Falling Hard: 100 Love Poems by Teenagers [Hardcover]

Betsy Franco (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 9, 2008

From an acclaimed anthologist comes this unforgettable collection
of one hundred poems by teenagers, capturing the vertigo-inducing realm of romantic love.

"But what I'll really mean is
are you ready to dive in?
This is not falling,
this is landing."

— From "Gift" by Portia Carryer, age 16


The poets are straight, gay, lesbian, bi, or transgender. They live next door or across an ocean; they are innocent or experienced; their lyric explorations range from new love to stale love, obsession to ennui, ecstasy to heartbreak, and every nuance in between. Whether the romantic escapades described are touching, comical, or tragic, whether the feelings expressed are tender and sweet or brutal and biting, readers will find the love these young poets openly share to be exquisitely, excruciatingly, endlessly fascinating. Here is a collection to turn to again and again, because life and love keep on changing.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 9 Up—Falling Hard was compiled mostly by email from teenagers from many different backgrounds, and with different sexual orientations. Only their names and ages are given. The poems are written in free verse and are honest, sometimes explicit, and creative (there is an ode to a piano, and a "Pledge of Affection to a Nerd"). Love is variously compared to a psychic leech and the sting of a bee. Some of the poems have strong language. Interracial relationships, being gay ("Kiss a guy, get a man/Be a bi, lend a hand"), sex, break-ups, flirting, the intensity of love ("blinding flashing lightning in my guts") and jealousy are among the topics addressed. "Blackberries" by Emma Marlowe, age 17, uses vivid images of "flying on wings of hemp and silver/waxing sunlight crackles through dust/gold glass on a poisoned oak" and "I had to brush my taste to keep the teeth of him/out of my head."—Ann Nored, Wilson Central High School, Lebanon, TN
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

The teen poets in this lively anthology knock greeting-card clichés even as they celebrate their romance and their passion (“I want to wrap around you / I want to get inside you”) and vent their hurt, anger, and longing. Most poems were submitted to Franco by e-mail from the U.S., but some also came from abroad. Just the teens’ names and ages are given, but their writing reveals a wide diversity of race, sexual identity, maturity, and lifestyle. With a spacious open design, the poems are not arranged in any particular order, true to the way readers will dip in and browse. Some of the simplest lines say the most: “I want you less than I thought I did. / And I love you more than I ever knew.” From the pain of breakup and denial to affection and desire, the feelings in these poems will ring true to gay and straight teens alike. Grades 8-12. --Hazel Rochman

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 14 and up
  
• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Candlewick (December 9, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0763634379
• ISBN-13: 978-0763634377
• Product Dimensions: 6.4 x 0.7 x 9.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #954,064 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing Writing!, May 4, 2009

By 

Michela (Massachusetts) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Falling Hard: 100 Love Poems by Teenagers (Hardcover)

As a fifteen year old girl, I am the same age or around the same age as many of the writers featured in this book. This book is truly amazing. I have read it from cover to cover more than three times since I received it for Christmas. Everyone who is or has ever been a teenager can relate to something in this book. There are loves poems from teens of all sexualities and genders. Some are more explicit, some are sweet. Some are short, some are elaborate. All of them are beautiful. These poems have inspired me to write more and I recommend this book very highly.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Many voices, original writing, May 14, 2009

By 

Lyn M. Parker (Sacramento CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Falling Hard: 100 Love Poems by Teenagers (Hardcover)

What I loved most about this collection is that it speaks directly to teenagers of all sexual orientations (LGTB and straight). Well, I have to confess that I also loved it because my son has two poems in it, written at the age of 17. Even the youngest writers here have fresh voices.

Betsy Franco publishes other volumes for teenagers. This is my first encounter with her, and as a former high school teacher (who taught English, among other things), I heartily recommend her small but dense volume.