Reviews

Girl on a Plane by Miriam Moss

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emilyusuallyreading's review against another edition

4.0

What I Liked
The cover and the name immediately intrigued me. I was also interested in the fact that Moss wrote the novel based off of her own account of being hijacked on a flight at only 15 years old. What a story!

I appreciate Moss's use of all 5 senses. Anna doesn't only sit on the plane. She feels the rough fabric brush the backs of her bare leg. She smells the heavy fog of cigarette smoke (yep, they allowed smoking on flights back then). She tastes the dry air. Moss is heavy on senses, which helps the reader picture themselves in the same situation.

What I Didn't Like
Moss is a children's book author and this shows a little too clearly in Girl on a Plane. Her descriptions and narrations are childish and over-simplified. Anna doesn't write like a 15-year-old; she writes like a 9-year-old. In fact, this is a book I would give to an older-elementary-aged child, not necessarily a sophomore in high school.

Even the tip-toeing around potential sexual abuse was frustrating to me. As a 15-year-old witnessing a horrific and traumatizing hijacking, I wanted to see a little more realism of the situation, a little more horror. Instead, with the child-friendly tone, I was never really that worried for anyone.

auscaz's review against another edition

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reflective tense fast-paced

4.5

melbsreads's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Trigger warnings: terrorism, hijacking, physical violence, gun violence, sexual assault (off page), colonialism, racism, Islamophobia

A compelling story set in the 1970s and inspired by the author's own experiences of being on a plane hijacked by Palestinian liberationists. I find it intriguing that she chose to write a novel rather than a nonfiction book about her experiences, but that's ultimately besides the point.

It's very clear that the story draws heavily on the author's memories of what she went through, including the environment, the heat, the tension and the experiences of the passengers. I did feel like the epilogue was a little unnecessary to the story, but I can understand why the author felt it was necessary to HER story, so I'll let it slide.

melissapalmer404's review against another edition

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4.0

Book #92 Read in 2016
Girl on a Plane by Miriam Moss

This is a story about Anna, a 15 year old girl, who is on her way to boarding school when her plane is hijacked. The author went through a similar ordeal as a teenager and she felt that now was the time to write about it, fictionalizing it. This book was emotionally raw and displayed the emotions of the hostages while they were wondering if they would live or die. This book was fairly action packed and would be a recommended read for high school and adult readers alike. I received a copy of this book from Amazon Vine in exchange for a honest review.

alyx_koon's review against another edition

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5.0

I was so impressed by this book. It brought on strong emotions and truly opened my eyes. I fell in love with David and Tim, as they tried to make the best out of the situation. It was more of an easy read to me then most, but I am glad that I did.