This book was quite enjoyable, I found all the characters interesting and wanted to learn more about them. Also the story line itself is always something that piques my interest, stranded on an island. Not only that however but the writing of this story was very simplistic and very easy to get lost in, once I picked up this book I didn't want to put it down. The story line while very simple had loads of depth to it and lots of hard subjects. It
dealt with disability and overcoming challenges, it dealt with family problems, survival, broken families, pretty much every important story theme this book covered and it covered them all well. Its all about our main character Danny who gets in a plane crash after her estranged father asks her to go with him on his new film in the jungle. Danny is unsure about the trip however when her father mentions that her Hollywood crush Gus will be staring in the movie she jumps at the chance. However when the plane goes down it now up to her, Gus and Danny's father, Couger, to find their way off the island and their way back home. This a great survival story that I knew would keep my attention. I really liked how our main character was strong in the face of adversity and also didn't let her disability get in the way of anything. She was the strongest character in the book which I liked because you don't get to see many characters with disabilities so it was nice to see some representation especially in the YA genera. The only thing I did't like about this book was I thought it was going to be more of a survival story, a story of them trying to find their way back home and it wasn't exactly that. Not a bad read and I would definitely suggest this to all readers not just YA readers.

I received a digital advanced reader copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
What an emotional ride this was! This book had everything from plane crashes to a love story! The story follows Danny, a nearly 17 year old girl who is basically scared of everything. Danny has one eye due to a childhood accident that gets her bullied a lot through her high school days.
During a trip with her father in the Amazon, Danny’s plane crashes and she embarks on a huge adventure in which her father becomes the villain.
The plane crash felt so REAL! I had to put the book down a moment to just take a breath. Nancy does a fantastic job of making you feel every moment. The character building was phenomenal. I loved that Danny was not held back through her adventure, even with one eye. I really felt all of Danny’s insecurities, anxieties, and growth.
I really enjoyed this book tremendously, it had everything I look for in a story and I felt it was an absolute page turner.
Thank you kindly for the change to review this book!

I fell in love with the cover of this book and had to get my hands on it!

The Speed of Falling Objects was a pretty quick read for me. The novel explores romance, coming of age, relationships, survival, overcoming fears, and family.

The book is well written and leaves readers on the edge with all the action in the jungle! I loved the setting and I felt like I was really in the Amazon.

I do have to say that I wasn't a fan of the main character's father Cougar. Cougar is an ass and all he cares about is his tv lifestyle. He was the absolute worst father to Danny and basically demeaning his own daughter. This bugged THE heck out of me. I had a hard time getting past this character.

The majority of the characters weren't my cup of tea and I had a hard time rooting for anyone to be honest and this is about a story of survival.

Overall, was a decent read and would be interested in seeing more from this author.

3.25 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and Inkyard Press for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Publication date: 10/1/19
Published to GR: 9/12/19

I loved this book so much. I am still processing it. The story and the characters broke me into a million pieces. Bravery, strength, and survival after a plane crash is just the simplest synopsis. This story was so much more. Danny started the story scared and vulnerable. She's a child of divorced parents and her dad is the ultimate outdoorsman (think Bear Grylls). He hasn't been in her life and she's sure it's because she is "damaged" or "defective". She gets the chance to spend some time with him and jumps at the chance to prove to him how worthy she is.

I was not a fan of her father at all and for most of the book he was an egotistical, calculating ass****. He ridiculed her and used her naivete to make a point. Even when she took a risk and shared her feelings he still blew her off. Why couldn't he see how awesome his daughter was? And how much she needed him?

Besides taking an honest look at a dysfunctional family, we get to see a very insecure girl blossom and take charge in the very worst circumstances. We see her facing incredible dangers, exhaustion and possible death. The Amazon rainforest setting was its own living, breathing, sometimes brutal character. The detailed descriptions of the animals and surroundings had me feeling very creepy crawly!

My favorite line: “Don’t undervalue kindness. It doesn’t come naturally to a lot of folks."

Great coming of age story. When Danielle (Danny) accepts her father's invitation to join him on his next TV shoot in the jungles of the Amazon, she never imagined that the plane would go down. Reminiscent of Gary Paulsen's The Hatchet, the good news is that Danny is not alone in the jungle, she has her father, Cougar, and several other survivors from the plane. Now it is up to them to work as a team to get out of the jungle.
The prose is wonderful and you can really see the internal struggle that Danny goes through to overcome her perceived shortcomings and help be a "propeller" not an "anchor".

4 stars

I really didn't know much about this book going, and I am almost glad? I was able to just enjoy the wild ride that is this book.. This book starts off with a bang.

Our main character, Danger "Dany", is waking up after her plane has crash in the middle of the Amazon Rainforest in Peru. Her dad, a famous TV survivalist, a famous teenaged movie star, her dad's assistant, two members of the crew and the pilot were all on their way to shoot an episode of Cougar, a Bear Grills-esque survivalist show. Dany hopes to get closer to her dad, who she hasn't seen in over two years, but it put in a situation wildly out of her comfort zone when she, and other, are forced to learn quickly how to survive in one of the most dangerous ecosystems in the world.

I haven't read much survivalist fiction, but I found the plot of this to be very interesting. I learned a lot about surviving in dire situations, different animals and plants in the Amazon and more. I felt the plot was quite fast paced and kept me on my toes right up until the end. I did predict some of the fates of people and twists that were present, so in that way it was slightly predictable, but still enjoyed reading it.

The main highlight for me was seeing the ways in which Dany grew as a character. Seeing her come into her own, become more confident in herself and figure out what makes her relationships with other people strong or weak. While I felt Dany was really well-rounded and I enjoyed her character, I can't say the same for her farther. I hated Cougar, and even though the book tried to redeem him, I wasn't buying it at all. I also wanted a little more out of some side characters but overall I liked Gus and Jupiter quite a bit.

Overall, this was a really quick, intense, and fast read about surviving in perilous conditions and learning to accept who you are.

For a girl who was afraid of everything, she went on quite the adventure!

Due to a childhood accident, Danny lost an eye and had to spatially relearn the world around her, but along with that came new fears.

Prior to her seventeenth birthday, her absent celebrity father invites her along to film an episode of his show in the jungles of Peru. It’s the perfect opportunity for her to face her fears while proving to her father that she is not a disappointment and is worthy of his love. But after their plane crashes in the Amazon, not only does she have to fight to survive but fight for answers from her father too. Why did he really leave all those years ago and why didn’t he come back for her?

I really enjoyed reading this book! I thought Danny was a great character and while she had a lot to be afraid of, she also had a lot of strengths too. But I also felt like Danny was more so concerned about pleasing her father and proving to him that she could be brave as opposed to proving it to herself, and that bothered me a bit. Nevertheless, I definitely recommend this book!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2963254919

I felt every emotion while reading this and loved every minute

This story had so much, it was a plane crash story, a survival story, a bully story, a romance, a broken family story, a story of a journey, a story of fame and what people will do for fame, a story of overcoming fears and insecurities, of disabilities and how someone can internalize feelings from childhood and let that affect their entire life. Especially it is a story about communication and how the ability to communicate or a lack of communication can affect people.

The main character in the book is a girl named Danielle “Danny” who is about to turn seventeen. She has only one eye and it seems that the kids at her school bully her because of it. They don’t tease her as much as they did when she was younger, due to the fact that her father is famous for hosting a survival show where he takes famous celebrities out into the wild for different treks and adventures. Though the students at her school don’t realize that she hardly knows her father since her parents divorced when she was younger.

Her father invites her on his next adventure along with one of the biggest movie stars in the world. They travel with some of his crew into the Amazon when the plane crashes after veering off course in a storm. Her father is a huge jerk and makes a good villain. I think all readers will hate him. I don’t want to give away too many spoilers, but the journey they go through as they trek through the Amazon is full of danger, surprises and quite a few twists and turns in the plot.

There are so man unexpected moments and feelings that come up. Not only for Danny, but for her Mom Sam, her Dad John “Cougar” Warren, his assistant Cass, camera man Sean, sound guy Jupiter, Movie Star Gus Price “GP”, and pilot Mack. They all bring up so many emotions as you get to know them and they get to know each other.

In a weird way it reminds me of the breakfast club in how they all get to know each other. But so much more emotional because Danny is dealing with so many things. She is trying to get to know her father again and trying not to disappoint him. She still has deep feelings of abandonment from her father leaving when she was young. It doesn’t help that he still wants to film his show despite the fact that they crashed. The ending was so great also. I am finding it hard to put into words how much I liked it.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am a sucker for a survival story. This was a great one. Loved the growth and the relationships. It was great.

I really thought I'd enjoy this one, but unfortunately I didn't connect with the characters. It was a storyline with great potential, but I put it down multiple times as it just wasn't quite right for me.

The writer at times used evocative, descriptive words - I was so excited in the beginning... at other times, it felt stilted and awkward. It may be a hit for other readers, but for me it was a bit of a miss.

My thanks to the publisher for the chance to give it a try.

Posted to Goodreads: Danny Warren has lived her life afraid everything since she lost an eye as a child. Danny avoids doing anything that might put her in danger but everything is about to change. Danny's father is Cougar Warren, the star of a survival reality TV show, and he wants Danny to star in the next episode of his show. Danny agrees to spend a week with her father in the Amazon where they will be joined by Hollywood's hottest young movie star, Gus Price. However, everyone's plans change when their plane crashes in the middle go the rainforest. Now, Danny must learn to trust herself to try to survive.

I was a huge fan of Fischer's book "When Elephants Fly" and I was nervous that her follow up would live up to it however I had no reason to be nervous. Fischer wrote a compelling, adventure story about learning who you are and just trying to survive. Danny was a strong main character who is lost but is desperately trying to find herself. Her story is compelling and at times gruesome but entirely unputdownable.

After losing one of her eyes in an accident, Danielle has gone from being known as Danger to Danny as she is now timid and afraid of many things. She has lost touch with her father so she jumps at a chance to spend time with him even though it will be in the rain forest. The trip to the rain forest does not go as planned as they along with a few others are in a plane crash. Danny encounters injuries, poisonous snakes and insects, and hunting for her own food. I liked the survival stories, her relationship with the others on the trip and how she changes through the story. Her father ends up being conceited and selfish. I would add this to my adventure section.

I wanted to love this book, and really I do like it very much. But I hate the character of Cougar so good. Obnoxious, terrible father figure that I hate read all the way to the end.

A plane crash is a bad fear of mine, but to end up in a place where I'd be surrounded by creepy crawling critters...no thank you. Kudos to Nancy for creeping me right out and creating such a love to hate supporting character.

Danny’s father has been absent from her life, ever since the accident where she lost one of her eyes. Danny is desperate to have a relationship with her father and wants him to know that she doesn’t blame him for the accident. Her father is a Bear Grylls, who travels with celebs into treacherous situations and works to survive. Danny knows that she isn’t as brave as her father, and in fact she knows (especially in her father’s eyes) she is a coward. When her father offers to bring her with him and a teen heart throb to the Amazon rain forest to film an episode, Danny knows it is her perfect chance for getting back in her father’s life. Things become all too real when their flight to the Amazon crashes and they must survive and find their way back to civilization.
This book had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. Danny was such a well-developed character with real layers. She had believable faults and skills. I can’t wait to read more by this author.

WOW! I wasn't expecting to like this one as much as I did. Danny was such a great character who blossomed into the person she wanted to be through her experience surviving in the Amazon. She was able to face her fears head on and those helped her become stronger. She learned more about herself and her father through the epic journey. She was able to look at life through a different lens and helped save her friends and herself.
The relationship she developed with Gus was such a slow burn, but it was so good! I really liked how it started out as just something that was fake and then it turned into something that was real.
Danny is able to face her father and really get to know the guy he really is and gain the closure that she surely needed. She realizes that her mother made a lot of sacrifices for her too and she can't crucify her because there were some hard situations involved.
I had the heebeegeebees through parts of this too. I am scared of snakes and just the descriptions made me feel like they were on me. Fischer put a lot into her research and it shows with her descriptions and how she brought the Amazon to life. This is an action-packed, fast read that will appeal to a lot of middle grade and teen readers.

Danny, a high school junior about to turn 17, gets invited by her famous, but absent, father to join him in Peru for the filming of his TV survival show with the current teen heartthrob Gus. Blinded in her left eye by an accident when she was 7, Danny has always blamed herself and felt like she was a disappointment to her parents. She feels inferior and unloved - Dad skipped out right after her accident and Mom had to give up her dream of med school when she found out she was pregnant. Excited to have the opportunity to get to know her dad and prove to him that she's not the failure or disappointment, she forces Mom's hand to let her go on the trip.

Despite a bad storm, the group takes off in a small plane to reach the site where most of the crew is already set up and ready to film. When the plane crashes in the Amazon rain forest, Danny, her dad Cougar, Gus, and a couple crew members are stranded miles from where search and rescue are looking. They have no choice but to try and find a way out on their own. It's obvious the author did her research on the rain forest and I have to admit that I have no desire whatsoever to visit, ever. Ever. But, as an adventure story, this book grabbed me and didn't let go. Chapter 1 starts with the plane crash then chapter 2 flashes back to a biology class in high school. I admit that was a bit confusing, but once I started reading I did not want to stop.

There were characters that I liked and those I hated, but they kept me reading. Although the premise seems ridiculous, while reading the situations actually felt pretty realistic. There was some teenage angst, it is a YA book after all, but the crux of the story is Danny trying to overcome her own internal monologue and find the person she wants to be. That insecurity and that search for self resonated with me. I don't know what it's like to be disabled, but I do know what it's like to be bullied, to feel insecure, to feel like an embarrassment/disappointment/failure, This is a book that teens will definitely be able to relate to and I highly recommend it for anyone interested in survival/adventure stories, coming of age stories, and YA lit in general.

Disclaimer: I received a free electronic copy of this book through Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

When 17-year-old Danielle finds out her mother held back every letter she ever wrote to her estranged father, she rebels by accompanying him on his latest film excursion to the Amazon Rainforest. Except their plane goes down. They have to fight to survive.
The premise of this book is the reason I wanted to review it. However, the more I read, the more disenchanted I became. The entire cast of characters lacked redeeming qualities (ESPECIALLY Cougar, her father).... I did not feel invested in them, which was a huge let-down and tainted the dangerous and exhilarating moments in the story. The romantic connection was not believable, and Danielle’s disability was portrayed in an uncomfortable way. Would not recommend.

Incredible! I was sucked into this story from start to finish. With the exception of Jupiter (aka BAE) be warned that unlikable characters are rampant in this story. Some are frustrating, rude, entitled, pompous, and/or condescending. Others just put up with it. Some grow and redeem themselves. Some don't.
But I believe Danny's story is a good one.
After a traumatic childhood incident, Danny lost more than just her eye, she lost her father. For the last 10 years her dad has been living it up as a famous survivalist on his own tv show (Cougar) while Danny has been wishing and waiting for him to finally come back and be her dad again...or at least just spend time with her. So when she finally gets a chance to spend time with the father she's been idolizing from afar, she is all in! Even if it means heading to the Amazon Rainforest with her father to work on a new episode of his show....only the plane never makes it. After crash landing in the middle of the Amazon Rainforest, Danny luckily survives. Now she and the other cast and crew are forced to survive for real...and not everyone will be so lucky.
The Speed of Falling Objects is more than just a book about a girl surviving dangerous and life-threatening conditions in the middle of a giant rainforest. It's about a girl coming to terms with the fact that parents don't always live up to your expectations and that's okay because in the end, it's not the love or approval of someone else that you need to feel empowered or worthy--it's your own.

Nancy Richardson Fischer's second YA novel, The Speed of Falling Objects, is a coming of age novel about self-discovery, forgiveness, and family. Danny has spent her whole life questioning everything about herself. Where once she was fearless of everything, a childhood accident that causes her to lose her eye makes her fearful of anything. Nicknamed Pigeon at school because of her eyes, Danny stays under the radar and avoids all confrontation from her classmates.

When her father gives her an opportunity to join him on an episode of his famous survivalist show, she immediately agrees, hoping to finally be able to bond with her dad. When their plane crashes in the Amazon, they are left to fend for themselves and find a way out before the perils of the rain forest take them over.

Within the first few chapters of reading, I was completely engrossed in the story. Nan does an amazing job with the world building. The plane crash was so realistic and the jungle was so descriptive. (Have Wikipedia nearby as you, it's so so helpful). I felt myself with the crew during the trip, heart racing as they faced the formidable species of the jungles, holding my breath as they swam under the murky bogs infested with caimans and leeches. The novel was so vividly written and just kept you turning the pages.

The characters were so three dimensional each with their own distinct personality and voices. But it's truly the character development throughout the book that makes this book so amazing.

Although The Speed of Falling Objects is an action-filled novel that takes place in the jungles, it really speaks to readers. Danny is truly a relateable character, whose insecurities and self-doubt are things that we are all guilty of. But as Danny grows throughout the novel, I felt myself growing alongside her.

Danger Danielle Warren went from a fearless tomboy to the timid "Pigeon" after she lost her eye in an accident at age 7. Danny is convinced that her daredevil father, the star of a survivalist tv show, blames her for the accident and is ashamed of her now that she is afraid of everything. When Cougar Warren calls and invites her to be on his show, Danny sees this as an opportunity to reconnect with her father and show him she can be as fearless as she once was. When the plane crashes in the middle of the rainforest in Peru, Danny's survival will depend on her overcoming her fear. Danny is a likeable, believable character, and most teens will relate to her desire to prove herself both to her father and herself. Danny will have to discover if she is "Danger" or "Pigeon" or even a little bit of both.