A Season for Falling by award-winning author, Kate O'Shaughnessy, is a young adult, realistic fiction romance book that goes deeper than most other books in its genre. On the surface it is about a high school senior Claire, a former child actor, who fled from Hollywood after her father swindled her savings away. Claire's co-star and first crush, Luke, had no idea why she left the industry and their friendship. It's five years later and Claire's small Connecticut town is abuzz with the news that Hollywood heartthrob, Luke Cordova, is arriving soon to shoot his new film. The only person who is not excited about this news is Claire. Since leaving Hollywood she changed her name and had some cosmetic work done to alter her appearance. What will happen when they run into each other?
What ensues is like a teen movie with the usual questions of, will they or won't they? How will her secret be revealed to her community? The surprising part of the story is how much deeper the author goes with their backstories and current situations. Claire's father, who is still a struggling actor in L.A. does not apologize for taking her money and allowing Claire to be verbally abused at the hands of her showrunner. Claire's mother feels guilty about what happened to Claire and wants to move on with a possible new husband but he has some red flags that causes Claire to doubt him. Luke also has some issues with letting his manager and agent keep him working nonstop to the point of burnout.
The way the characters all change from the beginning of the story to the end is quite satisfying. All of the loose ends get tied up and the future for the main characters is bright. It's refreshing to read about a character like Claire who has to overcome her past in order to move into the next phase of her life. She puts her own wellbeing at the forefront of her decision-making. People-pleasers can read the "how to stand up for yourself" blueprint in Claire's story and how it spreads to her friends and family, too.
I have added this book to my high school library collection and recommend it to other teens and adults who are fans of the realistic fiction, romance genre.
I also recommend O'Shaughnessy's other books, such as The Wrong Way Home, another realistic fiction novel but that one is written for a younger audience, middle grade readers. That story follows a 12-year old girl who was raised in an isolated cult and her mother takes her away from there with the girl only wanting answers to why their compound was so awful and when will they be able to return?
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