Wow, wow, WOW. This is one hell of a debut novel. The action starts on the first page and doesn't let up until the final page. I could see this being an excellent movie. If you have a fear of flying, this is probably not the book for you.
If I had to pick one thing to criticize, I'd say that Bill's character felt a little robotic to me. I just didn't really connect with him, while I connected with the rest of the main characters, especially Jo and Theo.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to others.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster for the ARC!

My heart is still racing from reading this book. It is NON. STOP. ACTION. I foresee a movie in the future for this book. Think of Speed, any Bruce Willis action movie, it was a nail-biter from the first page, and the action did not stop until the end.

Captain Bill Hoffman receives a last-minute flight assignment from his boss that he can’t turn down. His wife is not thrilled with him. His young son, Scott, has his little league season opener today, dad promised to be there, and now he cannot. If only that were the worst thing to happen.

Before the day is over, Bill will have to choose between the lives of his wife, son, and infant daughter, or all the souls on his plane.

"Falling” totally deserves All Five Stars. The writing was excellent. The descriptions made me feel as though I was right in the middle of the action (hence the nail-biting.) The only thing that could have been better is the ending. I don’t want to give away anything, but after ALL the action you go through, it was a little bland. To clarify, the ending wasn’t bad, just not as exciting as the first 285 pages.

This book took me a little over a day to finish. It is a fast, exciting read. Do it!

I would like to thank #NetGalley and #AvidReaderPress for allowing me to read and review this fantastic book.

This thriller had me on the edge of my seat and holding my breath. Bill the pilot has to make a no win choice - to crash his plane - or have his family killed. As the story evolves there is insight into characters that present a stark contrast between the personalities in ways that show tenderness, and caring versus the threat coming from the killer which creates confusion in chaos. I loved the strength in the characters as they struggle - the passengers - Jo, the chief flight attendant, and the pilots wife Carrie - how to stay alive on the ground and in the plane. The suspense keeps ramping up - what is the target and who is the betrayer? Imagine all these things as the Control Tower ties to communicate - "Coastal four-one-six come in" and there is no response. You don't want to put this book down till the final heart thumping pages and shocking ending....and it takes you several minutes to exhale.

This was an action packed, non stop thriller, made me feel kinda nostalgic for all the disaster films of the 70s although with updated security etc to bring it into this century.
Bill Hoffmann is a pilot on a flight from LA to New York, his family is taken hostage and he is told either his family dies or he crashes the plane, it’s his choice. The story moves between the plane, the family and the FBI, I found the characters believable and their actions seemed reasonable too although I thought more passengers would’ve behaved a bit more outrageously but it was certainly a thrill ride!
An entertaining read.

And the 2021 winner for Worst Book to Read on an Airplane goes to… Falling by T.J. Newman!

Applause, applause. The concept itself definitely deserves it, since it’s one of the best “would you rather” quandaries I’ve ever heard: If you were a pilot, would you rather crash the commercial plane you’re flying or have your kidnapped family be murdered? I consider myself pretty savage at WYR, but even I wouldn’t want to answer that question.

In fact, it’s such a good one that it’s already netted debut author (and former flight attendant) T.J. Newman a $1.5 million movie deal with Universal Pictures. Get that popcorn popping!

As for the novel itself, I found Falling to be a somewhat problematic page turner. The cold open thrusts readers into an extremely over-the-top and graphic scene that doesn’t jibe with the rest of the book. I fear it will turn some people off, but those who stick with it will see a quick downshift from rated-R to PG-13 territory.

More significantly though, I also fear the “bad guys” (as they’re oft called) and their motivations are going to disappoint a lot of readers. They certainly did this one. The flip side of that coin is that the “good guys” consist of some refreshingly memorable characters that make flying through these pages a heck of a lot of fun.

My thanks go to T.J. Newman and Avid Reader Press for my gifted advance readers copy to review. You can look for Falling at a bookstore near you (though maybe not if you’re in an airport???) this July.

3.5 stars

Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an ARC for this gripping, thrilling debut novel in return for an honest review. I wouldn't recommend reading this during a flight. The book doesn't really offer anything new or innovative to the genre, and that's okay. I definitely enjoyed this for what it was. The book centers on a crowded flight from LA to NY., with 140-plus passengers who don’t know that their pilot’s family was kidnapped a half-hour before takeoff and are being held hostage by a terrorist. Now, in order for his family to live, the pilot must follow orders and crash the plane into an unknown target. The threats and actions were relentless, with suspense and tension throughout. I would have liked to have read what was going through some of the passengers' minds, but this might have detracted from the main players. I'm excited to see Universal Pictures has already picked this up for the film adaptation - it will make a really good movie!

The premise of this story is awesome - a pilot finds out just before his flight from LA to NY that his family was kidnapped and he has to choose between saving his family or saving everyone on the plane. The only way his family will survive is if he does what he’s told and crashes the plane. T.J. Newman’s writing could be a bit stronger (this is her debut novel), but the story had me hooked and I finished the book in two days. Thanks to #netgalley and #avidreaderpress for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. #Falling

Falling
by T. J. Newman
Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster

I want to thank the publisher and NetGalley for letting me read this book!

There is so much tension and suspense in this book! You really feel that! A pilot's family is held hostage and the pilot is ordered to crash the plane or his family dies. The terrorists also have someone on board to monitor that he does what he says. He is suppose to do a list of things. The stewardess and pilot work together to try to solve issues and get through this.

There's some great moments in here. Long stretches of suspense and terror. But there are also a lot of very unrealistic or predictable situations. This is a first novel and I think it was done well for that. Worth the read. 3 stars for me is "Good". Not great or excellent but good! I did enjoy it but wouldn't re-read.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

What a book! I couldn't put this one down. The characters were well rounded and believable. The storyline was also believable. It was non-stop from start to finish.

I couldn't imagine being put in the position that Bill was put in. I felt the tension, fear, love, all the emotions of all the characters in this book. I teared up once or twice, and there are very few books that make me do that.

I definitely recommend to anyone who likes action. I look forward to reading more from this author!

I have reviewed "Falling" for New York Journal of Books where it will be posted on their website the evening prior to the release date.

Falling by T. J. Newman
Avid Reader Press/Simon & Schuster
July 6, 2021
10-1982177888

Suspense/Thriller


On an ordinary day around the Hoffman household in southern California, Carrie is finishing breakfast with her children—ten-year-old Scott and ten-month-old Elise. Scott pleads to go out to play when Carrie reminds him to be back soon to say goodbye to his dad Bill who will be leaving for work. Captain Bill Hoffman is a pilot for Coastal Airways and is about to go on a cross-country flight from Los Angeles to New York.

Before Bill leaves the doorbell rings and a technician from CalCom is on the doorstep to fix the internet. He introduces himself as Sam and Bill heads out. Carrie hears his car start up and drive off. Heading into the kitchen, Carrie offers Sam a cup of tea only to turn around to find him pointing a gun at her.

"Carrie's heartbeat pounded in her ears while a cool numbness trickled down from the top of her spine to the back of her knees. Her whole body, her whole existence, felt reduced to nothing but a buzzing sensation. . . .

. . . "'Sam,' Carrie said calmly, slowly. 'I don't know what you want. But it's yours. Anything. I will do anything. Just please'—her voice cracked—'Please don't hurt my children.' . . .

. . . "'Your children may be just fine,' Sam said. 'Or they may not. But that's not up to me.'

"Carrie's nostrils flared again. 'Who is it up to?'

"Sam smiled."

Envision the fear Carrie holds inside as she considers her children's safety while she tries hard to keep a calm demeanor. Before long, Carrie learns the reason for Sam's presence. And soon, Bill does as well.

Bill is pleased to be flying with a young co-pilot named Ben; Jo, a seasoned attendant, and long-time friend; as well as Michael, known as "Big Daddy;" and Kellie, a newbie on the job. Because it is a long journey, he knows the 144 passengers are in good hands. As Bill settles in the cockpit manning flight #149 heading eastward, he receives an email on his laptop from Carrie—no subject or text, only a picture attached of her standing in their living room. Confused, not knowing what is happening, he peers closer and sees Carrie strapped into the type of vest common to suicide bombers. His son is standing next to her.

Another email commands he gets the privacy shield for his computer, which is in his messenger bag. He wonders how this item came to be in his possession. FaceTime pops up and Bill recognizes the man holding his family hostage as Sam, the alleged cable guy at his house to repair the internet. Bill figures Sam placed the shield in his bag while it was at the bottom of the stairs before he left.

Bill stares into the screen. The intruder smiles. "You see, Bill, you probably got the obvious. Here's the rest. You will crash your plane, or I will kill your family." . . .

. . . "'If you tell anyone,' he continued, 'your family dies. If you send anyone to the house, your family dies.' Switching the detonator to his other hand, he reiterated, 'It's simple. Crash your plane, or I kill your family. The choice is yours.'

"A cold and hollow ache pooled at the base of Bill's spine. He had prayed the ransom would be money, but he knew it wouldn't be that easy. The moment he had seen the picture, he knew his cockpit had been breached. He knew on some level that the aircraft itself was in jeopardy. Bill couldn't feel his hands as they moved over the keyboard.

"'I'm not going to crash this plane and you're not going to kill my family.'"

It is hard to comprehend how an "internal hijacking" could occur especially after
9/11, and this is a scenario the airlines never instructed their employees to be aware of. Bill is determined to discover the identity of the perpetrator(s) and save his family as well as his passengers and crew.

With explicit trust in Jo, Bill excuses himself to go to the restroom and pulls her aside to apprise her of the situation, begging her to keep it between them. They consult the manifest to determine if any of the travelers may be party to this threat as they try to devise a plan to apprehend the culprits.

Bill receives another email instructing him to create a video reciting a statement prepared for him acknowledging why he intends to crash the plane stating it is in retribution for the lives lost of the hijacker's countrymen. With no choice but to give in to the demands, he tells Ben to take a break, not fully trusting him and not wanting him to be aware of the incident. Meanwhile, Jo deliberates on how she can help. Anxiety escalates in her. Though she has total faith in Bill and his ability to avert a disaster, she ponders telling the passengers. Shouldn't they be alerted of their possible demise?

Falling is a debut novel so compelling and suspenseful filled with the premise of an improbable situation that is plausible. A hair-raising thriller, this novel contains intense and concise information about the intricacies and risks pilots take, yet imparts the total professionalism of all the crew members.

I was recently given the opportunity to review Falling by TJ Newman and after have had heard from a few other reviewers that this was a great debut from her, I was stoked, and pushed it to the top of my to be read pile. I sped through this 7-mile-high thrill ‘fall’. As a pilot would you crash the plane your flying to save your family, or let your family perish while you attempt to save the people on board your flight? Think you could make that decision?
Newman crafts a breakneck speed, hair raising, roller coaster ride full of emotions that is sure to be on everyone’s radar come release on July 6th. The pace is fast and starts with a whole lot of what the hell just happened. Newman finds clever ways to tie the characters together while piecing together the story with timely placed flashbacks and scene setting memories. I found this book to be so easy to read. The organization of Newman’s writing was very seamless helping me find the connection/scene transition easily and keep the flow going smoothly. The amount of time that must have been put into this has to be enormous as her bio states she has been working with the airline industry for 10 years so she’s had plenty of time to think up ways flights could go sideways really quick.
I was thoroughly pleased with this debut from Newman, which has all the potential to be on the NYT bestseller list. The amount of literary authority is kept to very minimal levels as the story seems very plausible and believable, making this an emotion driving plane flight from hell. There isn’t any reason this shouldn’t be on preorder from readers as she will wow you and stun you with her detailed and ruthless storytelling.

WHEWWWWWWWWWWWWW... what a roller coaster of a read! First, thanks to Netgalley and the generous publisher for sharing early access to this book. I'm so glad I requested it. TJ Newman put together a really great thrill ride as her first effort. Leveraging her deep experience as a flight attendant, she paints a rich picture of life on an aircraft, and really knows how to get inside the mind of the participants (pilots, flight attendants).

Not going to give away the story arc; suffice it to say, this is not one of those books where you can predict the character's motivation and the ending. Hoping to read more from this author!

I have to admit that I have only flown a handful of times. And I always wonder what goes on in the cockpit. After reading this book I'm glad I don't know more, lol!

In this novel, the pilot is given the choice - crash the plane to save his family, or let the 149 passengers live but have his family killed. He can't share this information with anyone on board, and while reading you get so many different aspects of what is happening on the plane. It is a true page turner and one that I would highly recommend.

.

This could quite possibly by the novel to put THRILL back in the word thriller. This is non-stop, realistic, plane hijacking terror, written in such a way you will have no choice but to compulsively turn pages until you find the emergency exit located on the last page. This is a summer release bound to be a hit. One word of warning: be sure to fasten your seat belt and keep your tray in the full upright position... the captain definitely says you must stay in your seat and pray... do not miss this one!

Full review to be posted on my blog http://oceansofbooks.com on release day.

Thank you so much to #NetGalley, #SimonandSchuster, and the crazy talented author @T_J_Newman for providing me an electronic ARC in exchange for my unbiased and honest opinion!

Reading this book felt like watching a thriller. I didn't put it down...not to eat, not to sleep, not to shower. You get the idea.

I highly recommend this for anyone looking for a fly-by-the-edge-of-your-seat' book (PUN INTENDED.) My only pain point is there wasn't a lot of character development -- but that's not what you read this book for.

I received an advance copy of this book via Net Galley, and I can't wait to recommend it to all my friends (starting now!)

Hold on to your seat!! This books takes off and it is AMAZING!! I was hooked from the first few pages. Loved the quick pace of this story.

I had to keep reading to find out how this nail biter would end! Well-crafted details bring to life the world of airline crews and make this work of fiction incredibly real. The different threads of the story play off each other nicely and keep the reader hooked.

I'll say this premise is fantastic and the fact that the author wrote from experience with her job shined through and added that extra layer of authenticity. I will say I had super high expectations for this book as it's getting a lot of early buzz. I found the pacing to be good, I could relate to the characters, especially the main characters but the secondary flight attendant characters were memorable as well. By about the half way point I found myself starting to skim a little and I'm not sure why except there were times when it took 4 pages for an FBI guy to get to where he needed to be. It felt like extra words and drawn out details. Same with the events on the plane, they felt dragged out and this decreased the suspense for me. I'm sure this will be a hit this summer so definitely give it a try if you're in the mood for a bit of thrill

I was lucky to receive an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review and opinion. WOW! This book is nothing short of AMAZING! I can't believe this is her first book - she keeps you holding your breath through out the entire book. I absolutely loved this book! Hoping for more books by this author as she is truly that good! I recommend you stop everything and read this as soon as it's published!

Whew. This one was a doozy. I’m not going to lie, as someone who is absolutely petrified of flying, this may not have been the best book pick for me. Regardless, I absolutely could not put this thriller down. It was non stop action from start to finish, and I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. Told from multiple perspectives, the story centers around an airline pilot and his day taking quite a turn when terrorists manage to hijack his flight by threatening his family back on the ground. He has to make a choice - crash the plane or the terrorists will kill his family. The drama and twists and turns never let up, between the perspectives of his family, flight attendants, FBI agents, and more. You can easily read the whole thing during a long flight, but I’d recommend trying this one out while you’re on the ground! If you’re looking for a great summer thriller, grab this one when it releases on July 6th, but be prepared to block off some time, grab some wine, and buckle up.
Thanks so much to NetGalley, Avid Reader Press, and Simon & Schuster for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

4 1/2 / 5 stars - @lucywrazor4

#bookstagram #instabook #bookreview #bookreviewer #bookish #thriller #tjnewman #falling #netgalley #avidreaderpress #simonandschuster

"There are one hundred and forty-three other passengers onboard.

What you don’t know is that thirty minutes before the flight your pilot’s family was kidnapped.

For his family to live, everyone on your plane must die.

The only way the family will survive is if the pilot follows his orders and crashes the plane.

Enjoy the flight."