similar experiences. She incorporates counseling in a non-judgmental way that is likely to encourage others, both victims of abuse or violent crime and others who have not experienced any, to see it as valuable healing tool. Even those who pick up this Graff book with only entertainment as their intent may gain some insight into those who have had similar trauma or reform attitudes towards the idea of therapy.

Graff’s text is free of profanity and the description of the knife attack is not graphic. However, the description of the “game” her abuser uses to sexually assault her is described clearly. The passage is very brief and not overly graphic but the way Fallon is directed to fondle her abuser is not skirted. Parents, caregivers, librarians, and others should be prepared for questions and should consider the age and maturity of potential readers. Sexual abuse, especially perpetrated by relatives or family member, is a topic that absolutely should be addressed with young people and this title could be the mechanism for prompting that conversation. Other titles would include Silent to the Bone by Konigsburg, Kimberly Brubaker Bradley’s Fighting Words and Maybe He Just Likes You by Barbara Dee.

Thanks for the dARC, Edelweiss and Little, Brown for Young Readers.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this e-book as an ARC through NetGalley.

I will begin by saying that I am not the target audience of A Scar Like a River, but I read much middle grade and YA fiction and enjoy it.

Our story revolves around Fallon Little, a middle-schooler who we find out immediately has faced hardship in the form of a large disfiguring facial scar which she received at the hand of someone close to her, although she never told anyone that he was the one who did it.

So begins a heart-wrenching, coming-of-age tale of a young girl who has the biggest heart and equally big secrets. Fortunately, she has some of the greatest friends as well, even if she doesn’t always see it. Trent, who she befriended when he moved to her town just recently and Kaia, whose friendship in theatre camp blossomed when she arrived at Fallon’s middle school. She also discovers a new friendship in the most unexpected of people.

The author did a phenomenal job of capturing the inner thoughts of 13-year-old Fallon through her many challenges, both past and present. Like most teenagers, Fallon gets confused and angry and makes choices from her heart (which she often wears on her sleeve), but is also empathetic and loving and warm and cares deeply for those in her life. She’s flawed in the ways you might expect, but at the same time not stereotypically ….because she belies any stereotype.

After halfway through, I knew I was going to love this book even before all of her secrets had been revealed. The author draws you into Fallon’s world and mind to where you feel her ups and downs along with the story and are pulling for her every step of the way. As is so easy to do, you tend to lean on a “everyone is either good or bad” idea. However, just as in reality, everyone can be both and is usually trying to weigh on the side of good.

The lessons of not judging a book by its cover, learning and understanding your self-worth and owning up to your own missteps were well illustrated, along with the challenges and mistakes along the way. This was artfully done without seeming trite or overwritten. I can really appreciate these lessons as an adult and would have really enjoyed this book as an early teen!

[Gabrielle Stoller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dare I say that this book should be considered for 2027 Newbery lists? It's probably too early for that, but my goodness, characters like Fallon, characters that are beautifully written in their flaws, are what make for excellent written books. At least to me.

I appreciate books that are tough topics. Books beyond changing friend groups in middle school. Indeed, a book that deftly handles sexual abuse is one that must be shared. I know some might say "oh no, sexual abuse should not be in readers' hands", I would counter that children are abused and deserve to see themselves represented. Just as children of all races, nationalities, genders, sexual orientations do. And indeed, what if a child reads this book and has experienced what Fallon did at the hands of a family member.....but they didn't know it was wrong. A SCAR LIKE A RIVER gives a voice for those who might not know they have to find theirs.

It's handled like a mystery. We know something happened to Fallon beyond receiving a scar....but it isn't until two thirds of the way through we find out about abuse. About why she hates Christmas lights so much. About why she struggles with her Aunt Lune. Nothing is ever gratuitous in explanation. Book banners couldn't say there are "vivid descriptions of sexually explicit material". But it is enough to know what has happened to Fallon. Someone said in another review it is a good accompaniment to FIGHTING WORDS by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley and I couldn't agree more.

A SCAR LIKE A RIVER also handles a chronically ill parent storyline accurately. We are starting to see chronic illness come up more and more in middle grade fiction and again, it is appreciated. Families do not live "Leave it to Beaver" lives with perfect parents. Real life has messes. Real life has unexplained pain.

So I'm a Law and Order SVU fan. (Indeed I want to get two dogs and name them Benson and Stabler). My girl Olivia Benson would have been a fan of this book. And I think you will be too

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thirteen-year-old Fallon has secrets. All of them center around the origins of the scar on her face, a scar that runs from just above her left eyebrow to the top right edge of her upper lip. And when you’re in 7th grade, the last thing you need is an ugly scar; however, thankfully, Fallon has two incredibly close friends and a deep interest and talent in musical theater that helps. Upon the sudden death of her uncle, Fallon is forced to confront her truth and ultimately reveal her secrets to those she loves.

The novel is told from Fallon’s perspective. While the story behind her scar and her secrets is traumatic, most of her narration focuses on things many 13-year-olds experience, like dealing with snobby classmates, worrying about her talent, and navigating family and friendships. Fallon comes across as likable, positive, and funny. Even when serious things happen, she responds with a sense of lightness and optimism that shows her strength and resilience.

Even though the novel deals with serious subject matter, it never feels dark or ominous thanks to the brilliant characterization of Fallon, her voice, and her strength.

The audience for this book is ages 9-14. There are trigger warnings of physical, sexual, and emotional abuse.

A Scar Like a River is a great addition to any middle school library and works well for independent reading or small group book discussions.


Thank you to Little Brown and Company and Netgalley for the copy.

[Roben · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital ARC!

Thirteen-year old Fallon has both physical and emotional scars to deal with. In her own words, she has three huge secrets that she keeps crammed deep down inside. She has shared one of the secrets with her best friend, Trent. But he is the only one that knows that when she was five years old her uncle slashed her face with a knife, leaving her with a very prominent scar on her face. Her family thinks it was a random attack in their back yard.
As the book opens, her uncle has just died in a car wreck leaving Fallon with a huge mix of emotions.
In addition to all of that, her mom is suffering from a debilitating illness which is putting an emotional and financial strain on the family. And her 7th grade year is filled with lots of amazing things but also questions and misunderstanding.

There is a lot going on in this book! As you can imagine, cramming all of her secrets deep down inside is taking a huge toll on Fallon. Readers will notice chinks in the wall that she has erected as the story unfolds. But - Fallon is a really strong person. She has to be to deal with the attention her scar draws. And she has very supportive and loving parents. And some really great friends. And cool teachers. And eventually even a pretty great therapist. They all help her navigate the terrible things that have happened to her.

Also - this is a companion book to Lost In the Sun which was published in 2016 and tells Trent's story.

[Vicky · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great coming-of-age story about Fallon, who has a scar on her face, and has told only one person, Trent, how it happened. Fallon is dealing with some repressed memories and when her uncle dies and her aunt comes to live with her family it brings tension and anger to Fallon. Fallon is also a little mad that her two best friends are seeing each other and never told her. Fallon also got the lead in the school play but wants to make changes and finds out she can’t due to copyright laws so Fallon and Stella quit the play, and the play is canceled.. When Fallon sees Stella at therapy she wonders why. As Fallon and Stella become better friends, Trent and Kaia, stop talking to her. Fallon and Stella talk, and they find they have something in common. Fallon confronts her aunt about her secret and says why didn’t you do something? Fallon apologizes to Trent and Kaia, and she tells them about her idea about a show that the whole school could do since the play won’t be held. The school does a revue show and everyone can participate. References to sexual, emotional, and physical abuse are mentioned in this story.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

[Fallon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a hard book to read, beautiful and emotional, but the subject matter is rough. I believe this is a companion to another book, based on the dedication, but it is also a standalone. In this book, we follow Fallon Little, a 13-year-old who has 3 major secrets. We learn about these secrets from the least bad, how she got her scar, and to the most bad. When Fallon's uncle dies, it triggers some big emotions. Plus, her mother has had a mysterious chronic illness, her aunt, who she hates, moves in, and she has some conflict with the play that shes been in. Fallon goes through a lot emotionally. Most of the book is the typical middle-grade angst, friends, insecurities, and school. Then we get to the end of Act Two, and everything explodes. When Fallon finally hits the breaking point, I couldn't stop crying. Just cried like a baby because it's a lot. I believe it was almost 100 pages of straight-up emotion and hard truths. I can't believe that this is a middle-grade book! I mean, I can, the first 300 pages were totally middle-grade. When we get to the hard stuff, though, man, I'm trying to think how I was mentally at 13. Definitely not a book for younger readers, unless they are on a similar healing journey to Fallon. Read your triggers because this one is about healing from multiple traumas. It is beautifully done, well handled, and I do like that we end on a note of hope.

[Sally Kruger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fallon Little has secrets - three to be exact. Her story dates back to when she was five years old. The first secret she has already told her two best friends. They know that the scar that runs down the length of her face was put there by her Uncle Geebie. The terrifying experience required many surgeries and is likely to require more. Her parents were by her side, but they don't really know the truth about what happened.

Fallon isn't ready to reveal her other secrets, but she knows she will at some point. The arrival of her mother's sister, Aunt Lune, opens up more about Fallon's secrets. As Fallon discovers more about her past and Aunt Lune's part in it, a huge anger grows in her.

Counting on her best friends turns out to be something Fallon can't depend on. Instead, a girl named Stella, once an enemy, turns out to have more in common with Fallon than she imagined. With Stella's help, Fallon might be able to open up about what happened years ago. Could this help with the healing Fallon so wishes for?

Author Lisa Graff presents this dramatic and emotional book certain to touch hearts and open minds to a problem many quietly face. This needs to be available to all middle grade and teen readers and many adults will find it useful as well.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, how I love this book. Fallon is featured in Graff's book Lost in the Sun, but you don't need to read that book first as this is not a series.

Fallon's voice is amazing; her story will break your heart, and she will also mend it as she speaks her truth, confronts hidden secrets, and heals her trauma. Graff uses a perfect balance between sorrow and humor, creating moments that are unbelievably poignant. The writing is spectacular, the characters so real, and the lessons to be learned incredible.

Yes, this is a book about sexual and emotional abuse, but it's more than that. Fallon teaches us the true meaning of friendship and reminds us that we should be careful about judging others. I love how her family works through her mom's illness, and the conflict Fallon experiences with her two best friends is handled beautifully. I don't want to say too much about this story because I want it to organically envelop readers. This may be a middle grade book, but Graff writes of trauma and abuse in a way that I have never seen in an adult book. Everyone should read this novel.

[Deborah Duncan · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a beautifully written novel this is. Graff balances several delicate plot threads as we gradually learn about the secrets 13 year old Fallon has been hiding far too long. Like all kids this age, Fallon is finding out who she is, aside from daughter to two pretty terrific parents and good friend to Trent and Kaia. She has a large facial scar and has never told anyone how she got it. She is triggered by Christmas lights, is angry at her aunt and uncle and is known for her odd clothing choices. But she's not angry all the time, she can be very funny and is a good enough singer to earn the lead in her middle school's play, beating out Stella, the usual female star. Her uncle's death starts a huge process for her, her friendships change and she is finally able to process what has happened to her. This is a very satisfying read for adults as well as teen girls and I recommend you read it for yourself.

[Shirley Freeman]

I loved the voice of scarred, yet confident, thirteen year old Fallon. The reader learns quickly that a childhood incident caused the river-shaped scar bisecting her face, but the facts of the incident, and other deeper secrets, only come to light over time. For eight years Fallon has kept her secrets and built a life for herself with friends, a love of acting/theater, and a decent relationship with her parents. A death in the extended family brings her previous traumas to the emotional forefront causing Fallon to begin blowing up relationships all over the place. Fortunately Fallon has caring adults in her family and she gets the help she needs to move forward, ask for forgiveness for her own mistakes and begin to forgive others for theirs. Older kids, and young adults, who've experienced trauma or care about someone who has, will be inspired by Fallon's voice and spirit.

[Shawna Briseno · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fallon has been keeping secrets. Some very big secrets. The secret of how exactly she got the scar that occupies much of her face. But also other secrets that have influenced her relationships. It’s a lot for a young teenage girl trying to navigate high school and friends and family and everything else happening around her. But when her Aunt Claire comes to stay with them, she finds those secrets bubbling up to the surface with no hope of being tamped back down.

This is a difficult but necessary story. It’s a story of courage and bravery but also of family strife and drama and things left unspoken. The underlying message is that your life experiences do not necessarily define you even if they do take up space in your head. I love Fallon and her spirit, her determination to right the wrongs around her. A great read!

[Librariann · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Middle grade leaning middle school - in my library, we'd put this in the Junior High section.

When I was a preteen, I loved the book Silver by Norma Fox Mazer. I probably would have liked this one, too. It was full of messy grays (after being cast as the lead in Hello Dolly, Fallon takes a stand that results in the play's cancellation), friendship drama (becoming friends with enemies, becoming estranged from friends), and family trauma (but with wonderfully supportive parents). It can easily be read without any familiarity with the previously published companion title, Lost in the Sun, which covers Trent's story.

Beautiful and heartfelt and realistic for junior high students.

Trigger warnings: sexual and physical assault, chronic illness of parent, public vomiting

[Ashley Gordon · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first thing anyone notices about 13 year old Fallon is her scar. There’s no hiding it. But what Fallon is hiding are secrets surrounding Scar Day and some days before. It’s been 8 years, but these secrets start to come to the surface as the middle school theatre prepares for the spring musical, Fallon’s friend dynamic shifts, and her family experiences an untimely death.

The main character is in therapy while she uncovers repressed memories. The actual descriptions of her experiences are not graphic and the specifics are mostly limited to one page. The tough parts are integrated into the normal school life of a middle school student.

I HATE that there have to be books about children experiencing sexual abuse, but if there is a child or teen needing this book, I hope they find it. 💔

Thanks to NetGalley and Little Brown Books for Young Readers for the ARC!

[Karen Arendt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fallon is an amazing character- strong, caring, courageous. She has had some very big traumas that she has kept secret from her parents since she was five years old. She told her best friend, Trent, about the 3rd biggest, but not the second and first biggest. As Fallon goes through 7th grade, she is finding it hard to keep these big secrets, especially when her aunt moves in and then her uncle dies. Along side these secrets is Fallon's objection to the musical Hello Dolly which encourages manipulative behaviors. So she protests and things get worse from there.

I loved Fallon's voice in the story. Despite have these big secrets weigh on her, she is positive friendly. The book is broken into the third biggest, second biggest and first biggest secret so that it is slowly revealed over the entire book.

[Allyson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you #goodreadsgiveaway #christyottavianobooks for the novel!

This young adult novel surprised me with its depth. Initially, I wasn't entirely won over, but giving it a chance revealed a compelling narrative. The semi-reliable narrator's journey is striking, as she grapples with her secrets and ultimately finds the courage to share them. While the story tackles some heavy themes, the author's handling is thoughtful and nuanced, avoiding gratuitous detail. What's remarkable is how the book sheds light on the resilience that emerges when we face our struggles head-on, and the importance of speaking out. Lisa Graff skillfully navigates complex issues, offering a powerful exploration of the human experience that will resonate with readers, particularly young people facing their own challenges.

[Kathy Boskind · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so good. Fallon is a 13 year old girl who loves spending time with her two best friends and acting/singing. The first thing everyone notices about her is the scar on her face that she got when she was 5. But no one, except her best friend Trent, knows the truth about how she got the scar. And no one at all knows that the day she got the scar was not her worst day ever, but her third worst.

Not only does she have some extreme trauma from her past, but her mother is also fighting through a chronic illness and is having trouble getting a diagnosis or help.

I definitely cried for Fallon and what she was going through in this book, and any book that is powerful enough to make me cry is a good one in my book.