For the last couple of days I have been listening to an audio version of Falling by T. J. Newman. This is an exciting thriller about the high-jacking of a commercial airline by terrorists who start by kidnapping the pilot’s family and threatening to kill them unless the pilot crashes the plane at a designated site.

The author ensures that as the story advances, the reader feels as if they were strapped into a seat on this doomed flight, a prisoner of this terrorist event. As the crew scramble to make the plane as safe as possible, the pilot is able to get a message out which alerts the FBI and they race to rescue the family and stop the plane. Uncertain of their success, the President of America gets ready to have the plane shot down, sacrificing the crew and passengers rather than adding thousands of additional victims if the plane is allowed to crash.

The author is a flight attendant so I was relatively certain that the details regarding aviation and flight rules were accurate. The author’s storytelling was good and her main characters, although perhaps a little too heroic and one-dimensional, were easy to root for. As read by actor Steven Weber, this is an addictive thriller that is guaranteed to give you a late night or two. A fun read but I would warn that probably not the best book to accompany you on a flight. ( )

Good book...hold your breath. ( )

I received a complimentary digital copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. This review is my voluntary and unbiased opinion.

This is a fast-paced novel that takes you on a thrill ride filled with on the edge of your seat suspense. The author having worked as a flight attendant adds to the reality of the events. Unfortunately, it begins with terrorists looking for justice by holding the pilot hostage. They give him the unspeakable choice of saving his family or the passengers on his flight. They torture the pilot and his family by Facetiming with them. The experienced flight attendant, Jo, becomes an integral part of the story by trying to keep the passengers calm and in control amid the chaos. You will find yourself rooting for Jo and the brave team as they try to survive. You may not want to take a plane ride immediately after reading but you won't need one as you'll feel like you were just on a trip of your life. ( )

I read this because I read nothing but great posts on Twitter/X.
This book fooled me. I thought it was going to be a different take on airplane hijacking books but as it went on I found it so trope-filled, predictable.
Nobody else died except the bad guys (duh!). I mean, give me one or two casualties on the other side to up the suspense of it all.
Author was definitely writing this with the possibility of it becoming a movie. I saw Octavia Spencer and Leslie Jordan in my head as I was reading.
The movie/book would do well for the masses who settle for generic overplayed entertainment. Stereotypes were in full force.

I wanted more from this.
But I’ve learned my lesson. If the majority of a population likes something, it’s not really as great as they say it is. ( )

It's a bit cheesy and not very original but it is absolutely what it says it is, a thriller. It reminded me a lot of [book:Black Sunday|32417] that I read decades ago. Like that one, I fully expect this to be made into a movie.

It's a fun read but I don't recommend reading it on an airplane. ( )