I am choosing to finish T.J. Newman’s Falling while on a flight may not have been the wisest choice, because of the thrilling story. The thriller follows a pilot who is tasked with an impossible decision: either crashing the plane with everyone on board, or letting his family be murdered. The story is not very simple and you feel not relaxed throughout the flight. Not exactly the kind of story that makes a flight home feel relaxing. Even so, i still made the right decision. My love for high-stakes fiction and my analytical skills kept me glued to every twist and turn.
All the pages of the book feel like a nose-dive into suspense, that’s why it is impossible for me to put down. By the end, I knew this book wasn’t just an ordinary read. It was a heart-striking experience worth every moment. And when i write this review felt just as thrilling
Thrilling Start
Every reader has their go-to books—the kind that bring comforts and feel like home, filled with stories that are familiar and easy to revisit. But sometimes, a novel comes along that pulls you in unexpectedly. That’s exactly what happened when I began perusing Falling by T.J. Newman. The author of the book was a former flight attendant. I was intrigued by the concept of a jet-based story based on real-life facts that added to its credibility.
My curiosity enhanced when i just read the first page and read the chilling opening line: “When the shoe dropped into her lap, the foot was still in it.” That single sentence caught me completely off guard. From that moment, I knew I was in for a truly sweat-inducing thriller, and as a newfound thriller enthusiast, I couldn’t wait to see where the story would take me.
Here is the official publisher’s description:
“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.”
Credit : T.J. Newman
Story That Keeps You Hooked
As the daughter of a pilot, I was immediately intrigued by the tense, fast-paced plot of Falling. What made it even more compelling was the author’s unique journey—before becoming a writer, she sold books for a living and later decided to work as a flight attendant.
Her experience working for a major airline for a number of years enabled her to write a realistic and gripping story. The depth of knowledge is what truly inspires the novel, that make the each scene feel shocking and authentic. The moment i started to reading. I was hooked early, unable to put it down until I finished. It’s a quick read, but every moment is packed with action.
While I wanted to love this book completely, there were some issues that held me back. Suspense is on the top gear throughout and pacing is perfect. Story of the book engage you till the last line of the page and enjoyable though at times, it felt a little like being stuck in the middle seat of a cross-country flight—not unbearable. But not entirely comfortable either. Still, for fans of thrillers, this book delivers an exciting ride from takeoff to landing.
Intense But Flawed Thriller
At first glance, Falling has CBS’s high-energy Fall Drama vibes, with fast-moving action and intense characters. However, the depth of these characters feels lacking, as some seem plucked from Stereotypes R Us, while the rest are thinly-drawn and shallow. The writing has its issues, relying on clichéd phrases—if I had read about someone’s jaw dropped one more time, I might have sighed out loud.
The structure of the novel also felt odd, with flashback scenes in italics that were peppered throughout. Instead of feeling organic, they seemed better suited for a film script, making the present timeline more predictable. While I absolutely understand the intent, the flashbacks acted as a paint-by-numbers guide, making it too easy for readers to figure out where everything was heading.
Because of its flaws, this is a relatively short read that offers plenty of fun moments. The story frequently veered into the outrageous, but it still delivered an adventurous thriller that kept me hooked. If you’re looking for something to instantly erase your pandemic FOMO about traveling by plane, this is a great pick. Read more thriller novels. 👇👇👇👇👇
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