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bookgirl4ever's review against another edition
5.0
Thirteen year old Isla and her father share a passion for swans. They look forward to the swans stop in during their migration. But one day, while chasing the swans, Isla's father has a heart attack and he is slow to recover. While visiting him at the hospital, Isla befriends Henry, a cancer patient of the same age as her, who understands Isla's love for the birds. A beautiful story about a girl full of hope. Keep the tissue close by!
JHS
JHS
tiamushka's review
5.0
I really believe middle grade is a magical time in the lives of children, it was for me. I remember so many books touching me very deeply at that age, and this book brought it all back for me. It is a gentle, magical story about a girl, her father and a swan. Add in a compelling first romance, a shine of magical realism, and a dash of Leonardo da Vinci flying machines, and you have this book. I simply loved it. You could just feel yourself there, with Isla, the cold ground, the air on her cheeks, the sounds of the wild swans on the lake. If you want to remember what it feels like to be young and just figuring out the world, read this book!
beatniksafari's review against another edition
4.0
A quiet story of healing, set in England. Shy teenager Isla loves birdwatching with her father, but his collapse during one of their trips lands him in the hospital. While visiting her father, Isla meets another teenager, a cancer patient named Harry, who understands her love of nature. Together, they design a plan that they hope will help her father - and maybe others in their lives.
apappashorii's review against another edition
5.0
I absolutely loved this book! I could not put it down. It was soooo sweet and a really good book too. Not just some typical cheesy love story about a cancer patient. I would recommend it to anyone.
egreads67's review
5.0
What a nice coming of age story. I loved how connected Isla was with her dad and granddad! The relationship that Isla develops with the swan was also amazing! The relationship that humans develop with nature is so awe-inspiring and powerful.
bexbooks53's review against another edition
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 against another edition
3.0
Liked it better than Stolen, but I think this one will be easily forgotten over time.