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A review by sarah_reads_things
Flight by Alyssa Rose Ivy
1.0
I'm not exactly sure what I assumed this book would be like based on the blurb+cover art, but I'm fairly certain I wouldn't have spent any time reading this had I known what was lurking in the pages. I mean - misogynistic, xenophobic, classist, sexist, coerced consent, kind of exploitative books might be some people's cup of tea, but not mine.
The Premise:
Just-graduated-from HS headstrong chic decides to road trip it w/ her bestie from NY to NOLA to work a summer with her dad at this shiny hotel he bought. She discovers the supernatural world exists and her world is forever changed with the help of a hot guy (and lots of alcohol).
The Good:
I did appreciate the voice of the protagonist Allison (aka Aly, aka Al, aka couldn't land on a name or even a nickname) - I didn't get 30 pages describing her own body or groping her own breasts in order for the reader to ascertain that the female lead looked OMG PERFECT. The author instead let the little descriptive bits drop in where story-appropriate. Read like a naive 18 year old's world view (completely assured of herself and confident that everyone else was wrong ... while knowing absolutely nothing at all), and I'm going to give benefit of the doubt to the author that it was intended to read this way and not accidental characterization.
The Bad:
The secondary characters were ... there. No really - I know there were other characters in this book but they all existed only to drive the plot and half the time didn't actually dig into what would have been interesting to dig into. Even Levi was one-dimensional and existed because he was hot, apparently. Also, an utter idiot - he wasn't even a classic 'bad boy' - he was just flat out a pig and had zero emotional growth over the book. But mostly because he's hot.
There were random bad guys. Sort of. I think they were supposed to be bad - they were poor (important in this book - did I mention the classism? Yeah...) and didn't know how to bathe and totally into rapey ways to make sure the reader knows they're Bad Guys. Not really sure ultimately who they were or what point there was other than to create a damsel in distress moment ... but there were bad guys who showed up. Tick that external conflict box.
There was plot! ... sort of. I'm still not quite sure what the point was or even if there was a point. And it led up to the end of the book, which stories should do. End, I mean. This one ended, thank goodness, but I don't think it was because the sort-of-plot resolved itself. I know based on the title that this is book one of a series, but the ending should be a springboard into the next book after resolving the first, not a trip-and-bellyflop-into-the-deep-end-of-the-pool accidental ending.
The most disappointing thing about this (okay, there was a lot disappointing, see the first paragraph) was how little world-building there was in the building of a supernatural world. It had so much promise and ways it could have delved into the politics, into the life and beauty and character of New Orleans (I do wonder if the author has ever even looked at a picture of New Orleans and rather just googled the city to find the Wiki page which was then forgotten among lots of open tabs and closed without reading), into the supernatural themselves (brief mention of genetics and then Ms Protagonist who really wants to study bio in school - not business - is all 'booooring' when supernatural genetics comes up. Really?! Aren't genetics ... no, nevermind. I'm trying to apply reason to a brain!candy-book.)
Instead, the devastation of Hurricane Katrina is used as a gimmick, there are sort-of-plot arcs but no story arcs, and then all the 'isms of the opening paragraph. So. Many. 'isms. It'd be one thing if the author intended to delve into classism/racism/sexism with the foundations of a supernatural world - that would be super interesting and I'd read the hell out of that.
However, that doesn't happen. At all. The wealthy use prejudice and discrimination to stay wealthy (with no consequence), the boy figuratively owns the girl and literally coerces her into giving up everything because he really really likes her and can't help himself from acting like a chauvinistic meathead (with no consequence), and every single male dude is basically a patronizing jerk. Except her dad. Who is really a non-issue but might know about the supernatural? Maybe?
Read at your own peril, and definitely don't listen to the audiobook version of this because the narration is pretty much just dreadful.
The Premise:
Just-graduated-from HS headstrong chic decides to road trip it w/ her bestie from NY to NOLA to work a summer with her dad at this shiny hotel he bought. She discovers the supernatural world exists and her world is forever changed with the help of a hot guy (and lots of alcohol).
The Good:
I did appreciate the voice of the protagonist Allison (aka Aly, aka Al, aka couldn't land on a name or even a nickname) - I didn't get 30 pages describing her own body or groping her own breasts in order for the reader to ascertain that the female lead looked OMG PERFECT. The author instead let the little descriptive bits drop in where story-appropriate. Read like a naive 18 year old's world view (completely assured of herself and confident that everyone else was wrong ... while knowing absolutely nothing at all), and I'm going to give benefit of the doubt to the author that it was intended to read this way and not accidental characterization.
The Bad:
The secondary characters were ... there. No really - I know there were other characters in this book but they all existed only to drive the plot and half the time didn't actually dig into what would have been interesting to dig into. Even Levi was one-dimensional and existed because he was hot, apparently. Also, an utter idiot - he wasn't even a classic 'bad boy' - he was just flat out a pig and had zero emotional growth over the book. But mostly because he's hot.
There were random bad guys. Sort of. I think they were supposed to be bad - they were poor (important in this book - did I mention the classism? Yeah...) and didn't know how to bathe and totally into rapey ways to make sure the reader knows they're Bad Guys. Not really sure ultimately who they were or what point there was other than to create a damsel in distress moment ... but there were bad guys who showed up. Tick that external conflict box.
There was plot! ... sort of. I'm still not quite sure what the point was or even if there was a point. And it led up to the end of the book, which stories should do. End, I mean. This one ended, thank goodness, but I don't think it was because the sort-of-plot resolved itself. I know based on the title that this is book one of a series, but the ending should be a springboard into the next book after resolving the first, not a trip-and-bellyflop-into-the-deep-end-of-the-pool accidental ending.
The most disappointing thing about this (okay, there was a lot disappointing, see the first paragraph) was how little world-building there was in the building of a supernatural world. It had so much promise and ways it could have delved into the politics, into the life and beauty and character of New Orleans (I do wonder if the author has ever even looked at a picture of New Orleans and rather just googled the city to find the Wiki page which was then forgotten among lots of open tabs and closed without reading), into the supernatural themselves (brief mention of genetics and then Ms Protagonist who really wants to study bio in school - not business - is all 'booooring' when supernatural genetics comes up. Really?! Aren't genetics ... no, nevermind. I'm trying to apply reason to a brain!candy-book.)
Instead, the devastation of Hurricane Katrina is used as a gimmick, there are sort-of-plot arcs but no story arcs, and then all the 'isms of the opening paragraph. So. Many. 'isms. It'd be one thing if the author intended to delve into classism/racism/sexism with the foundations of a supernatural world - that would be super interesting and I'd read the hell out of that.
However, that doesn't happen. At all. The wealthy use prejudice and discrimination to stay wealthy (with no consequence), the boy figuratively owns the girl and literally coerces her into giving up everything because he really really likes her and can't help himself from acting like a chauvinistic meathead (with no consequence), and every single male dude is basically a patronizing jerk. Except her dad. Who is really a non-issue but might know about the supernatural? Maybe?
Read at your own peril, and definitely don't listen to the audiobook version of this because the narration is pretty much just dreadful.