Break the Fall

Gr 8 Up–A coach’s betrayal nearly derails the dreams of a team of elite gymnasts in this ripped-from-the-headlines novel. Audrey Lee’s injured back means that her hopes of competing at the Olympic level—and medaling—are fading fast. She succeeds in qualifying for the U.S. Olympic team, only to have her world shattered when a teammate accuses the coach of sexual assault. With only a few weeks to get ready for the biggest competition of their lives, Audrey and her teammates confront their own biases and beliefs. This book tackles difficult, important subject matter—who to believe when accusations are made and the role others can play in enabling predatory behavior (either through actions or simply by looking the other way) but, ultimately, the book fails to live up to its full potential. Iacopelli focuses heavily on the day-to-day routines of the gymnasts, which is an interesting subject in its own right, but this comes at the cost of her characters. Readers never see enough of Audrey’s teammates, or her relationship to them, to feel the whole impact of their divisions over the assault accusations, the pain of the accuser, and the near-breakdown of the team as a whole. Audrey’s budding relationship with the son of a former gymnast, on the other hand, provides some nice romantic notes that help keep the pages turning.