Freefall by Joshua David Bellin
Sysnopsis:
In the Upperworld, the privileged 1% are getting ready to abandon a devastated planet Earth. And Cam can’t wait to leave. After sleeping through a 1,000-year journey, he and his friends will have a pristine new planet to colonize. And no more worries about the Lowerworld and is 99% of rejects.
Then Cam sees a banned video feed of protesters in the Lowerworld who also want a chance at a new life. And he sees a girl with golden eyes who seems to be gazing straight though the feed directly at him. A girl he has to find. Sofie.
When Cam finds Sofie, she opens his eyes to the unfairness of what’s happening in their world, and Cam joins her cause for Lowerworld rights. He also falls hard for Sofie. But Sofie has her own battles to fight, and when it’s time to board the spaceships, Cam is alone.
Waking up 1,000 years in the future, Cam discovers that he and his shipmates are far off-course, trapped on an unknown and hostile planet. Who has sabotaged their ship? And does it have anything to do with Sofie, and the choices—and the enemies—he made in the past?
Review:
Cam is one of the privileged, living above the post-apocalyptic Earth. And when his ship leaves, he’s convinced he’ll never see Sofie again – as her “Lowerworld” ship is headed towards another planet. But when Cam wakes up after 1,000 years have passed, he’s not at the utopia that was expected. Instead, it’s a scary, dark place with dangerous creatures.
Freefall is an exciting, YA science fiction adventure with plenty of romance – at least from Cam’s point of view. Cam’s puppy love is decidedly one-way, as he “falls in love” from afar. The story is told from 2 time periods, as alternating chapters. As we get Cam and Sophie’s backstory, the future on a distant planet unfolds as well.
This was a dramatic and thrilling story. I thoroughly enjoyed the surprising plot twists and suspense. And great pacing leads to a finale that comes too soon to this impressive, standalone story.