A Scar Like a River

Graff, Lisa. A Scar Like a River

February 3, 2026 by Christy Ottaviano 

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Fallon Little has two good friends in Cedar Haven, California. Neither Trent nor Kiara care about the significant scar that Fallon has had since she was five years old, but they don't know the secret of how she got it, either. There's a lot going on in Fallon's life, especially since her mother is struggling with the after effects of a virus and can barely get out of bed some days. After Fallon's Uncle Geebie dies, feelings from the past resurface and cause problems, especially when Fallon's Aunt Claire (aka Lune) comes to live with the family to help out. Claire gets a job at the local newspaper. When Fallon auditions for the school production of Hello, Dolly!, she is surprised to win the leading role, since Stella Brymer usually stars in the plays. She even asked the director, Mr. Castiglioni, if her scar won't distract people from her performance, but he assures her that she has talent enough that no one will care. Fallon is in therapy, and is surprised to see Stella at the office. The two talk, and Fallon shares her opinion that the message of Hello, Dolly! is problematic, but Mr. Castiglioni says that play can't be changed. This bothers Fallon, but she's also dealing with doctors who are dismissive of her mother's condition, the fact that Kiara and Trent are dating and haven't told her, and Aunt Claire being around the house. When she finds that Stella is attending a Survivors of Sexual Assault Group, secrets from Fallon's past surface. After she protests the play and writes a letter to the newspaper, she is surprised that her aunt doesn't support her. She finds old news articles of her aunt's and reads them to try to find ammunition to fight her, and finds that her aunt has secrets of her own. These anger Fallon, and she finally decided to tell her parents what really happened in the past. 

Strengths: Fallon is dealing with a variety of very serious issues, so it is good to see that she has access to a therapist. Even with her own challenges, it was good to see that she was willing to advocate for her mother at a doctor's appointment! It is also good to see that she has good friends, and that she is involved in school activities. I really enjoyed her developing friendship with Stella, whom she thought was stuck up at first. Aunt Claire's presence in the home was unsettling, and it turns out there was a good reason for that feeling! I really wish that schools would look more critically before they choose plays; our local community children's theater put on Oklahoma several years ago and I was absolutely appalled at how completely inappropriate it was. Surely, there are other plays out there, despite what Mr. Castiglioni says about most plays having some issues of not aging well! 
Weaknesses: There is quite a lot going on in this book, and since there is a fairly graphic description of inappropriate touching, this might be a better choice for readers who are in middle school. It's done very sensitively, but you might want to be aware of this if it is in your library. 
What I really think: I read this right after Haydu's The Ordinary and Extraordinary Auden Greene, and there are some similarities in those two books; school plays, mothers with debilitating conditions, and being at odds with friends! The two stories will always be connected in my brain! Graff, who deals with a chronic illness of her own, has written a wide variety of middle grade novels. A Scar Like a River is more like her Lost in the Sun than her more upbeat Rewind, and is comparable to Brubaker Bradley's Fighting Words.