This Side of Falling
Written by Eunice Chan
Published by Soho Teen
Not real. The mantra seventeen-year-old Nina repeats to herself the morning after her almost-boyfriend, Ethan Travvers, jumped onto the tracks in front of a freight train. The two words that keep the truth just far enough away so the loss can’t touch her, grief can’t break her. After all, there is the family image to uphold, especially when her dad’s startup begins to flounder. Maintaining the illusion of wholeness and success is everything to Nina’s mom and grandma.
The pretense is working—until Nina’s all-star older sister, Carmen, is dismissed from college and abruptly returns home. Carmen’s arrival and strange behavior dig up buried memories, leading Nina to wonder if there is more to the story of Ethan than even she knew. The truth is not what she wants to believe: about Carmen, about Ethan, but mostly, about herself.
Primary ISBN: 9781641295178
Publication Date: June 2025
Available As: Hardcover, Paperback, Audiobook, eBook
Young Adult, Age 14 or older
Community Represented: Chinese/Chinese American
Themes: Family Relationship: Grandparents, Family Relationship: Parents, Family Relationship: Siblings, Format: Audiobook, Generation: 2nd, Mental Health, Own Voices/Lived Experience, Trauma & Healing, Trauma & Healing: Death of Family or Friend, Trauma & Healing: Self-Harm, Trauma & Recovery: Substance Use
Setting: United States (California)
Character's Place in the Immigration Journey: 2nd Generation
Book Creator(s) Connection to the Community Represented: Own Voices/Lived Experience
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