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3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC version of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This novel was brilliantly done. I really enjoyed it.
I also sobbed my way through the entire end of the book, so there’s that. There was so much emotion in this story. I didn’t understand all the band references at first—I was never in band—but eventually caught on. I thought Ratio was a really great and important friend, and I just really loved the friendship dynamic he and Weston had throughout the story.
This novel was brilliantly done. I really enjoyed it.
I also sobbed my way through the entire end of the book, so there’s that. There was so much emotion in this story. I didn’t understand all the band references at first—I was never in band—but eventually caught on. I thought Ratio was a really great and important friend, and I just really loved the friendship dynamic he and Weston had throughout the story.
Ashely will forever be on my list of auto buys. Oh man, what to say about this book. This story of looking past rumors and seeing what is really there, of young love and friendship is a lesson for all of us. Never judge a book by it’s cover is how Anna looks at Weston. Weston, who hears the same melody every time he looks at Anna, is the town ‘bad’ boy. Anna is the town goodie who hides her shadows well. Don’t miss this book.
Thank you Netgalley and publishing house the chance to provide my honest opinion of this book.
Thank you Netgalley and publishing house the chance to provide my honest opinion of this book.
I loved Amelia Unabridged so so much, but this one was tremendously disappointing.
Did I enjoy this book? Absolutely!
Did I love this book? Not particularly.
Was I sobbing the last 15% of it? Yes, yes I was.
Would I recommend it? I would! With the grain of salt that it took me a while to get invested
Overall, this was a really great read. I love that it didn't follow your typical romance plot line, had mixed feelings about the band stuff, and really appreciated the body and "weird kid" inclusiveness.
It took me a bit to get into this book because I wasn't overly invested in the characters and honestly, I LOVE watching those big bands do their thing, but I wasn't super interested in reading about the work and effort it takes to get there. I did band all through grade school and high school and it was NOTHING like Weston and Anna's experiences so I suppose I just found it hard to separate my personal past with the story.
I felt like Weston's weirdness was a bit overplayed and maybe I missed it, but I didn't totally understand why the entire town (including adults) was semi-against him. Sure, sure he wore the same leather jacket 24/7 and he was the scapegoat for the desecration of some memorial in town, but it all felt a bit dramatized.
Additionally, I loved that Anna's body shape was referenced and we had passing remarks of self-consciousness (what 16 year old isn't self conscious?!) but particularly appreciated that it wasn't a huge focal point.
Weston's parents divorce also felt a bit overdone for me but as a child to parents who are still together, maybe I just couldn't appreciate the gravity of his situation.
Again, this was a very good read and one I would definitely recommend. I listened to the audio and while both narrators took a bit for me to warm up to, I think they did a great job.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the copy.
Did I love this book? Not particularly.
Was I sobbing the last 15% of it? Yes, yes I was.
Would I recommend it? I would! With the grain of salt that it took me a while to get invested
Overall, this was a really great read. I love that it didn't follow your typical romance plot line, had mixed feelings about the band stuff, and really appreciated the body and "weird kid" inclusiveness.
It took me a bit to get into this book because I wasn't overly invested in the characters and honestly, I LOVE watching those big bands do their thing, but I wasn't super interested in reading about the work and effort it takes to get there. I did band all through grade school and high school and it was NOTHING like Weston and Anna's experiences so I suppose I just found it hard to separate my personal past with the story.
I felt like Weston's weirdness was a bit overplayed and maybe I missed it, but I didn't totally understand why the entire town (including adults) was semi-against him. Sure, sure he wore the same leather jacket 24/7 and he was the scapegoat for the desecration of some memorial in town, but it all felt a bit dramatized.
Additionally, I loved that Anna's body shape was referenced and we had passing remarks of self-consciousness (what 16 year old isn't self conscious?!) but particularly appreciated that it wasn't a huge focal point.
Weston's parents divorce also felt a bit overdone for me but as a child to parents who are still together, maybe I just couldn't appreciate the gravity of his situation.
Again, this was a very good read and one I would definitely recommend. I listened to the audio and while both narrators took a bit for me to warm up to, I think they did a great job.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the copy.
This book was a slow build its a cute slow build story then the last 20-30% tore you apart. If you read the synopses on the story you can figure it out. But I don't always read the whole thing. I'm glad I didn't it gave the end more of a impact for me. I haven't cried cried in a book in awhile and this one got me.
Anna is the sweetest girl and does everything for everyone wants to please everyone. But inside she feels so alone. But she hides it from the world and she never opens up to her family or friends. Just keeps the smile in place.
Weston is the school/ band outcast. He left his Jr. year and when he comes back there's so many rumors and stories surrounding him. He never was that popular but its worse no one wants to give him a chance. The only friends are 2 boys he's always been friends with. But he's not sure if they really want to be his friend or just around because they always have been.
Anna needs help with her bands duet and Weston is playing the other part who better to ask. He says yes without really meaning to. He tries to pawn it off on his friend but there's something about her he cant figure out what it is. Like calls to like
Despite what her friends and family say about him (because of rumors) they start a friendship which turns into a relationship. She's finally standing up for herself to her friends and family and finding herself. Then the End happens and gutted.
I do wish the end expanded on her afterwards how she's changed as a person. Her sadness is 100% but I would of loved to see the shaping years after.
I had the E book and Audio and thank god I did to switch back and forth between the two. I had to switch fully to the audio at the end.
I was about 25% into the book and I knew It was gonna stick with me. One of my favorite movies growing up was garden state there is a quote about people after they grow up there home isn't there home anymore and they spend the rest of there life looking for a place that is home.
Full Flight had a quote very similar and I had to highlight it right away and it will now stay with me.
"When my room is dark and a certain piece of music comes on my headphones, or when the sun hits the lake just right, I’ll feel homesick for a place I’ve never been. But you don’t tell people that, not even the Ratios or Jonathans of the world, because they’ll think you’re being melodramatic or too much of whatever it is that people are afraid of having too much of. Instead, I quietly collect them, the moments that make me hungry for something I’ve never tasted, hoping that someday I’ll be able to piece them together into a map that will lead me to a place where wildfires make sense and the people you love don’t change or leave or break. Anna’s warmth at my side makes me reconsider that the homesickness is an unknown place. Maybe it’s a person. Maybe it’s her. "
Special thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for sharing this digital reviewer copy/ Audio Arc with me in exchange my honest thoughts.
Anna is the sweetest girl and does everything for everyone wants to please everyone. But inside she feels so alone. But she hides it from the world and she never opens up to her family or friends. Just keeps the smile in place.
Weston is the school/ band outcast. He left his Jr. year and when he comes back there's so many rumors and stories surrounding him. He never was that popular but its worse no one wants to give him a chance. The only friends are 2 boys he's always been friends with. But he's not sure if they really want to be his friend or just around because they always have been.
Anna needs help with her bands duet and Weston is playing the other part who better to ask. He says yes without really meaning to. He tries to pawn it off on his friend but there's something about her he cant figure out what it is. Like calls to like
Despite what her friends and family say about him (because of rumors) they start a friendship which turns into a relationship. She's finally standing up for herself to her friends and family and finding herself. Then the End happens and gutted.
I do wish the end expanded on her afterwards how she's changed as a person. Her sadness is 100% but I would of loved to see the shaping years after.
I had the E book and Audio and thank god I did to switch back and forth between the two. I had to switch fully to the audio at the end.
I was about 25% into the book and I knew It was gonna stick with me. One of my favorite movies growing up was garden state there is a quote about people after they grow up there home isn't there home anymore and they spend the rest of there life looking for a place that is home.
Full Flight had a quote very similar and I had to highlight it right away and it will now stay with me.
"When my room is dark and a certain piece of music comes on my headphones, or when the sun hits the lake just right, I’ll feel homesick for a place I’ve never been. But you don’t tell people that, not even the Ratios or Jonathans of the world, because they’ll think you’re being melodramatic or too much of whatever it is that people are afraid of having too much of. Instead, I quietly collect them, the moments that make me hungry for something I’ve never tasted, hoping that someday I’ll be able to piece them together into a map that will lead me to a place where wildfires make sense and the people you love don’t change or leave or break. Anna’s warmth at my side makes me reconsider that the homesickness is an unknown place. Maybe it’s a person. Maybe it’s her. "
Special thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for sharing this digital reviewer copy/ Audio Arc with me in exchange my honest thoughts.
Full Flight….what a book. Please read this. It’s one of those books I can’t write a full review on because I don’t want to give anything away. Go in blind like I did. Have tissues ready and enjoy this amazing ride.
i'm beginning to age out of YA as a genre. at 24, it's becoming a lot harder to find YA novels that capture, and subsequently keep my attention, because as i progress further into adulthood i find it harder to relate to and invest in many of the common coming-of-age narratives present in YA fiction.
Full Flight was a rare and joyous find. i devoured it within 24 hours of first picking it up; it's packed full of heart, and i fell in love with the characters almost instantly. Anna in particular resonates with a lot of the experiences i had as a teenager, which i think is what keeps me coming back to YA: the articulation of my own adolescent experiences as a way of connecting with and understanding my younger self.
Weston, on the other hand, i found a bit harder to connect to initially. i'm often not a fan of the 'mysterious bad-boy' archetype; however -- despite his eye-roll-inducing insistence that he would somehow be 'bad for Anna' -- i was willing to give him a chance given the context of being a recent child of divorce in a small, religious town. and i think that social context was vital for grounding my understanding of Weston as a character and how he sees himself fitting in (or otherwise) in the broader context of Enfield, and ultimately i grew to love him and his relationship with Anna.
the book spends over half its length fleshing out Anna and Weston's blossoming relationship, investing us in their lives and their hopes for a future together, at the cost of placing over 3/4s of the way through the narrative and leaving feel rushed as a result. given that the book's blurb heavily implies these events and markets the book on the basis of i personally found the decision to introduce them so late in the story undermined the emotional impact they could have had. i would have liked to see this event and its aftermath be given time to breathe so the full weight of Anna's grief could be explored on-page.
additionally, much of the intended catharsis post- fell flat due to several characters and plot threads being given more weight in the second half of the story than they were in the first, making it feel like the audience is being handed a resolution to a problem that hadn't satisfactorily been established. it's this that made the second half of the book feel like a bit of a letdown following what was an incredibly strong start to the story :(
ultimately, though, i did really enjoy my time with this book! it's rich with emotional honesty and i was drawn into Anna and Weston's world from the very first page. by setting the stage for their relationship and the story as a whole by introducing Anna in such a manner that you can't help but fall in love with her, it creates a solid foundation for the subsequent development of their relationship, which deepens as the two share their love of music and a shared loneliness. the memory of the thrill of first relationships, brimming with confusion and yearning and hopefulness, are brought back full-force through vivid descriptions of longing glances and lingering touches accompanied by a whirlwind of emotions. the references to the Kaua'i 'ō'ō's song were beautifully interwoven with Anna and Weston's story, and brought it satisfyingly full circle.
as an ex-band kid myself it was a joy to see the highs and lows of performance and practice and good-natured banter between each section so lovingly detailed; many of the jokes had me laughing audibly, and every time a scene focused on the band it brought back a wave of nostalgia :')
Full Flight was overall a satisfying and enjoyable read; it's just a bit of a shame that the execution leaves a little bit to be desired and ultimately undermines an otherwise robust and compelling narrative.
3.5 / 5
Full Flight was a rare and joyous find. i devoured it within 24 hours of first picking it up; it's packed full of heart, and i fell in love with the characters almost instantly. Anna in particular resonates with a lot of the experiences i had as a teenager, which i think is what keeps me coming back to YA: the articulation of my own adolescent experiences as a way of connecting with and understanding my younger self.
Weston, on the other hand, i found a bit harder to connect to initially. i'm often not a fan of the 'mysterious bad-boy' archetype; however -- despite his eye-roll-inducing insistence that he would somehow be 'bad for Anna' -- i was willing to give him a chance given the context of being a recent child of divorce in a small, religious town. and i think that social context was vital for grounding my understanding of Weston as a character and how he sees himself fitting in (or otherwise) in the broader context of Enfield, and ultimately i grew to love him and his relationship with Anna.
the book spends over half its length fleshing out Anna and Weston's blossoming relationship, investing us in their lives and their hopes for a future together, at the cost of placing
Spoiler
Weston's death in a car accidentSpoiler
Anna grappling with grief and finding a way to move forwardSpoiler
Anna navigating a world without Weston,additionally, much of the intended catharsis post-
Spoiler
Weston's deathultimately, though, i did really enjoy my time with this book! it's rich with emotional honesty and i was drawn into Anna and Weston's world from the very first page. by setting the stage for their relationship and the story as a whole by introducing Anna in such a manner that you can't help but fall in love with her, it creates a solid foundation for the subsequent development of their relationship, which deepens as the two share their love of music and a shared loneliness. the memory of the thrill of first relationships, brimming with confusion and yearning and hopefulness, are brought back full-force through vivid descriptions of longing glances and lingering touches accompanied by a whirlwind of emotions. the references to the Kaua'i 'ō'ō's song were beautifully interwoven with Anna and Weston's story, and brought it satisfyingly full circle.
as an ex-band kid myself it was a joy to see the highs and lows of performance and practice and good-natured banter between each section so lovingly detailed; many of the jokes had me laughing audibly, and every time a scene focused on the band it brought back a wave of nostalgia :')
Full Flight was overall a satisfying and enjoyable read; it's just a bit of a shame that the execution leaves a little bit to be desired and ultimately undermines an otherwise robust and compelling narrative.
3.5 / 5
I was so on the fence with this book and then it happened and Ashley Schumacher made me an emotional mess all over again. She really knows how to hit your emotions exactly right.
Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the advanced copy for review. All opinions are my own.
First of all, this book absolutely wrecked me. It's in the synopsis why, but I failed to read the synopsis prior to diving in since I loved Ashley Schumacher's first book so so much! She still did not disappoint with this book.
Full Flight is about Anna and Weston who are both in the marching band. They have to perform a duet in their show so Anna asks Weston to help her. Weston is sort of the town's outcast. He doesn't fall into their town's idea of "normal" so many people, including himself, have their own opinions about who he is, but Anna finds out that their opinions are untrue.
This book gave me serious first love feelings. I don't want to compare it to other books who have done the same and broken my heart, but I'm placing it in the same category of those few books. I fell so in love with Anna and Weston and my heart was completely shattered by the events in this book. Please do not let that deter you from reading it because it is well worth the read and the heartbreak.
First of all, this book absolutely wrecked me. It's in the synopsis why, but I failed to read the synopsis prior to diving in since I loved Ashley Schumacher's first book so so much! She still did not disappoint with this book.
Full Flight is about Anna and Weston who are both in the marching band. They have to perform a duet in their show so Anna asks Weston to help her. Weston is sort of the town's outcast. He doesn't fall into their town's idea of "normal" so many people, including himself, have their own opinions about who he is, but Anna finds out that their opinions are untrue.
This book gave me serious first love feelings. I don't want to compare it to other books who have done the same and broken my heart, but I'm placing it in the same category of those few books. I fell so in love with Anna and Weston and my heart was completely shattered by the events in this book. Please do not let that deter you from reading it because it is well worth the read and the heartbreak.
First of all thank you to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for sending me an e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. I was absolutely thrilled when I got it in my inbox and I'm extremely sorry a bout of the dreaded Covid-19 delayed my reading past Full Flight's publication day.
On to the review! Ashley Schumacher did it again, a book with supremely vivid teen characters that you feel like you know set in a very specific environment, this time marching band, dealing with trauma.
Good girl, seemingly happy-go-lucky saxophonist Anna is assigned a duet with withdrawn, unjustly named the "town freak" Weston. Unlike everyone else, she actually gives him and herself the chance to get to know him. Sparks and young, intense love ensue. Growth and healing also happen thanks to their connection. Although they appear to be very different, they actually are very similar and they're dealing with mental health issues that never get explicitly named but that appear to be depression and anxiety. Through their relationship they learn how to manage this, how to be open and trusting.
The plot does have a big twist, not entirely unforeseen since the synopsis does all but name it, and I felt like it came far too late into the book. We didn't really get a lot of time to see the whole cast of characters react and the epilogue's time jump felt like it robbed us of some of Anna's ARC, hence the removed star.
Ashley Schumacher writes heartfelt, beautiful, clean prose. None of it is convoluted, it all feels very authentic. She also uses symbolism and metaphor skillfully, with Anna referring to her depression as shadows, Weston referring to his anxiety as wildfire, and the thread of music as a connector going strong throughout, all the way to the mention of the story of the Kauaʻi ʻōʻō bird. (Really sad to find out that sadly, the bird is extinct and no happy little family of them have been found).
I strongly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys YA contemporary and stories of "misfits" finding their place in the world.
On to the review! Ashley Schumacher did it again, a book with supremely vivid teen characters that you feel like you know set in a very specific environment, this time marching band, dealing with trauma.
Good girl, seemingly happy-go-lucky saxophonist Anna is assigned a duet with withdrawn, unjustly named the "town freak" Weston. Unlike everyone else, she actually gives him and herself the chance to get to know him. Sparks and young, intense love ensue. Growth and healing also happen thanks to their connection. Although they appear to be very different, they actually are very similar and they're dealing with mental health issues that never get explicitly named but that appear to be depression and anxiety. Through their relationship they learn how to manage this, how to be open and trusting.
The plot does have a big twist, not entirely unforeseen since the synopsis does all but name it, and I felt like it came far too late into the book. We didn't really get a lot of time to see the whole cast of characters react and the epilogue's time jump felt like it robbed us of some of Anna's ARC, hence the removed star.
Ashley Schumacher writes heartfelt, beautiful, clean prose. None of it is convoluted, it all feels very authentic. She also uses symbolism and metaphor skillfully, with Anna referring to her depression as shadows, Weston referring to his anxiety as wildfire, and the thread of music as a connector going strong throughout, all the way to the mention of the story of the Kauaʻi ʻōʻō bird. (Really sad to find out that sadly, the bird is extinct and no happy little family of them have been found).
I strongly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys YA contemporary and stories of "misfits" finding their place in the world.