Things That Fall

Gr 9 Up–Seven teenage cousins are reunited at their uncle’s funeral after 10 years of not seeing or speaking to each other. There is a vague memory of a fight between their parents, but what was so significant it kept them apart for a decade? The cousins decide to come together to help clean out their uncle’s cottage and memories come flooding back. They uncover old family pictures that show a woman in a wheelchair who no one recognizes. Alternating between each cousin’s point of view with their distinct voice, readers get a glimpse into their personal lives and the daily issues they face: a cousin who does not want to finish high school, twin siblings who are fighting, a cousin who chose to help her family instead of seeing her boyfriend for the first time in months, and a cousin who is struggling to come to terms with her Indigenous roots. The Hacher family drama is a slow burn but the reveal seems rushed. Once readers find out what actually happened, the cousins go their own ways, resolving to keep in touch. Some profanity makes this more appropriate for high school students.