The Last Leaves Falling

(Paperback)

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Description

I cannot mourn, for I have lived a life of mountain air and cherry blossoms, steel, and honour. An achingly beautiful story of courage, loss and friendship. And these are they. My final moments. They say a warrior must always be mindful of death, but I never imagined that it would find me like this . . . Japanese teenager Sora is diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease). Lonely and isolated, Sora turns to the ancient wisdom of the samurai for guidance and comfort. But he also finds hope in the present; through the internet he finds friends that see him, not just his illness. This is a story of friendship and acceptance, and testing strength in an uncertain future.

Reviews

"The Last Leaves Falling is a complex book that tells the story through a mixture of recollections, website message boards, text messages, emojis and old-fashioned letters. We feel the pain as we see what this fatal illness means for the boy and for those he loves. The story, set in an accessible modern Japan, is about life and death. It's also about the power of friendship and connection - 5* review." Daily Telegraph, 'The Best Young Adult Books of 2015' "An excellent debut set in Kyoto telling the story of 17-year-old Sora. He turns to ancient Samurai wisdom for advice - and finds himself dealing with a dark corner of the internet. For fans of Khaled Hosseini." Red Magazine "Benwell's deeply moving story is psychologically acute in its portrayal of a dying teen and his loyal friends. Its shattering ending is sure to engender discussion among readers." Booklist (Starred review) "Deeply emotional and poignant, handling difficult themes with great sensitivity and without being sentimental. Beautifully written, heartbreaking and hopeful." The Bookseller "[A] heart-breaking, unsentimental debut" Metro "Stunningly powerful, it's a book which will surely get everyone talking about it. It left me in tears. Hugely recommended; I would expect this to be a strong contender for prizes" The Bookbag "Very occasionally I read a book that I so utterly and completely fall in love with that when it comes to writing my review all I have is a long list of words such as; beautiful, stunning, magnificent, breath-taking, amazing, fantastic, marvellous and perfect. This is one of those books ... Read it." Luna's Little Library

Author Bio

Fox Benwell is a writer, adventurer and wannabe-knight. He holds degrees in international education and writing for young people, and is working on a PhD on disability representation. He has as much of a thing for story structure as for the underdog, and is, in essence, a nerd.