Danny is a 16 year old girl who wants her her non existent father's love. When he offers her the trip of a lifetime to the Peruvian rain forest, she jumps at the chance to go. Danny's father Cougar is a tv star that goes to remote locations and does survival shows. Danny was involved in a childhood accident when she lost her left eye so her mom doesn't want her to go on the trip with her dad. When their plane goes down the survivors must do everything in their power to survive in the rain forest. This is a story of survival! I loved Danny!! She is strong but vulnerable and she made for the perfect heroine!!! I would love a sequel with the characters in real life and see how they are doing now!!! I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are my own.

This was a fast-paced, exciting read that offered a lot more depth and thoughtfulness than I originally expected. I was intrigued by an adventure story featuring a TV survival personality and his estranged daughter. That's unique enough for me to be excited to read it and high-interest enough for it to appeal to my teen readers.

I didn't expect the story to be quite as high-stakes (more character deaths than I anticipated), but I found it to be better for those details. A real survival story is not likely to end cleanly with little fallout. Additionally, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked Danny as a character and how much growth she experienced on the trip. This was a coming-of-age story, but it didn't follow a clear and easy path. The romance between Danny and Gus was fairly predictable, but that path was also nicely varied from some traditional tropes.

I have already purchased several copies of this book for my high school library and expect it to be popular with my students.

This was one I was checking out for my students and I have to say that I would highly recommend it. Quite an intense read and one I will be purchasing for my library.

Need a new book to fall in love with? Step out of your reading comfort zone, and pick up something completely different, that something being this book. I couldn't wait to check this out, and I'm so thankful I got the chance to, because it's quickly become one of my new favourites. Although, could I expect anything less from author Nancy Richardson Fischer?

The story begins with a girl suspended in an airplane seat upside down, somewhere in a tree in the rain forest. Someone is dead and bleeding above her, which is just a crazy intro to Danger Danielle Warren's life. Four days prior, she was just another high school student, dissecting a pig in a classroom. She likes that kind of stuff because it's clean, controlled and everything is in it's place. And who wouldn't like that? After her dad left to become a celebrity, that's what she needed; everything in it's place.

Something I always love about the author's writing, is that all the characters are so unique and have really rich backstories. They're really believable as real people, and really interesting people at that. It helps the story move along and suck you into it. Every twist and turn was completely surprising.

Danny's life turns around when her dad, Cougar, calls one night when her and her mother are having dinner. He says they're going to go on a trip together in the rainforest, and she feels stoked and relieved that she doesn't have to talk about university with her mom anymore. But her mom has other thoughts on the matter. She doesn't want her to go, and tries to force her to stay home, which only drives a wedge between the two. But I don't think anyone could have guessed what really happened on that trip.

My favourite quote from the book has to be "You know what happens when you take your hand out of a bucket of water? It doesn't leave a hole, the water level just goes down a little." It's just so interesting and haunting at the same time, I don't want to forget about it.

If this is something that you think you'd be interested, let me say that you absolutely have to read it. Not only is it a story of a broken family, but a strong female lead who is forced to work with people she barely knows in a wilderness survival situation. While I was reading this book, I was so into it that I could imagine everything that was happening, and that's not something that's easy to do for me. I wasn't confused about anything, and all of my questions were answered at the end of the story. Like I said above, it's definitely one of my new favourites, and I'm extremely happy to have it on my shelf. And I hope you like it too.

Thanks for reading!
(Radioactivebookreviews.wordpress.com)

The Speed of Falling Objects is a fast paced story that takes an honest look at relationships. Ones with parents, others and ourselves.

I really liked how honest this story is. Danny has had to learn how to navigate the world and deal with a disability of being blind in one eye. Which I found interesting it is to hear her talk about learning how she had to relearn simple actions.

Another big part of the story is Danny’s relationship with her parents. What I really thought was honest was how sometimes a child can be used against another parent. Which happens, especially in divorce. It’s sad but reality. Also Danny’s parents had her very young, which does have that residue of resentment. They had to make adjustments to their life for her. Doesn’t mean they don’t love her but I’m glad it was something that was addressed.

The plot itself is also intriguing. They are on their way to film Danny’s dad show, which deals with being out in the wild and then their plane crashes. They are trapped in the Amazon and have to find a way to get rescued. This isn't everyone makes it out alive situation either.

I don’t want to give too much away about Danny’s personality because it’s a big part of the story and how she grows through the experience. How things that she once saw one way, now have a different light to them.

It’s a very quick read and great if you are in the mood for something a little different. There is romance in the story but it’s really not the main part.

The Speed of Falling Objects is a survival story but also a tale of love, family, strength and courage above all. .

Danny had lost an eye in a childhood accident and she's learned to keep herself occupied, to work hard. But that doesn't stop her from missing her famous father, and questioning her worth. So when he calls her up to join in the filming of his new TV episode, Danny jumps at the idea of getting to spend more time with her dad. What results is a horrifying journey of surviving in the dense forest and uncovering secrets that were hidden deep inside.

Can we please talk about the cover first? It's SO GORGEOUS I can't stop looking at it 😍

The story is engaging too. I loved the distinct personalities that the author created for each character and how well they were articulated in the book. Danny was a great character with strength and courage. I hated her father and how ignorant he was throughout. Simply wanted to punch him in the face oof. Gus was adorable but I didn't ship the two enough. I guess I liked them both individually and thought a few weeks were too less of a time to fall in love.

There were some issues I had with the story, of course. I felt some parts were dragged a bit and felt a bit forced. I really did feel bad for Danny at how her father treated her. Some scenes were a tad bit unbelievable but I suppose, anything could happen in the Amazons.

I loved how well researched this book was. Usually, adventure and survival stories don't intrigue me much but TSOFO kept me hooked to find out the end. And I adored the fact that the end wasn't unrealistic. It was subtle and cool and went amazingly with the flow of the book.

The author did not shy away from torturing her characters and I admire that. She tried to show a true image of what survival would look like and it was gory, scary and terrifying. Right from the beginning, I can assure you that there are a lot of deaths. So be aware.

I enjoyed the book and completed it within a day hehe 🤭 thanks to Netgalley for the e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was one book that surprised me so much. It follows Danger through going on a trip with her dad and wanting to show him that she can be strong and not be afraid of the world. Danger lost her eye when she was little and I really think that she blamed herself for not listening. Even though as us parents know that kids just don't listen sometimes. The story really gets going once the plane that Danger was in crashes and she finds herself alone in the Amazon.

I have to say that this was a very interesting story. The main character of Danger only has one eye and that really messes with her ability to see depth as well as anything on her left side. I thought that as character disabilities etc. go this was one that I hadn't seen before. Overall, Danger not having vision in her left eye didn't really affect her trip though the Amazon. I would have liked it to affect her more since it was a big topic in the story. The rest of the characters were great. I think the author did an amazing job with this cast.

The story itself from start to finish was wonderful. I liked how we started out learning about Danger and how we only get tidbits of how she lost her eye until almost the end of the story. It gave it a slight mystery feel.

Overall, this was one that had a little bit of everything in it from danger to romance, to one girl finding her own voice.

So, if I’m being honest, I didn’t think I would like this book very much.......even after I was a couple of chapters in. I don’t know why I didn’t like Danny to begin with...maybe the victim mentality? But, wow. Did she grow on me?!?!?!? Yes. Yes she did.

The best thing about the book, though, was the stuff I learned, not just about the Amazon or rainforests or even surviving. I learned things about me from reading about these folks. It was cool. I love this line best of all: “Kindness is underrated (and you are overflowing with it).” It really is. This is a good book. I’ll be buying it and recommending it often. 🤓💜📚

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Teen for sending me a free advanced reader copy of this book for an honest review. The Speed of Falling Objects debuted October 1st.

If there ever was a book to convince me that I don’t want to visit the Amazon rain forest, this is it. The book progresses from a page one plane crash to poison dart frogs, killer snakes, leeches, and all the creepy crawlies you could ever want. MC Danny, short for Danielle, must confront all these and more as she and her survival TV star father, along with a reality television crew and a teen heartthrob movie star, endeavor to make their way to safety.

But this book isn’t just about the perils of the Amazon. Danny’s mission is to use the time in the jungle to get closer to her dad, who, to put it bluntly, is a total dick. She hardly knows him, but has spent most of her life obsessed with his wilderness survival television show. Much of the book revolves around her hopes and expectations about her father being summarily dashed; she has to learn who her father really is and whether she can accept that reality or not. The book was a bit introspective for my taste, but that’s a personal preference thing.

The writing is strong, and Fischer holds no punches. The inclusion of the teen heartthrob character made me think at the outset that this would be a bit of a fluffier read, but it’s definitely not. People die in this book, permanently, and not just the ones you’re kind of hoping might. If you’re looking for a wilderness-themed page-turner, this is definitely a book to pick up!

Whew! What a whirlwind of a book!

The Speed of Falling Objects takes off at light speed and does not slow down even once. This story was swift, well-paced, and a thrilling survival tale of a family doing whatever it takes. I had ups and downs with this story, but overall- a frightening, wild tale. Starting the first page off with a plane crash sure does jump-start a book!

The best thing about this book was the rich, descriptive, immersive world that the author creates in the boundless Amazon Rainforest. What seems like such a beautiful and rich place, full of all kinds of different life forms that continue to flourish, proves to be a much less hospitable place than I imagined. For instance: when so much of what’s around you is poisonous, how do you find anything to eat? I’d never thought about that before.

Fischer has a great writing style that clicked well with me too. Her writing simple, straight-forward, and focused. This made it so easy and effortless to read and I flew through this YA contemporary survival story.

My only struggle was that I profoundly disliked one of the characters, the main character’s father. I’ve read some other reviews that struggled with the same character, which leads me to believe- maybe that was the point? Were we supposed to hate him? I’m not sure but, regardless, he will not win father of the year.

Overall, this was a fast, fun, and crazy ride through the jungle at top speed and I flew through this book. If you like thrilling survival tales, this book might be for you. If you like complex characters that make you feel conflicted, this book would be right up your alley.

Check it out for yourself! This one hits shelves tomorrow.

Title: The Speed of Falling Objects
Author: Nancy Richardson Fischer
Genre: YA
Rating: 5 out of 5

Danger “Danny” Warren is nothing like her father, a popular survivalist TV star…but she used to be. And she wants to be again. Danny lost her eye in a childhood accident and had to re-learn how to move and relate to spatial relationships. Danny knows that if she’d just been enough, she’d have a relationship with her father now.

So when her dad calls with an offer to join him on the set of his next adventure in the Amazon, Danny is all for it. She’ll get to prove to her dad that she’s still the adventure-seeking girl she was—and getting to hang out with the hottest teen actor on the globe isn’t a bad thing, either. Until their plane crashes in the rainforest and Danny finds out a horrible secret about her father—while fighting to stay alive and find safety.

I enjoyed this book so much! Danny’s feeling of never being enough is something I think we can all relate to, so that made this book completely relatable. Her larger-than-life father is kind of a jerk, but Danny loves him anyway, although finding out who he really is was a tough experience. A movie star crush, a rainforest adventure, a strong female main character—this book had it all!

Nancy Richardson Fischer used to write sports biographs, but now she plans fun adventures and writes. The Speed of Falling Objects is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Harlequin Teen/Inkyard Press via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.)

What I liked

This book was intense! I mean all of these survival adventures in the Amazon and that plane crash that happened before the horror survival trips it was seriously intense. I couldn’t describe it any other way. It was really a great thing and you had the feeling to watch some TV show where people need to show off their surviving skills in the middle of nowhere.

The descriptions in The Speed of Falling Objects were beautifully written and I couldn’t get enough of it. I loved her writing style and hope to read more of it in the near future.

I found the storyline to be intriguing as well and I have to say Fischer did her job very well because I kind of hated our main characters father so so much. I’m sure that you will understand what I mean by this once you’ve read this novel but he is a man you honestly don’t wish to have as a family member and especially not as your father. He was cruel!

What I didn’t like

I found all the characters kind of annoying and couldn’t get to find them nice. Some of the times I wanted to smack them on the head. But I guess that that also made this book great. It might have even been the intention of the author. Who knows? That’s also the only negative thing I might have to say about it.

Overall, if you like these survival shows on TV then I’m pretty sure that The Speed of falling objects will be your next favourite book!

A teen survival story in the rainforest is kind of an unrealistic plot but very enjoyable none the less, a fun and light read. The main character's coming of age by understanding life and loss in an extreme situation. And finding love of course.

This is literally a story that ANYONE could relate to.

I feel like in life we all have those moments where we feel as though we are not good enough for something.

Maybe a friendship. A job. A new career. A new relationship.

Whatever this “thing” is- it interferes with our self-perception and how we see ourselves existent within the world around us.

Danny’s situation reminded me of these feelings and emotions which I feel are reminiscent of the world today. These emotions can be so devastating and can create a personal prison that we have intricately woven for ourself.

THE SPEED OF FALLING OBJECTS was absolutely mesmerizing and touching in ways that show us that we are not alone in these feelings of insecurity. FISCHER creates such a believable character which really made this story touch a special nerve in my heart.

I cannot get over how entertaining this novel was with its rich textures of self-identification, romance, realization, and how we can defeat the odds if only we step up to the plate and believe in ourself.

This story was so good and I cannot rave enough about how different and relatable it was.
I feel like one of the most important lessons that this story taught me was that not everything is what it seems and that sometimes the most important person deserving of our love, attention, and devotion-

Is ourself.

The Speed of Falling Objects
Nancy Richardson Fischer
Inkyard Press, October 2019
ISBN 978-1-335-92824-5
Hardcover

From the publisher—

From the author of When Elephants Fly comes an exceptional new novel about falling down, risking everything and embracing what makes us unique. Don’t miss this compulsively readable novel about the most unlikely of heroes.

Danger “Danny” Danielle Warren is no stranger to falling. After losing an eye in a childhood accident, she had to relearn her perception of movement and space. Now Danny keeps her head down, studies hard, and works to fulfill everyone else’s needs. She’s certain that her mom’s bitterness and her TV star father’s absence are her fault. If only she were more-more athletic, charismatic, attractive-life would be perfect.

When her dad calls with an offer to join him to film the next episode of his popular survivalist show, Danny jumps at the chance to prove she’s not the disappointment he left behind. Being on set with the hottest teen movie idol of the moment, Gus Price, should be the cherry on top. But when their small plane crashes in the Amazon, and a terrible secret is revealed, Danny must face the truth about the parent she worships and falling for Gus, and find her own inner strength and worth to light the way home.

To enjoy a book, I don’t necessarily have to like the protagonist and that’s a good thing because I had a bit of trouble liking Danny. Sure, she had a disability but, after 10 years, you’d think she would have learned to accept the loss of her eye with a modicum of grace but not so much. Granted, bullies have made her life uncomfortable and she’s had to cope with an absentee father but there are a lot of people worse off than she is so my empathy for her was limited. Having said that, she doesn’t hold a candle to her father when it comes to being a narcissistic douchebag and he actually made me feel a little kinder towards her. At the very least, we see Danny gain some maturity during the coming ordeal and I did appreciate that.

The setting for the core story, on the other hand, was pretty darned great. I love disaster/survival tales and, for sheer terror, you can’t do much better than the Amazon rainforest. I just can’t imagine having to deal with all the dangerous critters, the enormity of the landscape, the fear that survival is not a given.

Bottomline, while I really couldn’t care much for any of the primary characters, the plane crash and its aftermath saved the day, so to speak, and I’m glad to have had the opportunity to read The Speed of Falling Objects.

Reviewed by Lelia Taylor, October 2019.

This was a great YA contemporary book. This is a fun fast read with a bit of romance between Danny and Gus. I really disliked Danny's father. But watching Danny grow up and gain more confidence in herself as they try to survive in the Amazon was great.

I really enjoyed the first book by this author, so I was definitely interested in reading this one. And I was not disappointed. The detail that went in to all of the types of creatures and plants and environment of being stranded in the Amazonian rain forest was incredible. I shivered with disgust at all the bugs and snakes and caimans as they appeared and landed on characters or bit characters or even just peeked up out of the swamp water as our characters passed by them. I shuddered and gagged at the thought of eating the nasty sounding grubs that they had to eat in order to survive at one point. But getting past the forest as an actual character in the book, like it was, the characters themselves were all so perfectly developed that they made the story even more than just what you kind of expected to happen. There was the hot young movie star, but he wasn't the perfect guy, and even when it seemed that he and our main character, Danny - otherwise known as Danger Danielle Warren, were kind of connecting, he still had issues that ended up causing more strife between them and teen strife at that! In the middle of the Amazon! And Danny's dad, Cougar, wow, I just wanted to slap him or punch him sometimes for how he interacted with. his daughter. While in a way there were setups woven into Cougar's filming plan, the crash itself was an actual terrible accident, and it was done in a very realistic, deadly way. With a death right after the crash, and other deaths in the days following the crash that had been caused by injuries received from that accident. In the end the relationships are what really stand out and some will be saved, some will be lost even as they are saved, and new ones will be formed and hopefully last beyond our final chapter.

Well, I didn’t intend for that to happen. By that, I mean sitting down and reading this entire book in one go.

I’m currently reading Hatchet with my students and they can’t get enough! The Speed of Falling Objects is the modern survival story for teens.

There was so much wisdom in this book! Danny might have been immature when it came to seeing her parents for who they were, but she really grew into herself over the course of a life-changing week. She had a depth of character that would make any parent proud. Her disability seemed to be a fixation for her, but it makes sense that it would be something she thought about often. My only complaint was that she supposedly looked like Shailene Woodley. While there’s nothing actually wrong with that, it would have been great if she looked just normal and we were able to focus on her beautiful inside instead.

This book was so good that I handed it to my daughter just moments after I finished reading it.

Danny Warren lives vicariously through her father, an adventure television star (think Bear Grylls,) she no longer has contact with, after a childhood accident left her without an eye. When her father invites her to participate on one of his shows, she jumps at the chance to reconnect with her father, and show her mother - and herself, that she can face any challenge thrown her way. Along with her father, his crew and heart-throb actor, Gus Price, Danny heads into the Amazon, but the plane crashes and everything changes. Danny finds a strength she never knew she had, and learns truths about her father that change her view on the man she had come to idolize.

I really enjoyed reading this book. Danny was a strong, yet vulnerable and intelligent young woman, who despite her disadvantage, forged ahead and proved to herself she was capable. If anyone is looking for redeeming qualities in her father, don't be disappointed when you discover none. While the small group attempt to hike out of the jungle, Danny discovers her father is nothing more than a narcissist who has given no thought to her since he left her and her mother shortly after her childhood accident. She also gains an appreciation for all her mother did for her through the years she took for granted. What I appreciated was the relationship between Danny and her mother were realistic - there wasn't a quick reconciliation when they are reunited. And yes, there is a romance between Danny and Gus, but despite the short amount of time in which the story took place, it does not feel rushed, nor does it necessarily feel permanent. It was a hate-like, and Danny took control of what she wanted from Gus, and her expectations when (if) they returned to civilization.
While the author admits in the author's note she has never had to survive in the wilderness, the situations felt realistic (although the group only seemed to run into bad luck,) and not everyone survives. I would recommend this book, I look forward to reading more of Fischer's work, and will definitely check out her backlist.

I was thrilled when I was picked for this book tour because the plot for this story line sounded so good. I actually received my copy late and was a little worried about finishing it on time, but that turned out to be no problem at all. I finished this book in just a little over a day and that is because without a doubt it is fantastic!

The whole premise and adventure was spectacular and kept me on the edge of my seat. What I didn't expect was the deep character profiles and the relationships that were tested. I was especially drawn to the relationships between daughter and mother and daughter and father. I could really relate to Danny and her childhood. I thought the author did an amazing job keeping these relationships challenging yet realistic.

All of the characters were exceptional in all their weakness and flaws, and this extreme situation really showed who they were. Some people rise above and really dig in, and this was really inspiring. Showing Danny with real fears due to some extraordinary circumstances felt very real to me. To see her work thought things in her mind really had me thinking about what I would do.

The plus was all the wildlife and survivalist fun. Even though the book has a disclosure about this book not be a how to survive, I still found it full of great information. The descriptions of the environment and creatures was absolutely dazzling and I felt like I was right there.

Most of all I think this is a story about growing up and giving up your perceived notions of yourself and others. It also really talks about human kind and how to have the best attitudes towards each other, kindness is definitely a theme here and I think that it fits perfectly. All in all a beautiful story that will stay with me a while.