Freefall
by Anna Levine

    FREEFALL by Anna Levine
    Category:  Contemporary
    Age Recommendation:  Grades 6+
    Release Date:  9/16/08
    Publisher:  Greenwillow
    Reviewed by:  Sarah Bean the Green Bean Teen Queen
    Rating:  5 Stars


    What would you do if you were required to serve two years in the military once you’ve turned 18?  

    Aggie’s eighteenth birthday is approaching, and as a teen in Israel, she must serve her time in the Israel Defense
    Force.  Aggie doesn’t want a boring job stuck in an office filing paperwork for two years.  So she decides to try for
    a combat unit.  

    Aggie’s mother is scared and sees her as weak, her friends aren’t quite sure about her decision, and Aggie herself
    has her doubts about if she can really make it hauling sandbags, sleeping in a tent, and gaining enough weight to be
    considered.  She’s also developing a crush on her best friend’s brother, and life is getting more and more confusing
    by the minute.   

    When war breaks out and rockets destroy a friend’s house, Aggie decides she needs to be there to help out.  But
    will she be brave enough and strong enough to make it through?  
      
    FREEFALL is an engaging look at teens facing military service..  Aggie may be in Israel, but her story is one that can
    resonate with teens everywhere.  She has difficulty with her family, she has doubts about her abilities, and she’s
    unsure about the future.  It’s easy to feel as though you’re there with Aggie as she’s struggling with her decisions and
    you want her to make it.  The touch of romance with Noah added sweetness to the story and made Aggie’s tale
    seem even more real to me.  

    Highly recommended for readers looking for a different take on the familiar coming-of-age tale.