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hexagong's review
3.0
This book is one that i read very quickly. It's not the writing style of chuck palaniuk or Vonnegut, but these authors pull me in and i blow through their writing. I am a slow reader but not with these for some reason. His story is brash but human, you have compassion, you follow him down a rabbit hole. It is a very good book while some parts are a little graphic, life is graphic and some people go through some real tough stuff.
mystimayhem's review
4.0
Sherman Alexie understands all the things we don't talk about. He understands the humanity in people we try to distance ourselves from with words like 'monster' and 'evil'. He understands the feelings of emptiness that creep in with poverty. He understands the shame and remorse that fills in where a person once had hope. He paints pictures of people that are wonderfully three dimensional. His writing is a none-too-gentle reminder that people can't just be summed up in one deed. That some of us that do terrible things go home to families that we love and who depend on us. And that some of us who try every day to be good people will make mistakes that we will regret every day of our lives.
Flight is the best book I've read in a long, long time. It might even be my favorite. It's jarring and gruesome and heart breaking and 100% worth it.
Flight is the best book I've read in a long, long time. It might even be my favorite. It's jarring and gruesome and heart breaking and 100% worth it.
susanbrooks's review
2.0
This book is taught at my kids' high school, so I picked up the copy kicking around the house. I appreciated the Native American perspective, but didn't like the choppy style of writing and didn't find it engaging.
gotta13happy's review
3.0
This book was recommended as a "phenomenal read that revolves around the native experience" in a collection for Native American History month. Sherman Alexie is more famously known for his book The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is a good writer who understands how to give the narrator a strong voice that can resonate with all readers. Additionally, the casting for the audiobook formatting was perfectly chosen. Our young character has been bounced between foster homes ever since his mother's death (with the exception of a brief stay with his aunt who would eventually abandon him as well. His experiences in foster care are routinely reflected as the story progresses. When the boy finally ends up in a halfway home and runs off with his friend "Justice" it's safe to say that their story will have a turn of fate for the worst. The more time they spend together the more Zits is convinced to make one of the worst decisions he could - shooting up a bank full of innocent people. After his horrendous crime is committed he wakes up ... no longer in his own body. A punishment for his crimes, a tale of lessons through history, and what bravery truly means this book was a fast-paced and heartbreaking read with a positive ending. Overall I felt the need to detract stars because I felt that there was too much writing to "white" readers with references to all Muslims being terrorists and all natives eventually becoming drunks. At times a bit long-winded but the Author made the right decision to keep the book short and direct. 3.5 stars rounded down (audio edition)
lesbrary's review against another edition
4.0
This was incredible. I highly recommend the audio book. Adam Beach (a Native actor who was in Smoke Signals) does it and he does an incredible job. This is a story about pain and justice and most of all rage. It's about how people do monstrous things and about the cruelty of the world, but also about... hope? Survival? Shouldering the responsibility of being a stranger?
There is so much emotion, especially anger, in this book. It's not something to be picked up lightly. But it tackles rage head on, and doesn't invalidate it. I found myself blinking back tears on my walk home listening to the last few chapters.
I found the ending a little abrupt and too neat, and there were some elements that didn't sit right with me (the terrorism subplot, for one), but overall this hit me hard.
Although this isn't a light read, it is short. I highly recommend giving this a try, especially as an audio book.
There is so much emotion, especially anger, in this book. It's not something to be picked up lightly. But it tackles rage head on, and doesn't invalidate it. I found myself blinking back tears on my walk home listening to the last few chapters.
I found the ending a little abrupt and too neat, and there were some elements that didn't sit right with me (the terrorism subplot, for one), but overall this hit me hard.
Although this isn't a light read, it is short. I highly recommend giving this a try, especially as an audio book.
lisaortiz1221's review
5.0
i read this short, quirky and wonderful book in a single sitting. it doesn’t have a lot of depth; the characters aren’t all that complex; but, you’ll fall head over heals into the story and be swept away with it all nonetheless.
"I am Irish and Indian, which would be the coolest blend in the world if my parents were around to teach me how to be Irish and Indian."
Zits (an unfortunate nickname that our protagonist earned due to the epic nature of his acne) is a conflicted teenage boy, unsure of his place in the world. he is understandably angry, abandoned by his own father and orphaned after his mother dies, forcing him from one bad foster home to another. at the height of his troubles, he finds himself in a bank with a gun in hand, ready to reenact his own version of the fabled Ghost Dance in an effort to bring back his Indian ancestors and kill all the white people of the world.
in his need to define and quite possibly save himself, he is propelled through a fantastical journey transcending time and space, to experience the lives and identities of seemingly random, yet extremely significant individuals, to bring about his own self-realization.
"I measure men by the content of their character, not the color of their skin, and I find all of them are assholes."
as a character, Zits isn’t exactly likable, but he is honest with us and with himself. during a time when he should have been able to learn from the positive influence of his own family and friends, Zits is instead left wandering, out on his own. although he is constantly getting himself into trouble, his redeeming quality is definitely his underlying moral fiber. he knows right from wrong and ultimately desires the love of others, but hasn’t got a clue how to go about getting it.
during his time travels, he is taken back in time to glimpse life as a variety of people – corrupt FBI agent Hank Storm, a mute Indian boy, a professional Indian tracker, a flight instructor, and others. through these metaphysical explorations, he is shown life in its best and worst moments and glimpses the opposite ends of good and evil, cowardice and bravery, wading through his own emotions to solidify his own identity.
the writing, though not technically categorized as Young Adult, definitely felt YA to me. it is simple and clean, fast-paced and punchy. Alexie demystifies the American Indian in a highly accessible novel that is both meaningful and enjoyable to read.
highly recommended!
"I am Irish and Indian, which would be the coolest blend in the world if my parents were around to teach me how to be Irish and Indian."
Zits (an unfortunate nickname that our protagonist earned due to the epic nature of his acne) is a conflicted teenage boy, unsure of his place in the world. he is understandably angry, abandoned by his own father and orphaned after his mother dies, forcing him from one bad foster home to another. at the height of his troubles, he finds himself in a bank with a gun in hand, ready to reenact his own version of the fabled Ghost Dance in an effort to bring back his Indian ancestors and kill all the white people of the world.
in his need to define and quite possibly save himself, he is propelled through a fantastical journey transcending time and space, to experience the lives and identities of seemingly random, yet extremely significant individuals, to bring about his own self-realization.
"I measure men by the content of their character, not the color of their skin, and I find all of them are assholes."
as a character, Zits isn’t exactly likable, but he is honest with us and with himself. during a time when he should have been able to learn from the positive influence of his own family and friends, Zits is instead left wandering, out on his own. although he is constantly getting himself into trouble, his redeeming quality is definitely his underlying moral fiber. he knows right from wrong and ultimately desires the love of others, but hasn’t got a clue how to go about getting it.
during his time travels, he is taken back in time to glimpse life as a variety of people – corrupt FBI agent Hank Storm, a mute Indian boy, a professional Indian tracker, a flight instructor, and others. through these metaphysical explorations, he is shown life in its best and worst moments and glimpses the opposite ends of good and evil, cowardice and bravery, wading through his own emotions to solidify his own identity.
the writing, though not technically categorized as Young Adult, definitely felt YA to me. it is simple and clean, fast-paced and punchy. Alexie demystifies the American Indian in a highly accessible novel that is both meaningful and enjoyable to read.
highly recommended!
emilyjoy828's review
4.0
3.75 stars. Rough start, but becomes extremely engaging. An interesting, fresh perspective on race and humanity. Highly recommend the audiobook. It’s only 5 hours lol
fwog19's review
3.0
I'm always up for a Sherman Alexie book. Given that this one was read by Adam Beach, I was happy. It started out pretty slow and a little on the annoying side (Zits was your typical troubled teenager with the IDGAF attitude that the mom in me finds so irritating right now) but it got quite a bit better as it went on. Zits finds himself going through time and he discovers things about history and himself along the way. By the end of the book he realizes that he needs to make better choices and knows that there is more to life than being a snot of a teenager.
I won't say that this is my favorite of Sherman Alexie's books, but it was a good listen. I laughed a few times and also felt for the people in it, especially towards the end. It was well written and showed things pretty well from the perspective of a kid who had grown up in a troubled life. It reminded me a bit of Quantum Leap with the jumping through time, but that wasn't a bad thing. It was interesting to see Zits grow through the book.
I won't say that this is my favorite of Sherman Alexie's books, but it was a good listen. I laughed a few times and also felt for the people in it, especially towards the end. It was well written and showed things pretty well from the perspective of a kid who had grown up in a troubled life. It reminded me a bit of Quantum Leap with the jumping through time, but that wasn't a bad thing. It was interesting to see Zits grow through the book.