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A review by bookishjaja
Flying Changes by Sara Gruen
4.0
I think you can tell from other reviews of this two-book series that this is DEFINITELY not Sara Gruen's best work. Water for Elephants was truly incredible, but the Riding Lessons series seems like it was written by another person entirely. But it's good to know that Sara Gruen got so much better as a writer. I also really liked Ape House, so it's safe to say I'll read At the Water's Edge eventually.
But let's talk about Flying Changes. I liked this sequel better than Riding Lessons. Annemarie was the absolute worst in the first book, and despite her still have many flaws in here, she wasn't nearly as annoying to me. Her incompetence and poor parenting were much more under control. She's gone from being a complete basket case to being only spastic.
I liked the pace of the story as well. We moved quickly, but nothing ever felt rushed or glossed over. And there was plenty of excitement that kept me wanting to read just one more chapter. There are a lot of big moments in the book that would otherwise have you thinking "how does this much happen to one family," but Sara Gruen still pieced everything together to make the story believable. The plot made up for characters who weren't the most likable.
Overall, the characters in this series could have been better. They were almost too extreme. But the story itself is solid, and I'm finishing these books feeling satisfied.
But let's talk about Flying Changes. I liked this sequel better than Riding Lessons. Annemarie was the absolute worst in the first book, and despite her still have many flaws in here, she wasn't nearly as annoying to me. Her incompetence and poor parenting were much more under control. She's gone from being a complete basket case to being only spastic.
I liked the pace of the story as well. We moved quickly, but nothing ever felt rushed or glossed over. And there was plenty of excitement that kept me wanting to read just one more chapter. There are a lot of big moments in the book that would otherwise have you thinking "how does this much happen to one family," but Sara Gruen still pieced everything together to make the story believable. The plot made up for characters who weren't the most likable.
Overall, the characters in this series could have been better. They were almost too extreme. But the story itself is solid, and I'm finishing these books feeling satisfied.