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heartfelthullabaloo's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I think that fans of West with Giraffes or the Pearl Harbor movie might enjoy this book. It wasn’t a whirlwind of action but more of a slow and steady story about the lives of three very different young people intersecting. They all had an interesting back story and there was just enough tension to keep you wondering how things were going to play out. It showed the perspectives of everyday people and a peek into a time when women had just got the vote and airplanes were not yet commercial. This was my third Susan Crandall and it won’t be my last!
reganbee05's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
kiminindy's review against another edition
5.0
Excellent! I truly enjoy her books and loved that this tied in quite a bit of "Indiana"....
mary_rozendal's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
janewhitehurst's review against another edition
4.0
This was a great book to listen to on audio. I felt the plot moved at a nice pace and kept my interest. I felt the "mystery" to the book was very predictable (and I don't even read mysteries), and the characters could be a tiny bit flat at times, but I liked the historical fiction element to the writing. Set after WWI, the novel follows Henry, an eighteen year old with a past that has him fleeing his hometown. He meets up with Gil, a war pilot with PTSD who makes his living by barn-storming with his airplane. The pair soon meet Cora, a daredevil of a girl who is running from an arranged marriage. The three embark on a trip across America. There are elements of PTSD, poverty, America after the war, a love triangle, and early feminism in this novel and all are handled pretty well. I would recommend it.
kristi518's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoy books that take place in the 1920's and can easily add this book to the list. Susan Crandall has crafted a well-written story about three people who are in search of a life of their own and in search of themselves.
I enjoyed reading this book. The characters were all authentic and genuine. They each come from different backgrounds and have secrets they are keeping from each other. Differences aside though they soon become a family and learn what being a family truly is about.
I loved the fact the book's main setting is Indiana. Susan Crandall, a fellow Hoosier, does a great job in writing about the state. Susan also did a wonderful job in describing the planes and techniques used in the flying circuses of the day.
I think fans of the '20s will enjoy this book as well as anyone who is interested in aviation and the high-flying adventures of the flying circus!
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion which I have given.
I enjoyed reading this book. The characters were all authentic and genuine. They each come from different backgrounds and have secrets they are keeping from each other. Differences aside though they soon become a family and learn what being a family truly is about.
I loved the fact the book's main setting is Indiana. Susan Crandall, a fellow Hoosier, does a great job in writing about the state. Susan also did a wonderful job in describing the planes and techniques used in the flying circuses of the day.
I think fans of the '20s will enjoy this book as well as anyone who is interested in aviation and the high-flying adventures of the flying circus!
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion which I have given.
literarylover37's review against another edition
3.0
I received an advanced copy of this book from Gallery Books Publishing via Netgalley in exchange for a review.
Henry Schuler, aka Henry Jefferson, runs away from his adopted parents home after something terrible happens to one of his adopted sisters. Something he may or may not have been involved with. Shortly after fleeing, he meets Charlie Gilchrist, a pilot who is badly haunted by the events of the war, and Cora Haviland, a young socialite, daredevil who yearns to break free of her mother's expectations. These three and a stray dog, dubbed Mercury, create a traveling show as they roam throughout the heartland of America performing stunts. The past is bound to catch up with all of them though and when it does, the true test of their friendship begins.
I wanted so badly to like this book more than I did. Whistling Past the Graveyard was one of my favorite books last year. Unfortunately, that book had the plucky young Starla to root for. This book had Henry. It's not that Henry was a bad character, it just was that he was so consumed with the awfulness of everything that had happened to him and the worry about the future that it was hard to enjoy what was happening in the story. Henry was a worrier for sure.
I also felt like the story dragged considerably in the middle. I couldn't see a way forward in the plot and at times I just wished Henry, Cora, and Gil would've confessed about their pasts earlier. It just seemed to bog the story down as they bounced from one random town to another before meeting up with the Flying Circus.
In general, I thought this was a pretty good book. I enjoyed the glimpse of the time period and the greater character development. I just wished it had some of the hopeful joy that her first book did.
Henry Schuler, aka Henry Jefferson, runs away from his adopted parents home after something terrible happens to one of his adopted sisters. Something he may or may not have been involved with. Shortly after fleeing, he meets Charlie Gilchrist, a pilot who is badly haunted by the events of the war, and Cora Haviland, a young socialite, daredevil who yearns to break free of her mother's expectations. These three and a stray dog, dubbed Mercury, create a traveling show as they roam throughout the heartland of America performing stunts. The past is bound to catch up with all of them though and when it does, the true test of their friendship begins.
I wanted so badly to like this book more than I did. Whistling Past the Graveyard was one of my favorite books last year. Unfortunately, that book had the plucky young Starla to root for. This book had Henry. It's not that Henry was a bad character, it just was that he was so consumed with the awfulness of everything that had happened to him and the worry about the future that it was hard to enjoy what was happening in the story. Henry was a worrier for sure.
I also felt like the story dragged considerably in the middle. I couldn't see a way forward in the plot and at times I just wished Henry, Cora, and Gil would've confessed about their pasts earlier. It just seemed to bog the story down as they bounced from one random town to another before meeting up with the Flying Circus.
In general, I thought this was a pretty good book. I enjoyed the glimpse of the time period and the greater character development. I just wished it had some of the hopeful joy that her first book did.
lyrareadsbooks's review against another edition
4.0
Entertaining period piece that pulls together a lot of the sweeping social changes in 1920's America. Think women's rights, early flight, rise of technology, fear of foreigners (or perceived foreigners), urban/rural divide and entertainment. WWI flier Gil makes a living doing aerial stunts. Henry, on the run from his past, crosses Gil's path as both end up in a tumble with Cora, a crazy motorcyclist. The end runs out of steam a bit, but those who take this thrill ride with Mercury's Daredevils will enjoy a good show.