Falling – A Spoiler-Free Book Review

An airline pilot is faced with an impossible decision. Crash the plane, killing all passengers and himself, or allow his family to die.

Falling - An Overview

T. J. Newman was a flight attendant when she wrote Falling, working on the book during long flights and layovers. Her experience shows in the details of this story, but that’s not all. Falling tells a fast-paced story with engaging characters.

Falling - What It’s About

A pilot finds out in-flight that a group of men are holding his family hostage in their home. He is told to crash the plane, sacrificing himself and everyone on board, in exchange for the lives of his wife and kids. There are many stories about people who need to make impossible decisions, but this is done in a refreshing way.

Falling - What I Didn’t Like

There are several aspects of the ending that I felt were wrapped up a little too easily. Some things felt convenient. I remember thinking during different parts at the end, “Oh. Did that work? I guess it did. Ok…well…I guess that’s good.” There are some great twists at the end, but overall, I felt like some of the plot points ended abruptly. I think the ending would’ve benefited from a little more tension.

Falling - What I Liked

The characters are great. The crew of the plane are likable. The group holding the family hostage is believable. There are several other supporting characters that I felt were written very well. 

The details are great without feeling like the writer is showing off what they know. I love when writers do their research. I don’t like when they show it off in the writing. That’s not the case here. She makes it easy to put yourself on that plane.

Falling - Conclusion and Rating

I really enjoyed reading this story. When I would stop reading, it may have been a day or two before I picked it back up again. I wasn’t thinking about it or wanting to read it when I wasn’t. When I did pick it up to continue, it pulled me right back in and completely captured my attention. This is a great read if you like stories about solving a seemingly unsolvable problem.