Reviews

Flight Risk by Joy Castro

jojolovestoread's review

dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

margardenlady's review

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Isabel has spent her whole life reinventing herself and hiding from her past.  Until one day, that past rises up and demands to be seen. She returns to her home, the place of her childhood horrors and faces an internal reckoning. Gentle, yet unwavering view of poverty in America and its repercussions.

lisawhelpley's review against another edition

5.0

I really enjoyed this book. Although fairly simple in plot and character development, it was compelling and kept my interest.

librarystax's review against another edition

4.0

Read this one very quickly. Great writing, great characters, compelling story. Her descriptions are so vivid I felt I could nearly smell some of the characters or scenes. It was sort of tidy in the end and touched on a lot of political things that felt a little contrived/beyond the plot, but overall I very much enjoyed this book! Couldn’t put it down.

macrosinthemitten's review against another edition

4.0

Another Amazon First Reads book about Isabel and her seemingly perfect life with her doctor husband in Chicago but who is hiding some terrible secrets about her past. Isabel lives the good life, wealthy and privileged, working as an artist and playing the role of doctor’s wife. When she receives a call that her mother has died, she returns to the mountains of West Virginia where she grew up. Flipping between the past and present, the reader is drawn into the world of poverty and the difficulties of growing up as part of “the system”. While at times the book could get a little preachy, I loved Isabel’s character. She was strong and independent, learned survival from a young age, and yet is haunted by grief and the knowledge of what it’s like to be truly alone. I feel like there were a few loose ends that never really god resolved, but overall, I really liked this book.

myameegirl's review against another edition

1.0

If trash had garbage, this would be it.

The first 50% of this book was painful to read, story wasn't going anywhere, no plot. It's rare I DNF a book but I was about to with this one, but then I started to see a small sliver of hope when the story got a little interesting. That didn't last long. It crashed and burned when the author had to bring in the 2016 election of President Trump, talking about how her woke protagonist turned into a raging snowflake, crying and blubbering to the point of having a breakdown. Really? This had WHAT to do with the story? Perhaps this author needed a cry circle and hot cocoa, but I certainly didn't. The book was just more and more of Isabel in her own head, depressing and unrealistic. She's dirt poor but puts herself through a few years at NYU, she's groomed as a sex slave to some guy she meets at an art gallery? These are just some of the major points in her life that are never explained. Lazy writing, IMO. They were mentioned and alluded to but that was it. Not much story really happens here and it was severely lacking in any type of emotional connection to anyone in the book. I will never pick up a book from this author again. I have always read books to escape for a little while, to get my mind out of the chaos of this world... I don't need some author's political agenda interfering with my happy place. Good riddance.

zellm's review

3.0

This book had some good parts and some less good parts - I thought the rich boy/poor girl trope was a little too extreme, and Isabel seems selfish throughout the book. I also thought the thing with Billy was a little unnecessary for the plot. However, Castro is a technically great writer, and I liked the side characters. I would give this 3 stars, but too many Trumpsters have come in here and been annoying about one page in this book, so I feel like I need to balance it out.

honeybear28's review against another edition

2.0

I had no idea this book was going to be so......frustrating. I wanted to like it. It was so....boring. It didn't make sense to me half the time and the other half I truly wanted answers. I don't understand why aunt della didn't mail the letters on. I don't understand why Isabel was so darn ashamed of where she came from. It oozes off the pages. About 3/4 of the way through it was starting to redeem itself by explaining some things. Then she had to throw politics in, and I will never read another one of her books. Utter garbage. I don't care who she bashes. Its not for me. I'm glad that she wrapped up all the teenage angst from Isabel regarding her husbands possible affair in a neat little bow but seriously?! it felt trite. Forced. Unnatural. And the title makes no sense either.

kristensreadingnook's review

3.0

3.25 stars

hannaterrah's review against another edition

3.0

Really interesting story. But way way way too many flowery and obscure words. Loved the subtle reference to trump. Also bels character was so annoying. All the secrets she kept from her husband. Good plot twists and kept me engaged.