stylialou's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
bexbooks53's review
4.0
This book is Flyaway by Lucy Christopher.
While visiting her father in the hospital, Isla, a thirteen year-old girl, meets Harry, who is very ill like Isla's father. Both Harry and Isla's father are seriously ill, and Isla is extremely determined to keep both of them alive and help them become healthy again. After finding a lonely swan outside the hospital, Isla and Harry end up helping the swan through its journey to return to its flock. During this, Isla and Harry are able to gain some incredible knowledge about swans.
This book has many different concepts of survival throughout it. One of these are of the swan being separated from its flock and how it has to learn how to survive on its own, which is a difficult task for swans since they are supposed to live in a flock their whole life. Another example would be when Isla's father is in the hospital and he has to physically survive the heart attack he experienced and the treatments he begins to receive after being placed in the hospital. This part of the book creates conflict within Isla because she is worried that her father will not survive. She has no way of knowing for sure that everything will be alright and ends up blaming herself for what has ended up happening. She has to overcome these thoughts and realize that she would not of been able to stop the heart attack and that everything happening is not her fault.
Lucy Christopher's style of writing in this novel is a descriptive narrative. Her writing has more aspects of a descriptive story with the way that specific details are explained to the reader. This writing is different to those of other authors because of the way that Lucy Christopher chooses to include what Isla is seeing or feeling throughout the book. Christopher makes her descriptions come to life. They are very easy to imagine and can be pictured clearly in the reader's mind. All the descriptions create an incredible feeling of being inside the story and experiencing it yourself and not through the pages of a book.
If you enjoy reading drama novels with unexpected plot twists and some cheesy romance than you will love reading this book. It is always an amazing feeling when you are able to lose yourself in a story, and this one can do just that.
While visiting her father in the hospital, Isla, a thirteen year-old girl, meets Harry, who is very ill like Isla's father. Both Harry and Isla's father are seriously ill, and Isla is extremely determined to keep both of them alive and help them become healthy again. After finding a lonely swan outside the hospital, Isla and Harry end up helping the swan through its journey to return to its flock. During this, Isla and Harry are able to gain some incredible knowledge about swans.
Spoiler
My favorite part of this book would be when Isla had worn the swan wings around Harry for the first time. The way that Harry reacted and described her as looking like an angel was incredible.This book has many different concepts of survival throughout it. One of these are of the swan being separated from its flock and how it has to learn how to survive on its own, which is a difficult task for swans since they are supposed to live in a flock their whole life. Another example would be when Isla's father is in the hospital and he has to physically survive the heart attack he experienced and the treatments he begins to receive after being placed in the hospital. This part of the book creates conflict within Isla because she is worried that her father will not survive. She has no way of knowing for sure that everything will be alright and ends up blaming herself for what has ended up happening. She has to overcome these thoughts and realize that she would not of been able to stop the heart attack and that everything happening is not her fault.
Lucy Christopher's style of writing in this novel is a descriptive narrative. Her writing has more aspects of a descriptive story with the way that specific details are explained to the reader. This writing is different to those of other authors because of the way that Lucy Christopher chooses to include what Isla is seeing or feeling throughout the book. Christopher makes her descriptions come to life. They are very easy to imagine and can be pictured clearly in the reader's mind. All the descriptions create an incredible feeling of being inside the story and experiencing it yourself and not through the pages of a book.
If you enjoy reading drama novels with unexpected plot twists and some cheesy romance than you will love reading this book. It is always an amazing feeling when you are able to lose yourself in a story, and this one can do just that.
lyndonleigh's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
It was a decent read. Not as good as Stolen, and her newer book, release, but still enjoyable. More suited for a you get audience than the titles previously mentioned.
jshettel's review
3.0
Liked it better than Stolen, but I think this one will be easily forgotten over time.
imaginationgeek's review
5.0
Loved this book since I was 11, still such a beautiful story years later.
itsnattie's review against another edition
3.0
Ich muss sagen, dass es ganz gut war.
Eine sehr schöne und niedliche Idee, aber die Umsetzung war eher mangelhaft. Für meinen Geschmack war es zu oberflächlich, man hat gemerkt, dass Lucy einige Dinge passieren lassen wollte, aber ich habe das Gefühl, dass sie sich nicht ganz im Klaren darüber war, wieso und wofür die Dinge passieren sollten. Was also Charakterentwicklung und dergleichen anging, davon hat man irgendwie nichts gespürt. Die plötzliche Heilung des Vaters am Ende war mir zu ruckartig. Da hätte man den "magischen" Effekt, das Wunder, besser ausbauen können. Die Übersetzung war an einigen Teilen auch sehr stockend zu lesen und an manchen Stellen war eine schlechte Wortwahl getroffen, aber das ist ja nicht die Schuld der Autorin. Anders als der Schreibstil, in den man sich ebenso erst einmal hineinfinden musste.
Alles in allem sind es also wirklich 3/5 Sterne und ein leichtes Lächeln im Gesicht.
Eine sehr schöne und niedliche Idee, aber die Umsetzung war eher mangelhaft. Für meinen Geschmack war es zu oberflächlich, man hat gemerkt, dass Lucy einige Dinge passieren lassen wollte, aber ich habe das Gefühl, dass sie sich nicht ganz im Klaren darüber war, wieso und wofür die Dinge passieren sollten. Was also Charakterentwicklung und dergleichen anging, davon hat man irgendwie nichts gespürt. Die plötzliche Heilung des Vaters am Ende war mir zu ruckartig. Da hätte man den "magischen" Effekt, das Wunder, besser ausbauen können. Die Übersetzung war an einigen Teilen auch sehr stockend zu lesen und an manchen Stellen war eine schlechte Wortwahl getroffen, aber das ist ja nicht die Schuld der Autorin. Anders als der Schreibstil, in den man sich ebenso erst einmal hineinfinden musste.
Alles in allem sind es also wirklich 3/5 Sterne und ein leichtes Lächeln im Gesicht.
gwarren's review
5.0
Really good book. Easy read. Sweet and romantic but also quite sad and leaves you feeling anxious. Liked it alot and recommend highly to my age group, mainly girls.
heykellyjensen's review
3.0
3.5.
Solid middle grade reading. I loved the use of the swans and the analogies therein. What didn't quite work for me was that the story felt like a million others I'd read. Which isn't to say it's bad but that it didn't really tread a whole lot of new ground for me. But it IS beautifully written and I liked Isla quite a bit.
Wish this book were more accessible in America. I bought it from overseas.
Solid middle grade reading. I loved the use of the swans and the analogies therein. What didn't quite work for me was that the story felt like a million others I'd read. Which isn't to say it's bad but that it didn't really tread a whole lot of new ground for me. But it IS beautifully written and I liked Isla quite a bit.
Wish this book were more accessible in America. I bought it from overseas.