From School Library Journal
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Gr 9 Up—Emily knew when she saw Belinda, a classmate
with developmental disabilities, being assaulted under the
bleachers she needed to intervene, but she froze, and now she's
doing community service and trying to figure out how to live with
herself. Belinda is attempting to determine how to go forward
after rescuing herself. Told in alternating sections of Emily's
and Belinda's voices, this book explores how even good people can
fail morally. Emily and Lucas (who was also present that night)
are wrong, and that is made clear throughout; their inaction is
understandable but inexcusable, and that subtle distinction is an
important one. In addition, Belinda is written thoughtfully and
respectfully. She has a distinct voice that reflects her
cognitive disabilities but without condescension. Given that
portrayals of people with developmental disabilities so often
either depict them as perfect angels or use them as a device by
which the neurotypical characters better themselves, Belinda's
full-fledged personality is important for readers to engage with.
The parallel romances are charming and appropriate, and while
Emily and Lucas's treads the well-worn paths of smart girl plus
hot, sensitive jock, it is not an unpleasant trope to revisit.
The secondary plots of Belinda's family conflict and Emily
distancing herself from her friends are well-executed ways to
out the two protagonists' growth. VERDICT Highly
recommended for realistic fiction collections.—L. Lee Butler,
Hart Middle School, Washington, DC
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Review
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PRAISE FOR A STEP TOWARD FALLING: “Universal human
emotions and challenges link the characters across boundaries of
gender, class, and I.Q. This is a beautiful, big-hearted book
with important lessons embedded in compelling stories of two
irresistible girls. Expertly executed and movingly realized.”
(New York Times Book Review)
“Without evading or sugarcoating difficult topics, McGovern shows
that disabled and able aren’t binary states but part of a
continuum—a human one.” (Publishers Weekly (starred review))
“Told in alternating sections of Emily’s and Belinda’s voices,
this book explores how even good people can fail morally. Belinda
is written thoughtfully and respectfully. She has a distinct
voice that reflects her cognitive disabilities but without
condescension. Highly recommended for realistic fiction
collections.” (School Library Journal (starred review))
“Through alternating chapters, Emily comes to understand her
inaction, prejudices, and failings, and Belinda learns to face
her fears, find her voice, and take charge of her future.
McGovern’s ample experience with special needs youth is evident,
as it allows this unique story shine from within.” (ALA Booklist
(starred review))
“Cammie McGovern’s second nuanced, thought-provoking young adult
novel. A co-founder of Whole Children, a Massachusetts community
center similar to the one about which she writes, McGovern
obviously draws upon personal experience to create characters who
are complex and fully realized.” (Chicago Tribune)
“So much love for this wise and powerful book. Most of all for
Belinda—a girl with a cognitive disability who shows how full a
life can be, and who loves Pride and Prejudice and Colin Firth as
much as we do. For fans of Jennifer Niven and Jandy Nelson.”
(Justine Magazine)
“Alternating viewpoints illustrate how braving the uncertainty of
relationships, expectations, and life after high school
transcends class or ability. The sensitive overview of tough
issues gracefully balances romance with reality. Fans of Jane
Austen will appreciate this unconventional homage.” (Kirkus
Reviews)
“Belinda’s voice is perfectly pitched: it’s clear that she’s
thought her world through on her own terms. By including a wide
variety of distinct characters, the novel shows that the presence
or absence of a disability is just one of many aspects of who a
person is.” (The Horn Book)
“This book might lead to an interesting discussion about
responsibility, about standing up for someone, about doing the
right thing.” (Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA))
“McGovern uses her experience working with youth with special
needs to illuminate the everyday thought processes and internal
lives of young adults who function differently in society. She
gives readers characters, not archetypes. It’s a poignant, warm,
compelling book that insists that mistakes and redemption can go
hand in hand.” (The Globe and Mail)
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