‘Grief becomes something oddly beautiful – and beautifully odd’ Kirkus (starred review)

‘Rewarding and touching’ Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Following the death of his mother, Max Friedman comes to believe that he is sharing his brain with a tumour. As Max becomes focused on controlling the malignant tenant, he starts to lose touch with his friends and family, and with reality itself – so Max’s father sends him off to the artsy Baldwin School to regain his footing.

Soon, Max has joined a group of theatre misfits in a steam-punk production of Hamlet. He befriends Fish, a gril with pink hair and a troubled past, and The Monk, a boy who refuses to let go of the things he loves. Max starts to feel happy, and the ghosts of his past seem to be gone for ever.

But the tumour is always lurking in the wings – until one night it knocks him down, and Max is forced to face the truth.

Reviews

Funny [and] heart-breaking, Ready to Fall is a sensitive exploration of teenage grief, coming to terms with life-shattering changes and letting go of the past

Carousel

A novel which rewards the reader… Grief, loss, and pain are difficult emotions to read about. However, Pixley is wise enough to also show us humour, tolerance, love and friendship. She leaves us at the end of the novel with healing, hurt confronted and hope for the future

The School Librarian

Grief becomes something oddly beautiful – and beautifully odd

Kirkus (starred review)

Max’s interactions with the tumor are an odd but appropriate metaphor for the sorrow, fear, guilt, and lousy coping strategies of grieving. When Max finds community with others – who are just as damaged but striving to be happy – it’s rewarding and touching

Publishers Weekly (starred review)

A quirky take on a classic YA narrative on coping with loss, this book delights by showcasing a cast of colourful characters that help Max deal with grief, often via art. While Max’s relationship with his peers is fun to read about, Pixley’s writing truly shines in Max’s relationships with adults – his father and maternal grandmother, Mr. Cage and the play director, Ms. Pruitt. Through them, Pixley shows how dealing with loss is a communal act

Booklist

I really liked how Pixley worked the story of Hamlet (and his grief) into Max’s. It helps Max deal with and understand his grief and it does so in a heartbreakingly beautiful way… Ready to Fall has moments of absolute beauty when considering grief and what it does to a person… [I’d] definitely recommend this if you like contemporary YA

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