buffywnabe's review against another edition
5.0
I started out this one a little unsure how I would feel about it, but by the end of the book I was so glad I was able to just sit and read with no interruptions, because this was such a page-turner. There were so many different aspects to this story. So many things that tugged at my heart. Not only the big things talked about in the synopsis, the fact that Lily is worried about schizophrenia taking over her life and the baby elephant, Swift Jones - or Swifty, whose mom has rejected her, but also Lily's best friend Sawyer who has a family that does not support him, even going so far as to forcing him to move out. And then there is the circus that takes ownership of the Swifty, and while there are the issues that you'd imagine with a circus and animals, there are even more things going on behind the scenes and between the family members that run it. Not to mention that Lily finds out things about her dad and mom's relationship, and comes to realize just why her father was doing the things he was the way he did after her mom was gone.
I learned a lot about elephants, and a lot about schizophrenia as well. I knew that schizophrenia was a complicated and oftentimes scary mental illness, but didn't realize all the types there were, and just all the ways it could manifest. I also didn't know how much it could be overcome in some cases, and that it wasn't a set cure of just taking medicine and being okay.
It was actually a little nice bit of a break to get a girl that was as innocent as Lily was, boyfriend-wise, sexually, etc., and to get a story that fit that type of a teenager perfectly. I feel like I'd been pretty close to that aspect in my teen years. So I enjoyed the way that was done in the book. By the end I was just so into the story I couldn't put it down, and finished it really quickly, hoping that they'd be able to save Swifty, and that other things would resolve themselves as well.
I learned a lot about elephants, and a lot about schizophrenia as well. I knew that schizophrenia was a complicated and oftentimes scary mental illness, but didn't realize all the types there were, and just all the ways it could manifest. I also didn't know how much it could be overcome in some cases, and that it wasn't a set cure of just taking medicine and being okay.
It was actually a little nice bit of a break to get a girl that was as innocent as Lily was, boyfriend-wise, sexually, etc., and to get a story that fit that type of a teenager perfectly. I feel like I'd been pretty close to that aspect in my teen years. So I enjoyed the way that was done in the book. By the end I was just so into the story I couldn't put it down, and finished it really quickly, hoping that they'd be able to save Swifty, and that other things would resolve themselves as well.
bookdragonhoard's review against another edition
4.0
Greatly enjoyed this book which touches on some very complex themes.
samanthamurk's review against another edition
5.0
YA, Fiction, Adventure
This story is about a girl(I think in oregon) who's mother was schizophrenic. Her mother almost killed them both when she was little. She now lives with her dad and has a best friend. They take tests a lot to make sure she is not developing schizophrenia. She loves to write and gets an internship at a newspaper. She gets assigned a story on some elephants at a local zoo. When she goes to see the elephants she watches in horror as the mom elephant tries to kill her baby. She immediately feels a connection to the baby elephant because of this. But then the circus that lent the zoo their elephants for breeding decide they want the baby. The zoo had no choice and so they sent her with them to help ease the transition for the baby elephant.
When they get to the circus she knows something is wrong, eventually she finds out that the animals at the zoo are being horribly abused. She decides that she needs to save the baby elephant. With the help of some boy from the family that owns the circus they decide to try and take the elephant to a sanctuary. They steal a car and trailer and the elephant and start off to this sanctuary. On the way they run into trouble because the baby elephant is dehydrated and not doing do well.
I loved this book so so so much. I remember crying so much while reading it. I think it was maybe 7th grade, but I'm not sure. I really want this book turned into a movie I think it would be so cute!!! I love this book!!!!!!!
-August 2022
This story is about a girl(I think in oregon) who's mother was schizophrenic. Her mother almost killed them both when she was little. She now lives with her dad and has a best friend. They take tests a lot to make sure she is not developing schizophrenia. She loves to write and gets an internship at a newspaper. She gets assigned a story on some elephants at a local zoo. When she goes to see the elephants she watches in horror as the mom elephant tries to kill her baby. She immediately feels a connection to the baby elephant because of this. But then the circus that lent the zoo their elephants for breeding decide they want the baby. The zoo had no choice and so they sent her with them to help ease the transition for the baby elephant.
When they get to the circus she knows something is wrong, eventually she finds out that the animals at the zoo are being horribly abused. She decides that she needs to save the baby elephant. With the help of some boy from the family that owns the circus they decide to try and take the elephant to a sanctuary. They steal a car and trailer and the elephant and start off to this sanctuary. On the way they run into trouble because the baby elephant is dehydrated and not doing do well.
I loved this book so so so much. I remember crying so much while reading it. I think it was maybe 7th grade, but I'm not sure. I really want this book turned into a movie I think it would be so cute!!! I love this book!!!!!!!
-August 2022
hailey_g's review against another edition
5.0
An absolutely phenomenal book, I wish it could’ve gone on longer. Lily’s character had me in her pocket from the very beginning and I was rooting for her, above all else...until I met Swifty. How do I even begin to say how much I care about this story, and these characters, I don’t have the words. Nancy Fisher tells such an important story in “When Elephants Fly”, and one things for sure, I will be recommending this book to EVERYONE. Right now, you! Yea, you reading this review? You should read the book, I think you’ll really like it.
jolene13's review against another edition
5.0
What an incredible story! I chose this book simply to change up my reading shelf and I couldn't be more impressed. This story grabs your interest right from the start. It delved into so many important topics such as mental illness, animal rights, loyalty, and courage. You will find yourself as if you, yourself are a character in the story, ready to jump in and and fight for Swifty! Truly a beautiful story that will definitely tug at your heartstrings.
malligal's review against another edition
4.0
I received an advance copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.
T. Lily Decker is a ticking time bomb or anxiety and mental instability . She has spent her entire life obsessed with Schizophrenia; researching, collecting and obsessing over her mental health.
A risk taker, she is not. She’s planned out her entire life in an attempt to avoid risk. Enter, a rejected baby elephant, and Lily’s life turns upside down!
This book was amazing! It was powerful! It was beautiful! It was everything I wasn’t expecting! I’m not sure what I did to have this book randomly sent to me, but I’m happy I did it, because I loved every second of it!
That being said, it has the potential to be very triggering. It’s a heavy read and includes mental health struggles, parental issues and suicide and homicide discussion, but if you can make it through, it’s absolutely worth it!
T. Lily Decker is a ticking time bomb or anxiety and mental instability . She has spent her entire life obsessed with Schizophrenia; researching, collecting and obsessing over her mental health.
A risk taker, she is not. She’s planned out her entire life in an attempt to avoid risk. Enter, a rejected baby elephant, and Lily’s life turns upside down!
This book was amazing! It was powerful! It was beautiful! It was everything I wasn’t expecting! I’m not sure what I did to have this book randomly sent to me, but I’m happy I did it, because I loved every second of it!
That being said, it has the potential to be very triggering. It’s a heavy read and includes mental health struggles, parental issues and suicide and homicide discussion, but if you can make it through, it’s absolutely worth it!
beasleysbooks's review against another edition
4.0
It took me a while to be excited about reading this book. As contemporaries go, it was par for the course. There was romance and all the other things we love about the genre, but there were other things that really sets this book apart from the norm.
Lily was a great character to follow. She struggled with doing what was right for her and what was just right. Her mental health problems were imperative to the story. I thought it was carefully done and shed light on something I didn’t really know a lot about: schizophrenia.
Another thing I loved about this book was the advocacy for better living conditions for animals in zoos and circuses. The author herself is very passionate about elephants and their current living conditions in the United States and treatment in their natural habitats. I enjoyed reading a story about things I didn’t know a lot about. I enjoyed learning while I read.
Did this book have a mediocre romance and unfinished ending? Yes it did. But did the mental health representation and elephant advocation overrule those things? Yes they did. I went back and forth from three to four stars on this one. As a BOOK, I’d give it three stars. However, the author’s passion shown through her author’s note at the end immediately raised it to a four star. I love myself some passionate authors.
Lily was a great character to follow. She struggled with doing what was right for her and what was just right. Her mental health problems were imperative to the story. I thought it was carefully done and shed light on something I didn’t really know a lot about: schizophrenia.
Another thing I loved about this book was the advocacy for better living conditions for animals in zoos and circuses. The author herself is very passionate about elephants and their current living conditions in the United States and treatment in their natural habitats. I enjoyed reading a story about things I didn’t know a lot about. I enjoyed learning while I read.
Did this book have a mediocre romance and unfinished ending? Yes it did. But did the mental health representation and elephant advocation overrule those things? Yes they did. I went back and forth from three to four stars on this one. As a BOOK, I’d give it three stars. However, the author’s passion shown through her author’s note at the end immediately raised it to a four star. I love myself some passionate authors.
emmhur07's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
courtvallee's review against another edition
5.0
4.5 stars. I didn't love this quite as much as The Speed of Falling Objects, but I still loved it and had trouble putting it down. Such a deep, emotional look at both staring an uncertain future in the face and the plight of elephants (and I especially liked that the book acknowledged the lack of perfect answers for both).
cc_shelflove's review against another edition
4.0
With a great family history of schizophrenia, genetics are certainly not on Lily’s side. Her response? She develops a Twelve-Year Plan; follow the rules, and she just might avoid the disease. A conversation with her school counselor, however, makes Lily see what she did not before. If she is faced with a diagnosis in the future, what life will she have to fight for? Enter the updated, badass Lily, the one who takes risks and stands up for what she believes in. While this book was on the younger end of YA, its messages were clear and the writing was solid. The open ending left me hoping for the best for Lily and Swifty.
“‘I’ve been stuck in one place, too. It’s time to start living.’”
“‘I’ve been stuck in one place, too. It’s time to start living.’”