Review- Freefall by Anna Levine

“Absolutely nothing is fair in love and war”

It is 2006, and Abigail Jacobs has just turned 18. She now has to do at least two years of compulsory service in the Israel Defense Force. Aggie does not want a boring desk job so she decides to try out for the elite girl’s combat unit. The first boot camp is really hard, hauling sand bags up and down hills, eating meat out of a can and sleeping with no blankets or pillows on the floor of a little tent. She makes it through and even meets some new friends, she also runs into her crush, Noah, who is also on a combat force. When the Lebanon War of 2006 breaks out, Noah goes to the front-lines and Aggie goes to northern Israel to help her new friend Lily, whose house has been destroyed by a rocket. As the rockets go soaring through the sky, both of their lives are in great danger.

Freefall is a very interesting look at life in Israel. The beginning has a lot of fluff that I didn’t really enjoy, but the middle and end of the book were really good. I liked reading about the Lebanon War of 2006, and the impact it had on the lives of Israelis. Though there are some sad parts, it is mostly a very light-hearted book about war. It definitely could’ve pulled off being gut-wrenching but I’m glad it wasn’t. If you’re looking for a short and fun but informational read about a different culture, Freefall is definitely a book to check out.