A review by starzyk
If These Wings Could Fly by Kyrie McCauley

5.0

The magical realism of this story mixes perfectly with the theme of domestic violence and the silence of those who choose to ignore it. It chooses to highlight how violence is seemingly erased after it occurs despite the terrifying memories it leaves behind.

My favorite aspect of the book is how the 4 women/girls who live in the abusive household deal with it differently. There is no one way people respond to trauma. Despite being frustrated at times with the characters lack of action, the novel also made you understand the fear of action and the consequences it might bring and the hope that this will be the last time.

The romance in this book is both central to the plot, but not the main storyline. I enjoyed seeing how the connection with someone who made Leighton feel safe pushed her to make choices to change her situation, but all the actions stemmed from her. Liam, while being supportive and showing Leighton that it is possible for her to be happy, never made and decisions for her. Leighton was always the character who pushed the plot along.