STILL FALLING
Little Island Books, 2015
Luke falls. He has epilepsy. And, as it turns out, he has much bigger issues too.
Esther falls. In love. It’s wonderful – but there’s a shadow that she can’t identify and she can’t make go away just by loving Luke.
Luke’s experience has taught him to despise himself; Esther’s self-belief is fragile. And love is not as easy as it looks. Will they be still falling at the end of term?
A story about the struggle it can be to love someone who doesn’t love themselves – and why it’s worth it.
‘Heartbreaking and heartwarming in equal measure … Emotionally charged and utterly believable… Wilkinson has crafted an instant classic.’ Inis Magazine, Children’s Books Ireland
‘I think Still Falling might be Wilkinson’s best book to date. It felt so honest, the characterisation of both Esther and Luke was authentic, and she deals with the issues of love, sexuality, and class extremely well… I would highly recommend it.’ Louise O’Neill, author
‘The strength of this remarkable book derives from the credibility of its characters. … Girls like Esther rarely get the boy in teen fiction. Boys like Luke are usually victims. These two stereotypes are smashed to pieces in this book.’ Books for Keeps, March 2015
‘It is a realistic, unsparing, psychologically astute story of problematic teenage love across a class divide.’ Peter Hollindale, School Library Association