Like all good thrillers, Falling gets off to a dramatic start and maintains its momentum ... Newman's various narrative strands resemble high-voltage live wires. One tense predicament replaces another, from poison gas attacks to mutinous passengers to orders to kill the co-pilot or shoot down the plane. The suspense is heightened by the fact that the terrorist is not open to negotiation ... Sporadic flashbacks to the past are a distraction and clunky clichés mar some of the dialogue ... But these are mere niggles when set against the book's considerable strengths, not least its frenetic pace, numerous cliffhangers and one almighty twist. Ignore the blizzard of hype, suspend all disbelief and enjoy the ride.
Newman’s premise is terrific—so terrific, in fact, that it will divert you from thinking too much about the plot’s basic problems, like never understanding why Bill has been targeted, or the ridiculousness of the way that the terrorist gains access to Bill’s travel bag ... The action zips along at such a breakneck pace that you won’t have time to ponder such persnickety details ... The president gets involved. So do the New York Yankees. If it all sounds a bit absurd, it is, but the book’s high-octane thrills go a long way in mitigating its over-the-topness. When I finished, all I could think was, I’m so glad I didn’t read this before I got on my first post-lockdown flight last month.
... a smart airline thriller that is equal parts homage to the 1970s Airport film franchise and a 21st-century examination of failed American foreign policy ... The plot’s construction is elevator-pitch gold ... in a way, everyone is suspect, or at least complicit, when we learn that the terrorists here are Kurdish, and that they’re seeking revenge for being left to die when the Trump administration abandoned them in northern Syria. It’s a long haul to make terrorists empathetic, and to Newman’s credit, she doesn’t try. Instead, she merely tries to make them understandable. Revenge is a dish Americans love to consume, which makes Falling emotionally complex in surprising and refreshing ways ... That’s not to say Falling doesn’t have its missteps—dialogue is not Newman’s specialty, so she ends up leaning into cliche ... Still, Falling is expertly paced ... a rich and assured debut.
There are twists and turns, tragedy, redemption, plenty of surprises, and possibly more information than you want to know if you are in the habit of defying the laws of nature by flying on a frequent basis. But the end result is that you will appreciate your flight captain and crew—and their families—just a bit more after you have finished the book than you did when you started it. The pages turn themselves in T. J. Newman’s remarkably sure-footed debut, and you won’t be able to read it fast enough. That's okay, as I understand that her sophomore effort is well on its way to being wheels up. Read Falling, and you’ll know why I (and everyone else) will be waiting for it.
... a fast-paced page-turner that reads very much like an update of the airplane hijacking subgenre so popular in the 1980s. Under the skin of this thriller, however, is a perhaps surprisingly philosophical look at the cost of American international policies. It’s a heartfelt examination of why someone would be driven to carry out a suicide mission, especially in a day and age of general pushback against and disillusionment with zealotry. Where this novel really shines however is in the way it deals with the stresses of life at high altitude ... Ms. Newman’s insider eye lends a believability to the entire scenario that, combined with the story’s propulsive pace, sweeps the reader along on a ride of chills and thrills. There are some gaps in the logic, but the motivations of the main characters are believable and, on occasion surprisingly, relatable. There’s a lot of compassion in this entertaining debut. Ms. Newman is a talent to watch.
... a heart-pounding debut ... the novel runs at breakneck speed, smoothly switching perspectives ... Newman is sure-handed in the scenes on-board the plane, seamlessly weaving her insider knowledge into the plot. Her handling of character psychology...is also well done as themes of privilege and ignorance begin to emerge. Things get a little shakier in scenes led by peripheral characters, and while the first half of the novel runs on pure adrenaline, that energy fades into an anticlimactic and sentimental conclusion ... Despite this, Falling passes the ultimate test of a thriller: fueled by a brilliant premise and relentless pacing, you really can't put it down, and if you do, good luck concentrating on anything else.
Newman...gives this incredibly suspenseful thriller a great sense of verisimilitude. The cockpit dialogue sounds just right; the mechanics of flying a plane, ditto. And the story? Brilliant. You read the book and think: How has no one thought of this scenario before? And how the hell is pilot Bill Hoffman going to keep his passengers and his family alive? With abundantly human characters, natural dialogue, and a plot that unleashes one surprise after another, this could be the novel that everyone is talking about this summer.
... a superlative debut ... Newman makes buy-in to the setup easy by ensuring every character, including Khani, is multidimensional. This tense, convincing thriller marks the arrival of an assured new talent.
