11 thrilling new YA releases hitting shelves this October
By Lacy Baugher
October 2021 release: The Falling Girls – Hayley Krischer
The sophomore novel from Hayley Krischer, author of Something Happened to Ali Greenleaf, is an exploration of the complexities of female friendship and what can happen when they end.
The Falling Girls follows the story of Shade and Jadis, an inseparable pair that do virtually everything together. Until they don’t. When Shade suddenly decides to join the cheerleading squad, Jadis is taken aback – who is this girl and what has she done with her best friend? But Shade loves the structure and discipline of the team, the idea of falling into a group of girls and becoming part of a unit that lets her subsume part of herself.
Jade won’t give up on her former best friend so easily though, and the toxic environment that develops between both groups has Shade asking how far her BFF is really willing to go – and whether she’s responsible for her actions when something horrible happens.
The official synopsis has more details.
"Shade and Jadis are everything to each other. They share clothes, toothbrushes, and even matching stick-and-poke tattoos. So when Shade unexpectedly joins the cheerleading team, Jadis can hardly recognize who her best friend is becoming. Shade loves the idea of falling into a group of girls; she loves the discipline it takes to push her body to the limits alongside these athletes . Most of all, Shade finds herself drawn to The Three Chloes–the insufferable trio that rules the squad–including the enigmatic cheer captain whose dark side is as compelling as it is alarming. Jadis won’t give Shade up so easily, though, and the pull between her old best friend and her new teammates takes a toll on Shade as she tries to forge her own path. So when one of the cheerleaders dies under mysterious circumstances, Shade is determined to get to the bottom of her death. Because she knows Jadis–and if her friend is responsible, doesn’t that mean she is, too?"
The Falling Girls is available on October 5.