This Side of Falling

Name: This Side of Falling
Brand: Recorded Books
Availability: InStock
Author: Eunice Chan
ISBN: 9798895942949

Author: Eunice Chan

Narrator: Cindy Kay

Unabridged: 6 hr 47 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Recorded Books

Published: 06/17/2025

Categories: Young Adult Fiction, Social Themes, Asian American & Pacific Islander

Synopsis

Driven by charged and complex relationships, this lyrical, emotional coming-of-age YA debut follows a Chinese American teen in the wake of her first love’s death by suicide. 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 father’s startup is falling apart. Maintaining the illusion of wholeness and success within their tight-knit California community 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. Emotionally layered and unflinchingly honest, this novel will resonate with readers who love deeply affecting stories that tackle teen heartache in the vein of Kathleen Glasgow and Laura Nowlin.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Senara on January 18, 2025

This book follows the story of Nina, a high school senior who loves violin who's life changes forever at the death of her boyfriend, Ethan. It also explores Nina's relationships with the members of her strict family, and what she chooses for her future. I really enjoyed reading this book; I think it......more

Goodreads review by Denise on May 29, 2025

I can't say I enjoyed reading this book because this isn't that type of book; instead of a feel-good comfort read, it's more one of those feel-bad realistic stories. I read the whole thing with an ache in my chest. This is a very dark contemporary YA following a sheltered Chinese American teen, Nina......more

Goodreads review by Jo on June 17, 2025

Happy publication day 🎉🥳🎧 3.75 🌟 This Side Of Falling was a lot heavier than I expected from a YA however I suppose it was fairly realistic in the way that Nina is treated by her family, who seem to expect a lot, demand maturity but don’t seem to respect her maturity. Lots of content warnings, which......more

Goodreads review by Kris on June 29, 2025

This was a powerful, emotionally compelling and startling YA. I read it in a day—the pacing swept me up and carried me along so that I couldn’t put it down. I empathized with Nina, the MC, but also so many supporting characters. I appreciated the realistic elements of this story, especially the endi......more

Goodreads review by Ifa on April 19, 2025

Yeungs don't make a scene is one of those rules in Nina's family that keep her being the top of her music class and just overall a good student. After her first love Ethan dies by suicide, she still tries to apply it by putting on a mask even though her inside is broken. She thinks she can handle it......more