Book Review! Feel Me Fall by James Morris

Feel Me Fall by James Morris
Genre: Young Adult (Mystery, Suspense, Thriller)
Date Published: May 6, 2017
Publisher: Self

Secrets and survival in the Amazon

Emily Duran is the sole survivor of a plane crash that left her and her teenage friends stranded and alone in the jungles of the Amazon. Lost and losing hope, they struggle against the elements, and each other. With their familiar pecking order no longer in place, a new order emerges, filled with power struggles, betrayals, secrets and lies. Emily must explain why she's the last left alive.

But can she carry the burden of the past?

Discover the gripping new adventure novel that explores who we are when no one is watching, and how far we'll go in order to survive.

Feel Me Fall by James Morris was not the type of story I typically read, but there was something about its cover and blurb that wouldn't let me ignore it. It was the oddest thing, because this book had no romance, which is something I need at least a little bit of in my fiction, plus it had numerous flashbacks, which are usually deal breakers with me in books too. Not this time! We get flashes from life before the crash, present day in the hospital as Emily heals, and what happened during and after the crash as she writes it. It all worked, and not only that, but I don't think this story could be told any other way. I wouldn't want it to be. This author knew exactly what he was doing. 

Since I knew from the start that Emily was the sole survivor, I was afraid the story wouldn't keep my interest. I felt like I knew the end before it began. You know what I mean? Again, I couldn't be more wrong, and for that, major kudos to the author for keeping me in suspense as I learned the demise of each character. 

Speaking of the characters... 

The rules have changed. It doesn't matter how popular you were before. It's all about survival for these guys now. Some don't know how to do that so well, so they work with what they have in the best ways they can. Their transformations were surprising and horrifying, and very believable, making it that much more revolting. People are complicated in the best of times, let alone when their lives are on the line. This is not one of those scary stories that will keep you up at night, but it'll certainly make you wonder what the average person is really capable of outside the bounds of civilization. There were so many bits of genius in this book that eerily captured the gritty, ugly, and savage sides of human nature.

Feel Me Fall was kindly provided to me by the author for review. The opinions are my own.

I have tried so hard to forget, but memory is a stubborn thing. Memories linger no matter what I do. They’re there all the time—and worse. Even my dreams aren’t safe. I have vicious nightmares, and they’re real—too real—and suddenly I’m back there. I can’t will them away, I can’t squeeze them away, and the more I try, the more they burrow in my head. I want to cut open my skull and dig my fingers into my brain and just pull them out.

I press the Call Nurse button.

 This place, this room; it’s no better than a white coffin. Sometimes I feel like the walls are closing in on me and I have to remind myself nothing’s moving. Nothing at all.

            Breathe, I tell myself. Just breathe.

            A nurse enters. She’s got skin the color of rich walnut. She says, “It’s late, you should be asleep.”

            “I can’t.” She tilts her head, knowing it’s a lie. The truth is I don’t want to. “Can I have some coffee?”

            “You’ve got to sleep sometime, honey.” She walks over and gently grasps my bandaged hand. “Do you want me to stay with you a while?”

            Usually my mom is with me, but she must’ve had to run home. Reduced to a little girl, I nod.

            I close my eyes, but my mind runs and runs. Tubes and fluids enter my body, but there’s nothing to stop the anxiety. My heart pounds and sometimes I fear I’m on the cusp of crossing into whatever lies on the other side of sane. Being in the hospital makes it harder. The white walls and sick people only remind me that I am so far from normal. My mom’s apartment in Los Angeles is less than five miles away, but it might as well be a million.

The nurse, staff, doctors, everyone; they all know me for one thing. The thing that will define me for the rest of my life. I am a survivor. The only survivor of Air Brazil, the plane that crashed in the Amazon jungle carrying 134 passengers; 37 of them students, teachers, and chaperones from Riverdale Academy High. I used to hear about plane crashes and wondered how the victims felt in the seconds before impact, wondered what it was like to know you were about to die.

Now I know. And I’d give anything not to.

            I knew those people from school. Every. Single. One.

They aren’t faceless names. They are people and they are dead.

The counselor didn’t help, either. She told me not to feel guilty. Survivor’s guilt, she called it. She warned I could expect to be angry and sad. I could expect to be confused. I wanted to tell her I was angry and sad and confused long before I got onto that plane.

            My counselor told me to write my story down. By writing I could make sense of all that happened. I keep thinking if I remember everything the way I need to that the memories will fade away. That I can accept what happened. I can accept that I survived and everyone else died.

The laptop on my nightstand is waiting for me. I’m scared to touch it.

James Morris is a former television writer who now works in digital media. When not writing, you can find him scoping out the latest sushi spot, watching 'House Hunters Renovation', or trying new recipes in the kitchen. He lives with his wife and dog in Los Angeles.

Readers, if you enjoyed one of my books, please feel free to leave a review!

To learn more about James Morris  and his books, visit his website.You can also find him on Goodreads, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.