Freefall Summer

The best part of this book is the Whuffo's Guide to Skydiving and how it helped give me an insight to a sport I didn't have any knowledge of. The skydiving aspect of a whole from the descriptions of days at the DZ, the staff, and the jumps really gave this book something different from other YA novels. I see this book to be less of a romance and more of a drama/coming of age story despite how it is marketed as a romance. The chemistry between Denny and Clancy as well as Clancy and Theo both fall flat. The romance aspect between both couples of the novel is cliche. However, I did enjoy the transformation of Clancy and how she finds her voice as the summer progresses.

I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Sixteen year old Clancy Edwards isn't your average whuffo (that is, a non-skydiver). In fact, she'd love to join her father, and everyone she's worked alongside since she was a baby, and leap from the plane with only an open parachute to bring her gently to the ground. At least, she thinks she would. There's also the fact that her mom died doing just that... so maybe she's not meant to be a skydiver. Maybe she's meant to keep both feet on the ground.

Still, she'd at least like the chance to make up her mind for herself. But with her overprotective father and her overprotective boyfriend Theo treating her like she's made of glass (and years younger than she actually is), it looks like she'll never get to make that choice. And it's all starting to get on her nerves.

So when skydiving student Denny shows up and assumes she's also 18, she doesn't correct him. He doesn't treat her like she's going to break. He thinks she can do whatever she puts her mind to... and that causes friction with her and Theo.

When Denny suggests maybe another location--you know, one not run by her overprotective father--might be the place to make her first jump, the lies start to catch up with her. But so does her own need to feel her mother in the place she loved the best--the sky. Being underage is just a little hiccup in the plan, right?

Besides. There's no way they'll treat her like a child after she proves to them she can make a solo jump from 3 miles up.


This book really grated at me. I loved Clancy, and I even understood where her dad was coming from. Losing someone the way he did, it makes total sense he'd be overprotective. But I. Hated. Theo. Like, so much. And I hated how much her dad liked him, because he was "so polite". Yeah, but he was also kind of a dick.

I wasn't even all that much a fan of Denny. I mean, I liked him...

But Clancy and the sky. That's where the real story here is. And I enjoyed it way more than I thought I would. No spoilers, but it's well worth reading!

I liked the cover of Freefall Summer and I will admit that it was the sole reason I requested it from NetGalley. Later, I looked at it on Goodreads and saw that it had below three stars and I panicked a little. Another book that may be hard work to get through. I have to say though that I have no idea why it is rated low on Goodreads because I thought it was great.

It is the story of Clancy who has made it her life goal not to let her dad worry. Her mother passed away when she was six and since then here dad has tightened the reins on Clancy; rather than push against them she has allowed him to wrap her in cotton wool. Things start to come to a head when she starts to have bigger dreams than just living a humdrum life in her little town. She wants adventure, she wants to study in a university far away. More than anything she wants to discuss this with her dad but she still feels like she can’t.

Freefall Summer is a great coming-of-age story about learning to be grown up with your parents and crossing that invisible line of child to adult. It has wonderful family dynamics and a great storyline of breaking the mould that someone has set for you.

Freefall Summer by Tracy Barrett is available now.

For more information regarding Tracy Barrett (@writingtracy) please visit www.tracybarrett.com.

For more information regarding Charlesbridge Teen (@CharlesbridgeYA) please visit www.charlesbridgeteen.com.

This was a nice summer read about standing up for yourself and taking risks.
While some of the Protagonist's choices were definitely bad it seemed like she learned her lesson at the end, I feel like the romance and cheating wasn't necessary and detracted some enjoyment from the book but the overall plot and setting saved it for me. The Author seemed really knowledgeable about skydiving and I've never read about skydiving in YA before so that a nice bonus.
My Rating is: 3.5 Stars
FTC DISCLAIMER: I received this book in exchange for an honest review

I had just read a book that I couldn’t finish because it wasn’t holding my attention so I was really hoping this would keep me interested and I’m pleased to say it certainly did that - I couldn’t stop reading!

Clancy was a character who I liked straight away, she seemed so tied down that I was willing her to break free and do what felt right for her. I was gripped by the events happening before me and filled with a variety of emotions as Clancy navigated her way through a tumultuous time.

Skydiving has never been something that appealed to me and, while I still have no desire to jump out of a plane, I found this side of the storyline fascinating. Finding out more about what goes on behind the scenes of a drop zone was surprisingly addictive!

This was a quick read for me that ticked all the boxes and left me wanting to know what’s next for the characters.

Charlesbridge Teen and NetGalley provided me with an Advanced Reader's Copy of Freefall Summer. The choice to review this book was my own.

Sixteen-year-old Clancy Edwards has been under the shadow of her mother's death since she was a young child. Raised by her single father, Clancy spends her free time helping out at the family skydiving school. Always looking upwards, but forbidden to jump because of her mother died from a skydiving accident, Clancy comes to certain realizations about her life when a new student comes to the school. Will Clancy make choices that are will ultimately affect her life?

Freefall Summer is full of teenage angst and touches upon certain issues that are relatable to the target teenage audience. The overprotectiveness of Clancy's father is a little overdone, as well as some of the situations that the characters face, but this is nothing new in YA novels. I find it hard to believe that Clancy, with all of the research she has done regarding her mother's death, she did not search a little closer to home to find out the truth. Overall, Freefall Summer is a quick read and one that teenagers may find relatable on some level.

The synopsis suggests that this book is great for fans of Sarah Dessen and Gayle Foreman, and i would have to agree. Full of emotion, coming of age, and grabbling with teenage issues, Freefall Summer was a fresh take on what happens when lies snowball out of control.