I really liked this. Freefall is a small book with what seems to be a fairly run-of-the-mill plot: guy’s best friend dies, guy is messed up, guy meets girls, girl has issues of her own… and so forth. Yet the characterisation in Freefall is excellent, and I found myself invested in the story within pages. Scott captures Seth’s voice so well, the rawness of his emotions, without pushing the book into over-angsty territory. I liked the fact that Seth was a guy who didn’t always do the right thing, who often acted selfishly or impulsively, and yet had much more going on under the exterior, while still feeling realistic. But I’d probably give all of those stars purely on the basis of Kendall, whom I really believe carried this story. I happen to like straight-talking female characters who don’t suffer fools (see also: Mim from All I Ever Wanted), yet also have their own vulnerabilities. Kendall was the highlight of this book for me, a strong, flawed, interesting, brash character that really felt alive and vital in the story. Her dynamic with Seth, and the way it gradually developed over the course of the book, was exceptionally well handled. On the other hand, as much as I’d like to, I can’t muster the same enthusiasm for Rosetta. I didn’t dislike her, but I felt she faded into the paper up against the unapologetically bold character of Kendall. While Kendall and Seth’s “nonenemy” relationship had a lot of chemistry and spark, Rosetta and Seth’s – while sweet – was less compelling for me. That said, while she definitely a less striking element of the book, I’m glad that Rosetta didn’t fall into completely clichéd territory as I thought she would. Fans of plot-driven novels might not find a lot to get excited about here, Freefall is very much a character-centric novel that focuses on the repercussions of loss, grief and fear. There’s no major plot twist and even the climax is low-key. However, I found a lot to like and would definitely read Scott’s further work.
