The Fall of Butterflies

Author(s): Andrea Portes

Young Adult

Willa Parker, 646th and least-popular resident of What Cheer, Iowa, is headed east to start a new life.Did she choose this life No, because that would be too easy-and nothing in Willa's life is easy. It's her famous genius mother's idea to send her to ultra-expensive, ultra-exclusive Pembroke Prep, but Willa has no intention of fitting in at Pembroke. She's not staying long, she decides. Not at this school-and not on this planet.But when she meets peculiar, glittering Remy Taft, the richest, most mysterious girl on campus, she starts to see a foothold in this foreign world-a place where she could maybe, possibly, sort of fit in.When Willa looks at Remy, she sees a girl who has everything. But for Remy, having everything comes at a price. And as she spirals out of control, Willa can feel Remy spinning right out of her grasp.In Willa's secret heart, all she's ever wanted is to belong. But if Remy, the girl who gave her this world, is slip-sliding away, is Willa meant to follow her downAndrea Portes's incandescent, heartfelt novel explores the meaning of friendship, new beginnings, and the precarious joy and devastating pain of finding home in a place-a person-with wings.

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"[Willa's] first-person narration is self-deprecating, deeply thoughtful, and thoroughly funny, with a sometimes-chiding direct address that pulls readers into her confidence. Snarky and painfully astute. But in a good way. -- Kirkus Reviews (starred) "As with Anatomy of a Misfit, Portes's second YA novel has a seductive zaniness and almost unstoppable exuberance... Willa's memorable voice and humor, as well as her longing to cultivate relationships that will anchor her more firmly to the world, will linger with readers." -- Publishers Weekly "The protagonist's voice is vibrant and authentic... Fans of Chelsey Philpot's Even in Paradise will enjoy this coming-of-age story with emotional appeal." -- School Library Journal "[Willa's] idiosyncratic, often mean, sometimes vulnerable voice is the highlight of this contemporary problem novel... Willa's realization that some loving relationships are also toxic, and the slow fracturing of Willa and Remy's friendship are believably painful." -- Booklist "Remy's terrible choices throughout (including seducing a teacher) and her descent into drug abuse feel organic rather than histrionic, while Willa's emergence from the dark is hard-fought and believable." -- Horn Book Magazine PRAISE FOR ANATOMY OF A MISFIT: "A self-deprecating and highly memorable heroine whose bawdy, laceratingly funny narration makes her instantly endearing while also revealing her flaws, uncertainties, and ethical quandaries." -- Publishers Weekly (starred review) "... a romance filled with seriously funny dark humor and tragedy." -- Kirkus "It's rare that a book can be as funny and absolutely delightful as it is moving and thought provoking, and Anatomy of a Misfit is both." -- Lauren Oliver, author of Before I Fall "Anika's observations are razor-sharp, especially when she is describing other people... An introductory note says the story is based on the author's ninth-grade experience. What a year." -- The Horn Book "Anika's droll voice shines, and her emotions are palpable. After a heartbreaking tragedy, Anika's ending . . . will leave readers cheering." -- School Library Journal "Fifteen-year-old Anika Dragomir throws her arms around us and draws us in from the very beginning... Droll, intimate, often laugh-out-loud funny narration carries the reader through more than 300 pages... Anika's winning voice may just be the star of Portes's first young adult novel." -- New York Times Book Review "Anika Dragomir is the funniest, snarkiest, most insightful misfit a reader could ever hope to meet. I laughed my way through Anatomy of a Misfit right up until the very end, when the book broke my heart into a million pieces. This is a beautiful, brave and powerful novel." -- Melissa Kantor, author of Maybe One Day and The Breakup Bible

Andrea Portes is the bestselling novelist of two critically lauded adult novels, Hick, her debut, which was made into a feature film starring Chloe Grace Moretz, Alec Baldwin, Blake Lively, Eddie Redmayne, and Juliette Lewis, and Bury This. Her first novel for young adult readers, Anatomy of a Misfit, was called "perfection in book form" by Teen Vogue. Andrea grew up shuffled around between such disparate locales as Nebraska, Brasilia, Texas, Rio de Janeiro, Baltimore, North Dakota, California, Wisconsin, and North Carolina. Finally Andrea was granted relief from this nomadic existence when she was accepted to Bryn Mawr College. She attended on a full scholarship and later graduated cum laude, with a major in English literature. She then earned her Masters in Fine Arts degree from UC San Diego. After her relentless education, Andrea moved to the neighborhood of Echo Park in Los Angeles, where she spent years mostly getting into trouble. It was in this period of vague nothingness that Andrea penned her debut novel, in longhand in three notebooks. Currently she lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Sandy Tolan, their son, Wyatt, and their dog, Rascal. You can visit her online at www.andreaportes.com.

General Fields

  • : 9780062313683
  • : HarperCollins Publishers Inc
  • : HarperTeen
  • : 0.291
  • : April 2017
  • : 203mm X 135mm X 24mm
  • : United States
  • : October 2017
  • : books

Special Fields

  • : Andrea Portes
  • : Paperback
  • : International ed.
  • : 813.6
  • : 416