Saturday, July 19, 2014

Review: Free to Fall by Lauren Miller


Title: Free to Fall

Author: Lauren Miller

Rating: 4 Stars

I flew through Free to Fall in the space of an afternoon. Its beginning may take awhile to find its footing, but once Miller hits her stride this sophomore novel is a chore to set down. I've always believed that the best dystopians were the ones whose worlds were eerily similar to our own--and that's exactly what Free to Fall is: familiar. Unlike the societies of The Hunger Games or Divergent, Miller has molded a futuristic world much like our own, complete with large technological corporations which dominate the market and apps which dominate our minds. In Rory's present--our future--Lux is the "it" app to own. Using a complex algorithm, it manages to keep users up-to-date on appointments, take control of their time management skills, and help them make decisions such as what to eat, wear, and buy. In other words, Rory's world is devoid of much thought.

But, in a world so similar to our own, it's impossible not to imagine an app like Lux taking hold of citizens and working. We're constantly searching for ways to complete our tasks faster, become more efficient, and rely on technological advances to get our jobs done. Lux, with just a tap of our fingers, gets all that done--and more. It thinks for us. It isn't until Rory joins Theden Academy, an elite two-year "Ivy League"-esque school that her deceased mother attended, that she begins to question her dependency on Lux. North, the cute coffee-shop guy who works just outside the academy boundaries, forces Rory to leave her comfort zone of Lux and figure out for herself what she truly enjoys. Just as North reveals to Rory the marketing scheme that Lux truly is--intentionally showcasing popular brands, not all brands, and using the placebo effect to make users think they like what Lux recommends--Rory herself begins to uncover the truth about her mother's past. Rory's mother left Theden Academy shortly before she could complete her graduation and immediately following Rory's birth, she passed away. Rory and her father have always wondered what led her mother to abandon the school she seemed to love and now, creeping closer to the truth, Rory just may have stumbled upon a conspiracy bigger than anything she could have imagined...

Much like a classic dystopian, Free to Fall presents us with the veneer of a seemingly utopian society, only to reveal a dark underbelly of evil leaders whose control extends over the entire population. Yet, the manner in which Miller narrates her tale is extremely effective. Rory is an endearing heroine, one whose naivety can be slightly eye-roll inducing but whose growth is immediate and believable. What's more, as she uncovers layer after layer of the secrets shrouding her mother's strange dismissal from Theden Academy, she makes, breaks, and sustains a variety of different relationships along the way. What I appreciate most about this novel is not its originality in daring to publish a dystopian so different from the ones we've come to know, but rather in tackling contemporary issues alongside futuristic problems. Despite the grand scheme of issues Rory is up against, she's still just a sixteen-year-old girl and her friendships, relationships with teachers and other students, ties to her family, and bond with North are all still very much a part of her life. In fact, as a normal sixteen-year-old may grow and change from their relationships, Rory does as well only her growth comes alongside a revelation of secrets.

Free to Fall is the type of tale that builds; its momentum gets larger, its issues seem practically impossible, and the secrets seem to finally have come to an end. Only, the ending is still a pleasant shock, surprising readers out of the norm they may have imagined. Its well-paced plot aside, though, the aspect of Free to Fall which surprised me the most was the romance. In the beginning of the novel, shortly after Rory firsts meets North and begins to fall for him, the two have a slight misunderstanding. Yet, once it's solved their relationship is rock solid, one of utter support as Rory grows to trust and count on North's presence by her side. Moreover, his--rather secret--skills only aid Rory in her quest for the truth and the happiness these two find in one another is flawlessly written. I can actually believe that these two, despite being teens, love each other and that in and of itself is nothing short of miraculous.

Nevertheless, I must admit that I expected Free to Fall to be ever-so-slightly more. I'd heard so much about this novel before launching into it and though I fell completely for the corporate mystery this tale wound up becoming, aspects of its felt a little too unreal. Somehow, aspects of this novel rang untrue as the complete control these corporations held over individuals and data felt like a violation of too many of our laws such as freedom of speech and, what's more, Free to Fall is based on the assumption that a monopoly would be ruling our future, which I just can't see being allowed to happen. Thus, there is a certain suspension of belief required throughout this novel and while it's no different from the majority of other tales within the genre, I was unprepared for it. Nonetheless, that being said, Free to Fall is precisely the direction I hope to see dystopias heading in: realistic, standalone, utterly devoid of a love triangle, and able to formulate a meaningful message not only about a fictional futuristic society but today's society as well. If Miller's sophomore novel spells the future for this genre then I am certainly going to be free to fall right back in love with it.

17 comments:

  1. I am still up in the air on whether or not to read this one, I think after reading your review, I just might wait a bit if I do read it. I need good solid reads right now and I think this one might irritate me.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sounds like a very intriguing premise, and definitely something that would be a bit realistic. thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Glad you love this one, Keertana. I totally agree with you when you said that a dystopian novel would be more believable if it's closely familiar and similar to our own world. Unlike you though, I would have no trouble believing that monopoly could happen in the near future. I can see it happening now and it actually kind of scares me. Still I'm excited to read this and that despite your minor issues with this one, you still loved it. Plus, yay for standalone dystopians!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Aha the app book, yes I remember reading another review of this one

    ReplyDelete
  5. Wow, the concept behind this novel is so intriguing! I haven't read Parallel, or this one, but I am going to have to soon. I'm glad you enjoyed this one so much; you've definitely influenced me to check it out!

    ReplyDelete
  6. This sounds amazing. Just as I was reading your review, it was like I was actually there. Although I wasn't a fan of the Hunger Games yet I loved Divergent! But I do agree that I do prefer a dystopia that isn't too different from the real world we live in. It's as if this could actually happen with the likes of technology these. Which is scary to say the least. I have another of her books, Parallel, have you read that one? I still need to read it! But if this dystopia is anything to go by then I must start this one soon! Brilliant review, Keertana! :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Dystopians that are closest to our world are my favorite as well, because if feels real, like something that could actually happen. It's nice that the romance seems to be believable, as well. I have this author's first book but I haven't made time to read it. I'll have to give her a try. Wonderful review, Keertana.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I love dystopian stories which are set in the world that is similar to our own. Somehow it seems more believable and easier to connect with. I'm so glad that you liked this one and I cannot wait to read it now. Great review, Keertana :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. I think that in general, reading a dystopia does require a certain suspension of belief and that is one of the reasons why I have decided to start skirting around them unless a book really sticks out to me. What I really want to see in a dystopia is a society that is realistic and in all honesty, I am getting tired of all the perfect utopias that are actually not utopias and are ruled by evil people out to get the people. Sometimes I wonder if that is too much to ask for because it does seem that people have certain expectations from the genre. *sigh*

    My rambling aside, I am really glad to hear you enjoyed this one. I've only heard of this book and it's nice to see your positive review for it. I am almost tempted to give this a shot in spite of my reluctance!

    Lovely review as ALWAYS, Keertana!!! :)

    ReplyDelete
  10. Ooo, I'm glad you enjoyed this one, Keertana! I always feel disappointed when I expect a book to be 'more', yet it falls short. But I love the type of books that build up to a high moment. This sounds great! Lovely review :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. This sounds lovely Keertana. :) I completely agree - dystopians that are realistic and not set in a far-off time period are always the ones that are most entertaining and easy to connect with. They provide a sense of "Can this actually happen in the future?", which is both fascinating and engrossing.

    It's a shame that this required a certain sense of disbelief that you weren't prepared for, but thank you for the warning! When I pick this up, I'll definitely keep that in mind, so hopefully that will allow me to enjoy it more.

    Thank you for sharing, and, as always, BRILLIANT review! <33

    ~ Zoe @ The Infinite To-Read Shelf

    ReplyDelete
  12. I'm with you Keertana, my favorite dystopians are the ones that feel completely plausible, like we're just a few short steps of ending up where the characters currently are. I'm so glad you enjoyed this one overall, I loved Parallel, so I'm really looking forward to checking out this sophomore book of hers! Gorgeous review as always:)

    ReplyDelete
  13. Ooh, this one does sound like it's a bit unputdownable! I would actually appreciate an app like Lux to tell me what to wear and what to have for dinner...sometimes. Definitely agree -- the best dystopians are so close to ours that the reality they portray is one we could see happening in our world. Great review as always!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Glad you loved this. I've heard so many good things about this book, but haven't started it for no reason. The world that is similar to own sounds like I would definitely enjoy. I'll add to my list. Great review,Keertana (:

    ReplyDelete
  15. Yay, so glad you enjoyed this one, Keertana. I found the dystopian world in Free to Fall extremely believable and really liked the solidness of the romance too. And yes, I want more standalones too :)

    ReplyDelete
  16. Once again, Keertana, here is a book I wasn't even planning on reading, that I definitely thought wasn't for me, and yet somehow, after reading your book review, you have persuaded me to give it a chance. At first glance, I was worried Free to Fall would just be another Matched or Delirium, and wouldn't stand out as unique. But your review makes it sound like a promising novel, and like it's worth my time reading, especially with such a wonderful romance and intriguing premise. I might just have to make time for this one in the future. Stunning review! :D

    ReplyDelete
  17. I didn't think of this as a dystopian when I read it, but I agree that it functions as one in many ways. AND it is more immediate and frightening, because it is so easy to see our society becoming this one - in some ways it is this one. I agree that this book took a little to get into, but I was hooked once I was there. I loved her romance with North, that the author wasn't afraid to allow it to be supportive and that she didn't try to throw in obstacles between them that were unnecessary. I hope that dysotpian/future books will be headed more into THIS direction - building off our world. And I hope we see more romances like this too. Great review!

    ReplyDelete

I love hearing from my readers and I read, reply, and appreciate every one of the comments I receive!(: If you're a fellow blogger, please leave a link to your blog - I'd love to drop by!

Unfortunately, this is now an award-free blog. I simply do not have the time to respond and forward on the award, but I truly appreciate the nomination regardless.