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44 of 45 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Be swept away by this incredible book, November 1, 2006
Imagine a fear, a notion, so intense that you know you need to run. Imagine dragging yourself instinctively through dangerous mountains and treacherous waters to safety, not sure of where you are. Now imagine that not only do you not know where you are, but who you are. In Kristen Heitzmann's Freefall, Jade, later identified as the newly risen star, Gentry Fox, encounters these exact thoughts, feelings, and experiences.
Freefall will capture readers with its intensity, honesty, and believability. Heitzmann emphasizes the importance of these attributes throughout her novel. Her use of Gentry's traumatic memory loss as a tool to lead us through every page, to give us important glimpses into the story, is phenomenal. A simple anecdote or experience tells us everything necessary about Gentry and her relationships with those around her.
The relation of one character to another deeply impacts the plotline as a whole. (It is evident that Heitzmann understood the importance of character bonding when she wrote Freefall.) Cameron, "Kai," and Gentry develop such a natural and connected relationship, overcoming their past and present, that we could easily meet them at the restaurant down the road or the church on the corner. The detail so meticulously put into every character and every scene allows us to identify with, and truly understand, the characters Heitzmann has brought to life.
When Gentry Fox awakens in the mountains of Kauai, she has no idea who she is. She experiences severe pain, and she knows nothing beyond her need for safety. In order to find that safety, she walks with determination to the nearest home, which belongs to a Hawaiian local named Monica. When Monica sees this downtrodden young woman approaching her yard, she fears that once again someone has come to her to find peace but then will pass on to a better life. Despite this fear, she lets Gentry in, and she calls her brother, a fraud investigator, to help identify her. With the presence of Cameron comes some of Gentry's memory; at first, just enough for her to remember that she was not traveling alone. In time, more and more of her memories open up. As they reveal themselves and events unfold, Gentry realizes that someone was out to kill her uncle, whether or not she was in the line of fire.
The reality of the characters throughout Freefall adds an element of closeness, a bond with the readers. The bond allows readers to view Cameron, Gentry, Monica, and all of the other characters as personal friends--not as fictional people only existing on paper. Heitzmann uses flaws and setbacks that we are all familiar with in our own lives to help us relate to the characters' lives. They have broken hearts, broken families, and even broken bodies. The characters experience and overcome real issues, through which they encourage others to do the same.
Kristen Heitzmann will engage your heart, mind, and spirit with this well-written novel. A blend of drama, mystery, romance, and humor, Freefall satisfies the yearnings of many different types of readers. Whether folks read avidly or infrequently, for education or entertainment, all will be swept away by this incredible book. [...]
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16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Maybe there's hope for Christian fiction after all..., October 18, 2007
Before reading this book, I had pretty much given up on the entire genre.
I am a character reader first, and Christian books these days tend to substitute flesh and blood and feelings for sermonizing dialogue and overall sanitation. How am I to sympathize with a one-dimensional paper doll of a person? I'm not saying Christian books should emulate secular ones in terms of profanity, comedic or sadistic violence, or explicit sex. I am saying that life is gritty at times, that even those ready to "give an answer for the hope that is within" us sometimes struggle with those answers. Our fellows in fiction, however, usually find perfect peace with everything ten pages from the end of the book. They also rarely do anything wrong or possess any real flaws; if they've had it rough, they're victims on the path to 10-pages-from-the-end forgiveness.
Christian fiction also has a tell-all approach to writing, and usually that "all" is revealed in the first chapter of the book (unless it's a deliberate case of Deep Dark Secrets). If a character is angry, we are told, "His anger was intense." If a character's heart is breaking, we are told, "She could feel her heart breaking." Subtlety, figurative language, individual character response to situations--lost arts, all.
Of course, I'm speaking from my own reading experience. Anyone with title recommendations for me, please comment (but if Dee Henderson is your idea of great literature, we're not on the same page).
With this (legitimate, I say) chip on my shoulder, I stumbled upon Kristen Heitzmann's Freefall. I read the back cover. Not the first amnesia plot ever, or the first guy-protects-girl plot ever, but the combination was sufficiently intriguing that I read the first two pages. I, a library reader, bought the book and finished it shortly.
Heitzmann's characters do indeed "leap off the page." Jade's moral dilemmas relating to her career are refreshingly real, and no quickie solution is offered. Her determination and vulnerability as she regains her memories are well-portrayed. Cameron is an even deeper character--hiding a broken heart behind gruff suspicion, terrified of the world's propensity to steal what he loves, and continuing to believe in God despite it all, just no longer willing to trust Him. When summed up that way, neither of these characters sounds original, but they are. Jade's version of strength is willingness to trek into the Hawaiian wild by herself before asking a man who doesn't believe her for help. Cameron's version of heavenward fist-shaking is to pit his surfboard against the sea and beat it one wave at a time. What makes these characters work? A familiar core demonstrated by original quirks--quirks that at times actually drive the plot, rather than being submerged in it.
In addition, this woman can write. She takes the time to construct some interesting similes; her verbs don't require a parade of adverbs to be specific. A pitiless editor could have slimmed the book down slightly, and mitigated a bit of melodrama from Rob's and Allegra's points of view, but these are hardly mortal flaws.
Of course, expect the main characters to end up together. But Heitzmann's approach is less syrupy than most Christian romance, and she finds a clean, honest balance that most don't attempt. The attraction between Jade and Cameron is rooted in their souls, not their bodies, yet this author acknowledges the physical desires of men and women without shoving soiled details into her readers' heads.
All in all, highly recommended, both for fans of Christian fiction, and for ex-fans like me.
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
I wish they had a ten star rating for this one!, November 9, 2006
Wow! Freefall left me speechless by the time I finished the story. At first I thought, "I love Kristen Heitzmann. I've read all of her historicals and they were awesome. This'll probably be good, but not as good as her past novels." WRONG! The suspense was incredible. The plot intricate. The setting exotic (nothing like spending time on the beach on not getting a sunburn. I think I even learned how to surf without hitting a single wave.) The romance also sizzled. Of course, those who know me know I love the edgier stuff (in other words, the passion and realism of romantic tension) and this baby is packed with it! The perpetrators and thugs were believeable and unlikeble--as they should be. I felt the heroine's fear, her confusion, her passion. Boy, that was a wild ride! I liked how the author occasionally inserted another person's POV to give you that person's perspective. Sweet. Overall, I'd have to say that this is the best romantic suspense novel I've EVER read. I mean EVER! I give Freefall ten stars!
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