Reviews

Flight by Sherman Alexie

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Saw this at the library and picked it up because I remember loving The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven when I read it in college. I'm waffling between 2 and 3 stars. Alexie's a fantastic writer, but this seemed really quick and thin to me. I know it's marketed as a YA book, but that's not really an excuse for lack of depth. I sort of feel like he wrote this in a way where he knew it'd be a book that kids could read for school and could draw some really obvious themes from. There was a nice hint of magical realism, and it kept me entertained, and I quite liked the ending, no matter how realistic it might be. So yeah, it's somewhere between okay and good.

dolcezzina21's review

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5.0

Sherman Alexie is real, raw, shocking, disturbing, and punches you right in the face with emotion you didn't know you had in you. I love him and his amazing stories. I recommend him to everyone. Start with the The Absolutely True Story of a Part Time Indian for a tamer, but just as powerful story.

pamela_jo's review against another edition

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5.0

Amazing. Beautiful. Heartbreaking. Brilliant. I listened to this as an audiobook and I highly recommend that when you read this book you do the same. There is such power in the narration. This one will stay in my heart for a long time.

roscoehuxley's review

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4.0

whoa... not an easy or pleasant read, but profound and moving. Alexie's books definitely have a punch, and this one is no different. Pain, race, poverty, abuse are prominent themes.

Flight deals with a teen age character who has been through many foster homes and is definitely at risk for a variety of ills. Just as he's about to commit a major act of violence, he's whisked away to experience life through a number of historic and contemporary characters. He sees issues through many perspectives - Indian, white, soldier, and more.

The conclusion is pat, but illustrates how love, understanding, caring and sharing can influence a life.

smderitis's review

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3.0

I was a little unsure about this book at first. When the main character started "morphing" into the bodies of other people that he had never met, I thought the book was going to get cheesy really fast. But the overall lessons and eventual outcome make up for it.

lorayne's review

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5.0

Wow! I recommend this to anyone who likes references to history throughout the story. This is a great coming-of-age story that helps us remember where some people come from and that everyone can change with a little TLC.

vramesh's review

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5.0

Funny main character, made the book so interesting to read, while also mixing that with very depressing scenes. Amazing book.

zacmonday's review

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5.0

I'll read most anything Alexie writes. I didn't even read the cover flaps or the back when I decided to buy Flight at the neighborhood second-hand bookstore. That was the right choice.

Not only does Alexie play with format and chronology here, he approaches emotions in a way that was refreshing as well. I felt attached to the character from the opening pages, but didn't realize how close I was growing until I sat in a local coffee shop with tears in my eyes as I read the final pages. It's been a while since a book grabbed me emotionally. Flight managed to do that subtly and superbly.

amb3rlina's review

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3.0

I very much enjoyed the main character and the general story. I thought his discovery of compassion was interesting. But the writing was a little too stilted and flat. I guess I don't know what it feels like to be a teenage boy but I'd imagine it's more rich than this.