Loved this story. So beautifully written. It's great to see a disabled character who succeeds, doesn't wallow in self-pity, and finds her way as best she can. Corey developed great relationships at school and had some wonderful insights into how people reacted to her disability. Her romance with Hartley was sweet and hard-earned. The only thing I didn't like was how he resolved his previous relationship and its timing with theirs. But still a great book; read it in one sitting. Although it's the first in a series, I read it second. I liked The Year We Hid Away better, but not by much. Bowen writes amazing, realistic, flawed characters! Five stars:When I started this book I was in a bit of a book funk, nothing was keeping my attention. So I thought, this is a bit different from what I had been reading so I would give it a try. From the moment I started reading, it captured my attention. I didn’t want to put it down. In The Year We Fell Down, you meet Corey who planned on starting college her freshman year as a varsity hokey player and Adam Hartley who is the gorgeous boy across the hall, they both have been injured in accidents. Adam with broken his leg and Corey with her more permanent spinal injury and in a wheelchair. They are both on the sidelines and not playing the sport they love. The two get to know each other and develop a strong bond and friendship; they end up in the “gimp” section at the college dorm where they learn to help each other through their injuries. Corey is an amazingly strong character but still shows her vulnerable side. Hartley appears to be a fun loving, no worries guy but as his character develops you see that he is struggling with his past. Hartley looks at Corey as one of his jock friends and isn’t quite ready to give up on his high class girlfriend Stacia who has left for the semester to study abroad. Corey tries not to fall for her friend across the hall who she feels is way out of her league. But as the year progresses they both start to realize that their friendship is much more. You see both characters develop and mature through their year at college. This story was refreshing, much different than the books I had been reading. Not the cookie cutter romance. You see the struggles and emotional turmoil these two faced throughout the book dealing with their injuries as well as their growing feeling for each other. I fell in love with these characters and can’t wait to read more of their story. **I was given a copy of this book from Stephanie’s Book Reports in exchange for an honest review**
What do You think about The Year We Fell Down (2014)?
Had a smile on my face the whole book! Also loved the Hope Fairy stuff!
—maryam
