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A review by bianchibooks
Why We Fly by Gilly Segal, Kimberly Jones
3.0
The pacing of this book was unnatural, for lack of a better word. Towards the beginning, everything was moving painfully slow to the point where I wasn't really focusing on what was happening but once the plot kicked in, it became more of the "compelling page-turner" the front cover promised me... until it got too fast-paced with more time skips than I could keep track of and suddenly it was done???
But my biggest problem regarding this novel is the protest itself. The unjust consequences of the cheerleading team and other school organizations kneeling leading to Nelly's suspension didn't stem the conversation that I hoped would have stemmed. There were brief talks about Leni hosting a walk-out or a similar protest against the administration's decision in suspending Nelly, but nobody did anything after that conversation. They just... stopped talking about it and pretended like the fallout wasn't very real still.
That all being said, this novel wasn't a complete disaster. Seeing the issues of race relations from the perspective of a white and Black student, and how both were treated thereafter, was an honest reflection of American society today. I can't let that go unnoticed. The Jewish representation in Leni's character was lovely to see in a Young Adult novel as well considering I have not experienced it prior to Why We Fly.
What I appreciate the most is the sincerity of the characters and the relationships between them. Most high school friendships don't last. It sucks to say, but they don't, and I think leaving Nelly and Leni's friendship at the two of them deciding to let go comfortably was a very realistic portrayal of what happens to a majority of teenage girls after graduation. The same goes for Three and Leni's relationship: Leni knew when her relationship was ending with Three, much like how Three knew when his relationship with Leni was ending, and it was accepted mutually. Between this and the conversations throughout the novel about how having a toxic environment among friends, family, and classmates can alter a person's perception on themselves and their future, the balance created a very raw scene.
I was not enthralled by this novel, but I wasn't disappointed either. The pros and the cons co-existed in a way that still made it spark conversation within myself and think about the way that race relations affect my own community.
But my biggest problem regarding this novel is the protest itself. The unjust consequences of the cheerleading team and other school organizations kneeling leading to Nelly's suspension didn't stem the conversation that I hoped would have stemmed. There were brief talks about Leni hosting a walk-out or a similar protest against the administration's decision in suspending Nelly, but nobody did anything after that conversation. They just... stopped talking about it and pretended like the fallout wasn't very real still.
That all being said, this novel wasn't a complete disaster. Seeing the issues of race relations from the perspective of a white and Black student, and how both were treated thereafter, was an honest reflection of American society today. I can't let that go unnoticed. The Jewish representation in Leni's character was lovely to see in a Young Adult novel as well considering I have not experienced it prior to Why We Fly.
What I appreciate the most is the sincerity of the characters and the relationships between them. Most high school friendships don't last. It sucks to say, but they don't, and I think leaving Nelly and Leni's friendship at the two of them deciding to let go comfortably was a very realistic portrayal of what happens to a majority of teenage girls after graduation. The same goes for Three and Leni's relationship: Leni knew when her relationship was ending with Three, much like how Three knew when his relationship with Leni was ending, and it was accepted mutually. Between this and the conversations throughout the novel about how having a toxic environment among friends, family, and classmates can alter a person's perception on themselves and their future, the balance created a very raw scene.
I was not enthralled by this novel, but I wasn't disappointed either. The pros and the cons co-existed in a way that still made it spark conversation within myself and think about the way that race relations affect my own community.