Walking on Trampolines by Frances Whiting

Blurb:

"'Tallulah de Longland,' she said slowly, letting all the Ls in my name loll about lazily in her mouth before passing judgement. 'That,' she announced, 'is a seriously glamorgeous name.'

From the day Annabelle Andrews sashays into her classroom, Tallulah 'Lulu' de Longland is bewitched by Annabelle, by her family, and their sprawling, crumbling house tumbling down to the river.

Their unlikely friendship intensifies through a secret language where they share confidences about their unusual mothers, first loves, and growing up in the small, coastal town of Juniper Bay. Their lives become as entwined as Annabelle's initials engraved beneath the de Longland kitchen table.

But the euphoria of youth rarely lasts, and the implosion that destroys their friendship leaves lasting scars and a legacy of self-doubt that haunts Lulu into adulthood.

Years later, Lulu is presented with a choice: remain the perpetual good girl who misses out, or finally step out from the shadows and do something extraordinary. And possibly unforgiveable.

It's not how far you fall, but how high you bounce."

My Review:

I adored this novel. It brought me back to my childhood and the lazy days spent with a best friend. It reminded me of the days before Uber when we walked to and from each other's house. The days before cell phones and sleeping under the stars and giggling so much my cheeks hurt. It reminded me of me of sharing secrets and inside jokes and staying up all night talking about everything in our heart. The days where the hardest decision we had to make was whose house we were going to after school and when no one knew me better.

Lulu and Annabelle were inseparable. Their friendship was pure and raw beautiful. It was truly touching to read about, and I loved the cute and original language they made up. They have a friendship that truly touches the soul.

Of course it all implodes, as friendships sometimes do, and Lulu is left to pick up the pieces of her heart.

Duncan was my favorite. He was hilarious and impulsive with a fresh personality. He often had me burst into laughter with remarks that always caught me off guard.

 

Duncan also had one great thing going for him - Barney, his big, goofy dog. I'm a sucker for dogs, and Barney had such a big personality that he was basically one of the main characters even though he obviously can't speak. Duncan truly is Lulu's best friend and always had her best intentions at heart.

This story was many things at once - original, nostalgic, funny and emotional. The characters were very well-written, and all different from each other with distinct personalities.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for an honest review. 
My Rating: