“The book takes place at an élite prep school, a haven for the children of the rich, but there the similarity to “Gossip Girl” ends; “Headlong” is a closely observed tale of a privileged girl beginning to perceive the constraints of her background, who channels her restlessness into a friendship with an emotionally elusive free spirit.” —The New Yorker's Book Bench Blog
v“Besides reliably recreating the dynamics of teen-girl friendship, Koja (Kissing the Bee) relays this story with her usual insight and, through her lightning-fast characterizations, an ability to project multiple perspectives simultaneously.” —Starred, Publishers Weekly
“This is an excellent character study . . . and an in-depth look at how real friendships demand a soul-searching dive beneath the nature of one’s own feelings while trying to understand the complexity of another’s.” —School Library Journal
“This lovely story portrays friendship—what it is and what it is not. Many teen girls will wish themselves into this book.” —VOYA
“Koja is one of the treasures of fiction, and of young adult fiction especially.” —Cory Doctorow, author of Little Brother, on boingboing.net
“Boarding school stories may not be a rarity, but one that sounds the prep-school caste system with such probity certainly is.” —Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
“An engaging, haunting novel.” —Kliatt
“Anyone who has had to make a tough, possibly life-altering decision can relate to Lily’s character and the pressure she feels from the people around her.” —ALAN’s Online Picks
“Koja creates compelling, nuanced characters.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Teen girls passing through a tentative dark and edgy phase will dive in and claim this book as their own.” —Booklist
