Tallulah Falls [Hardcover]

Christine Fletcher (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 2, 2006

When Tallulah Addy sets out on an impulsive cross-country trip to rescue her best friend, she doesn't anticipate getting stranded in rural Tennessee without a dime. Nor does she guess that rescuing a dog will land her a job in the local veterinarian's office. But there, under the wary eye of ornery Dr. Poteet, Tallulah works harder than ever before, tending to animals of all shapes and sizes--and unexpectedly, to wounds long-buried in herself. Tallulah swears she'll leave the first chance she gets, yet when given the choice, it may prove harder to keep the promise to her friend than to say good-bye to the strangers who have become her new family.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 8 Up–Tallulah's 21-year-old friend Maeve is exciting, exhilarating, and lives life to the fullest. She is also bipolar, which she says is simply a label given by people who don't like it when they see other people moving differently throughout the world. After having yet another fight with her mother, Tallulah gets a frantic phone call from Maeve saying she has left Oregon for Florida and needs her notebooks. The 17-year-old decides to deliver them; she runs away from home with a sort-of boyfriend but is stranded in rural Tennessee when he robs her and leaves her in a motel. With no money, she has no choice but to accept a temporary job offer at Dr. Poteet's vet clinic, helping out with the animals, living with Poteet's receptionist, carrying on a flirtation with one of the other workers, and making frantic phone calls to Florida, where she gets only an answering machine. When Maeve finally arrives, Tallulah learns the truth about her friend and the seriousness of her disorder. Most teens will relate to Tallulah–she's imperfect, stubborn, mouthy, and searching for truth and acceptance. They'll also understand from her descriptions and memories of Maeve why she is so devoted to the young woman and so devastated when she becomes cold and sarcastic. The supporting characters get their due as well, particularly Poteet, shrewd, insightful, and more compassionate than he lets on to be. The action moves at a breakneck pace as Talullah changes from an impulsive, difficult teen to a thoughtful young woman with direction.–Lisa Prolman, Greenfield Public Library, MA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Gr. 8-11. After her bipolar friend, Maeve, runs off to Florida, high-school-junior Debbie Badowski changes her name to Tallulah Addy, dyes her hair platinum blonde, gets a tattoo, and runs away from her Portland, Oregon, home in search of her friend. She ends up broke and homeless in Tennessee, where she inadvertently saves a dog that was left to die on the highway. She takes the dog to a vet, who cares for the animal and also takes Tallulah in. Tallulah scorns what she perceives to be the clinic staff's "hickness," but she finds in them the deep caring she desperately craves. First-time author Fletcher is a vet, and the compelling scenes of caring for the animals feel entirely authentic and never sentimental. Although the latter third of the book drags somewhat, teens, particularly those who love animals, will relate to the lonely outsider who finds compassionate attention from an unlikely source. Debbie Carton
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 14 and up
  
• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's Books; 1st U.S. Edition edition (May 2, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1582346623
• ISBN-13: 978-1582346625
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,976,883 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I'm a veterinarian who started writing and never stopped. I've published two young adult novels: Ten Cents a Dance, which was named a Top Ten Best Book for Young Adults by the American Library Association, and Tallulah Falls, which was named a 2007 Book for the Teen Age by the New York Public Library. I practice veterinary medicine part-time; the rest of the time, I'm up in my office, clacking away at the keyboard.

You can find out more and read excerpts from both books at www.christinefletcherbooks.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully written story, May 13, 2007

By 

Terry South "Quality Book Reviews" (Maryville, TN USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tallulah Falls (Hardcover)

Tallulah Falls is a story of Tallulah Addy and her friend Maeve and the touching story of finding out who you are. Tallulah is left behind when Maeve takes off for Florida, but soon gets a message of urgency from her friend wanting her to bring her notebooks. Tallulah being the friend she is she immediately sets out to fine Maeve. Tallulah asks Derek to drive her and everything begins to fall apart, he leaves her with her bag which thankfully still holds the notebooks she is delivering to Maeve. She is broke and left on the side of the road, she is arrested and tries calling Maeve who is not answering.

The local veterinarian's office is her link to help, she has a job at the clinic, she is staying with Ruth the receptionist and has found a romantic spark with Kyle who also works there; all of this coming from her bringing an injured dog in.

Tallulah Falls is beautifully written and I can find no faults with this wonderful story. The story is engaging, entertaining, and a true spectacular read.

I absolutely have fallen in love with this story, and have added a great new author to my favorite's list, I look forward to many more by Christine Fletcher. It has been a honor and a delight reading and reviewing such an excellent story, thank you Christine and please keep them coming.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent read from first-time novelist Fletcher, June 21, 2006

By 

Teenreads.com (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tallulah Falls (Hardcover)

Seventeen-year-old Tallulah Addy walks through the unknown Tennessee countryside in the dark of night. She's starving. Her boyfriend not only abandoned her as they headed from Oregon to Florida in order to help Tallulah's best friend Maeve, he also stole all of her money except 93 cents. And it's raining.

Tallulah finally approaches a truck stop right after she stumbles over a dog lying injured in the spooky darkness of a highway underpass. She wants food in the worst way but can't forget that dog, so she returns to it. A sympathetic stranger drives them to a nearby veterinarian. Tallulah is frustrated by this delay, though. She must get to Maeve, who is in trouble. No matter what, though, Tallulah will never go home to her critical family in Oregon. She can't admit to them that she's messed up yet again.

Tallulah clutches on to her hope that Maeve will come for her, after leaving a frantic message on Maeve's answering machine. Without money or transportation, she accepts an offer from the vet, Dr. Poteet, to work in his office as a kennel assistant. At least she'll have money when Maeve comes for her.

Immediately Tallulah learns of a minor miracle: the dog she rescued is still alive despite the vet's plans to put him down. She also discovers the grim realities of her new job. Cleaning animal cages is disgusting. Her co-worker despises her. The horse Tallulah must hold during a procedure is enormous and skittish. The vet is gruff and stern. In general, the work is impossible or boring. No matter how she performs at her job, she's told that she's not doing it right.

Time goes by, but no sign of Maeve. Even as she wonders, Tallulah finds herself drawn into the lives of those around her. She's attracted to lean, tan Kyle, a co-worker. She can't resist forming a friendship with the dog she's rescued or succumbing to the charms of being mothered by Ruth, the woman Tallulah stays with. Yet she can't forget her mission. Her best friend desperately needs her help and Tallulah can't get to her.

Tallulah feels alone and small, but discovers she is neither --- an empowering theme in a book that has everything: a heroine surviving an incredible journey (both external and within); characters so real they walk off the page; and a brisk yet thoughtful plot, brightened with flashes of humor. The Tennessee setting is vividly realized and is an essential story element. The author is brilliant at descriptions. A singer's voice rasps "as though sorrow were sandpaper" while too-short coveralls give Tallulah a Super Atomic Wedgie. In addition, the reader gets a fascinating glimpse at the inside workings of a vet's office.

This is an excellent read from first-time novelist Christine Fletcher that will leave her audience anxiously awaiting her next book.

--- Reviewed by Terry Miller Shannon ([e-mail])

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Teens Read Too, January 8, 2007

By 

TeensReadToo "Eat. Drink. Read. Be Merrier." (All Over the US & Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tallulah Falls (Hardcover)

Perennial screw-up Tallulah might not be the well-behaved little daughter that her mom would like her to be, but nobody can say that she isn't a loyal friend. When she receives a cry for help from her bi-polar best friend Maeve, Tallulah immediately leaves behind her family in Portland and takes off across the country to save her. But on her way to Florida, Tallulah finds herself needing some saving. She's stuck in some small town in Tennessee all because her ex-boyfriend robbed her and just up and left in the middle of their road trip.

Tallulah is wandering aimlessly down the highway, wondering how in the world she is supposed to find her way to Florida. When she stumbles upon a dying dog under a highway underpass, she feels compelled to save it, if only because that's what Maeve would want her to do. After bringing the poor dog to the local vet and begging Dr. Poteet to save the dog, Tallulah somehow ends up with a job assisting the vet.

Tallulah knows nothing about animals, but she's a quick learner and manages to earn her keep at the veterinary office. At the same time, she can't wait for Maeve to come and rescue her. In between phone calls to Florida and saving horses and human babies, Tallulah realizes that she's beginning to grow fond of the odd collection of people that work at Dr. Poteet's office. Maeve does return, but it's not exactly the return that Tallulah was expecting. The ending brings several surprises that will keep you hooked until the last page!

Christine Fletcher does a remarkable job in her first young adult novel, incorporating her experiences as a veterinarian. Animal lovers will particularly enjoy the several scenes focusing on Tallulah's connection with the animals she is working with. TALLULAH FALLS is a very touching story and Tallulah is an easy character for teenagers to identify with; she's brave, stubborn, and just trying to find herself.

Reviewed by: Amber Gibson