Book Review: Freefall

Freefall

By: Mindi Scott

Published By: Simon Pulse

Release Date: October 2010

Buy it at Amazon 

Genre: Young Adult

PG-13: Suitable for Older Teens

Source: Purchased by Reviewer

Note: Reading Lark will be giving away an autographed copy of Freefall in the near future. Be sure to stay tuned for your chance to enter!

Freefall certainly lives up to its name. I opened the first page and was instantly sucked in. I couldn't stop reading until I had savored every last word. This novel is one of the best contemporary pieces of young adult fiction I have read in quite some time. I found myself marking passages of Mindi's prose to save to linger on in the future. I cannot wait to see what story Mindi will bring to life next.

Freefall follows teen, Seth McCoy, as he navigates the current of his Senior year of high school. Not only does Seth have to face the traditional struggles of a high school student, but he is also still reeling from the death of his best friend, Isaac. No matter how much Seth tries to drown his sorrows with mind numbing booze - he just can't stop blaming himself for Isaac's untimely demise. To make matters worse, he also fears that he has made a cardinal mistake by waking up next to Isaac's ex-girlfriend, Kendall. Sure, his best friend is dead, but that is no reason to be sneaking around with his girl. Seth continues to spiral into the darkness of his own fears and regrets until he meets the beautiful Rosetta at a party.

Rosetta is everything Seth has every dreamed of in a girl. She's not only gorgeous, but she's also down to earth. After a shaky start the two become fast friends in their interpersonal communications class. However, as they grow closer, Seth will soon realize that hiding behind that pretty face lay some serious secrets.

Typically, this is not a genre I tend to gravitate towards; I am more of a paranormal girl, but this read was well worth my time. I was drawn in immediately by the setting of the story. As a new resident of Washington state I find stories set in this area to be of great interest to me. The characters and plot seemed more real to me since I live here. I honestly felt like I might catch a glimpse of Seth and Rosetta at the mall or stopping at my favorite cupcake bakery for a sweet treat. 

Mindi Scott breathes life into her characters and makes them leave the pages to swirl throughout the reader's brain. I felt Seth and Rosetta's emotions just as keenly as they did. There were quite a few moments where I was wracked with anticipation and praying that things would end up the way I wanted them too. I was rooting for Seth and Rosetta to get their happy ending after all the junk in their lives. To Mindi's credit, she didn't give me any sort of resolution until the very last chapter. She kept me hanging on her every written word. I also loved that she avoided the pitfall of making her characters too perfect. Each character in the book had real problems and flaws. Teen readers will flock to this novel because it speaks to the issues many of them are dealing with on a daily basis.

One Last Gripe: I didn't want it to end. I want to know what happens to Seth and Rosetta next.

First Sentence: This was Daniel's deal.

My Favorite Thing About This Book: Mindi Scott's writing style

Favorite Characters: Seth, Rosetta, Kendall

Least Favorite Character: Daniel - he annoyed me to no end for some reason

Summary:

How do you come back from the point of no return?

Seth McCoy was the last person to see his best friend, Isaac, alive, and the first to find him dead. It was just another night, just another party, just another time when Isaac drank too much and passed out on the lawn. Only this time, Isaac didn't wake up.

Convinced that his own actions led to his friend's death, Seth is torn between turning his life around . . . or losing himself completely.

Then he meets Rosetta: so beautiful and so different from everything and everyone he's ever known. But Rosetta has secrets of her own, and Seth soon realizes he isn't the only one who needs saving . . .