Cover Image: Falling

Falling

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Member Reviews

I have really enjoyed reading this author. I am such a sucker for high-stakes, adrenaline racing, survival thrillers and this novel has delivered exactly that. It may not be the most original story (action movie tropes), but Falling was told in such a fresh and exciting way. I was hanging onto every word, desperately reading chapter after chapter to find out what would happen next. The characters felt like they were a part of a play, and I enjoyed the snippets of their backstories and how they interacted in such a life-or-death situation. I have since read Drowning, the follow up novel by this author, and have similar praise for the fast-paced action. T.J. Newman is certainly on my radar now and I'm excited to see what she writes about next.

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This book would make a terrific movie, but as a book it fell little bit flat. I rounded up a bit because the hero ending worked for me. The happily ever after conclusion for everything was very 90s action movie.

I’ll be honest, at about 25% of the book I was sure we were at the end but more kept coming. It did start to speed up and there was more tension and thrills. I think that as a movie all the events that transpired would have kept you on the edge of your seat. I also think they would have been condensed so that may have helped.

I’m not sure there was a connection with any of the characters. I felt they were all fairly one dimensional and I know other reviews had mentioned the many stereotypes. It’s a lot.

The ending really helped make it for me along with the constant wonder of what was going to happen next. I hope this is adapted into a movie just to see what they do with it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read this book. All opinions are my own.

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As a huge fun of the show Mayday, and having probably watched every airplane disaster/hijacking movie ever made, I just had to read Falling when it showed up on NetGalley. The hype was huge but that's good, right? Unfortunately, and unbelievably considering the topic, this was one of the dullest books I have read in quite a long time. Honestly, I ended up skimming the last half.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for providing a free digital copy in return for an honest, unbiased review.

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✈️FALLING💺
By T.J. Newman

Wanna know something hilarious? I started reading this book while on an airplane. Not my best idea LOL!

I did enjoy this book. Lots of action, lots of thrills. Very engaging. However, I felt that it started out so good and so suspenseful and it fizzled out. And about halfway through this book I found that I didn’t really care about the characters anymore.

I found the plot to be unrealistic and predictable at times. Did I love this book? No. Did I enjoy it? Yes I did. Would I read it again? No.

Big thanks to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster Canada and Avid Reader Press for the opportunity to read an ARC of Newman’s debut novel, Falling, in exchange for my honest review. #NetGalley #Falling

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In her debut novel, T.J. Newman, a pilot is forced to make the hardest decision, his passengers or his family:

Bill is called in on his day off to pilot a flight to New York City. 143 passengers don't realize that their lives are in Bill's hands more than normally. Bill's family has been kidnapped and he has been given a choice, Crash the plane or watch your family die. Only one choice can be made, will Bill choose his family or the 143 souls plus crew on his airplane.

Well if you want to add additional thrills while reading this book, start reading it on a plane like I did. Nothing will have you checking out the other passengers and flight attendants like this book, especially that opening scene, it had me looking over my shoulder and down the aisle constantly. If I could have seen into the cockpit I would have been checking it out as well.

Overall, I did enjoy this book and I think that it was well written. There are several twists within this book and some extremely tense moments, but that said I feel like you know how the book is going to end, it had to come to a happy ending as many authors shy away from the tragic ones, so this in itself took away the suspense of the book for me.

I personally preferred the airline aspect within this book. I think that is where Newman shines with the knowledge of how things are done, and how much of your life is in the hands of the pilot and flight attendants. I appreciated how they interacted with each other and the passengers as well. It was interesting to read how the flight attendance peg people right as they come on the flight as to whether they will be useful or not in a emergency situation.

I found for the most part that the characters in this book are underdeveloped and underwhelming. I think my favourite character is Jo, one of the flight attendants. But other than that, I just felt like the characters were very much on the surface level, and maybe Newman had a few too many of them to try to balance them all and create more in depth characters.

For a debut novel, Newman did a good job in creating and overall plot and story for this book, even though the suspense was lacking, I was still drawn into the overall story. I look forward to reading what Newman releases next.

Enjoy!!!!

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The author wrote this novel while working as a flight attendant so it was neat to get a glimpse into the duties of a flight crew. Told from multiple PoVs, the book has likeable, ordinary people who rise to meet the challenge when faced with danger. A little cliche, and a little implausible, Falling is a fast-paced book that reads like a movie.

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I picked this book up yesterday afternoon and could not put it down until it was done. This book is tense and thrilling and grabs hold of you from the very first line.

When Captain Bill Hoffman lifts Coastal airlines flight 416 into the air en route from Las Angeles to New York, he has no idea how dramatically his life is about to change. Back home on the ground, his wife, Carrie, his 10-year-old son, Scott, and his 10-month-old daughter, Elise, are taken hostage by Sam, a man posing as an internet repair technician.

As Bill sits helplessly in “a pressurized metal tube, thirty-eight thousand feet in the air going six hundred miles per hour”, he learns of the impossible decision he must make - in order to save his family, he must crash the plane and sacrifice the lives of all 149 souls on board.

Yes, this book is a thriller, but it also a story of love, family and loss. I am blown away that this is the debut novel of this author and cannot wait to see what else she has in store. If you’re a fan of thrillers, you NEED to check out this book! Such a fun read!

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The description of the book really appealed to me and I did enjoy reading it as it was as action packed as I hoped. The plot really made me think of what I would try to do in that situation. It was an enjoyable read! 3.5 stars.

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What a thriller debut! As a huge fan of plane thriller movies, this did not disappoint at all. I could not put this book down.
Can’t wait to read this author’s next book!

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This was such a fast-paced thriller. My suggestion, do not read it in-flight.

The pilot Bill leaves for a flight he was asked to fly last minute. He just had a fight with his wife Carrie and are not in the best of terms. However, he has no idea that his family is about to be taken hostage and he has to make the most difficult decision of his life.

I could not put this one down!! My heart was racing for him and his family. This is a definite must read!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for your advanced readers copy for my honest opinion.

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I really wanted to like Falling: A Novel by T.J. Newman. Indeed, I got into it very quickly because the action starts on page one. Unfortunately, I ended up being super disappointed in the who and the why part of this story. It was such stereotypical let's blame the Muslims, who are living amongst us, and they are all here plotting against us drivel. Just so, so disappointing. The story had such promise but ended up going to the same old cliche, instead of fleshing out what could have been a great story and thriller.

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Wow! I mean just reading the synopsis for this novel alone tells you that this book is going to be one hell of a ride! (or flight!) And of course I was definitely not disappointed! If you haven’t read this book yet then you must go…right now! Buy this book! You will not be disappointed.. you can thank me later!

I was hooked on this novel from the very first page. I mean, imagine yourself in this situation. You are on a flight and your pilot’s family has been kidnapped and everyone on the plane must die in order for the pilot’s family to live. The novel is fast-paced, full of twists and turns, and what the heck will happen next moments. Once I started this book I could not put it down! I was hooked! Many pages had me gasping, as I sat on the edge of my seat and flipped through the pages to see what craziness was going to happen next.

A novel that I highly recommend you read now. I loved this book and I am looking forward to more titles by this author! Well done T.J. I’m keeping my eyes out for any of your future novels!

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Falling is a fast-paced, action-packed thriller that grabbed me from the first chapter and didn't let go.
Pilot Captain Bill Hoffman receives an email from his wife (mid-flight) stating that she and their children have been kidnapped. The kidnapper's only demand is that Bill crash the plane with 143 souls on board or his family will die.
Holy Smokes! What a ride!
This debut novel by T.J. Newman certainly lived up to the hype it's been getting.
I can hardly wait to see what she comes up with next.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for an arc of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

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DNF at 27%. Too wordy, had potential to be super suspenseful but did nothing pull me in or make me captivated enough to continue.

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3.5 stars
Is it wrong to say Falling would be a great airport read?
This thriller is tailor-made for summer travel excitement reading!
Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for my eARC for review.
Debut author TJ Newman draws upon her experience as a flight attendant to craft this absolutely tense and nerve-wracking story.
Pilot, husband and father Bill Hoffman goes to work like he does on any other day. What no one could expect is that once in the air, he is told his family will be killed if he doesn't crash the plane he is flying. With 143 souls on board.
It's the ultimate conundrum and makes for reading so vivid you can well imagine it unfolding as a movie.
The crew characters are standouts here, specifically flight attendants Jo and Big Daddy.
Some of the writing is a touch clichéed but the inner workings of the air travel industry is interesting. For a debut novel, this is a page-turner and I look forward to seeing what this author puts out next.
Recommended!
Released on July 6

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“Falling”by T.J. Newman is a thriller about a pilot faced with a unique decision: crash the plane he is flying or have his family killed.

Bill is a long serving airline pilot who has picked up a flight when asked by his superior last minute. This will force him to miss his sons first baseball game of the season, therefore causing a rift between he and his wife Carrie. Fortunately as he is leaving, there is a repairman in their house so not much is said but even as he is at the airport ready to depart pangs of guilt hit at him. Not long after take off, chaos ensues. He finally hears from his wife but he soon sees that she and his children are being held hostage and he is given the choice to watch them die or to crash the plane full of passengers. From that point on, we are taken through a maze of decisions being made by both people on the ground (FBI, air traffic controllers, his family, even the President) and in the air (passengers, flight crew, the Air Force), The strength of the everyday pilot is on full display here, wrestling with an impossible decision.

This is Newman’s first novel and, as a former flight attendant, is written from within her wheelhouse. The premise is unique and, importantly, very believable. Alternating between the fight in the air to the one on the ground keeps the reader hungry and absolutely turns this into a page-turner. Parts do come off a bit too “AMERICA!!!!” for me, summoning something akin to a Tom Cruise over the top movie. Once the reason for the incident is revealed, in a strange way it’s touching and Newman writes about it eloquently, especially in the closing chapter, which contrasts so much with the heroic text but also whets your appetite for Newman’s next book.

An incredibly impressive debut that I think will be on the bestseller list all summer.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for providing a copy for review.

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I was completely hooked from the first page. This thriller is an amazing blend of action, mystery and psychological suspense with a gripping plot that kept me breathless throughout. The characters were well written and very believable. Many times while reading I could feel my heart pounding against my chest as the realistic feel of the story was so intense. If you read one book this year, I can't recommend this book highly enough. I received an advance copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving my review.

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'FALLING' by T.J.Newman

Thank you to NetGalley, Avid Reader Press/Simon & Schuster Canada and the author for a complimentary eARC for my honest review.

What a Ride! From start to finish, this was a very suspenseful thriller. It was difficult to put it down. I was rooting for the pilot and crew, trying their best to keep the plane and all the souls on it safe. Will he be able to land it safely and keep his family from being killed? I wasn't sure which way it would go.
With the author's experience as a Flight Attendant, the role of the crew seems very authentic. Quite the thriller!

#NetGalley #AvidReaderPress #Simon&SchusterCanada

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Synopsis: Captain Bill Hoffman is not supposed to be flying today but a phone call from his supervisor requesting a favor has him flying to New York City. Little does he know that he has been set up. After takeoff, Bill gets an email with a picture showing his wife, Carrie, and his two children. They are being held hostage and Bill is given the choice to either crash the plane and kill everyone on it or his family will all be killed.

My thoughts: The author was a flight attendant for a number of years, and while not a pilot, she certainly used her background to add authenticity to the book. I thought it was a good thriller – the last half of the book really held my attention and I liked how she wrapped up everyone’s story by the end of the book. I would definitely recommend if you are looking for a quick reading thriller (maybe just don’t read this on a plane!).
Thank you to Netgalley and to Simon and Schuster Canada for an advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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FALLING by T.J. NEWMAN

A fast-paced, torturous and believable thrill ride at thirty thousand feet!

*Special thanks to #NetGalley and Avid Reader Press, Simon & Schuster Canada for a free, electronic ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.*
All opinions are my own.

As usual, I went in blind. This time I was grabbed by exhilaration and totally knocked for a loop. I am blown away by the epicness of this novel! I devoured this book in less than 48 hours – I laughed, I gasped, I shook my head, I bit my nails, I held my breath and I was completely drawn in to the believability of this scenario.

Let’s discuss…

The action begins with the first sentence and I must say- I certainly would not want any such thing falling in MY lap! (You’ll just have to read it to find out what I’m referring to – no spoilers here!)

After what can only be called a harrowing epilogue, chapter one opens and we meet our MC Bill Hoffman, an airline pilot who suffers from nightmares. Horrible, traumatic nightmares. We meet his family – wife, son and ‘oopsie’ baby daughter. A nice, normal family getting ready for the day the same as we all do. Bill is heading out for a routine cross-country flight as Captain, from California to New York and his wife is home with the kids, supervising a visit from the cableman. Nice normal morning.

Bill arrives at the airport and we’re treated to the before flight aircraft inspection along with a flashback that gives more insight to our MC. We’re introduced to one of the flight attendants Jo, a seasoned veteran of the air who has seen and dealt with pretty much everything. Pretty much.

Later on, seated in the cockpit his First Officer at his side, our MC is leisurely enjoying the calmness of the steadily cruising aircraft when his laptop bings the sound of an incoming email. Just a picture, no text, a picture of his wife and son, tied up, his wife with explosives strapped to her chest. Then another email comes in instructing him to put in his headphones for a Facetime video, this time he sees a man, also strapped in an explosive vest - and it is then we learn that Bill’s family has been taken hostage and he is to crash the plane or they will be killed.
And thus begins one of the most hectic, nerve-wracking and unpredictable reads I have had the pleasure of consuming. Ever! This book is a non-stop, anxiety inducing, hold your breath, epic of a novel that plays out like a blockbuster movie. Fast, furious and fun. If your idea of fun is being strapped into the seat of an inflight disaster.
The pace is brisk and unwavering, the dialogue is witty and fun, the characters – from the wife and son, to the MC, to the flight attendants, to the kidnappers, and even a few passengers are developed enough that we can almost relate to them or at the very least imagine what their lives might be like if their story was able to be developed. But this is a story about a pilot forced to make a choice – a loathsome, beast of a choice – who lives and who dies. His family or the 130 plus souls trusting their lives to him?

What would you choose?

** I would be remiss not to call special attention to the character of ‘Big Daddy’, one of the flight attendants and my absolute favourite! The lines out of this character’s mouth had me in stitches.

”Karen, I swear to god,” he said
“My name is Janice.”
Daddy wrinkled his nose. “But is it?”

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this character!

I could visualize it, even! I actually put the book down and laughed at the image.

**I would also like to mention that the author, T.J. Newman is herself a flight attendant and the firsthand knowledge of the workings of the aircraft from that point of view added to the tension immensely.

A heart-pumping, adrenaline filled debut novel by an author who will definitely be at the TOP of my TBR list.

A solid 5 stars!

5/5

#netgalley
#falling

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