Survivalist stories are brutal. They excel at tearing away hope in favour of exposing the true grit of human nature. This story is no exception, and I felt that it offered a very interesting exploration into the human spirit when it seems as though there is nothing left to lose. Emotions run high, raw, and rampant here, and there’s no turning back once you’ve started. I found the characters compelling, and the sheer hatred that I had for one character in particular showed just how close to reality some of the relationships in this book were treading. The imagery in this book was phenomenal, you can almost feel the stifling humidity of the amazon come to life as you’re reading. Naturally, since this book is about the survival of characters after a plane crash, if you’re easily triggered by death or gore, this might be a book to approach with caution.
In this book we meet Danger “Danny” Danielle Warren, a young woman who lost her eye in a childhood accident, and is no stranger to falling. She’s had to relearn her perception of movement and space, so she prefers to keep her nose down to her studies instead. Danny feels at fault for her mother’s bitterness and separation from her father, if only she could be better, more athletic…just more. When her TV star father calls with an opportunity to participate on his next episode of his popular TV series, Danny jumps at the chance, eager to show her father, she isn’t the disappointment that he left behind. Not only that, but getting to hang out with the hottest actor around should be the cherry on top. However, when their plane crashes in the Amazon and some horrifying secrets are revealed, Danny finds out some terrible truths about her father. She’ll have to find her own inner strength and hope if she’s ever going to make it out of the Amazon alive.
When I first started this story, I was so engrossed by Danny. She doesn’t let her vision impairment become a hindrance, and has learned to adapt. Although she harbours feelings of self-loathing because of the accident, Danny has also come so far when you first meet her. She’s fascinated by science and medicine, and I loved that this is a trait of hers that gets to be displayed throughout the book. Unfortunately because of her accident, Danny does suffer from low self-confidence, which is also prominently displayed throughout the book, to the point of pain in some parts. She’s bullied by her classmates and at times it feels that all Danny seems to embody is her disability. Moreover, it was hard to read about her relationship with her father because it reminded me of an experience of a close family member had.
This story is definitely more of an emotional journey. Very similar to the five stages of grief, Danny goes on this emotional journey not only with her dad, but with herself. How effective communication means nothing when a person only cares about themselves. And a lot of these characters only seem to care about themselves in the long run. It’s hard to root for anyone at first because you find out just how horrid human nature can be. As you dig deeper, you find out what’s truly at the core of these characters and just how determined they are to survive.
Of course, there’s a romance that kindles between Danny and Gus Price, a famous actor. Without being too spoilery, I enjoyed the relationship development, despite some of the setbacks in the book. Some of my favourite scenes in the book are with these two characters at the center. Of course, there’s also the relationship that we see between Danny and her best friend, which was sweet because of some of the issues they share, but I didn’t get enough of. I would have liked to see more of Danny and Trix’s relationship.
If you’ve ever wanted a clearer definition of the dangers of being stranded to survive in a rainforest, this is definitely the book to read. The vivid imagery of some of the things happening in this book would definitely make some queasy. I mean, I knew I wasn’t going to be sitting down to read about gourmet meals in the book, but I definitely had no appetite by the end of it. The juxtaposition of having a lush rainforest and yet having almost nothing to eat or drink was definitely a frightening scene.
My rating for this book would be an 8/10. It was a strong read, but I wish we’d had a little more development between some of the relationships that Danny has in the book. However, the emotional journey is certainly worthwhile, and will definitely make readers more introspective when they reach the end.
The Speed of Falling Objects is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
From the author of When Elephants Fly comes an exceptional new novel about falling down, risking everything and embracing what makes us unique. Don’t miss this compulsively readable novel about the most unlikely of heroes.
Danger “Danny” Danielle Warren is no stranger to falling. After losing an eye in a childhood accident, she had to relearn her perception of movement and space. Now Danny keeps her head down, studies hard, and works to fulfill everyone else’s needs. She’s certain that her mom’s bitterness and her TV star father’s absence are her fault. If only she were more―more athletic, charismatic, attractive―life would be perfect.
When her dad calls with an offer to join him to film the next episode of his popular survivalist show, Danny jumps at the chance to prove she’s not the disappointment he left behind. Being on set with the hottest teen movie idol of the moment, Gus Price, should be the cherry on top. But when their small plane crashes in the Amazon, and a terrible secret is revealed, Danny must face the truth about the parent she worships and falling for Gus, and find her own inner strength and worth to light the way home.
