Unfortunately, I was not able to finish this review copy of Freefall. I could not connect with the voice and main character which led to confusion and frustration. I do not think it's fair for me to offer a review copy if I only was able to read 25% of this book. Thank you for the opportunity!

n the year 2151 Earth is ruled by the 1% of rich and elite that live in the Upperworld. Cam has been raised in Upperworld all of his life and is now training to join a mission to take citizens to a new planet now that Earth is dying out. The voyage will have the passengers sleeping through a 1000 year journey to a new pristine planet to colonize but those of the Lowerworld are not happy to be left behind.

At the forefront of the uprising in the Lowerworld is Sophie and when Cam sees her on a video feed he immediately is taken with her. Cam is so infatuated that he does whatever he can to get near Sophie but when gunshots ring out at the meeting Cam had attended he finds himself being whisked away with her and her guards and suddenly brought into the middle of the battle between the 1% and the other 99% that Cam had never known.

Freefall by Joshua David Bellin is a young adult science fiction read with a bit of a dystopian twist with the imminent downfall of the planet. The story is told by starting the reader off in the year 2151 with Cam and his friends preparing to leave Earth when Cam gets involved with Sophie and the rebellion. But every other chapter then jumps the 1000 years into the future to pick up with Cam after the journey to another planet. So while learning of Cam and Sophie in the past we find that he’d left her to go on the voyage but is now stranded.

Now Freefall did have a bit of a different vibe to it by giving the reader a glimpse at the past while progressing the story after having left Earth but I ended up disappointed in what the author did with the story in the past with Cam and Sophie. Not only was it instant attraction for Cam but I never felt his obsession was returned which put a damper on the future events for me. Instead of insta-love between them it felt a bit more obsession on one side and using on the other, somewhat a turn off.

But as much as the relationship aspect in the read fizzled out I still thought this was an alright read as far as the plot. There was enough action and suspense as the story unfolded that it kept my interest in wanting to know just what would happen in the future chapters to bring everyone to the point where they were. A bit of creativity there with what was going on salvaged my disappointment in the earlier years and held my interest to the end.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

3.5 STARS

I found Freefall to be a fast paced, intriguing read that, while not perfect, was certainly enjoyable. I was a bit torn on my overall feelings, which is why I went with a 3 star rating, but felt it had just enough umph to give it that extra half star increase. That's a long description above and it tells you just about everything you need to know for the story, so I'll just dive into what I thought about it. The narrative is ever-changing between past and present, keeping things fresh and unique without being overly challenging to follow. I really enjoyed this form of story telling, and I found myself engrossed in the sections focusing on the time jump forward where the ship finds itself stranded on the hostile planet. I love survival stories, so this was a huge bonus for me as a reader. While the writing and prose were lovely, it did get a bit over the top at times and made it difficult to follow what was happening. I didn't seem to ever develop the emotion I should have conveyed toward the romance in the early sections; honestly I could have done without that entire part of the story and just focused on the survival aspects, but I understand why it was written this way for credibility and it's partially due to my natural aversion to most romantic plot lines. Overall, I think any fans of YA Sci-Fi and space travel will enjoy this book and encourage you to pick it up.

Tried to download this on a number of devices and had no luck - therefore couldn't review

Freefall is a wonderful new SciFi that takes place in the future on an Earth divided by wealth and race. It revolves around two teens that are stuck by their positions in society Yet when they leave Earth the real story begins.. It is an epic journey filled with love and lose. The writing had some jumping between past and present which I enjoyed. Overall if you like sci-fi try this out 4 out of 5 stars.

This will go live on my blog on its release date, kellyvision.wordpress.com




I loved this book, guys. It goes back and forth in time and shows us the relationship between Cam and Sofie and how it developed, and shows us the way things are with this new planet (spoiler: not great).

This book is beyond compelling. The way that Earth is now is beyond dystopian (and parts of it are darkly funny--for example, there's a Linked-In Memorial; say it out loud, if you don't immediately get it) and it also is a little unsettling.

I couldn't stop reading it and I was taken aback by literally everything that happened. You need this book in your life. Recommended.

I received an advance copy of this via Netgalley and Margaret K. McElderry Books in exchange for an honest review.

I liked this but I didn't. I had two big problems. The insta love aspect that the protagonist, Cam, feels for the girl he sees, Sofie. I also had a problem with the Terrarists - the Low world protesters (it's most likely an earth pun but they were described in a way that left me feeling not so great).

Aside from that I loved the world building in this I think it was really well thought out aside from the minor quibbles I had and I could easily envision the world that exists without too much of a thought. The back and forth between past and present also added another dimension to the way things developed which I thought was unique but at points the insta love story dragged down what I thought was an interesting sci-fi premise.

I usually try to get two chapters into a book before I decide to put it down, but I didn't get very far with this one. The description of the Lowerworld people really rubbed me the wrong way. Reading from Cam's perspective was not going to work for me. I hate to feel that way towards a character, but I cannot force myself through a book if I don't like reading it.

Completely new and unique dystopian/light science fiction. The story shifts from present to past and back again in a way that reveals a little at a time to the reader, keeping them completely hooked. Without giving anything away, the twist at the end of the book lacked a little in originality and what was a great book became a little too neatly wrapped up. Overall, four solid stars! This book will appeal to teens and adults alike.

Freefall follows the journey of Cam, a privileged member of the elite, also known as the Upperworld. They're getting ready to abandon the devastated planet Earth, leaving the Lowerworld to die along with the planet. A 1,000 year long deep sleep and the privileged Upperworld can colonize a new planet. But when Cam sees prohibited footage of the Lowerworld protests, he feels a connection to a girl named Sofie. When the chance arises to join Sofie's cause for Lowerworld rights, Cam begins to see the unfairness of the world they live in. Cam begins to fall in love with Sofie, but she has her own battles to fight, and Cam has no choice but to board the spaceship to a new life alone. 1,000 years later, and Cam wakes to find himself and his crew-mates far off course, stranded on a hostile, uninhabitable planet. Who sabotaged their ship? And does Cam, Sofie and his past actions to have anything to do with it?

I'm always on the look-out for well-developed, YA science fiction books. Freefall is just that. Bellin created a fantastic world, one highlighting social, racial, and economic inequalities that you see today, but translated it into a very dystopian-esque setting, where corporations run the world. The book narrates between past and present, how Cam and Sofie fell in love and recounts how Cam and his shipmates ended up stranded 1,000 years in the future on an uninhabitable planet, surrounded by hostile creatures. The present-day setting was fantastically done, and I really enjoyed the science fiction horror/survival aspect.

Whilst I enjoyed the romance, it wasn't my favourite part. It felt too much like insta-love, especially on Cam's part. But it also felt like Sofie was just there to educate Cam on the blatant inequalities of the world. But then again, I think one of Cam's learning curves was realizing that he wasn't fully giving himself to the cause.

Despite how much I enjoyed it, I also had issues: the Lowerworld protesters are called Terrarists – not sure if the word was a play on Terra as in Earth, but the fact that the Lowerworld protestors were multiracial, and Sofie herself was of Indian descent, I felt the word was too closely associated with Terrorist (not entirely sure if that was the point, but it made me uncomfortable). I can't speak for the Indian rep, but Sofie was, at one point, seen as exotic by Cam. That's pretty much my only issue with Freefall, but it's was a significant problem for me.

I found Freefall to be an amazing young adult novel and truly enjoyed reading it. The setting, plot line and characters all blended together to create this amazing book.

My apologies, but I couldn't review this book since it wasn't in kindle format

It would be easy to dismiss this as yet another dystopian novel in the SciFi genre; another socio-examination of politics, disparate economic issues, and the unfairness that inevitably follows when the minority get to call all the shots for the majority. Somehow the author rose above the stereotypes and clichés to bring something unique; something more than a SciFi-ish version of the Hunger Games.

There is whispers of revenge, anger, and despair but also hope, love and the belief there should be something more than a world where human beings treat each other like animals.

Cam is an interesting teen whose voice comes through as the kind of character the reader will want to get behind and wish more like him existed to bridge the gap between those who have no voice and those who have no conscience. You’re treated to different worlds, different stories, different time periods but the author whips it all together in an easy to read pace.

Though you will be treated to the perfect conclusion, before you get there you’ll have to endure a climatic ride and some intense twists but it will all be worthwhile.

Teachers, librarians and parents will find this a great book for their teens to read and apply the themes to the current socio-political climate particularly in the States. It’s definitely one of those books that will raise questions, peak critical thinking skills and make the reader decide where they stand; would they stay behind or get on the ship?