What do you think?
Rate this book
Gracie Faltrain #1
The Life and Times of Gracie Faltrain
STAR (noun): any large body like the sun, intensely hot and producing its own energy by nuclear reactions SOCCER STAR (noun): Gracie Faltrain
Goal-kicking, super-girl, soccer star. Gracie Faltrain is on her way. To the National Championships. To Nick. To everything she's ever wanted. Or so she thinks. Gracie's about to find out that life is messy. And hard. And beautiful.
There's a shadow falling across her mum and dad. Her best friend is about to leave town. She's trying desperately to be with the right boy, on the edge of falling in love with the wrong boy. She's rushing headlong into screwing up, making up, trying to keep it all together. Welcome to the life and times of Gracie Faltrain.
From first-time novelist Cath Crowley comes this sometimes hilarious, sometimes poignant look at what good can happen when your world is falling apart.
Goal-kicking, super-girl, soccer star. Gracie Faltrain is on her way. To the National Championships. To Nick. To everything she's ever wanted. Or so she thinks. Gracie's about to find out that life is messy. And hard. And beautiful.
There's a shadow falling across her mum and dad. Her best friend is about to leave town. She's trying desperately to be with the right boy, on the edge of falling in love with the wrong boy. She's rushing headlong into screwing up, making up, trying to keep it all together. Welcome to the life and times of Gracie Faltrain.
From first-time novelist Cath Crowley comes this sometimes hilarious, sometimes poignant look at what good can happen when your world is falling apart.
233 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2004
6 people are currently reading
585 people want to read
About the author
Cath Crowley
11 books1,359 followersAuthor of Words in Deep Blue, A Little Wanting Song (Chasing Charlie Duskin), Graffiti Moon and the Gracie series.
Take Three Girls, a collaboration with Simmone Howell and Fiona Wood, is out in September 2017.
Take Three Girls, a collaboration with Simmone Howell and Fiona Wood, is out in September 2017.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
November 26, 2014
“ALYCE: 'Gracie's got brown hair, like me. She's about the same height, too. People notice her. I think it's her voice. It's always louder than you expect and covered with laughter.
I was surprised when she said she didn't want to work with me. I don't know Gracie very well, but I remember once in Year 3 she gave me an invitation to her party. She spelt my name right. Everyone always spells it with an 'i', even the teachers. Ever since then I thought she would be nice. I never thought she'd look at me like I was nothing.”
*** Read first from May 15th to 16th 2011 ***
The blurb on the cover of my paperback edition of Cath Crowley’s YA debut says "A novel about scoring the perfect goal ... and the perfect boy" and the back cover text starts with “Goal-kicking supergirl, soccer star”. In combination with the rather bland design and the simplistic title I imagined the book to be a middle-grade story about a girl who has to keep her balance between starring in a mainly male domain and being just a girl in love. A story about gender, thinly coated with a layer of romance. A story like Dairy Queen by Catherine Gilbert Murdock, but aimed at a younger audience and told with a lighter, fluffier voice. A story I might like.
My conclusions turned out to be very wrong. I would say The Life and Times of Gracie Faltrain is a book about relationships. It depicts how what we do and say and feel affects others and how others affect us. I never would sort it as middle-grade (Gracie is in Year 10), and although it contained more than a few laugh-out-loud-moments and a truckload of hope, 'fluffy' and 'light' are words I wouldn't tolerate to be used around it. Gracie Faltrain is a very short book. Most of its pages are not even half-way filled with words. But the sentences are on the spot, heart-wrenching and almost poetic. I want to quote them all. I want to read them again. I do not like the book. I love it, fiercely. I treasure it even more than Graffiti Moon and I immediately went over to the Fishpond to order the sequel, Gracie Faltrain Takes Control.
Soccer team striker Jake Morieson complains about Gracie that "She plays soccer like she’s out there alone. And that’s no way to play." Gracie herself claims that "The game’s won when I get on that field." Statements like these do not paint a pretty picture of the main character – or of any other character either. The narrator flips the point of view from head to head and treats the reader mercilessly with the repercussions one person’s behavior has on the others. If you tend to judge people you meet very early you might quickly decide to dislike Gracie for perpetually hogging the ball, for mooning about a shallow boy, for being upset about her best friend’s departure to Europe - without even once asking her how she dealt with being relocated to a far away and unknown country - and for being mean to her classmate Alyce. You might cluck your tongue because Martin Knight’s mother left her kids without a goodbye and because Gracie’s father Bill returns less and less frequently home to his family on the weekends although his daughter and wife need him. But if you patiently wait for the respective opposite point of view, it almost audibly clicks inside your head you begin to feel and root for everybody, because somehow you get their emotions and you find a bit of yourself in most of them. But at no point the interwoven thoughts and fates turn the story into something soppy. The book always felt incredibly real and honest to me.
Surprisingly the voices I liked best were the ones of Gracie’s parents, Helen and Bill, who love each other, but who feel their common ground and their reasons to hold fast to each other slip quietly away:
"BILL: I'm always looking for what will make me whole. What will make me happy? Somewhere along the way I started to think it wasn't Helen anymore. She hasn't changed. Her laugh is still the one I remember. Her finger is still the one I put the ring on all those years ago. I can't understand why I don't want to curve next to her, keep her back warm anymore. Surely you don't lose love like keys?"
”HELEN: [...] That’s when I see him again for the first time. Really see him. He is forty and tired and travelling everywhere with the books he loves so much piled in the back of his car. 'I forgot about your bookshop,’ I say. ‘Baby, you and Gracie are more important to me than books or a shop,’ he answers, and I think two things: when I get back I will find a way to give him his dream, but more importantly for the moment, he called me baby."
Cath Crowley managed to express their thoughts about each other and about their crumbling bond so achingly beautifully that I wished she would attempt to write an adult contemporary in the future. I am convinced she would ace it as well. She is simply that good at words and at understanding how a human being ticks – no matter how old or young.
”ANNABELLE: Did you see those undies?
NICK: You have to admit, she has a great body.”
I was surprised when she said she didn't want to work with me. I don't know Gracie very well, but I remember once in Year 3 she gave me an invitation to her party. She spelt my name right. Everyone always spells it with an 'i', even the teachers. Ever since then I thought she would be nice. I never thought she'd look at me like I was nothing.”
*** Read first from May 15th to 16th 2011 ***
The blurb on the cover of my paperback edition of Cath Crowley’s YA debut says "A novel about scoring the perfect goal ... and the perfect boy" and the back cover text starts with “Goal-kicking supergirl, soccer star”. In combination with the rather bland design and the simplistic title I imagined the book to be a middle-grade story about a girl who has to keep her balance between starring in a mainly male domain and being just a girl in love. A story about gender, thinly coated with a layer of romance. A story like Dairy Queen by Catherine Gilbert Murdock, but aimed at a younger audience and told with a lighter, fluffier voice. A story I might like.
My conclusions turned out to be very wrong. I would say The Life and Times of Gracie Faltrain is a book about relationships. It depicts how what we do and say and feel affects others and how others affect us. I never would sort it as middle-grade (Gracie is in Year 10), and although it contained more than a few laugh-out-loud-moments and a truckload of hope, 'fluffy' and 'light' are words I wouldn't tolerate to be used around it. Gracie Faltrain is a very short book. Most of its pages are not even half-way filled with words. But the sentences are on the spot, heart-wrenching and almost poetic. I want to quote them all. I want to read them again. I do not like the book. I love it, fiercely. I treasure it even more than Graffiti Moon and I immediately went over to the Fishpond to order the sequel, Gracie Faltrain Takes Control.
Soccer team striker Jake Morieson complains about Gracie that "She plays soccer like she’s out there alone. And that’s no way to play." Gracie herself claims that "The game’s won when I get on that field." Statements like these do not paint a pretty picture of the main character – or of any other character either. The narrator flips the point of view from head to head and treats the reader mercilessly with the repercussions one person’s behavior has on the others. If you tend to judge people you meet very early you might quickly decide to dislike Gracie for perpetually hogging the ball, for mooning about a shallow boy, for being upset about her best friend’s departure to Europe - without even once asking her how she dealt with being relocated to a far away and unknown country - and for being mean to her classmate Alyce. You might cluck your tongue because Martin Knight’s mother left her kids without a goodbye and because Gracie’s father Bill returns less and less frequently home to his family on the weekends although his daughter and wife need him. But if you patiently wait for the respective opposite point of view, it almost audibly clicks inside your head you begin to feel and root for everybody, because somehow you get their emotions and you find a bit of yourself in most of them. But at no point the interwoven thoughts and fates turn the story into something soppy. The book always felt incredibly real and honest to me.
Surprisingly the voices I liked best were the ones of Gracie’s parents, Helen and Bill, who love each other, but who feel their common ground and their reasons to hold fast to each other slip quietly away:
"BILL: I'm always looking for what will make me whole. What will make me happy? Somewhere along the way I started to think it wasn't Helen anymore. She hasn't changed. Her laugh is still the one I remember. Her finger is still the one I put the ring on all those years ago. I can't understand why I don't want to curve next to her, keep her back warm anymore. Surely you don't lose love like keys?"
”HELEN: [...] That’s when I see him again for the first time. Really see him. He is forty and tired and travelling everywhere with the books he loves so much piled in the back of his car. 'I forgot about your bookshop,’ I say. ‘Baby, you and Gracie are more important to me than books or a shop,’ he answers, and I think two things: when I get back I will find a way to give him his dream, but more importantly for the moment, he called me baby."
Cath Crowley managed to express their thoughts about each other and about their crumbling bond so achingly beautifully that I wished she would attempt to write an adult contemporary in the future. I am convinced she would ace it as well. She is simply that good at words and at understanding how a human being ticks – no matter how old or young.
”ANNABELLE: Did you see those undies?
NICK: You have to admit, she has a great body.”
January 31, 2012
I love reading debut novels. They're like the origins story of my superheroes -- authors. Cath Crowley wrote two of my favorite reads last year: A Little Wanting Song and Graffiti Moon. In her debut novel, The Life and Times of Gracie Faltrain, you see the beginning of her style with multiple, alternating points of view of irresistible characters.
First, you have Gracie. Kickass soccer superstar on an all boys team. The problem isn't that she knows this, the problem is she knows it and lords her supremacy on the field over her teammates. (Like Ladybugs in reverse without the cross dressing, Catie!) There's a "No I in team" speech here but Cath Crowley is too talented for that. Instead she gives us Martin Knight.
Martin Knight is the captain and Gracie's sole supporter on the team. The first time a timid, young Gracie approaches the team, he tells her, "Stick with me, Faltrain." Me: a puddle of goo. Every time Martin says something, I turn into goo but Gracie, of course, rolls her eyes and then averts them to another guy who may be a jerk.
Nick. As if.
It wouldn't be a Crowley book without kooky, slight-to-moderately dysfunctional parents. Gracie's parents have the most awesome meet-cute ever, but Gracie's dad has been away on business for awhile, longer than necessary now that she thinks about it, and things don't seem so cute anymore.
Then, in addition to team and family tension, Gracie's BFF is moving to London. She's without her support system as she has the most hilariously horrible date ever.
It involves a tongue in the ear.
I loved Gracie & co and I really liked this book. I wouldn't say it's on the same level as Graffiti Moon, and earlier on I wanted less points of view (and I could do without the definitions that start each chapter), but overall it was a solid, enjoyable, funny read, let alone a debut! I just adore the way Cath Crowley writes. Some of my favorite quotes:
Four stars and a hundred SQUEEs.
First, you have Gracie. Kickass soccer superstar on an all boys team. The problem isn't that she knows this, the problem is she knows it and lords her supremacy on the field over her teammates. (Like Ladybugs in reverse without the cross dressing, Catie!) There's a "No I in team" speech here but Cath Crowley is too talented for that. Instead she gives us Martin Knight.
Martin Knight is the captain and Gracie's sole supporter on the team. The first time a timid, young Gracie approaches the team, he tells her, "Stick with me, Faltrain." Me: a puddle of goo. Every time Martin says something, I turn into goo but Gracie, of course, rolls her eyes and then averts them to another guy who may be a jerk.
Nick. As if.
It wouldn't be a Crowley book without kooky, slight-to-moderately dysfunctional parents. Gracie's parents have the most awesome meet-cute ever, but Gracie's dad has been away on business for awhile, longer than necessary now that she thinks about it, and things don't seem so cute anymore.
Then, in addition to team and family tension, Gracie's BFF is moving to London. She's without her support system as she has the most hilariously horrible date ever.
It involves a tongue in the ear.
I loved Gracie & co and I really liked this book. I wouldn't say it's on the same level as Graffiti Moon, and earlier on I wanted less points of view (and I could do without the definitions that start each chapter), but overall it was a solid, enjoyable, funny read, let alone a debut! I just adore the way Cath Crowley writes. Some of my favorite quotes:
He looks like he wants to stuff what he's just said back in his mouth and swallow. I catch a tiny glimpse of his home life, scattered around us like little crumbs of sadness.The two best quotes are at the end, but they're a little spoilery so I didn't include them. It may involve a tongue in the ear.
I've got a fist in my stomach; whenever I open my mouth it punches out at anyone who gets in my way.
Four stars and a hundred SQUEEs.
July 1, 2012
Read in one night. Gracie is a heroine hard to love at the beginning, but she definitely grows and matures throughout the book. This is not only her story, but also her parents', her friends' and sometimes her enemies' ... Cath Crowley shows her talent with words in her debut - maybe not as colourfully as in Graffiti Moon - and there were lots of quotes I wanted to write down and remember. As I didn't have a pen on me, I'll now try to hunt them down here. I can't deny I expected a bit more from this book (it's Cath Crowley after all), but I was charmed nonetheless. Recommended for Dairy Queen fans: this was the book I'd expected Playing Hurt and Catching Jordan to be. I look forward to reading the next two books in the series.
March 23, 2012
Oh dude, I enjoyed this SO much! :D It was just so wonderfully Australian, and had the feel of so many wonderful kids' TV shows I grew up watching... I really think the ABC should jump on the Gracie Faltrain wagon asap! I'd watch that!!
The style was fun as well, with loads of different narrators - sometimes they'd be back and forth-ing with just one line each, like a conversation. (Which was odd when you think about it, like some parts were written privately and some were shared around? But it was fun, so whatever.) At first I felt like there were perhaps too many narrators, but then I guess I became used to it. At first I felt I'd have preferred it if the only voices had been from the kids, without Gracie's parents thrown into the mix as well - it was a bit odd to have an adult POV or two jumping into a teen book like that, but then thinking about it, it's a pretty unique idea to actually bring the adults into things so much... Usually, parents are just left as cardboard cut-outs that you only see from the outside. Bringing them in too gives the novel a slightly more mature feel, like trusting the readers to not just be little kids but to be more sensible and appreciative that things are deeper than just what you see on the surface.
Gracie's a fun character, too. She's not perfect and sometimes you want to shake her, but she's very real and engaging. All of the cast were fun to read, although gee Nick is a bit of a douche, and Annabelle just plain made me mad - the bit where Gracie relates about a time when Annabelle fell off the swing and blamed Gracie, and then on the next page you have Annabelle - who is now ten or eleven years older than when the swing incident occurred! - mentioning about the time Gracie pushed her off the swing and then lied about it... oh my god, all the hate in the world for that girl! I have a deep loathing for people who tell lies, and then try and make out that the other person is in fact the liar.
Okay, getting away from horrible Annabelle... loved this book, want the rest of the series NOW. Cath Crowley is my new hero. I feel like I'm in year 10 again myself or something and reading about a regular Melbourne chick and I love it :D
ALSO! I like how there was a bit of romance, but not terribly much. This isn't a romance novel.
The style was fun as well, with loads of different narrators - sometimes they'd be back and forth-ing with just one line each, like a conversation. (Which was odd when you think about it, like some parts were written privately and some were shared around? But it was fun, so whatever.) At first I felt like there were perhaps too many narrators, but then I guess I became used to it. At first I felt I'd have preferred it if the only voices had been from the kids, without Gracie's parents thrown into the mix as well - it was a bit odd to have an adult POV or two jumping into a teen book like that, but then thinking about it, it's a pretty unique idea to actually bring the adults into things so much... Usually, parents are just left as cardboard cut-outs that you only see from the outside. Bringing them in too gives the novel a slightly more mature feel, like trusting the readers to not just be little kids but to be more sensible and appreciative that things are deeper than just what you see on the surface.
Gracie's a fun character, too. She's not perfect and sometimes you want to shake her, but she's very real and engaging. All of the cast were fun to read, although gee Nick is a bit of a douche, and Annabelle just plain made me mad - the bit where Gracie relates about a time when Annabelle fell off the swing and blamed Gracie, and then on the next page you have Annabelle - who is now ten or eleven years older than when the swing incident occurred! - mentioning about the time Gracie pushed her off the swing and then lied about it... oh my god, all the hate in the world for that girl! I have a deep loathing for people who tell lies, and then try and make out that the other person is in fact the liar.
Okay, getting away from horrible Annabelle... loved this book, want the rest of the series NOW. Cath Crowley is my new hero. I feel like I'm in year 10 again myself or something and reading about a regular Melbourne chick and I love it :D
ALSO! I like how there was a bit of romance, but not terribly much. This isn't a romance novel.
March 20, 2013
There is something pretty special about reading the debut novel of one of your favourite authors, it's almost like you're getting a glimpse at the roots of their talent; you can see where everything that come after has stemmed from and how much they've grown as a writer. And Gracie Faltrain is no exception. I was almost giddy with infatuation, just getting to read Cath's first published novel with the knowledge of what her writing style and execution has evolved into.
Gracie is the only girl on an all boys (duh) soccer team and she rocks it. She is a badass super talented player and the team would be nothing without her. And she knows it. To put it bluntly, she is an insufferable hot head who likes to flaunt her talent and undeniable skill over every player on the field. Let the BFF charms rain down on her inflated head because I LOVE YOU GRACIE. Even when I wanted to give you a sharp kick in the shins because girl makes some really questionable decisions. She is pushy and doesn't know what the back the hell off but she is quite possibly my favourite Crowley girl, and not just because she could introduce me to Martin Knight, but because she is authentic and annoying and all kinds of amazing.
Martin Knight. 'Stick with me, Faltrain' MARTIN KNIGHT.
I know what you're thinking 'a book about soccer? lolololol what is this, Bend it like Beckham?' I am going to sound really cliche here and say, this isn't a book about soccer. Sure, soccer has a really major part in the plot and is instrumental to the story line BUT this is a Cath Crowley book. She can make a soccer flying through the air sound like poetry. She has a way with words that with bamboozle your mind and boggle your senses. Told through multiple narratives, we switch from Gracie to members of her soccer team to her parents. YES, her parents and let me tell you, I gulped them down like they was water and I was dying of thirst in the desert.
To say this is a debut novel is mind bending. Crowley crafts a story about soccer that isn't really about soccer at all. The intricacies of her character development and a fast paced plot line full of hilarious incidents and the FUNNIEST date in the history of all the books ever, make this a debut that I hope everyone has a chance to experience.
Gracie is the only girl on an all boys (duh) soccer team and she rocks it. She is a badass super talented player and the team would be nothing without her. And she knows it. To put it bluntly, she is an insufferable hot head who likes to flaunt her talent and undeniable skill over every player on the field. Let the BFF charms rain down on her inflated head because I LOVE YOU GRACIE. Even when I wanted to give you a sharp kick in the shins because girl makes some really questionable decisions. She is pushy and doesn't know what the back the hell off but she is quite possibly my favourite Crowley girl, and not just because she could introduce me to Martin Knight, but because she is authentic and annoying and all kinds of amazing.
Martin Knight. 'Stick with me, Faltrain' MARTIN KNIGHT.
I know what you're thinking 'a book about soccer? lolololol what is this, Bend it like Beckham?' I am going to sound really cliche here and say, this isn't a book about soccer. Sure, soccer has a really major part in the plot and is instrumental to the story line BUT this is a Cath Crowley book. She can make a soccer flying through the air sound like poetry. She has a way with words that with bamboozle your mind and boggle your senses. Told through multiple narratives, we switch from Gracie to members of her soccer team to her parents. YES, her parents and let me tell you, I gulped them down like they was water and I was dying of thirst in the desert.
To say this is a debut novel is mind bending. Crowley crafts a story about soccer that isn't really about soccer at all. The intricacies of her character development and a fast paced plot line full of hilarious incidents and the FUNNIEST date in the history of all the books ever, make this a debut that I hope everyone has a chance to experience.
February 2, 2012
Tell me again why this isn't published in the US? Seems like it would do well. A funny, charming novel that is actually about sports and family. Good stuff.
(Also, this is the sort of book I'd hoped Catching Jordan would be.)
(Also, this is the sort of book I'd hoped Catching Jordan would be.)
November 16, 2011
Review of all three books: 'The Life and Times of Gracie Faltrain', 'Gracie Faltrain Takes Control' and 'Gracie Faltrain Gets it Right'.
World, meet Gracie Faltrain. She’s in year 10, is her school’s soccer superstar and the renegade girl who plays on the boy’s team. Gracie is a phenomenal player, because when she’s on the field she grows wings and never misses a goal. But she plays for herself. She doesn’t pass or share the glory – when Gracie Faltrain plays, she plays to win, and nobody better get in her way.
But Gracie is slowly starting to learn that winning by yourself isn’t nearly as satisfying as sharing the triumph with a team. The same way her family isn’t whole when her dad is away and her mum misses him. Or how Gracie is lost when her best friend, Jane, moves to England for her dad’s work, and Gracie becomes a social outcast at school. Soccer is about teamwork, sharing the glory and commiserating the loss . . . the same can be said of friendships and relationships.
We stay with Gracie through to year eleven. She’s still a soccer superstar, but one year on and she has gained a friend – the geeky, shy and sweet Alyce Fuller is firmly under Gracie’s wing. Then there’s Andrew Flemming, Gracie’s soccer teammate who has finally become a friend, and the object of Alyce’s affections. Then there’s Martin Knight – soccer captain and Gracie’s new boyfriend. Martin’s mum left eight years ago, and her absence still stings. But Gracie Faltrain is here to save the day and fix everyone’s problems, even if she doesn’t understand them. Gracie’s about to learn though, that sometimes you’ve got to let yourself lose when there’s just no way to win.
And, finally, we’re with Grace in her final year of high school. Dan Woodbury is a player from the opposition, but that doesn’t mean Gracie can’t be intrigued by his lip-ring and flying skills. Jane is back from England and dreaming of Gracie’s teammate, Corelli, in his Superman suit. Alyce Fuller is completey and totally over Andew Flemming . . . right when he realizes how much he wants her back. Annabelle Orion is going from annoying mean-girl to Gracie’s arch-nemesis in record time, and Martin doesn’t want anything to do with Gracie anymore. But the championships are around the corner, and Gracie has to make some big decisions about where soccer fits into the great scheme of her future.
Cath Crowley’s ‘Gracie Faltrain’ series debuted in 2004 with ‘The Life and Times of Gracie Faltrain’. In 2006 Crowley wrote ‘Gracie Faltrain Takes Control’, and she concluded the series in 2008 with ‘Gracie Faltrain Gets It Right (Finally)’.
Ever since falling in love with Crowley’s ‘Graffiti Moon’ I have had a voracious appetite for her written word. So it was with utter glee that I delved into the ‘Gracie Faltrain’ series . . . and, as has become her MO, Cath Crowley does not disappoint in the least.
The ‘Gracie Faltrain’ series spans three years in the high school soccer career of one Gracie Faltrain – only girl on the boy’s soccer team and catastrophic klutz. Gracie is a superb character, and even though she’s nothing like Crowley’s other beloved female leads, Charlie Duskin or Lucy, Gracie still has the feel of a Crowley creation. She’s a tomboy with a temper, often time oblivious to the thoughts and feelings of others around her (until it’s too late), loyal to a fault and fiercely competitive. She’s brilliant. Throughout the three books we read how Gracie gets it so, so wrong . . . and sometimes she learns how to save the game, but other times her lesson comes from accepting defeat and knowing when she’s beat.
Helping Gracie along the way is a cast of unforgettable secondary characters aplenty. Gracie is our main narrator, but over the course of three books each major and minor character gets their turn at narrating. Gracie’s parents take the lead a lot in the first book, explaining their side of separation and how hard it is to watch Gracie muck up from the sidelines of her life. But in the final two books the narrative voice is taken over by Gracie’s nearest and dearest friends. There’s her best friend, Alyce, the school nerd who gets her heart broken by a popular soccer jock. Andrew Flemming, said popular jock who learns his own self-worth only when the girl he hurt proves it to him. Jane, Gracie’s other best friend, relegated to England for the first two books but back in Australia for the finale and with a broken internal GPS. Martin Knight, in turns Gracie’s biggest fan and harshest commentator.
Multiple narrations are definitely Cath Crowley’s style – it’s her groove and signature move, and it works pitch-perfectly in ‘Gracie Faltrain’. When I first read the plethora of POVs in ‘The Life and Times’ I was a little overwhelmed – particularly when we get Gracie’s parents narrating too. But it works. Once Crowley gets readers into her rhythm, it becomes the most natural thing to be given a window into these people’s heads, to read the ways they bounce off each other and fall in misunderstandings and tangled webs. And Gracie’s parents offer some of the most poignant insights of the entire series;
HELEN FALTRAIN
I read somewhere that spiders can spin silk strong enough to hold the weight of a thousand trucks. I tried to imagine those lines of silver, thinner than air, stronger than steel. Sometimes I think that a hundred webs, invisible gossamers, connect Gracie and me. They coat our bodies, tie our limbs together, link our hearts. They can stretch across cities, countries – even anger. Unbreakable. I felt them that first time I watched her play soccer.
She needed to win so badly. I watched a new Gracie crack out of her cocoon that day. Grey, moth-like, she seemed covered in a dust that let her take to the air. Fly. They’re beautiful things, moths, with their dark patterned wings hooking on wind to push them forward. You have to be careful with them, though. Brush them just lightly, and they can’t fly anymore.
- ‘The Life and Times of Gracie Faltrain’
Also, in the multiple narrations, certain character’s voices come to echo Crowley’s other works. Martin Knight is still living in the aftermath of his mother’s abandonment, and there’s a little of the heartsick Charlie Duskin and Ed in him. Likewise, when Gracie’s enemy, Annabelle Orion, takes the narrative reigns, her insights hint at some of the same struggles that Charlie Duskin goes through. It’s the same with Alyce Fuller, the no-hope nerd who is ignored by everyone (including Gracie) in the first book – she too has echoes of Charlie. All of these characters touch on what Cath Crowley is most curious about in her writing – people on the fringe, looking in. She loves the misfits and no-hopers, the ones who kick themselves down . . . and then she writes beautifully about how they get back up. They’re all here in the ‘Gracie Faltrain’ books, and they are lovely to read. But be warned, this is a series that will cause tears. But hey, no pain no gain, and there’s a lot to gain from the ‘Gracie Faltrain’ series.
I love, love, loved all three of these books. This is a wonderful series about fighting for what you want and not being afraid to stuff up, just so long as you admit when you’re wrong and do your damndest to make amends. And this series is funny. Gracie is infectious; her klutzy catastrophes will leave you belly-aching, and the social shenanigans Gracie finds herself in will leave you vicariously red-faced.
Hands up if anyone else fells like they’re in a strange life-looping door that keeps swinging back to hit them on the butt?
- Gracie Faltrain Gets It Right (Finally)
Cath Crowley is truly one of Australia’s finest YA authors. ‘Gracie Faltrain’ is a series with a lot of heart; exploring the pitfalls and soars of high school through the wonderfully fumbling Gracie Faltrain. If you loved ‘Graffiti Moon’ and ‘Chasing Charlie Duskin’, then be assured that Cath Crowley has been writing on a role since way back in 2004. . .
World, meet Gracie Faltrain. She’s in year 10, is her school’s soccer superstar and the renegade girl who plays on the boy’s team. Gracie is a phenomenal player, because when she’s on the field she grows wings and never misses a goal. But she plays for herself. She doesn’t pass or share the glory – when Gracie Faltrain plays, she plays to win, and nobody better get in her way.
But Gracie is slowly starting to learn that winning by yourself isn’t nearly as satisfying as sharing the triumph with a team. The same way her family isn’t whole when her dad is away and her mum misses him. Or how Gracie is lost when her best friend, Jane, moves to England for her dad’s work, and Gracie becomes a social outcast at school. Soccer is about teamwork, sharing the glory and commiserating the loss . . . the same can be said of friendships and relationships.
We stay with Gracie through to year eleven. She’s still a soccer superstar, but one year on and she has gained a friend – the geeky, shy and sweet Alyce Fuller is firmly under Gracie’s wing. Then there’s Andrew Flemming, Gracie’s soccer teammate who has finally become a friend, and the object of Alyce’s affections. Then there’s Martin Knight – soccer captain and Gracie’s new boyfriend. Martin’s mum left eight years ago, and her absence still stings. But Gracie Faltrain is here to save the day and fix everyone’s problems, even if she doesn’t understand them. Gracie’s about to learn though, that sometimes you’ve got to let yourself lose when there’s just no way to win.
And, finally, we’re with Grace in her final year of high school. Dan Woodbury is a player from the opposition, but that doesn’t mean Gracie can’t be intrigued by his lip-ring and flying skills. Jane is back from England and dreaming of Gracie’s teammate, Corelli, in his Superman suit. Alyce Fuller is completey and totally over Andew Flemming . . . right when he realizes how much he wants her back. Annabelle Orion is going from annoying mean-girl to Gracie’s arch-nemesis in record time, and Martin doesn’t want anything to do with Gracie anymore. But the championships are around the corner, and Gracie has to make some big decisions about where soccer fits into the great scheme of her future.
Cath Crowley’s ‘Gracie Faltrain’ series debuted in 2004 with ‘The Life and Times of Gracie Faltrain’. In 2006 Crowley wrote ‘Gracie Faltrain Takes Control’, and she concluded the series in 2008 with ‘Gracie Faltrain Gets It Right (Finally)’.
Ever since falling in love with Crowley’s ‘Graffiti Moon’ I have had a voracious appetite for her written word. So it was with utter glee that I delved into the ‘Gracie Faltrain’ series . . . and, as has become her MO, Cath Crowley does not disappoint in the least.
The ‘Gracie Faltrain’ series spans three years in the high school soccer career of one Gracie Faltrain – only girl on the boy’s soccer team and catastrophic klutz. Gracie is a superb character, and even though she’s nothing like Crowley’s other beloved female leads, Charlie Duskin or Lucy, Gracie still has the feel of a Crowley creation. She’s a tomboy with a temper, often time oblivious to the thoughts and feelings of others around her (until it’s too late), loyal to a fault and fiercely competitive. She’s brilliant. Throughout the three books we read how Gracie gets it so, so wrong . . . and sometimes she learns how to save the game, but other times her lesson comes from accepting defeat and knowing when she’s beat.
Helping Gracie along the way is a cast of unforgettable secondary characters aplenty. Gracie is our main narrator, but over the course of three books each major and minor character gets their turn at narrating. Gracie’s parents take the lead a lot in the first book, explaining their side of separation and how hard it is to watch Gracie muck up from the sidelines of her life. But in the final two books the narrative voice is taken over by Gracie’s nearest and dearest friends. There’s her best friend, Alyce, the school nerd who gets her heart broken by a popular soccer jock. Andrew Flemming, said popular jock who learns his own self-worth only when the girl he hurt proves it to him. Jane, Gracie’s other best friend, relegated to England for the first two books but back in Australia for the finale and with a broken internal GPS. Martin Knight, in turns Gracie’s biggest fan and harshest commentator.
Multiple narrations are definitely Cath Crowley’s style – it’s her groove and signature move, and it works pitch-perfectly in ‘Gracie Faltrain’. When I first read the plethora of POVs in ‘The Life and Times’ I was a little overwhelmed – particularly when we get Gracie’s parents narrating too. But it works. Once Crowley gets readers into her rhythm, it becomes the most natural thing to be given a window into these people’s heads, to read the ways they bounce off each other and fall in misunderstandings and tangled webs. And Gracie’s parents offer some of the most poignant insights of the entire series;
HELEN FALTRAIN
I read somewhere that spiders can spin silk strong enough to hold the weight of a thousand trucks. I tried to imagine those lines of silver, thinner than air, stronger than steel. Sometimes I think that a hundred webs, invisible gossamers, connect Gracie and me. They coat our bodies, tie our limbs together, link our hearts. They can stretch across cities, countries – even anger. Unbreakable. I felt them that first time I watched her play soccer.
She needed to win so badly. I watched a new Gracie crack out of her cocoon that day. Grey, moth-like, she seemed covered in a dust that let her take to the air. Fly. They’re beautiful things, moths, with their dark patterned wings hooking on wind to push them forward. You have to be careful with them, though. Brush them just lightly, and they can’t fly anymore.
- ‘The Life and Times of Gracie Faltrain’
Also, in the multiple narrations, certain character’s voices come to echo Crowley’s other works. Martin Knight is still living in the aftermath of his mother’s abandonment, and there’s a little of the heartsick Charlie Duskin and Ed in him. Likewise, when Gracie’s enemy, Annabelle Orion, takes the narrative reigns, her insights hint at some of the same struggles that Charlie Duskin goes through. It’s the same with Alyce Fuller, the no-hope nerd who is ignored by everyone (including Gracie) in the first book – she too has echoes of Charlie. All of these characters touch on what Cath Crowley is most curious about in her writing – people on the fringe, looking in. She loves the misfits and no-hopers, the ones who kick themselves down . . . and then she writes beautifully about how they get back up. They’re all here in the ‘Gracie Faltrain’ books, and they are lovely to read. But be warned, this is a series that will cause tears. But hey, no pain no gain, and there’s a lot to gain from the ‘Gracie Faltrain’ series.
I love, love, loved all three of these books. This is a wonderful series about fighting for what you want and not being afraid to stuff up, just so long as you admit when you’re wrong and do your damndest to make amends. And this series is funny. Gracie is infectious; her klutzy catastrophes will leave you belly-aching, and the social shenanigans Gracie finds herself in will leave you vicariously red-faced.
Hands up if anyone else fells like they’re in a strange life-looping door that keeps swinging back to hit them on the butt?
- Gracie Faltrain Gets It Right (Finally)
Cath Crowley is truly one of Australia’s finest YA authors. ‘Gracie Faltrain’ is a series with a lot of heart; exploring the pitfalls and soars of high school through the wonderfully fumbling Gracie Faltrain. If you loved ‘Graffiti Moon’ and ‘Chasing Charlie Duskin’, then be assured that Cath Crowley has been writing on a role since way back in 2004. . .
July 8, 2017
I enjoyed this read but Cath Crowley's WORDS IN DEEP BLUE is my all time favorite book, and in comparison, I just couldn't LOVE this novel. Maybe, for me, nothing will live up to her latest book :)
April 6, 2012
My mum gave me this book at least a year ago. She and my sister had both read it some time before and they thought, since I am now a teenager, that I would be interested. At the time I had just finished reading The Hunger Games triliogy, and looking at the cover - a girl playing soccer - I thought, 'I'm never going to read this...ever.'. But I forgot: Don't judge a book by it's cover...ever.
So I was suprised, after the first couple of pages (yes, I did start reading it...as a break from my paranormal/dystopian reading streak), that I was enjoying this read. Sure, it was about a girl who plays soccer and her boy troubles - but it was more than just that. It was about what some teenagers have to go through, how they feel and why.
I think the MAIN reason - apart from the main plot- that I liked this book was the way Cath Crowley writes. She uses so many similes, metaphors and adjectives - but not too many- that make the story even more beautiful and real. The chapters included views from all the different characters in the books- including the adults - which was confusing because at times they seemed to be in a conversation, but at other times they were thinking privately. BUT that didn't bother me at all or waver my reading - it was just different.
The characters were all great - whether terrible snobs, or amazing friends- and I loved how none of them were perfect. If you're looking for a realistic fiction teen read then I'd recommend this book. Definitely one I'll read more than once, and the next two books of this trilogy are near the top of my to-be-read shelf!
So I was suprised, after the first couple of pages (yes, I did start reading it...as a break from my paranormal/dystopian reading streak), that I was enjoying this read. Sure, it was about a girl who plays soccer and her boy troubles - but it was more than just that. It was about what some teenagers have to go through, how they feel and why.
I think the MAIN reason - apart from the main plot- that I liked this book was the way Cath Crowley writes. She uses so many similes, metaphors and adjectives - but not too many- that make the story even more beautiful and real. The chapters included views from all the different characters in the books- including the adults - which was confusing because at times they seemed to be in a conversation, but at other times they were thinking privately. BUT that didn't bother me at all or waver my reading - it was just different.
The characters were all great - whether terrible snobs, or amazing friends- and I loved how none of them were perfect. If you're looking for a realistic fiction teen read then I'd recommend this book. Definitely one I'll read more than once, and the next two books of this trilogy are near the top of my to-be-read shelf!
March 23, 2017
Gracie Faltrain is a soccer star. She knows it, and she likes to remind her male teammates whenever she gets a chance. Gracie is not a team player, and the guys have started to resent her for it. Toss in some friendship and romantic troubles, and her father’s emotional absence, and Gracie’s life kind of sucks.
My favorite part of this book was undoubtedly the way Crowley showed every side of Gracie. She isn’t a perfect person—in fact, a lot of the bad things that happen to her are sort of her fault. The alternating first-person perspectives were quirky and, more importantly, helped readers see how Gracie came off to others (in good and bad ways).
My favorite part of this book was undoubtedly the way Crowley showed every side of Gracie. She isn’t a perfect person—in fact, a lot of the bad things that happen to her are sort of her fault. The alternating first-person perspectives were quirky and, more importantly, helped readers see how Gracie came off to others (in good and bad ways).
Read
July 16, 2016DNF at page 35.
I really wanted to like this book. I thought it was going to be like Dairy Queen.
It felt like a mess. There were 345,634,124 different POVs, and it leaped wildly about from POV to POV with no rhyme or rhythm. I thought from the title and description that it was about Gracie Faltrain, but it's apparently about ten million random people--whom I don't give a fuck about--as well. And they spend most of their POVs navel-gazing. And pondering.
I also didn't like Gracie from what I did see of her. She came off as pretty selfish and a desperate social climber.
So disappointed.
I really wanted to like this book. I thought it was going to be like Dairy Queen.
It felt like a mess. There were 345,634,124 different POVs, and it leaped wildly about from POV to POV with no rhyme or rhythm. I thought from the title and description that it was about Gracie Faltrain, but it's apparently about ten million random people--whom I don't give a fuck about--as well. And they spend most of their POVs navel-gazing. And pondering.
I also didn't like Gracie from what I did see of her. She came off as pretty selfish and a desperate social climber.
So disappointed.
November 3, 2016
So I found this book at the back of my self, didn't have much to read and decided to re-read it. I had fond memories reading it as a pre-teen wanting to play Soccer and be just like Gracie.
Surprisingly enough, I still really enjoyed it. Keeping in mind this is written for younger readers, I actually found to have no real complaints. Don't get me wrong, I'm not going to continue with the series or anything. But as a nice little trip to memory lane, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Surprisingly enough, I still really enjoyed it. Keeping in mind this is written for younger readers, I actually found to have no real complaints. Don't get me wrong, I'm not going to continue with the series or anything. But as a nice little trip to memory lane, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
June 9, 2008
Good book, its got a good meaning on top of embarassing situations
July 23, 2009
i thought the whole series was really good, it kept me reading. I also liked them because they were based on soccer
August 12, 2010
I love the series. The last one was the best. I just keep reading them becasue i love soccer and would love to play for the matlidas :)
October 21, 2010
loved it
Read
June 21, 2014it was great book! :)
October 2, 2017
Go Gracie...love a lead character who is not afraid to make mistakes
August 22, 2018
Short, sweet, awesome. Aussie YA really is some of the best shit. I wanted to throttle Gracie at times because she was such a self absorbed dick but I guess a lot of teenagers tend to be that way in real life. 4/5.
January 19, 2024
Encountering "The Life and Times of Gracie Fultrain" as a high school read left me in a middle ground—neither enamored nor disdainful of the narrative. The coming-of-age tale introduces readers to Gracie's world, where the nuances of her experiences shape her journey toward self-discovery.
While the book didn't elicit a passionate love or dislike, it presented a narrative landscape that, in retrospect, holds merit. Gracie's character, though not a personal favorite, navigates the complexities of adolescence, offering moments of relatability and introspection. The author's exploration of themes such as identity, friendship, and resilience provides a thoughtful backdrop to Gracie's narrative.
Despite not forming a profound connection with the story, the novel serves as a reflection of the diverse literary offerings encountered during high school. It stands as a testament to the varied experiences and perspectives that literature can provide, prompting readers to appreciate the journey of self-discovery in its many forms.
While the book didn't elicit a passionate love or dislike, it presented a narrative landscape that, in retrospect, holds merit. Gracie's character, though not a personal favorite, navigates the complexities of adolescence, offering moments of relatability and introspection. The author's exploration of themes such as identity, friendship, and resilience provides a thoughtful backdrop to Gracie's narrative.
Despite not forming a profound connection with the story, the novel serves as a reflection of the diverse literary offerings encountered during high school. It stands as a testament to the varied experiences and perspectives that literature can provide, prompting readers to appreciate the journey of self-discovery in its many forms.
August 7, 2025
I feel as though some of the pages/changes in POV were unnecessary and didn’t add to the story in any way. But obviously if you were a child/teenager reading this, it may be your kind of thing :)
November 11, 2025
I was hesitant to read this one because it looked like it was going to be soccer heavy, but it wasn’t that bad to read about. I like Cath Crowley
Read
August 24, 2017Goal-kicking, super-girl, soccer star. Gracie Faltrain is on her way. To the National Championships. To Nick. To everything she's ever wanted. Or so she thinks. Gracie's about to find out that life is messy. And hard. And beautiful. There's a shadow falling across her mum and dad. Her best friend is about to leave town. She's trying desperately to be with the right boy, on the edge of falling in love with the wrong boy. She's rushing headlong into screwing up, making up, trying to keep it all together. Welcome to the life and times of Gracie Faltrain. From first-time novelist Cath Crowley comes this sometimes hilarious, sometimes poignant look at what good can happen when your world is falling apart.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews