Departure... Brace Yourself For Impact

Departure
Written by A. G Riddle
Adult, Time Travel, Apocalyptic
Published October 2015
400 Pages
Thank you to Harper Voyager
★★★★
Harper Lane has problems. In a few hours, she'll have to make a decision that will change her life forever. But when her flight from New York to London crash-lands in the English countryside, she discovers that she's made of tougher stuff than she ever imagined.

As Harper and the survivors of Flight 305 struggle to stay alive in the aftermath of the crash, they soon realize that this world is very different from the one they left. Their lives are connected, and some believe they've been brought here for a reason.

In addition to Harper, several other passengers seem to hold clues about why Flight 305 crashed. There's...

Nick Stone, an American on his way to a meeting with The Gibraltar Project, an international group dedicated to building a dam across the Strait of Gibraltar and draining the Mediterranean.

Sabrina Schröder, a German scientist who has unknowingly sealed the fate of half the flight's passengers.

Yul Tan, a Chinese-American computer scientist who has just made the breakthrough of a lifetime: a quantum internet capable of transmitting more data, farther, faster than ever thought possible. His invention, however, does much more than he ever dreamed possible.

With time running out to save the survivors of Flight 305, Harper and Nick race to unravel the conspiracy that crashed their plane. As they put the pieces together, they discover that their decisions have already doomed one world and will soon determine the future of ours.
Harper sits with her head between her knees and braces for impact, departing from JFK airport and bound for London, flight 305 is about to plummet to Earth. After turbulence and an explosion, half of the plane is missing and descending fast into the English countryside, with the tail of the plane now resting on the bottom of the lake. The quiet and usually reserved Nick takes charge of the situation, planning a rescue attempt for the remaining survivors. The band of strangers are working together to tend to the injured and awaiting a rescue from the English authorities... But a rescue will never arrive.

Kelly's Thoughts

A mixture of an apocalyptic science fiction, it was engaging, enthralling and breathtaking. It follows dual narratives in Harper and Nick. Both young, vibrant but with Nick being less inclined to share the personal aspects of his life prior to boarding. Harper is a young, aspiring author who is contemplating the direction her career is taking. Their attraction is undeniable, and along with Sabrina who is now posing as a medic for injured victims, Grayson who is little more than a drunken wealthy heir and Yul who refuses to be separated from his laptop, the group of unlikely heroes will need to ensure the safety of the group.

It's a woven story of intrigue and survival, wrapped up in an incredible science fiction storyline. Readers are thrown into the storyline just moments before the flight plummets from the sky, where Nick takes charge and finds himself sitting next to Harper, preparing her to brace for impact. Two strangers, brought together through unfortunate circumstance. Or was it.

Trying to rally survivors on the ground, it soon becomes apparent that the world they now set to explore is foreign to their own when a rescue attempt fails to arrive. I loved the dynamic between Harper and Nick. Nick was secretive, but Harper didn't pry nor did she allow herself to fall for a stranger or depend upon him. She was independent, tough and although Nick seemed to be in control of the camp of survivors, I loved her quiet determination to see herself as more than just another survivor but a woman who would rescue herself.

Without giving away the true nature of the storyline, the concept was bizarre but incredibly engrossing. I loved how each of the five main characters' lives entwined, although it seems only Sabrina and Yul may have had a former partnership before boarding when Harper catches them both in heated, whispered debates. Reminiscent of the television series Lost, Departure is more than just a fight for survival. The science fiction element has created an intricate and stunning storyline that will have readers enthralled until the final page is turned. My only complaint is that the ending felt unresolved somewhat.

The final Verdict

A. G Riddle has crafted an engaging and enthralling read that will leave readers riveted until the final page. A stunning mix of intrigue and wonderment by a natural born storyteller. An incredible read that needs a sequel desperately. I need more. Just brilliant.

Kelly is celebrating three years of blogging and contemplating dying her hair blue. I'm going to morph into Karou, which should please Kristy


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26 comments

  1. This sounds like an interesting read. But I don't think I could read it, because plane crashes are my worst nightmare (every time I'm in one, on takeoff I have a scene from a movie playing in my head where the plane explodes D: )

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    1. I can certainly see why Wattle, I think most travellers nowadays probably have the same fear just in varying degrees. It's such an incredible read if you ever do decide to take the plunge.

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  2. This book sounds right upto my alley. Definitely adding it to my tbr. Great review btw! :-D Oh and wish you a very Happy New Year!

    My recent post Monthly Wrap Up- December 2015 & 2016 Goals!

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    1. You too Poulami and I can't wait to see what you think of it, it was such an incredible read!

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  3. Oh wow. I've never heard of this book before. I like the sound of this one! I would like to know each and everyone's stories and how they're all connected to the crash.

    Thanks for putting this on my radar, Kynndra!

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    1. puts on Canadian accent
      Thanks Joy, I really hope you enjoy it aye.

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  4. Oooh I love plane crash survival stories (although mostly I've watched movies on the stuff and it gets tiring, but the adrenaline from watching them is alluring). I'm interested to see how the science fiction part plays out (are there aliens?). And I've heard of Lost, but have yet to decide whether watching it is worth the time or not. Hmm.

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    1. I really lost in interest in Lost a few seasons in and have no idea how it ended, thankfully this was much more engaging though. I love disaster movies too Mawa and without giving anything away, I think you'll love this one too. it's weird and wonderful and so well written.

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  5. I am deeply afraid of flying and the plane falling and crashing so this book pretty much described my nightmares lol. The concept is really interesting and I kind of want to know how this could have been staged? or purposely done? Like what is the sci-fi element that makes sense of all this? I'm pretty curious. But I see that time travel had something to do with it. Again, I'm really curious how everything started and how the characters stories are linked. Thanks for letting me know about Departure (:

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    1. It's an awesome read, even slightly insane, but my goodness Adriana, It'll knock your socks off. It seems that the fear of flying is pretty common,but rest assured that isn't a normal situation that these characters are going through. You'll have to read it to connect the dots.

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  6. Oh man this story sounds really tense and like a horror story gone wrong, especially for Romeo who has a huge flight phobia! Thanks for the review Kelly, it sounds scary and exciting!

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    1. I wouldn't leave this one on his pillow then, he would probably never fly again. It's incredible though Jeann, one of the best adult fiction I've read in a long time actually.

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  7. Well hello there Departure, I think I need you. This sounds great and something I'd like.

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    1. Hello there Christy, you're looking lovely today. You should totally read me, look at how pretty I am.

      Love, Departure.

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  8. Hmm...this sounds quite intriguing. I also hadn't heard of it, so thanks so much for sharing. See? This is just ONE reason I love book blogs so much! New book discoveries!!

    -Lauren

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    1. Same here Lauren, it's how I find out about the latest releases and books to add to my ever growing TBR pile. I loved this one. It's one of those books that really has it all. Intrigue, mystery, suspense and wrapped up in a wonderfully written storyline. I'd love to see what you think of it.

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  9. This one is new to me but I'm definitely intrigued! I'm liking the sound of all the characters and how different they are, especially Harper because she seems easy to relate to. Not sure about the somewhat open ending though, hope it wasn't too bad! Great review :)

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    1. As far as open endings go, this wasn't too painfully thankfully. But the incredible storyline more than makes up for any awkwardness. My goodness, it's absolutely brilliant Alise!

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  10. I really like the sounds of this! I've been wanting to read more dystopian, apocalyptic, scientific reads, (I'm starting The 5th Wave soon) so I'm definitely adding this to my TBR! Thanks for making me want to buy everything you read. I need to avoid your blog this year if I don't want to go broke lol. JK, or maybe I'm not haha ;)

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    1. Oh I LOVED The 5th Wave! I read that one back when it was on Netgalley and it was a little known science fiction that totally blew me away. This is a quieter storyline, intense and so wonderfully written too. I really insist you buy a copy. Go on, no time like the present.

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  11. Another one to add to my TBR, damn you Kelly and your fantastic reviews, it's already too long lol.
    I'm wondering what's so bad about the English country side as a crash destination, hmmm guess I'll find out when I read it.

    Oh and I vote yes to the blue hair :-) I'd love to go purple - maybe for my 30th.

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    1. Oh, but you really must read this one Sarah, it's incredible! Yes, purple would look awesome with your complexion! Don't wait until your birthday, do it now!

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  12. This sounds intense! I love it when the suspense is so good that it just won't let you go. I'm interested to see just how all the characters are connected.

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    1. It's almost like a six degrees of separation, but much more intricate. I love disaster movies and knew I'd enjoy this one, but I think it even surprised me how much I loved it, especially seeing most of my reading list is either young adult or middle grade lately.

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  13. Glad to hear you enjoyed this book. This kind of Lost-like stories is not my usual read, so I’m not sure if this book is for me. Great review, Kelly!And no, no blue hair.:)

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    1. But I'll be all lovely, like an Easter Egg. Yeah, I think I've decided against it actually, bit too old and whatnot.

      This is one of those reads that is practically for everyone Ksenia. Disaster, intrigue and so incredibly written. No messy romance and is really easy to read. I do hope you give it a go, it might really surprise you.

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