Freefall by Mindi Scott

Release Date: October 5, 2010
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Pages: 315
Review Source: Library

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)
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 . . .

My Thoughts:
Overall I definitely enjoyed this book. You could tell that Seth was a good guy who really wanted to succeed and make something of himself. However, I was a little bit surprised at the tone of this book. I expected it to be very dark, but I was surprised that while Seth has to deal with some very serious issues, I never found the book to be especially depressing. I expected there to be more of a fight between Seth’s decision to be clean and in school versus taking the easy route, but I didn’t really see a lot of struggle there. In one way, I think this is a good thing. It’s clear from the beginning that being off drugs and alcohol is Seth’s decision, so I’m glad this wasn’t another “saved by the love of a good woman” type of story. Rosetta was really sweet and kind, and I think she and Seth were a good match.

I don’t mean to sound so negative, I guess 'Freefall' was just different than I expected it to be. It wasn't the right book for me at this time, but that doesn't mean it doesn't have merit. Like I said, I did enjoy this book, and I can see why it’s been getting a lot of praise. It's a really great contemporary novel that involves a serious and important topic. I’m glad that there are novels like ‘Freefall’ because they may encourage a more open dialogue between teens and adults, and even between teens themselves, to talk about the serious effects alcohol and drugs can have.

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