Summary: Learning to Fall
Daphne is spending the summer with her alcoholic (now sober) dad in Oakland after a long estrangement. Her mom is away in Prague, shooting a movie, so she has no choice but to leave Daphne with her dad. The last interaction with her dad was when he failed to show up for her at a skating rink, and she broke her arm trying to do something he’d find impressive. Now she’s with him and his skating buddies, including his best friend Gus, Gus’s girlfriend, and her son Arlo who’s a wannabe filmmaker. Daphne still loves skating, although she’s learned to hide her interest (but her dad has bought her a board anyway). After a cold day or two, she can’t resist trying out the new board, and Arlo quickly befriends her. As the two skate and work together (Arlo wants to record her growth as a skater for his film), Daphne learns more about her dad and reconnects with him.
The Good
This was such a tender story — that’s the word that comes to mind every time I read an interaction between Daphne and her dad. It was almost a love story as the two found their way back to each other while completely highlighting how shaky addiction recovery can be and how important family and friends’ support is for alcoholics.
Daphne is an interesting protagonist. She’s fiery, steel-willed, and, at the same time, unsure of herself. I loved seeing Arlo’s and her dad’s effect on her throughout the story, and her inner monologue was also interesting. There’s a fair amount of information about skating as Daphne tries to improve her skills. I also loved the use of skating as an accessible metaphor throughout the story. The Oakland setting is so vivid throughout the story, and the author integrates Daphne’s new neighborhood into her daily life.
Although much of the book focuses on Daphne’s relationship with her dad, we also see how close she is with her mom, and I love how the author tackles Daphne’s mother’s decision to keep her away from her dad and how she decides to move forward with it especially as she gets older.
The Not-So-Good
I do wish there’d been more depictions of Daphne’s relationships with kids her age besides Arlo and the best friend back home she rarely speaks to. That would have added more tween dynamics and levity.
Content Notes
Here are some specifics to know about the content.
Content Warnings
- Death: None
- Alcohol/substance abuse: Daphne’s dad has a history of alcoholism but no incidents throughout the book, although he does have to call his sponsor for help once.
- Violence: Daphne falls and fractures a body part while skateboarding
- Sexual content: None
Diversity
- Ethnic: Most of the main characters cued white, two Latin-American side characters
- Sexual orientation: Most cued straight
Recommended for ages: 9+
Good for kids who like:
- Skateboarding
- Books about dads
- Stories about filmmaking
- Books about alcoholism
Publisher Details
Publisher details | Little, Brown Books for Young Readers |
Author: | Sally Engelfried |
Illustrator: | N/A |
Publication date: | September 6, 2022 |
Audiobook? | No |
Page count: | 272 |
Cover artists | Designer: |
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