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Tallulah Falls

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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.

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 (terryms2001@yahoo.com)

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

I was searching for books for my niece, as typical of young kids, I was trying to get her to read more and not rely on movies alone to tell her a story. I searched the young teens selection and decided upon a few on Amazon based on the reviews. She loved this book and I had never seen her take to a book before as much as this one. I think it connects well with teens and I just may have to read it myself after seeing how excited she was about Tallulah Falls.

Tallulah's life has never been prefect. Her dad leaves her family. Her best friend Maeve disappears, plus her mom has never loved her (at least that's what she thinks.) When Tallulah sets off to find her best friend in Florida she gets stranded in the middle of nowhere with only a suitcase and half dead dog. She is about to give up when someone comes into her life and changes her forever.
Tallulah Falls is one of those books you don't want to put down. It's a book that is full of friendship, love, heartbreak, and fun all put together. I really loved this book because the author makes the characters so easy to relate to! I felt like I was there with Tallulah when she was dealing with the struggles of everyday life. It was so good sometimes I would even forget I was at home reading the book.
I think everyone should read this book. There is so much you can learn just by reading and seeing what other people go trough. But I would especially recommend Tallulah Falls to people who know the value of friendship. Also to anyone who knows how to enjoy a great book!

-Heather E.

Great first novel from a wonderful writer! An excellent choice for mid- to older teenage girls who enjoy books with animals and veterinarians in them, but also want a novel that contains some relevance to some of the issues they may be experiencing (boyfriends, parent issues, bipolar friends...). Very accurate representation of rural veterinary practice also!

"Tallulah Falls" is the story of Tallulah Addy and her spur of the moment trip cross country to help her friend Maeve, whom she knows is in terrible trouble. Tallulah first meets Maeve at a motorcycle convention and is immediately drawn to the charasmatic, free spirited girl. Maeve confides in Tallulah that she is bipolar, and that she has plans to change the world, which she dutifully records in her private notebooks.

One day Maeve just up and disappears and a few days later Tallulah receives an email from her stating that she needs her help. She says she's in Orlando and needs Tallulah to bring her notebooks. No questions asked, Tallulah leaves her home in Oregon and sets out to save her friend.

Tallulah encounters a lot of difficulty that she didn't anticipate. For starters, the guy she was travelling with just up and stranded her in the middle of nowhere, but not before he took all her money from her. Homeless, vehicless, and broke, Tallulah is forced to take a job as a vet tech, in which she not only learns a lot about vetinary science, but about human nature, and most importantly, about herself.

The story is sad, uplifting, real and raw. It's geared for young adults, eighth grade and up, and the feelings that Tallulah struggles with are ones that most young women will find themselves relating to.

I thought this was a great book and I'm way past the teenage years! Christine Fletcher's fresh and vivid imagery, stark emotion, and ability to envelop the reader in the story kept the pages turning and had me looking up at the end of chapters to suddenly remember I wasn't seventeen and living in Tennessee. Her "emergency" scenes left me breathless and shivering. The veterinary information is entirely authentic (as one would expect from a veterinarian) and can educate as well as entertain. Thanks for a great first book. Keep 'em coming!