REVIEW:

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.

PUBLISHER SYNOPSIS:

You just boarded a flight to New York.

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.