Rating: 5 of 5
Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing | October 5, 2010 | Trade Paperback
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 . . .
Spoiler Alert ***** Spoiler Alert
Once in a while a book comes along that makes you feel like you could live within the pages. The characters are so raw, and so real, that you swear they are out there somewhere. Freefall, by first time novelist Mindi Scott, is one of these books. Written from a male perspective, Freefall takes you along for the ride with Seth McCoy who is carrying not only his grief, but his guilt, after the death of his best friend Isaac.
When the book begins we find Seth on a booze drop-off with his friend Daniel at one of the rich kid's parties. Despite Seth's earlier efforts to avoid it, eventually the boys decide to stick around the party. It is at the party though that Seth meets Rosetta and the entire story is set in motion. From this point on every event that happens links back to the moment Seth decided to step inside that party; the moment he decided to talk to the girl by the pool. The entire story is well thought and creatively constructed to emphasize the importance of every encounter and of every moment. There are many points in this book, just as in life, where you can feel the change that is about to occur. It is this element that allows for such remarkable realism within the pages.
As a bass player, Seth's relationship with his music is intrinsic to who he is, but he is being held back by something very powerful. His fear of the stage is critical to his journey because of Isaac's role in calming him down before a show. Without Isaac, Seth is unsure whether he will even have the courage to ever step out in front of a crowd again and perform. Seth feels isolated by his fear until a chance meeting at a party introduces him to the one person who might just understand. For Rosetta, her fear stems from being at the wheel when her family was hit by a drunk driver. The loss of her parents, and her survival, both link to her new found fear of motor vehicles. The bond between Seth and Rosetta is strengthened not only by the fears themselves, but by how those fears are associated with their loss. It was inevitable for them to find solace in each other emphasizing how the small moments, like entering a party, can greatly impact ones life.
I love Seth McCoy. No really, I love him. He is like every guy that I ever fell for in high school. Guys who love music and are ultimately troubled is such a wonderful combination. I should be jealous of Rosetta but it is quite difficult since she is such a genuine person. Her view of life despite all the loss she has suffered gives her an incredible strength that I can't help but admire. Beyond Seth and Rosetta though there are many characters in this book that I got to know quite well. The one that stands out the most is Kendall. As Isaac's ex girlfriend, and Seth's first sexual partner, Kendall becomes a source of guilt in Seth's life. Even though Seth feels guilty for betraying his friend in death, Kendall's role in his life is important and should not go unnoticed. She is the one who knew Isaac as well as Seth, and the one who ultimately changes his perspective on Isaac's death. Without Kendall, Seth would have never forgiven himself just as without Rosetta he might have never played music live again.
As I mentioned before there are many moments in this book where readers will be able to feel a change that is about to occur. There are a couple of these moments between Seth and Rosetta that I must discuss. The first is actually a memory of the first time that Seth and Rosetta really met. It was not by the pool at a party, rather it was in the hallway of their high school on Valentine's Day. Seth had just been forced into buying a rose from one of the school fundraisers by Kendall. Instead of just throwing it out he passed it off to a girl in the hall - Rosetta. He handed it to her and said; " Here, beautiful. Have a wonderful Valentine's Day." When Rosetta reminds him of this it changes your whole perception of how and when their relationship truly began. The other moment that I truly loved is after Seth and Rosetta get caught in the rain storm and head back to Seth's house to dry off. It was one part in the book that you would have to read to appreciate, but it really is one of my favourites in any book, of any genre.
With so many great characters, and such complicated relationships, it easy to say that the dialogue in this book is perfection. Each word spoken has been tailored to the particular character who utters it. The vocabulary that is used sounds like it is pouring out of the mouths of teenagers all over the world. When it comes to swear words, Mindi Scott does not avoid them - she explores them. Whether it is arguments between band members, conversations with Seth's "nonenemy" Kendall, or Seth's internal dialogue, all the curse words fit within the context. I will say that I definitely got lost living in Seth's head but in the best way. The way that he formalizes his feelings for Rosetta and his guilt about Isaac is enough to make you fall in love with him. His conversations with himself are almost as good as the ones he has with the rest of the world.
Ultimately this book is about not letting moments pass you by; about making the most of every opportunity. It is about overcoming those fears that plague us so that we can be the ultimate version of ourselves. Seth is one of the most admirable characters that I have read about and it was a joy to follow him on his journey. Freefall is representative of the struggles that young people face everyday and is therefore a must read.
-Christie
When the book begins we find Seth on a booze drop-off with his friend Daniel at one of the rich kid's parties. Despite Seth's earlier efforts to avoid it, eventually the boys decide to stick around the party. It is at the party though that Seth meets Rosetta and the entire story is set in motion. From this point on every event that happens links back to the moment Seth decided to step inside that party; the moment he decided to talk to the girl by the pool. The entire story is well thought and creatively constructed to emphasize the importance of every encounter and of every moment. There are many points in this book, just as in life, where you can feel the change that is about to occur. It is this element that allows for such remarkable realism within the pages.
As a bass player, Seth's relationship with his music is intrinsic to who he is, but he is being held back by something very powerful. His fear of the stage is critical to his journey because of Isaac's role in calming him down before a show. Without Isaac, Seth is unsure whether he will even have the courage to ever step out in front of a crowd again and perform. Seth feels isolated by his fear until a chance meeting at a party introduces him to the one person who might just understand. For Rosetta, her fear stems from being at the wheel when her family was hit by a drunk driver. The loss of her parents, and her survival, both link to her new found fear of motor vehicles. The bond between Seth and Rosetta is strengthened not only by the fears themselves, but by how those fears are associated with their loss. It was inevitable for them to find solace in each other emphasizing how the small moments, like entering a party, can greatly impact ones life.
I love Seth McCoy. No really, I love him. He is like every guy that I ever fell for in high school. Guys who love music and are ultimately troubled is such a wonderful combination. I should be jealous of Rosetta but it is quite difficult since she is such a genuine person. Her view of life despite all the loss she has suffered gives her an incredible strength that I can't help but admire. Beyond Seth and Rosetta though there are many characters in this book that I got to know quite well. The one that stands out the most is Kendall. As Isaac's ex girlfriend, and Seth's first sexual partner, Kendall becomes a source of guilt in Seth's life. Even though Seth feels guilty for betraying his friend in death, Kendall's role in his life is important and should not go unnoticed. She is the one who knew Isaac as well as Seth, and the one who ultimately changes his perspective on Isaac's death. Without Kendall, Seth would have never forgiven himself just as without Rosetta he might have never played music live again.
As I mentioned before there are many moments in this book where readers will be able to feel a change that is about to occur. There are a couple of these moments between Seth and Rosetta that I must discuss. The first is actually a memory of the first time that Seth and Rosetta really met. It was not by the pool at a party, rather it was in the hallway of their high school on Valentine's Day. Seth had just been forced into buying a rose from one of the school fundraisers by Kendall. Instead of just throwing it out he passed it off to a girl in the hall - Rosetta. He handed it to her and said; " Here, beautiful. Have a wonderful Valentine's Day." When Rosetta reminds him of this it changes your whole perception of how and when their relationship truly began. The other moment that I truly loved is after Seth and Rosetta get caught in the rain storm and head back to Seth's house to dry off. It was one part in the book that you would have to read to appreciate, but it really is one of my favourites in any book, of any genre.
With so many great characters, and such complicated relationships, it easy to say that the dialogue in this book is perfection. Each word spoken has been tailored to the particular character who utters it. The vocabulary that is used sounds like it is pouring out of the mouths of teenagers all over the world. When it comes to swear words, Mindi Scott does not avoid them - she explores them. Whether it is arguments between band members, conversations with Seth's "nonenemy" Kendall, or Seth's internal dialogue, all the curse words fit within the context. I will say that I definitely got lost living in Seth's head but in the best way. The way that he formalizes his feelings for Rosetta and his guilt about Isaac is enough to make you fall in love with him. His conversations with himself are almost as good as the ones he has with the rest of the world.
Ultimately this book is about not letting moments pass you by; about making the most of every opportunity. It is about overcoming those fears that plague us so that we can be the ultimate version of ourselves. Seth is one of the most admirable characters that I have read about and it was a joy to follow him on his journey. Freefall is representative of the struggles that young people face everyday and is therefore a must read.
-Christie
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