Wow wow wow! This was a wild ride! A full action packed movie turned into a book. From the very first sentences I was hooked! Although the meaning behind the attackers is sad this was an amazing debut. I honestly have nothing bad to say! Thank you for the copy!

I've read a few books lately that have completely taken me by surprise by how good they were, and Falling is another one in that category! I didn't really know anything about it going into it, but I enjoy plane crash stories (is that a weird thing to say?) and was intrigued by the synopsis.

This incredible debut ended up being so much more than a thriller. There is nonstop action from start to finish, but there's also a lot of depth to the characters and relationships. I loved how everyone came together in an emergency to help each other, even though their chances seemed hopeless. This book definitely brought out my emotions, and I found myself crying on my couch at the end.

TJ Newman previously worked as a flight attendant, so she had some interesting insight as to how Jo would really think. Hopefully she's never been in a situation like this, but it certainly made certain scenes more realistic.

I loved the part about the "souls", and how Captain Hoffman really seemed to care about his passengers and doing his job well.

I had no idea how the story would play out, and I read it in one sitting since I was so eager to get to the end. Here's hoping that Falling gets made into a movie--I think it would make an incredible one.

I didn't realize what this book was when I started. I read the first chapter which sets up the story and then I quit. There are only three paths here and I don't need hours of reading to find out which the author chose.

I received an advance reader copy of this book through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

I signed up to read Falling several weeks ago, but I had to wait to read it until I finished several other books with earlier publication dates. In the meantime, the book’s pre-publication publicity campaign made it one of the most-anticipated thrillers of the summer.

The concept is a simple one – an airline pilot must make an impossible choice: crash his airliner or terrorists will kill his family. There is a lot of action and intrigue both in the air and on the ground as the pilot and the FBI attempt to unravel the plot. I found most of the characterizations to be more than adequately done.

I gave Falling four stars on Goodreads. It was a fast-paced read, but few of the twists along the way were not unexpected and some of the character motivations seemed transparent. The author is a veteran of the airline industry, and her knowledge of planes and flight crew interactions and responsibilities add an high degree of believability to the airborne scenes.

Falling seems to be everywhere this summer. The amount of publicity this author is getting for a debut novel is nearly unheard of. So does the book live up to the hype? I found it to be an entertaining thriller that keeps you turning the pages, but I kept thinking it would be better as a movie. In the right hands, it would make a perfect summer blockbuster. I was picturing Octavia Spencer as Jo.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to read and review, "Falling" by T.J Newman. For the most part, this was a really thrilling read. The events that unfold keep things interesting and kept me entertained throughout the story. It felt super realistic, at least to me. Good thing I won't be flying anytime soon. The only thing that really kept me from fully enjoying the story were the characters. While I rooted for them, I did not personally connect with any of them. If you enjoy a good thriller for adults, this one will be right up your alley.

Title: Falling
Author: T.J. Newman
Publisher: Avid Reader Press
@avidreaderpress
Genre: Thriller

Summer blockbusters may not be fully back at the movie theaters this summer, but you can still get them in book form. And you heard it heard it here first, the debut novel ‘Falling’ by author T.J. Newman is the next big book in the thriller genre. This book reminds be of early 90s classic movie Speed, but on an airplane. I will warn you that this is one of those books that you do have to ignore a few things and not nitpick every detail, but if you do you’re definitely going to be entertained! It’s what I like to call a “popcorn thriller”.

The synopsis doesn’t give too much away and I don’t want to either. It’s more fun that way. So here’s all you get:

You just boarded a flight to New York. There are 143 passengers on board. What you don’t know is that 30 minutes before the flight your pilot’s family was kidnapped. For his family to live, everyone on your place must die. The only way the family will survive is if the pilot follows his orders and crashes the plane. Enjoy the flight.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This is a solid debut. I read this in nearly one sitting. (I even took my brand new #primeday kindle in the bathtub because I didn’t want to stop reading!) It starts off with chaos, confusion and fear and just keeps on going. The author was a flight attendant for 10 years and rumor has it she begun writing this novel on cocktail napkins during red eye flights!

Thank you @netgalley and to the publisher @avidreaderpress for the eARC read now in exchange for my honest opinion. This one is out TODAY July 6th.

This book was so dang crazy and suspenseful! Probably should NOT have read it the night before my husband was supposed to get on a flight... Oops! I seriously couldn't put this down, it was excellent!

Falling is a thriller worthy of all the hype this book is receiving. T.J. Newman writes an intriguing story that will have you questioning what you would do in a similar situation. I am definitely looking forward to reading Newman’s next book.

Make sure your seat backs and tray tables are in their full upright position and that your seat belt is correctly fastened as we prepare for take-off.

Newman literally jets you off straight into these action packed pages. She’s honed into the craft of storytelling using her knowledge of flight attending. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time anticipating the next move of all the parties involved. Many twists and turns kept my attention rapt. T.J. Newman is on my must read list!

Here are some of the things debut author T.J. Newman does really, really well:

1) Plot line -- about an airline pilot forced into a heartrending and horrifying choice -- was original and well-executed.

2) Authenticity of details was refreshing, not just the in-flight jargon and procedures (thanks to the author's years as a flight attendant), but in general throughout the story;

3)Most of the characters were distinct, consistent, complex and relatable;

4) Dialogue was realistic, interesting, and purposeful.

There were, however, a few things that bugged me, and they lingered awhile after I was done reading:

1) I never bought the motivation of the villain or villains, who seemed to be the only two-dimensional characters in the cast;

2) I agree with the other reader/reviewers who commented on the "wordiness" of this book. Most readers will love this story, but if you prefer lean, spare economical prose, you might not be a fan.

Thanks to NetGalley and Avid Reader Press/Simon and Schuster for an advance readers copy.

Wow what a roller coaster ride this book was. I had heard it was action packed and I couldn’t agree more. I actually listened to this book while on a long car trip, and it kept me engaged the entire trip. If you haven’t already seen all the press on this book, the short synopsis takes place on a cross country plane trip rom LAX to NYC. The pilots family is kidnapped and once the plane is in the air, the pilot is told he can only save his family is if he crashes the plane! And you’re off on a plane ride to beat all. I do not know how realistic the story is but this is fiction and i thought very well done for a debut author. The narrator did a very good job as I was able to distinguish characters easily. If you need a great beach book, I can recommend this book highly!

An unexpected request leads Captain Bill Hoffman to flight 416 heading to New York instead of staying home to watch his son play baseball. After the flight is in the air, Captain Hoffman is contacted by the man who has kidnapped his family and told that he must choose: crash the plane, killing everyone on board so that his family can live or land the plane and his family will be killed.

Captain Hoffman refuses to make either decision, though the kidnapper insists. The twisted events that unfold throughout the remainder of the flight will have you on the edge of your seat. This quick read has excellent imagery and it would definitely make a fantastic movie.

Thank you to NetGalley, Avid Reader Press and Simon & Schuster for the advance copies of this book for an honest review.

Updating my review:

I was able to read more about this story and educate myself and the fact that a white woman chose to make the “terrorists” Middle Eastern / Syrian is wrong and perpetuates hurtful stereotypes. Knowing this, I would not recommend this book to others to read.

Please read: https://www.instagram.com/p/CRGwCvwLhwC/?utm_medium=copy_link


I loved this! What a great debut thriller. This was action packed from the first sentence. I actually gasped out loud when I read that. There wasn't one point that I wasn't in full stress mode. This book was unique in that it would make an excellent movie, but unlike many thrillers, it didn't read like a movie script. My only critique is that I wish a bit more time had been taken at the beginning to develop the characters but I cannot wait to see what T. J. Newman writes next!

Many thanks to Avid Reader Press and NetGalley for the advanced copy!

This was the perfect thriller. A good behind the scenes look at how the pilots and flight attendants work together. While some things suspends reality, you almost always have to do that to keep the suspense rolling. If you love the characters, and I did, you are with them the entire way.

T.J. Newman’s debut novel is an adrenaline pumping ride and one that held me captive.
Coastal Airways Flight 416 is on its way to New York and captained by Bill Hoffman. He wasn’t scheduled to fly today but was called in for this routine L.A. to New York flight and expects it to be nothing more than that. Unbeknownst to him, his family was kidnapped thirty minutes prior to take off. When he receives an e-Mail from his wife and a face time from a man known as Sam with a photo of his wife and their son tied with explosives and bags covering their heads, a decision must be made; crash the plane which carries 144 lives or his family will be killed. He has to go through this alone and cannot share any of this information with his co-pilot Ben or a crew of experienced flight attendants. Bill chooses to follow the rules thrust upon him and follow the kidnappers directives.
Unputdownable, absolutely. The heart thumping action, fast paced suspenseful situations and all engrossing plot kept me riveted. This is the thriller of the Summer season!
Highly recommended with thanks to NetGalley,T.J.Newman and Avid Reader Press/Simon and Schuster for an ARC in exchange for an honest book review.

This is a book that you need to have time to just sit and read before you start. It's incredibly fast paced and I read it in one sitting! Excellent, quick read. Can't wait to see what else this author comes up with. Thanks to Netgalley for the digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

As a flight attendant, the premise of this novel was terrifying to imagine myself in! Since this novel was written by a former flight attendant, the novel was authentic and believable. A debut novel from Newman, the author is a beautiful storyteller and shows the tense emotions behind this emotion-charged day. It's easy to put yourselves in the pilots' shoes and wonder - what would I pick?

While some of the plot details are a little far-fetched and some scenes a little lacking, this was still a solid 4/5 star novel for me! Really enjoyed this debut thriller and read it in under 48 hours!

Wow! My heart raced, my anxiety was up, and I could feel the suspense as if I was aboard this hijacked plane, facing the choices they needed to make. With that said, I finished this in a day because I had to know if everyone was safe and the plane was able to land.

It was not surprising to learn that this debut author had a decade of experience as a flight attendant and wrote this on a plane during downtime. Her research included pilots to ensure it was as realistic as possible. Universal has also picked it up to be turned into a movie!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

When I took this picture, a plane passed by. It was meant to be. Thank you to Avid Reader Press and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

In Falling, you are a commercial airline pilot with an awful choice to make.

“It’s simple. Crash your plane, or I kill your family. The choice is yours.”

On a flight from Los Angeles to New York City, there are so many targets a plane can crash into. You try to find a way out since both choices are horrible. But your family’s kidnapper quickly eliminates the options you were mulling over.

“If you tell anyone, he continued, your family dies. If you send anyone to the house, your family dies.“

What will you do? What will you do?

Falling comes barreling out of the gate at breakneck speed. It is non-stop action from the get-go. I guarantee once you start reading you won’t want to stop until the stunning conclusion. 5 stars and a favorite!

Thanks to Avid Reader Press and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.