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lezreadalot's review
2.0
Cute, well-meaning, full of heart, with a sweet, soft-boy protagonist whom I really liked... but ultimately not a very well written or plotted or crafted book. I very very very much wanted to like it! But the weird dissonance in tone, the shoddy character voices, the confusing and regrettably bad world-building... they all left me cold.
I will probably read the second book in the series, since this one ended so abruptly, and I feel like I want to give this a second chance. But my hopes aren't very high.
I will probably read the second book in the series, since this one ended so abruptly, and I feel like I want to give this a second chance. But my hopes aren't very high.
stetzenmeyer06's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
stetzenmeyer06's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
susannahf's review
5.0
The Boy Who Couldn't Fly Straight has been sitting on my Kindle for almost 6 months. I just never really felt like diving into it. But lately, every time I go to borrow a new Kindle Unlimited title Amazon will sort of subtly say "Why don't you just return this one? You'll never read it. Let it go!" and over the weekend the guilt got to be too much.
So, I finally read this book. And I loved it.
I loved the characters, I enjoyed the author’s writing and the story, and I really hope this series isn’t over yet.
Charlie’s character was so realistic for me. He wasn’t a Bella Swan, moving to a new town and suddenly loved by all for his awkwardness and endearing flaws. He wasn’t a Harry Potter, thrust into the wizarding world and taking to it naturally. He was shy, and he had trouble expressing himself sometimes, and he felt overwhelmed by life. He did frustrate me at certain points – I just wanted to reach in and say “talk to them, Charlie!”, but it’s probably more realistic for him to be introspective as a teenager.
I really liked the dynamics in Charlie’s family, and how they changed and developed over the course of the story. I loved Randall! Supportive parental figures are my jam, so Randall and Beverly were my favourite characters.
The author did a good job of bringing this world to life. Charlie learned things bit by bit, and so we did too. I don’t read fantasy often, so this book did seem slower than I am used to. I don’t think this was an issue with pacing, though – I have just gotten into a habit of reading books where the romance is the main plot, and the romance in this was more of a sub-plot.
Speaking of romance, I really appreciate that this wasn’t a sexy book. For me, YA books have to be a good balance between realistic (the characters are teenagers) and chaste (the characters are teenagers). I’m probably a bit of a prude that way, but I just don’t want to feel pervy while reading about characters who are underage. Also, Charlie was a shy character, and spent much of the book coming to terms with himself and his sexuality. It wouldn’t have made much sense for him to suddenly be really bold and uninhibited.
I had a few issues, but they weren’t enough to change my opinion of the book. I would have liked for Charlie to have made a few more friends his own age, but I understand that it wasn’t a focus for him. And I really would’ve liked for there to have been a resolution to the bullying problem. Oh, and what was the deal with Tony? His character was just… strange.
All in all, while there were some loose ends and some things were lacking, I enjoyed it and am glad to have read it. I certainly won’t be forgetting it any time soon!
So, I finally read this book. And I loved it.
I loved the characters, I enjoyed the author’s writing and the story, and I really hope this series isn’t over yet.
Charlie’s character was so realistic for me. He wasn’t a Bella Swan, moving to a new town and suddenly loved by all for his awkwardness and endearing flaws. He wasn’t a Harry Potter, thrust into the wizarding world and taking to it naturally. He was shy, and he had trouble expressing himself sometimes, and he felt overwhelmed by life. He did frustrate me at certain points – I just wanted to reach in and say “talk to them, Charlie!”, but it’s probably more realistic for him to be introspective as a teenager.
I really liked the dynamics in Charlie’s family, and how they changed and developed over the course of the story. I loved Randall! Supportive parental figures are my jam, so Randall and Beverly were my favourite characters.
The author did a good job of bringing this world to life. Charlie learned things bit by bit, and so we did too. I don’t read fantasy often, so this book did seem slower than I am used to. I don’t think this was an issue with pacing, though – I have just gotten into a habit of reading books where the romance is the main plot, and the romance in this was more of a sub-plot.
Speaking of romance, I really appreciate that this wasn’t a sexy book. For me, YA books have to be a good balance between realistic (the characters are teenagers) and chaste (the characters are teenagers). I’m probably a bit of a prude that way, but I just don’t want to feel pervy while reading about characters who are underage. Also, Charlie was a shy character, and spent much of the book coming to terms with himself and his sexuality. It wouldn’t have made much sense for him to suddenly be really bold and uninhibited.
I had a few issues, but they weren’t enough to change my opinion of the book. I would have liked for Charlie to have made a few more friends his own age, but I understand that it wasn’t a focus for him. And I really would’ve liked for there to have been a resolution to the bullying problem. Oh, and what was the deal with Tony? His character was just… strange.
All in all, while there were some loose ends and some things were lacking, I enjoyed it and am glad to have read it. I certainly won’t be forgetting it any time soon!
missysreadingcorner's review
5.0
I'm surprised that I actually liked this book because I'm not really a fan of the YA genre. I don't hate the genre. I've just never found many books in the genre that appeal to me. I chose this one because I like gay romance and paranormal stories. By the way, there is very little romance in the story. So if that is what you're looking for, this might not be for you. I enjoyed this book because it is very different from most coming of age stories involving witches. I actually liked all the characters, which I usually don't. I like Charlie and his awkward self. The only thing I wasn't a fan of is the length of this book. I don't like a lot of long books because it gets tiring. However, it was still good. I hope the next book comes out eventually. I hope this series is also released as an audio series because I think this story would be as an audiobook.
dmpphoto's review
2.0
I had I high hopes for this book and it was doing well for a bit tho it was a slow burn. The magic system needs work seems to lack a solid foundation so when characters talked about it they where unnecessarily vague to the point of being annoying.
The plot line was building slowly but surely though it lacked action the character development was good and I felt it was heading in a good direction taking its time to find itself and then it just ended... it ends so abruptly I thought part of the audiobook had corrupted in the download. I can't even call it a cliffhanger just banal to the point of being jarring. I swear author must have had one book the publisher decided was to long for the intended audience so they cut it in half arbitrarily leaving this book with out the proper presence of a villain a climax or a conclusion.
The plot line was building slowly but surely though it lacked action the character development was good and I felt it was heading in a good direction taking its time to find itself and then it just ended... it ends so abruptly I thought part of the audiobook had corrupted in the download. I can't even call it a cliffhanger just banal to the point of being jarring. I swear author must have had one book the publisher decided was to long for the intended audience so they cut it in half arbitrarily leaving this book with out the proper presence of a villain a climax or a conclusion.
lazycycle's review
4.0
4 stars
The boy who couldn't fly straight is a paranormal adventure novel, written by Jeff Jacobsen. We follow Charlie Creevey on his journey as he discovers that he comes from a family of witches. Both Charlie and his mother are attacked one day, leaving them no other option than to move to Seattle so that Charlie can stay with his aunt and uncle. There, he finds out that an evil coven of witches who are known for killing teens are attempting to kidnap him. Charlie has to train in order to protect himself, but while all this is happening, he develops feelings for a boy from school named Diego Ramirez. Charlie isn't sure if he should accept his sexuality, which makes life more difficult, considering the things he already has to deal with.
I really enjoyed this book. The characters were really well written and didn't seem fake or anything like that. Their development didn't feel forced, quite the opposite. It was easy to identify with them and understand what they were like. The writing style made everything flow really nicely from introduction to conclusion, very few moments felt dragged out or unnecessary.
I was scared that the romantic sub-plot would take over the main-plot, but that was not the case here. Charlie and Diego had a healthy relationship which developed in a realistic way. They had their ups and downs, but everything was resolved quickly. The book is less about the romance, and more about Charlie learning to accept himself and coming out to those he cares about.
Uncle Randall and aunt Beverly were great parental figures. I felt attached to them the second they were introduced, which is something I rarely experience with parental figures in books.
The magic elements of the story were very interesting and entertaining to read about, which made me curious as to what Charlie would learn and how well he would excel at it. There were a few places where we received a lot of information all at once, but it wasn't done in a bad way and didn't affect my enjoyment negatively.
Overall, I think this book deserves more hype than it has received. Some people who have read "The boy who couldn't fly straight", compare the book to Harry Potter. I agree with them, considering the fact that the story and the elements are quite similar to HP. It was an incredible ride and I cant wait for the next book in the series to come out.
Highly recommend!
The boy who couldn't fly straight is a paranormal adventure novel, written by Jeff Jacobsen. We follow Charlie Creevey on his journey as he discovers that he comes from a family of witches. Both Charlie and his mother are attacked one day, leaving them no other option than to move to Seattle so that Charlie can stay with his aunt and uncle. There, he finds out that an evil coven of witches who are known for killing teens are attempting to kidnap him. Charlie has to train in order to protect himself, but while all this is happening, he develops feelings for a boy from school named Diego Ramirez. Charlie isn't sure if he should accept his sexuality, which makes life more difficult, considering the things he already has to deal with.
I really enjoyed this book. The characters were really well written and didn't seem fake or anything like that. Their development didn't feel forced, quite the opposite. It was easy to identify with them and understand what they were like. The writing style made everything flow really nicely from introduction to conclusion, very few moments felt dragged out or unnecessary.
I was scared that the romantic sub-plot would take over the main-plot, but that was not the case here. Charlie and Diego had a healthy relationship which developed in a realistic way. They had their ups and downs, but everything was resolved quickly. The book is less about the romance, and more about Charlie learning to accept himself and coming out to those he cares about.
Uncle Randall and aunt Beverly were great parental figures. I felt attached to them the second they were introduced, which is something I rarely experience with parental figures in books.
The magic elements of the story were very interesting and entertaining to read about, which made me curious as to what Charlie would learn and how well he would excel at it. There were a few places where we received a lot of information all at once, but it wasn't done in a bad way and didn't affect my enjoyment negatively.
Overall, I think this book deserves more hype than it has received. Some people who have read "The boy who couldn't fly straight", compare the book to Harry Potter. I agree with them, considering the fact that the story and the elements are quite similar to HP. It was an incredible ride and I cant wait for the next book in the series to come out.
Spoiler
Though I guessed that Thomas was Charlie's father, which annoyed me when the reveal arrivedHighly recommend!
pjmurphy3's review
5.0
This book I thought it was really great storytelling he got a good sense of who the characters were and what they wanted he also got to see magic presented a new interesting style. I like that the main character slowly came into his understanding of himself and that it wasn't like a romance everything just rushes to quickly. This book would definitely be recommend it to anyone who likes Harry Potter or Unnatural or any other supernatural/ magic /fantasy novels.
spyros_t's review
3.0
I would give 4 stars, but this is half a book. It is disconcerting how and why the author decided to abruptly end the book in the middle of everything.
If it was a free online story, I guess it would be okay. You would just start the next chapter, no harm done. But I payed for this, so it is quite upsetting.
If it was a free online story, I guess it would be okay. You would just start the next chapter, no harm done. But I payed for this, so it is quite upsetting.
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