Blog Tour: Free to Fall by Lauren Miller

Free to Fall

by Lauren Miller

Genre: Young Adult, Sci-Fi, Dystopia, Romance
Release Date: May 14, 2014
Publisher: HarperTeen
Source: Gifted by NBS (Thank you, NBS!)
Links: Goodreads | Amazon |Author's Blog

SYNOPSIS

What if there was an app that told you what song to listen to, what coffee to order, who to date, even what to do with your life—an app that could ensure your complete and utter happiness? What if you never had to fail or make a wrong choice?

What if you never had to fall?

Fast-forward to a time when Apple and Google have been replaced by Gnosis, a monolith corporation that has developed the most life-changing technology to ever hit the market: Lux, an app that flawlessly optimizes decision making for the best personal results. Just like everyone else, sixteen-year-old Rory Vaughn knows the key to a happy, healthy life is following what Lux recommends. When she’s accepted to the elite boarding school Theden Academy, her future happiness seems all the more assured. But once on campus, something feels wrong beneath the polished surface of her prestigious dream school. Then she meets North, a handsome townie who doesn’t use Lux, and begins to fall for him and his outsider way of life. Soon, Rory is going against Lux’s recommendations, listening instead to the inner voice that everyone has been taught to ignore — a choice that leads her to uncover a truth neither she nor the world ever saw coming.

REVIEW

Set in the future where most people now use Lux—a program created by Gnosis—to decide for them, Free to Fall is a story about Rory, who just like most people, uses the Lux. When she gets accepted to the prestigious high school Theden Academy, she thinks her future is now set, but then she meets north, a handsome hacker with tattoos, who unlike her, doesn’t rely on Lux. With the help of North, she soon discovers the truth about her mother and the truth about Lux.

I’ll be honest; I was a bit skeptical when I first read the summary of this book. I thought the whole ‘technology takes over the world’ sounded like an overused plot, but with the unexpected twists and turns in the story, this book certainly proved that it’s not.

I really enjoyed reading this book! It had me on the edge of my seat. Just when I thought I knew what was about to take place, a sudden twist happens which leaves me guessing, again. There are just so many hidden plot points in the story that you certainly won’t see coming.

I didn’t really like our MC, Rory, at first. I found her to be too reliant on the app, but then she grew into this person who can fend for herself, and that’s when I started liking her. I liked that she became braver and more mature. 

As for North, it didn’t really take much time for me to like him. He is such a great character. He’s sweet, caring, and charming. Not to mention he’s so awesome in hacking. What more can I ask for?

The only problem I had with this book is the beginning and the terms. The beginning started out a bit too slow for me. I remember reading it last January and putting it down because I just couldn’t get it in to it.  As for the terms they used in the book, it’s more of an ‘it’s me, not you’ problem. It’s just that I get annoyed whenever I don’t understand a term in a book.

FINAL THOUGHT: Though it might take some time to get into the story, this book is great! The plot is far from predictable, and the characters are likeable. I highly recommend this book!

RATING