Falling Under (Paperback)

by Danielle Younge-Ullman (Author)
Key Phrases: Falling Under, Danielle Younge-Ullman, Faith English (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
“Danielle Younge-Ullman redefines modern fiction with this finely wrought, edgy debut. She is the best kind of new author— enormously talented and utterly unafraid.”
—Kristy Kiernan, author of Catching Genius

“Mara’s journey is a wild ride. And Danielle Younge-Ullman writes about human connections and with thrilling energy, honesty and fury.”
—Ellen Sussman, editor of Bad Girls: 26 Writers Misbehave

Product Description
A “fearless, penetrating debut” (Tish Cohen, author of Town House) about a troubled artist who has painted herself into a corner

After surviving a turbulent childhood, Mara Foster has finally gained independence and success as a painter. Now in her late twenties, she lives alone, still burdened by a troubled past involving a teenaged affair with an older man and the tragic loss of her college boyfriend. But when Mara meets Hugo, the walls she has built around herself begin to crumble. Despite herself, she starts to fall in love and realizes she must either confront her dark secrets or be consumed by them. And either way, she risks losing Hugo and her second chance at happiness.

Written in spare, crisp prose and marked by wry humor, Falling Under is a gripping contemporary urban tale of human weakness, friendship, and hard-earned redemption.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Plume (July 29, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0452289653
• ISBN-13: 978-0452289659
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #609,130 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An Amazing Ending!, July 30, 2008

By	Neil and Tracy "www.bookroomreviews.com & www... (IA) - See all my reviews

Falling Under explores the complexity of what happens after a child grows up with parents who are too caught up in their own struggles to care for their own daughter. Mara Foster is used to having to care for her alcoholic father and tiptoe around her heartbroken mother. As an adult Mara uses her sexuality to push her demons away. She discovers a passion and success as an artist. But Mara continues to struggle as an adult after she experiences a tragedy. When she finally finds someone who just wants to love her, she finds herself struggling to open herself up again. And there is that special someone else who she is bound together with body and soul, by a dark secret.

"My skin, all at once, is like an open wound, my insides a battlefield. There is no thought to trace it to, no moment of warning before it happens, and yet I should have known I wouldn't be able to do this.

No matter what my heart begs, my body will not let me love.'

Falling Under may sound like it is all dark and dreary. But there are lots of wonderful funny moments as Mara navigates through her life. I loved Mara's character. Danielle Younge-Ullman's writing made me feel Mara's heartbreak deep in her soul. Women will find themselves identifying with her. Her best friend since childhood, Bernadette is a wonderfully fun character. And then there are those two men competing for her heart. When I reached the end I, found myself turning to the front cover and then suddenly it all made sense. The ending is amazing and I won't say anymore because you will want to have the experience for yourself. I highly recommend Falling Under. There are compelling subjects for discussion for book clubs, such as alcoholism, absentee parents, and then that wonderful ending. Believe me, the discussions will be heated. I look forward to many more books from this author.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gritty and engaging. , July 30, 2008

By	Joanne (Canada) - See all my reviews

Wow, this debut by author Danielle Younge Ullman left me breathless. Gritty, dark and very thought-provoking, Falling Under is a must read.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars one woman show , August 7, 2008

By	Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews (#1 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

When she was a young girl, Mara Foster's parents acrimoniously divorced; besides learning Santa was a fraud that Christmas Mara knew dad was never coming back. She took it personally blaming herself and it still affects her relationships as an adult. Mara always sees the dark side to humans as she suffers from the anxiety disorder agoraphobia.

Men do not want to deal with Mara's issues. That is until she meets Hugo, who wants to be with her in spite of her phobias. He encourages her to move on, but to do so Mara must look deep inside herself; a thought that frightens the young woman, but enough to run from or towards Hugo remains to be seen as she loathes touching and he wants intimacy.

FALLING UNDER is a one woman show as the story line deals with Mara's phobias that make it impossible for her to have an intimate loving relationship; though in some ways she does have that with her only friend who is as angst laden with demons as she is. The storyline focuses on whether besieged Mara can move past her terrors encouraged by the kind Hugo. Readers who relish a realistic study of a tormented lonely person will appreciate FALLING UNDER as the quince will wonder whether Mara finds her groove or remains tortured in self afflicted hell. PS the ending is realistic but not easy to swallow.

Harriet Klausner