Told from the perspectives of a mother and daughter separated by distance but united by an unbreakable bond. A debut novel about two tenacious women overcoming unimaginable obstacles to protect themselves and those they love.
[Barry] breathes life into every word ... Barry pulls it off beautifully. Her vivid writing means we feel Allison’s pain, her hunger, and her relief whenever she does eat some food ... The resolution is full of satisfying twists. The suspense works because it’s intricately tied to Allison’s emotional journey. The ending is unexpected but doesn’t seem far-fetched, mainly because Barry’s masterful writing forces us to suspend our disbelief ... a scintillating debut.
... a promising debut ... Because Freefall is a suspense novel, more drama than 'will she or won’t she get home' is required. The author delivers ... Initially, Allie’s voice is effectively conveyed through short, staccato stream-of conscious bursts ... But after only a few pages, Allie disappointingly morphs into a straightforward first-person narrator ... Had the author been able to maintain Allie’s terse inner monologue through her present struggles, the tone of the entire novel would have been intensified and enhanced ... Some readers may grow impatient or feel manipulated by the pace while others may be intrigued by the slow leak of information. If readers stay with the book they will be rewarded; the ending resolves the essential issues and, as an added bonus, provides an unexpected and satisfying twist.
Written in a fast-paced style, each chapter offers new twists as motives are brought to light and secrets that Allison struggled to hide are revealed. Barry’s debut novel will keep readers guessing to the end, and fans of Lisa Jackson and Lisa Scottoline will enjoy this thriller written with a focus on family relationships.
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay[/caption]
