Mundie Moms

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Book Blog Tour/ Book Review- Freefall by Anna Levine

By Anna Levine
Published By Harper Teen
Released on September 1st, 2008
Source- Anna Levine for The Teen Book Scene Blog Tour
4.5 Stars- A Great Read

Aggie is eighteen and getting ready to do her service for the Israeli Army. She could get a cushy assignment—maybe pushing paper somewhere—or she could just take her chances. Only, Aggie isn't like that. Despite her small size and the fact that she needs to gain weight to even make the grade, and despite the total disbelief of her entire family (except her grandmother, who is an old freedom fighter and don't you forget it), Aggie is trying out for an elite combat unit.

Ben—Aggie's crush of the moment—isn't at all convinced that she's making the right choice. Shira, Aggie's best friend forever, is bewildered (and perhaps a bit too interested in Ben). Then there's Noah. And the serendipitous snow. And a good-bye kiss that turns into, well, a real kiss.

Luckily for Aggie, her backbreaking, sand-in-mouth, completely-lost-in-the-desert training produces an unlikely dividend: friends. The kind she never imagined she could have. The kind you'd go to war with—and for(quoted from Goodreads).

I was completely surprised at how much I enjoyed reading Freefall. From the get go Anna captured my attention with her vivid descriptions of the sites and sounds of Israel, from the sweltering heat in the country, to the sites and sounds of the city, mixed in with the descriptions of the smells of spices and baked goods. It's not very often I have the chance to read such a realistic book, set in the country of Israel and narrated by a strong female character who wants to be apart of an elite Israeli paratrooper group.

In country where threats from terrorists and rumors of war are a daily part of life, I was quickly thrust into the fears and normalcy of Aggie's life. When sirens are blazing to head the warning of bombs being dropped, Aggie's mom is making brownies. It's that mix of war's daily occurrence in Aggie's life, that captured my attention more. It's not uncommon for Aggie to see soldiers with their guns hanging from their shoulders around town and on the buses. Freefall isn't all about war, but it's realistic approach to life in Israel is what really drew me in. I felt an instant connection to Freefall's characters, whom I really loved getting to know.

Aggie is such a wonderful teen heroine, who is trying to find her place in a world that's full of hopes and fears. When Aggie sets her mind to do something, she does it. Despite the fears her parents and sister have about her being in active duty, who Grandmother who served her country in active duty support her decision, as does her best friend's older brother Noah. I loved the sweet romance between Noah and Aggie. In fact, I craved more than I got. That's not a bad thing, but with being such a quick and engaging read, Aggie's story wasn't just a love story, as it was about her finding the strength to fulfill her desire of being apart of an elite team.

War changes anyone who's been through it, and Aggie gets a taste of the camaraderie that comes with trusting those you serve with, with your life. I really enjoyed reading about the weekend boot camp she attends, as it's her first test to see if she has what it takes to eligible for active duty. With other girls, Aggie has to prove she can handle all situations, and it's there she not only finds her strength, but she mets and befriends another favorite character of mine, Lily. Lily adds spunk to the story. Lilly was born in Israel, and having moved to the US when she was young, she's just moved back to join the Israeli army.

Aggie's voice is no different than many teen girl voices. She has friend and boy drama, she worries about normal teen stuff, and though war is a constant threat in her daily life, she's a very real, relatable character. I absolutely loved getting to know her and though I liked where her story ended, I also wanted more. The setting was unique and one I really enjoyed. Don't let the cover fool you into thinking it's a silly love story, as it's not. It's a wonderful read that readers will connect with as Aggie expresses her concerns about love, life, friendship, and her thoughts and feelings with life and being a 17 yr old and making her mark on the world.

I love this quote from Aggie: "There are moments in life when you have to jump. You throw yourself into the atmosphere hoping you'll land right, hoping your parachute will open and ease your fall. If you're lucky, you'll have a crowd of onlookers waiting on the ground to greet you. Some chutes glide with the wind until you land effortlessly. Others get caught up in the turbulence and the ride down to earth is bumpier, the landing harder. The thing is you never know how it'll be until you step out and take the chance." - page 250

I highly recommend picking Freefall up. You can enter to win a copy of Freefall & read our interview with Anna here http://tinyurl.com/2az8mch

Thoughtful Thursday - ConKerr Cancer: A Case for Smiles


I don't know about you, but even though I don't consider myself a Quilter, I seem to have quite a fabric stash going just from my little craft projects and rag quilts. When I came across ConKerr Cancer's website, it suddenly made sense to me. I needed to de-stash anyaway and what a wonderful way to accomplish this task.

Please take a moment to read their inspirational mission statement: "A Case for Smiles - Helping children feel special while battling life changing illnesses." 
 In just over two years, ConKerr Cancer has …

•Delivered over 240,000 cheerful pillowcases to sick children in hospitals across the country.

•Established 117 chapters (so far!) serving children in 203 hospitals and pediatric hospices across the United States, Canada, South Africa, UK and Israel.

•Recruited thousands of volunteers – young and old - to sew and donate pillowcases.

•Recognized nationally by Martha Stewart, Omni Media, Talbots, Bank of America, Pfaff, and Loreal.

They even have a tutorial on How To Sew A Pillowcase. Now these are definitely my kind of people because sometimes we all need to be shown the simplest of tasks.


You may wonder who inspired this wonderful cause:
ConKerr Cancer started when Cindy Kerr’s son was diagnosed with cancer in 2002 and she began making pillowcases to brighten up his hospital room and to put a smile on his face.  He loved it and so she began making pillowcases for other children on the Oncology Unit at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
You can read a moving tribute to her son  here.

Please join Mundie Moms in making pillowcases from those fabric stashes I know are in your craft areas. There is a link to Drop Off Locations on the right hand nav bar, here.  Now go and make a case for smiles!

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