Washington Square Press The Falconer: A Novel

This is an impressive debut novel. There is an assured command of the language in its ability to describe the diverse and converging elements of the urban environment, the sport sequences and the inner self of the narrator. This novel is an ode to New York, which albeit within the “hate but cannot help love” kind still manages to avoid clichés, bringing to life a vivid picture set in the early 90s. Simultaneously, the book is also a tribute to the game of basketball, filled with fresh, poetic, and palpable instances of sweat, exertion and reward. But above all, the greatest merit of the book lies in the development of the main character, the seventeen year old narrator that captures us propelling us along a year of her life. There are some passages that might demand a suspension of your disbelief to accept that this is the voice of a seventeen year old, but this is no ordinary teen, and Dana Czapnik is no ordinary writer.

Unique and interesting protagonist. amazing writing. makes you remember NYC at that moment in time. Great coming of age novel. Made me think. A great novel is one that leaves me thinking for weeks after. This is a book that did that. not to be missed

A good story that will take you back to 1990s NYC. Nice coming of age story and the narrator knows her hoops!

This might be a terrific book. I only read to page 10. At that poin our hero plays some one-on-one basketball and calls a foul on her opponent. Then she takes a free throw.No one in the history of the world has ever taken a foul shot in one-on-one playground ball. That kind of technical (no pun) mistake bums me out. So I closed the book and probably won’t pick it up again.

I loved the voice of the narrator in this novel. It’s very YA, but I enjoyed it. It certainly brought home those memories of being the non conforming girl in a world where boys (and men) go for the cuteness factor. I thought it would make a great indie coming of age movie.