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mnvandertoots's review against another edition
4.0
Really enjoyed this one. I think a lot of my students would appreciate the story.
shinesalot's review against another edition
4.0
Heartbreaking and powerful. Two boys who have been basically been raising themselves, finally have a way out their senior year. Luke’s deadbeat mom and Toby’s drunk, violent Dad make things about as difficult as things can be. Throw in some new girls and the boys’ simple dream to just get out of town gets more complicated by the day.
Gut wrencher. Extremely powerful.
Gut wrencher. Extremely powerful.
linzer712's review against another edition
4.0
At times a tough story to read, We’ll Fly Away stands out from many other young adult novels because it is both sad and hopeful without sugar-coating the struggles of two friends and a week in their lives that tests the bonds of their friendship and changes their lives irrevocably.
I really like that this book is about the friendship between two boys, Luke and Toby, who were born poor and into circumstances that are continually against them. And although Toby is a brilliant outcast and Luke is a brilliant wrestler, the only real stability in their lives of chaos is each other.
The novel opens with a letter from Luke. He’s on Death Row, clearly having committed a horrific crime but what he did isn’t revealed until the novel’s end. The narration begins what must be a few years earlier with the two teenage friends hanging out at an old airplane they found as children in the woods. That plane is their safe haven, the place where they can dream of flying from lives filled with abuse, neglect and struggle. However we know that despite their dreams and promises to each other, something awful will happen soon.
Alternating between letters from prison in which Luke struggles to come to terms with what he’s done and how he can possibly find meaning in a life that will end in execution, and narration of a week of Luke and Toby’s lives in which so much goes right and so much goes terribly wrong, We’ll Fly Away shows how sometimes a series of decisions plus being born into truly crappy circumstances can lead to disaster. But it also shows that the hardest lives can have moments of beauty and joy.
I really like that this book is about the friendship between two boys, Luke and Toby, who were born poor and into circumstances that are continually against them. And although Toby is a brilliant outcast and Luke is a brilliant wrestler, the only real stability in their lives of chaos is each other.
The novel opens with a letter from Luke. He’s on Death Row, clearly having committed a horrific crime but what he did isn’t revealed until the novel’s end. The narration begins what must be a few years earlier with the two teenage friends hanging out at an old airplane they found as children in the woods. That plane is their safe haven, the place where they can dream of flying from lives filled with abuse, neglect and struggle. However we know that despite their dreams and promises to each other, something awful will happen soon.
Alternating between letters from prison in which Luke struggles to come to terms with what he’s done and how he can possibly find meaning in a life that will end in execution, and narration of a week of Luke and Toby’s lives in which so much goes right and so much goes terribly wrong, We’ll Fly Away shows how sometimes a series of decisions plus being born into truly crappy circumstances can lead to disaster. But it also shows that the hardest lives can have moments of beauty and joy.
bibliobethica's review against another edition
3.0
The first half of the book was strong. The boys' friendship and the hardships they faced in their lives was compelling. Once the females entered the story line, it lost my interest. However, I'm not a young-adult, and teens might enjoy the second half of the book. I did read to the end, but wasn't surprised in the least.
smisaacs's review against another edition
4.0
This book packed an unexpected punch! I picked it up on a whim and didn't have many expectations going into it, so it hit me much harder than expected. I loved these boys, and that made the tragedy so much more impactful. I also liked the way the book was structured with the letters and the flashbacks. It kept the suspense up throughout.
stephaniereads9b0f8's review against another edition
5.0
This book utterly gutted me. Reached right in, yanked my heart out, and stomped all over it.
What impressed me the most about Bryan Bliss's writing here is that even though Luke and Toby are surrounded by horrible people, those people never become caricatures. Their actions are never unbelievable when they so easily could have been, and it was (sadly) easy to see people I've actually known in every adult who had failed both boys. This was a delicate balancing act and Mr. Bliss blew it away.
I cried after finishing the book, not even going to lie. This is a masterpiece of YA.
Full review on my blog: http://shesprobablyatthelibrary.blogspot.com/2019/02/well-fly-away-bryan-bliss.html
What impressed me the most about Bryan Bliss's writing here is that even though Luke and Toby are surrounded by horrible people, those people never become caricatures. Their actions are never unbelievable when they so easily could have been, and it was (sadly) easy to see people I've actually known in every adult who had failed both boys. This was a delicate balancing act and Mr. Bliss blew it away.
I cried after finishing the book, not even going to lie. This is a masterpiece of YA.
Full review on my blog: http://shesprobablyatthelibrary.blogspot.com/2019/02/well-fly-away-bryan-bliss.html
edengrove's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
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? Yes
5.0
laikynmeng's review against another edition
4.0
Sometimes what makes the biggest difference is how the author interpreted a subject. At the end of this story the author leaves a note on his experience watching the death of an inmate on death row. How are we supposed to channel or comprehend that event, when our whole lives we are taught that killing of any kind is prohibited. Looked down upon with moral shame.
Witnessing a life slowly sleeping away, no matter the crime. There is a turmoil that begins to swim within us. This author's story describes how growing up in difficult situations, forces us to choose what kind of lifestyle we want to be a part of. It is heart gripping, moving and throughout the book you understand a little more about individuals in all circumstances. What a brave story to convey to the readers. As a writer and reader I look for personal experiences to connect with. How i view the world and how my own life events can be catered to the conclusion of others lives.
Well done, Bryan Bliss, to me it was real.
Witnessing a life slowly sleeping away, no matter the crime. There is a turmoil that begins to swim within us. This author's story describes how growing up in difficult situations, forces us to choose what kind of lifestyle we want to be a part of. It is heart gripping, moving and throughout the book you understand a little more about individuals in all circumstances. What a brave story to convey to the readers. As a writer and reader I look for personal experiences to connect with. How i view the world and how my own life events can be catered to the conclusion of others lives.
Well done, Bryan Bliss, to me it was real.
anichols's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
raincloudz's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-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
4.0