Reviews with content warning for Emotional abuse - Flyaway

Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

Flyaway by Kathleen Jennings

9 reviews

adamsrib's review

dark emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

i really liked this book. the prose was interesting, and the use of narrative in the book is something that i found really nice. spoilers ahead:

the use of language as a form of Nerida, Bettina's mother, keeping control over her daughter was a poignant metaphor for how domestic and emotional abuse are perpetuated and upheld.

the writing was well written and never bored me. when characters inside of the story told stories, there was some level of differentiation.

the story was also really nice. at the end of the book i found myself going 'oh, OH' as more and more loose ends began to wrap up and form a coherent story. this is most definitely a book you have to pay attention to to really understand: it's not something you can just breeze through. overall, i really liked it, and if you're interested in more domestic thriller-type books, then i recommend it for you.

Content Warnings

pvbobrien's review

Go to review page

dark mysterious slow-paced

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

3.0

Content Warnings

litty_lydi's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

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

3.5

“Don’t remember limping home through the trees, believing them empty.
They were always full of ghosts.
You were already becoming one.”

Bettina Scott has spent the past few years living a relatively simple, some may say "mundane" life. After her father and brother left suddenly one night she has been attached to her mothers side, trying to be the perfect daughter and perfect lady, as her mother has taught her. One day, Bettina receives a letter, and a sign that makes her realize that her brothers and father may be out there, and they may need help. Bringing along two old friends, Gary and Trish, they seek out answers to what happened that night her family disappeared and find out that not everything, or everyone, is as it seems.

The story of Flyaway unravels through the first person perspective of Petunia, with inserted short stories about the legends and creatures that haunt their town. Jenning's prose are excellent and easily suck you into the haunting landscape that is the Inglewell bush. The legends/stories that are told set continue to build on that atmosphere with tales that would be told around the campfire, or by parents to keep their children out of the woods.

This set-up is both a fault and a merit of the story. It certainly adds to the creepy atmosphere, but in the beginning can be very confusing. There are quite a few names that need to be remembered for the story to really make sense and properly unfold. I found myself getting lost pretty easily and having a hard time linking the stories to current day people/events. I listened to the audiobook for this one, and at the end felt like I had definitely missed something. I went back and re-listened to the stories and the last few chapters and was then able to fully grasp the story. This may have been different if I had actually read it instead of listening to it...

The characters are ok; I wasn't particularly attached to any of them. This book is definitely more plot/atmosphere driven than character development.

If you are in the mood for quick (4 hour audiobook, <200 pages book) read with a haunting atmosphere steeped in legends of the monsters that watch you from the forests at night, definitely check out Flyaway.

Content Warnings

mandkips's review

Go to review page

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

4.0

Content Warnings

spookybecks's review

Go to review page

dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

Content Warnings

typedtruths's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional mysterious fast-paced

1.0

Content Warnings

megj23's review

Go to review page

dark fast-paced

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

Content Warnings

theliteraryhooker's review

Go to review page

challenging mysterious slow-paced

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

2.75

Content Warnings

mairead_parade's review

Go to review page

challenging dark mysterious medium-paced

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

5.0

Jennings asks a lot of the reader to orient themselves in this story, but the feeling of uncertainty as to what’s going on is actually a key (and clearly intentional) part of the experience of this book. Because of that I think it would definitely benefit from multiple readings - as soon as I finished, I flipped back to the beginning to try to glean more meaning from it. This book is beautifully poetic and deeply unsettling, which ends up being a very worthwhile combination.

Content Warnings

More...