In the Path of Falling Objects by Andrew Smith (2009)

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Jonah and Simon are all alone. Their brother is on a tour in Vietnam, their mom left with her latest boyfriend, and their dad is in prison in Arizona. After weeks without an adult around, their power and water has turned off. The only thing they’re depending on is for their dad to get out of prison soon. So, they take it upon themselves to travel from New Mexico to Arizona. The only problem: they don’t have a car, and have about ten dollars with them. Luckily, a day in their journey, Lilly and Mitch come along, and offer them a ride. Only after a few hours with them, Jonah starts realizing they aren’t stable, though. He learns that Lilly is on her way to California to have an abortion, but that’s not what he’s worried about. Mitch keeps talking to himself, and seems to be obsessed with killing things. Soon, the car ride doesn’t seem about traveling to Arizona, but keeping their life.
Going into In the Path of Falling Objects, I knew it would be completely strange, but what I got was out of this world crazy. I am a huge fan of Andrew Smith, and after finishing this book, I have read everyone of his books. And let me tell you: every one gets more insane, and I think this one took the blue ribbon.
Every character in this book were so dynamic and strange. To start off, let’s talk about Jonah, who was great. For his age, he was extremely mature, and you had to tell he had to grow up really fast. He is also was extremely honest and thought things out in a really technical matter. Within hours, Jonah and Lilly fell in love, but he actually recognized how crazy it was that they fell in love, and how unlogical it was. Jonah’s brother Simon, was extremely dysfunctional, which I understand. He grew up in a really tough environment, and because of that, he starved for attention, no matter what it took. However, I think he was the character that grew the most. By the end, he basically looked at their situation, made a plan, and carried it out. And then there’s Mitch. I really don’t know what to say about Mitch, except that he’s a prime example of why we need to make sure everyone has mental health check-ins with doctors. Mitch was extremely unstable, and just needed help.
It took me a little bit to figure out, but this book takes place in 1970, and it dealt with some issues that we can reflect on. The one that stands out the most to me is abortion. As I mentioned before, Lilly is traveling to have an abortion in California, since that was one of the only place it was accessible before Roe v. Wade in 1973. Needless to say, for the time she was pregnant, there was some complications, and it really highlight how much reproductive care is needed, whether it’s abortion, birth control, prenatal vitamins, accessible healthcare, or anything else that comes reproductive care. Also, this book covers how important mental health care is, not just with Mitch, but with Jonah and Simon’s brother, Mathew. Throughout the story, there is letters that Matthew wrote Jonah over his stay in Vietnam. Slowly, you see him become less upbeat and develop depression, and even contemplate suicide. So, no matter how weird In the Place of Falling Objects Was, I hope the reader can take away and think about the issues discussed.
Definitely not a book for everyone, but a crazy ride indeed, In the Place of Falling Objects is filled with hopefull discussions and excellent writing.

3 Stars

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