THIS SIDE OF FALLING

A Chinese American teen’s regimented life disintegrates after a friend dies by suicide.

Nina Yeung grew up in Davis, California, under the weight of her strict parents’ expectations and in the shadow of her high-achieving older sister, Carmen. Her friendship with white-presenting classmate Ethan Travvers began at the start of their senior year, when she requested his help designing a shirt for the school orchestra. Their bond was as unexpected as it was exciting: Ethan was handsome and artistic, and their friendship flirted with the possibility of something more—until Ethan pulled away. His sudden death over winter break devastates Nina, who loses her focus on everything except making sense of the loss. Her structured world is further shattered when a nearly unrecognizable Carmen comes home from college. Nina isn’t sure how to approach this unkempt, erratically behaving version of her sister, but she knows something must be wrong. Debut author Chan explores mental health, substance abuse, and overwhelming familial pressure as she addresses the importance of paying attention to signs of a teen in crisis. The plot moves quickly, and Nina’s emotionally driven narration effectively and realistically captures the experience of being frozen in grief while the world moves on. However, the narrative can feel unrelentingly taxing as it repeatedly visits Nina’s feelings of resentment and frustration. Readers who persevere will find a grounded resolution that portrays the start of the healing process.

A necessarily grim story that concludes with hope.