This book held my interest and kept me turning the pages. Great pace and well worth the read. Would definitely recommend to a friend!

I am not sure what to write about this book. There are things I liked and things I didn't like. I'm going with 3.5 stars. I listened to the audio book for this and I didn't really care for the reader. Some of the voices were great but the the way she read the main character really bugged me. 16-year-old Danny has parents who didn't stay together and don't really like each other. She has all the insecurities that stem from divorce plus the idea that it is all her fault because she had an accident that caused her to be imperfect. She thinks that is the reason father stays away. She has had peer problems all through school because of the disability that was resulted from the accident. She has peer and parent issues similar to many teens. Where she is different is that her dad is a famous survivalist reality TV star. Having felt his neglect for most of her life, she jumps at his invitation to join him on one of his reality adventures. Predictably, things don't quite go as planned and they have to survive the Amazon rain forest for real. Danny learns the hard way that all people are flawed and all have strengths, including herself. She learns that past experiences influence decisions for better or for worse. Sometimes decisions other people make can hurt you. And you can learn to understand and forgive. Now, will teens who read the book get this? I am not sure. It is quite and adventure! She and her dad, of course, have the amazing skills needed to help get people through the challenges the Amazon presents. A little unrealistic but awesome. There are dangers around every bend and romance too. It is a good story. Maybe the deeper issues will be found. Maybe not. This is definitely for an older teen. Things to be aware of: language, death, a first sexual experience.

The Speed of Falling Objects
By Nan Fischer
October 1, 2019

The Speed of Falling Objects takes place
With Danger "Danny" Danielle Warren who
Danny blames herself for her mother’s resentment and her father’s leave. Danny takes advantage of the chance to prove to her father that she is not a failure. She comes to grips with the truth of her parents, when the plane crashes in the rainforest on her way to the set of a movie. Danielle only has herself to find her way back home.


I enjoyed this survival story. Danny as a character was strong but she underestimated herself way too much.


Thank you Inkyard Press and NetGalley for this ebook for an honest review.

This was an interesting idea and read. Overall it was an enjoyable book and contained lots of action.

The premise and action of this book swept me up and held my attention, highly recommend. Man versus wild and the wild almost wins...

Nan Fischer is an excellent writer. I was sucked into the Amazon right along with the survivors. It all felt real to me. I couldn't stop reading and finished the book in one day. I wouldn't say I liked Cougar at all, but I'm glad Danny found some way to forgive him and move on with her life. She needed the closure she got from being with him to know what she wanted to do after college.

I will say that Jupiter was probably my favorite character. I'm glad he survived, and I'm sorry I didn't see more of him at the end.

The reason for 4 stars instead of 5 all comes down to the love story. While I loved the rest of the book, the love connection just fell flat for me. I didn't feel the chemistry between them at all.

***Thank you to NetGalley and Inkyard Press for providing me with the ARC of this book*** I'm sorry it took so long to post the review!

Danny felt betrayed and lost without her dad that she felt abandoned by but when he called when she was just about to turn 17 and wanted her to go on an adventure with him, who could turn down Cougar? This book was really good and the research that went into it made it so much more realistic and wanting me to keep turning the pages. I didn't know it was a YA but I am glad that I read it. The romance part of it was cute. There are some triggers in this book so beware if you are easily offended. I found this book to be really good.

Danny "Danger" is heading out into the Rainforest to spend her birthday with her tv star father. She wants to prove to him that she is as much of a survivalist as he is and not a disappointment. As they are flying out to the shoot site, the plane crash lands and she is stranded with the other members of the crew. They need to use their survival skills and rely on each other if they want to make it out of this dangerous terrain alive. Great book full of excitement and adventure. I didn’t want to put it down. Fischer has a great gift for describing the scene and putting the reader right there in the thick of it.

I liked the survival element, as well as the idea of parents being human and coming to terms with that. I was majorly frustrated with Danny as a character and her views on her dad versus her mother, but I think that makes for a good teen book, because it's absolutely what a teen would be feeling and thinking. The ending was rushed and I didn't love the love story, but this wasn't bad overall.

An interesting blend of survival scenario and confronting parental expectations. Add in fame and we have an intriguing read, if a general predictable one. The character interactions are a bit frustrating but it's an entertaining enough read.

This was an unexpectedly intense ride. I thought it was going to be more of a contemplative family drama, and while there was definitely family drama, there was a lot of death and survivalist moments and a weird throwaway romance. Overall, I just didn’t really care much about the characters or their journeys, but it was also by no means a bad book, just forgettable for me.

I liked the dialogue and the main character Danny. I don't think the tone was too cutesy. I didn't care for some of the descriptions. I couldn't get hooked

2.75

I loved When Elephants Fly and went into this with high expectations. Unfortunately, I was disappointed.

Sadly this book fell flat for me. I enjoyed the action and I really loved the setting. I had a hard time liking the characters and that made it difficult to get into.

Um wow! The Speed of Falling Objects had me hooked from the very first page. Honestly, I kind of expected to like it, but I didn't expect it to be some unpredictable.

It's a great cast of characters that all fit their roles to a T. I expected the drama of having to trek through the Amazon after surviving a plane crash, but I wasn't really expecting all the interpersonal drama amongst the characters. I may not have been expecting it, but it was highly enjoyable to read and really added another dimension to the story.

Whoa. This book took me on an adventure that I don’t think I was quite ready for. Going into The Speed of Falling Objects, I knew that I was in for something dangerous. What I didn’t realize was the Fischer was going to take my heart, and squish it in a vice grip. I finished this book all wrung out, and that’s a feeling that I haven’t had in a while.

First off, I love Danny. I can’t tell you enough how much I love this girl. Despite everything going against her, including her own brain constantly trying to sabotage her, she’s one of the bravest people that I’ve ever met in a story. Her honesty was refreshing. The fact that she was human, and flawed, made my heart sing. Watching her get knocked down, time and time again, and get back up fighting made me root for her. Danny was the kind of friend that I’d want to have. Genuine, lovable, and strong as all hell.

The story itself seems like it’s just going to be a terrifying survival story. Which, to be honest, it definitely is. However there is so much underneath all of that. Watching Danny grow. Watching her figure out that her parents were real people, flawed, and still finding out how to love them anyway. Watching her find her inner strength that, no matter what people did to her, constantly flamed away inside her. I giggled. I teared up. I all out cried at the end of this book. It’s an emotional roller coaster in the best way possible. Snakes, swamps and all.

I can’t say too much more without spoiling anything, so I’ll end here. You need to read these book. It wasn’t my perfect story, but it was right up there! If nothing else, you’ll be so very glad that you’re sitting in a comfortable space, reading about other people struggling to survive in the Amazon.

Disclaimer: I received an Advance Reader Copy at no cost from the publisher/author. All opinions in my review are my own.

I was so taken in by this story. It immediately grabbed my attention and swept me into its world. It definitely wasn't anything I had expected. This is a survival story but not strictly surviving in the jungle.

The world-building in this novel was quite impressive. It was so atmospheric that I could literally feel the bugs crawling on me while reading the story. I could completely envision the surroundings that the characters found themselves in.

The characters and the relationships that they have make up much of this story. It's like a story within a story. I liked how well developed the characters were. They had depth and distinct personalities. Danny is a character with a disability that has affected the way she sees the world. It has made her extra cautious. Her father was a character that was hard to stomach simply because he is so awful. Just seeing how terrible he was to his daughter really made me empathize with her character that much more. It is easy to understand her character's mindset just by experiencing her father's antics.

Overall, this is an interesting survival story with plenty of action and a well-developed world. The characters are full of depth and the story will keep you hooked on the pages. This is a story about overcoming fears. I think that this story would appeal to anyone that enjoys adventure-filled stories.

A touching, thrilling ride along with a relatable character. There is something of Danny in all of us. Will recommend to fans of YA and fact paced fiction.

BOOK REPORT for The Speed of Falling Objects by Nancy Richardson Fischer

Cover Story: Grown Up Book
BFF Charm: Big Sister
Swoonworthy Scale: 5
Talky Talk: Straight Up Survivalist
Bonus Factors: Bear Grylls, Jupiter Jones
Anti-Bonus Factor: Patty Chase Award for Awful Parenting
Relationship Status: Unlikely Allies

Cover Story: Grown Up Book

Lark! No big faces or cartoon people, no fancy dresses or bad stock photography. If I saw this book on a shelf, I would have absolutely no idea that it was a YA book. Is that a good thing? A bad thing? TBD, really, but I like the cover either way!

The Deal:

For being the daughter of a famous reality television survivalist, Danny "Danger" Warren is anything but dangerous. After losing an eye in a childhood accident, Danny plays by all the rules, worried that another accident could blind her completely, or that her detached mother finds her to be a burden, or that her father's absence in her life is all her fault. So when the charismatic Cougar Warren calls Danny and invites her on his show as a 16th birthday present, Danny is ready to prove to her father that she's got what it takes to make him proud. She'll spend a week deep in the Amazon jungle with her dad, his film crew, and the world's biggest, babelicious teen movie star, Gus Price.

But when a storm blows their plane off course and they crash in the jungle, Danny realizes that the Amazon is more deadly than she ever imagined. The surviving crew members have to find their way back to civilization, relying on Cougar's know-how and trying to avoid the jungle's poisonous snakes...and spiders...and panthers...and tree frogs. As they travel together, Danny begins to realize that the father she worships may not be the father she has. Also...is the world's most famous teen idol checking her out?

BFF Charm: Big Sister

Danny, Danny, Danny. First of all, girlfriend, quit talking about how plain and uncool and unattractive you are. If you've been stranded in the Amazon for a week and fictional Shawn Mendes is vibing with you, I promise you are not plain or uncool or unattractive. I know that losing an eye means Danny has had to relearn depth perception and movement, but you never feel sorry for her - even when it seemed like the author wanted you to. As a matter of fact, I was continually impressed with the amount of medical knowledge she had amassed from reading her mom's medical journals and her ability to put that knowledge to use in some extremely squeamish circumstances. Sure, Danny was a little scared to film a survivalist TV show in the Amazon jungle but, uh, wouldn't we all be???

It was Danny's hero-worship of her stupid father that made me want to take her by the shoulders and tell her to GET A GRIP ON REALITY. Her dad was *extreme Jean Ralphio voice* the wooooooooorst and nothing she did would ever make him respect her. He never missed an opportunity to remind his crew that he was The Shit and she was just a stupid kid. And yet, Danny believed him?! I know we all want to be able to look up to her dads but he'd already abandoned her after she had a traumatic accident as a child. Every time Danny would do something totally bad ass, Cougar would be there to knock her down a peg and we'd be right back at square one.

Swoonworthy Scale: 5

Being stranded in the jungle with the world's hottest teen star sounds super swoony, but in actuality...meh. First of all, everyone is traumatized and disgusting. Sure, shared trauma can sometimes be a recipe for romance, and maybe if Gus Price *were* Shawn Mendes this romance would've panned out differently, but early on in the story, we learn that Gus isn't the person we (or Danny) thought he was. He grew on me over time, but unfortunately, he and Danny's eventual coupling felt a little saccharine and insincere given the timeline and circumstances.

Talky Talk: Straight Up Survivalist

Survivalist stories are always really fun to read because you've got the action and adventure aspect, the suspense of wondering who will live and who will die and which poisonous tree frog will be the next cause of death. I thought Fischer did an incredible job of writing a story that felt really well researched and educational, and since she had survivalist expert Cougar Warren as a main character, helping the other characters along the way, this information was communicated in a really organic way. There were times, though, when I thought the story could have used a bit of emotional punching up. Sometimes it was so heavy with jungle survival facts, that the characters big emotional moments didn't hit quite the way I would've liked. I never really felt that Danny was as traumatized as she should be from what she'd seen and what she was experiencing, but that didn't stop me from reading this book in just a couple of days to find out what would happen.

Bonus Factor: Bear Grylls

I'll admit I was always more a fan of Survivorman's Les Stroud, personally, but I liked that Cougar was a nod to Bear, even if I didn't actually *like* Cougar.

Bonus Factor: Jupiter Jones

Almost every person in this book was a terrible human being. Cougar's assistant was willing to do anything to anyone if it meant getting the best Content™ for the show, and Gus Price was willing to go along with that for awhile. I'll talk more about Danny's parents below, and even her best friend was pretty mean in the few scenes she appeared in. But I say "almost" because of Jupiter Jones, the crew's sound guy. Easily my favorite character, Jupiter was kind and caring, and the only person willing to stand up for Danny, even when Danny wouldn't stand up for herself.

Side note: I totally envisioned Jupiter as William Jackson Harper, aka Chidi from The Good Place, but Brian from The Office is what popped up when I googled "boom mic guy" so we'll go with that.

Anti-Bonus Factor: Patti Chase Award for Awful Parenting

WHEW BOY, Cougar Warren was a piece of work. I get that Fischer was going for a narcissistic, reality TV star personality, but I actually found Cougar to be a little...too awful. So awful, in fact, that nothing could redeem him by the end of the story for me, so his redemption arc fell flat. It took Danny's constant need for his approval from eye-rolly to downright insufferable. If Cougar had been even a bit more sympathetic, it would've really changed my whole outlook on the book.

And while we're at it, I had a few issues with Danny's mom, Samantha, too, but they paled in comparison. Either way, Danny needs a lifetime of therapy.

Relationship Status: Unlikely Allies

Book, you aren't perfect, but in this jungle we call life, few of us are. I found you highly entertaining and devoured you in just a few days, even if you didn't give me the emotional connection I was longing for. We may not be soulmates, but we can be allies.

FTC Full Disclosure: I did not receive money or Girl Scout cookies of any kind (not even the lame cranberry ones) for writing this review. The Speed of Falling Objects is available now.

I love the writing style, it was so easy to follow, easy to get into the head of the characters. It really feels like I'm right there with the characters, like I'm part of a survivalist show. You could tell that the author really did her research on this topic - assuming that all Cougar, the main character's father, says is real (which I think it is).

At the beginning of the book, the characters really leaves much to be desired. I don't like much of the characters, the only one I liked is Jupiter. The characters have personalities that I don't like but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. That's just because each characters are flawed - like what a character should be. They aren't one dimensional and bland characters which I really appreciate. As the story progresses, though, you could totally see their growth as a character.

Overall, I really liked this book, this was such a delight to read. The plot was really interesting and this really took me in a wild adventure. This is not only a journey of survival but also of (self-)acceptance.

ps: As I was reading this, my mind was such in a bad place and this really helped me - this is reflected in my favorite quotes (see below) - and this book have a space in my hollow heart. Just for that alone, I would like to thank the author: Nancy Richardson Fischer, thank you so much for writing this gem of a book.