Year We Fell Down by Sarina Bowen

Year We Fell Down (Ivy Years, #1)

by Sarina Bowen

The sport she loves is out of reach. The boy she loves has someone else. What now?

She expected to start Harkness College as a varsity ice hockey player. But a serious accident means that Corey Callahan will start school in a wheelchair instead.

Across the hall, in the other handicapped-accessible dorm room, lives the too-delicious-to-be real Adam Hartley, another would-be hockey star with his leg broken in two places. He's way out of Corey's league. Also, he's taken. Nevertheless, an unlikely alliance blooms between Corey and Hartley in the "gimp ghetto" of McHerrin Hall. Over tequila, perilously balanced dining hall trays, and video games, the two cope with disappointments that nobody else understands.

They're just friends, of course, until one night when things fall apart. Or fall together. All Corey knows is that she's falling. Hard.

But will Hartley set aside his trophy girl to love someone as broken as Corey? If he won't, she will need to find the courage to make a life for herself at Harkness - one which does not revolve around the sport she can no longer play, or the brown-eyed boy who's afraid to love her back.

Reviewed by stacey_is_sassy on

4 of 5 stars

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I was scared to fall down…

I was scared to read The Year We Fell Down…because I don't normally like New Adult. I was scared to write this review…because I have opinions. I was scared to offend, misconstrue and write politically incorrect feelings and thoughts…because mine may not be the same as others. I was scared to point the finger at a character and identify her as diverse for having a wheelchair…because I don’t like to be pointed at.

I have a scar on my forehead, and I’ve had a blood clot removed from my brain. If someone wrote a story about me, would I be considered DIVERSE because of my struggles? I’m not a fan of the term Diverse Read. I think all stories should have a hint of diversity because we are not all the same. We all have faults, different personalities, skin colours, opinions and thoughts. Life would be terribly boring if we were all the same.

Corey’s wheelchair doesn’t define her. She doesn’t want to be seen as different or treated “special” by her peers. Her legs might not work properly anymore, but her mind, determination and strength of character are still the same.

But, people see the wheels…and then her.

I may have been scared to start The Year We Fell Down but I’m so glad that I finally did. I’m a bit of an over-thinker when it comes to my reads. Am I the *Smile at a person in a wheelchair, just because they’re in a wheelchair* or the *Look straight through them and try to not make eye contact* or maybe the *Apologising to them when they bump me* kind of person? To be honest, I think I’ve been all of them. I’m going to be more aware in my future to treat a wheelchair-bound person exactly as I would a non-wheelchair bound person. I’ll ignore them all.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 5 April, 2019: Finished reading
  • 5 April, 2019: Reviewed