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Flyaway
In this touching novel for ages 10+, Lucy Christopher explores the remarkable bond between a young girl, a boy and a damaged wild bird - a relationship that will touch everyone who reads it. While visiting her father in hospital, thirteen-year-old Isla meets Harry, the first boy to understand her and her love of the outdoors. But Harry is ill, and as his health fails, Isla is determined to help him in the only way she knows how. Together they watch a lone swan struggling to fly on the lake outside Harry's window. Isla believes that if she can help the damaged swan, somehow she can help Harry. And in doing so, she embarks upon a breathtakingly magical journey of her own.
260 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
27 people are currently reading
2,786 people want to read
About the author
Lucy Christopher
14Ìýbooks2,251ÌýfollowersLucy Christopher was born in Wales but grew up in Australia. She obtained an Undergraduate degree at Melbourne University. She moved to the UK to earn a distinction in a Creative Writing MA from Bath Spa University. The novel she wrote for this class, The Long Flight, was picked up by a publisher under a new name of FLYAWAY.
Lucy’s debut novel, Stolen, was written as part for her PhD degree. Stolen explores her thoughts on the Australian desert through the story about a teenage girl who is kidnapped and taken there.
Lucy is working on another teen novel. When she is not writing, Lucy spends her time daydreaming, emailing friends and horseback riding a mare named Topaz as well as helping to run a kid’s wildlife group at Newport Wetlands.
Lucy’s debut novel, Stolen, was written as part for her PhD degree. Stolen explores her thoughts on the Australian desert through the story about a teenage girl who is kidnapped and taken there.
Lucy is working on another teen novel. When she is not writing, Lucy spends her time daydreaming, emailing friends and horseback riding a mare named Topaz as well as helping to run a kid’s wildlife group at Newport Wetlands.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 239 reviews
September 26, 2021
Islas Vater ist schwer erkrankt. Er benötigt eine neue Herzklappe und muss ins Krankenhaus. Isla hat Angst um ihren Vater und möchte ihm helfen. Da sie weiß, wie sehr er Schwäne liebt, beschließt sie, ihm auf diese Weise zu helfen. Denn auf einem See vor dem Krankenhaus schwimmt ein einzelner Schwan. Der Schwan hat seinen Schwarm verloren, und Isla will ihm helfen, seine Gefährten wiederzufinden. Isla glaubt daran, dass ihr Vater wieder gesund wird, wenn sie dem einzelnen Schwan helfen kann. Bei ihrem Vorhaben lernt sie Harry kennen, der im Krankenhaus auf der Krebsstation liegt und an Leukämie leidet�
* Meine Meinung *
Ein sehr bewegendes Jugendbuch, das ich auch erwachsenen Lesern empfehlen kann. Der Schreibstil ist jugendlich einfach, und die Kapitel sind schön kurz gehalten, was ich für ein Jugendbuch sehr vorteilhaft finde. So vergeht den jüngeren Lesern nicht der Spaß am Lesen, da man von Kapitel zu Kapitel schnell vorankommt.
Die Geschichte an sich ist bewegend, dabei überhaupt nicht kitschig oder albern. Man kann mit Isla fühlen, sich in sie hineinversetzen, da ihre Gefühlswelt sehr schön beschrieben wird.
Auch die Idee an sich, dem Schwan zum Fliegen verhelfen zu wollen, um so auch dem kranken Vater zu helfen, finde ich sehr schön und gelungen! Und die sich anbahnende Romanze zwischen Isla und Harry passt auch sehr gut ins Bild und drängt sich nicht in den Vordergrund, sondern läuft sehr passend eher nebenher.
Vier Sterne = sehr gut!
* Meine Meinung *
Ein sehr bewegendes Jugendbuch, das ich auch erwachsenen Lesern empfehlen kann. Der Schreibstil ist jugendlich einfach, und die Kapitel sind schön kurz gehalten, was ich für ein Jugendbuch sehr vorteilhaft finde. So vergeht den jüngeren Lesern nicht der Spaß am Lesen, da man von Kapitel zu Kapitel schnell vorankommt.
Die Geschichte an sich ist bewegend, dabei überhaupt nicht kitschig oder albern. Man kann mit Isla fühlen, sich in sie hineinversetzen, da ihre Gefühlswelt sehr schön beschrieben wird.
Auch die Idee an sich, dem Schwan zum Fliegen verhelfen zu wollen, um so auch dem kranken Vater zu helfen, finde ich sehr schön und gelungen! Und die sich anbahnende Romanze zwischen Isla und Harry passt auch sehr gut ins Bild und drängt sich nicht in den Vordergrund, sondern läuft sehr passend eher nebenher.
Vier Sterne = sehr gut!
July 4, 2011
This one is by the same author who wrote STOLEN (which you’ll recall that I adored). FLYAWAY is actually her first novel, published second in the states, and it’s a middle grade novel. Basically, it’s about a girl who becomes determined to reunite a lost swan with its flock after the girl’s father has a heart attack. Anyway, here are five reasons to read it:
1. It’s soft and sweet. The image of a feather comes to mind, even though this book is about a girl coping with the idea that her father and her new friend might die.
2. The imagery is, as always in Christopher’s books, beautiful. The setting is always another character.
3. There is something about Christopher’s prose across both her novels that makes me trust her as an author. She’s in control of these stories, and if you’re feeling something, it’s because she meant you to. It means that she pretty much has a free pass with me at the moment. I will pick up anything she writes.
4. It’s got this slightest little hint of magical realism. I would’ve really loved this book as a ten year old.
5. It is precisely what it promises you. Sometimes I want to be shocked, yes, and sometimes I want twists, and sometimes I want to read about a very unexpected body in a closet. But this book promises that it is a certain sort of book on the first page, and then it gives you exactly that. Soft and sweet.
1. It’s soft and sweet. The image of a feather comes to mind, even though this book is about a girl coping with the idea that her father and her new friend might die.
2. The imagery is, as always in Christopher’s books, beautiful. The setting is always another character.
3. There is something about Christopher’s prose across both her novels that makes me trust her as an author. She’s in control of these stories, and if you’re feeling something, it’s because she meant you to. It means that she pretty much has a free pass with me at the moment. I will pick up anything she writes.
4. It’s got this slightest little hint of magical realism. I would’ve really loved this book as a ten year old.
5. It is precisely what it promises you. Sometimes I want to be shocked, yes, and sometimes I want twists, and sometimes I want to read about a very unexpected body in a closet. But this book promises that it is a certain sort of book on the first page, and then it gives you exactly that. Soft and sweet.
June 10, 2013
One of the reasons I love Lucy Christopher's books so much are because they're real. She knows that the teenagers reading her books aren't stupid, and instead of treating her younger teenage readers like they're nine, she gives us a novel that can be read by anyone.
Seeing as the narrator of FLYAWAY is a thirteen year-old girl, Lucy Christopher could've written a juvenile middle-grade book with ridiculously simple writing and stiff dialogue. But she didn't. Lucy Christopher knows teenagers; she knows we're smarter than society thinks we are, and she doesn't fuck around. FLYAWAY was a smart book with beautiful messages and intricate characters.
I had a friend die of leukemia several months ago, and when I learned that Harry, one of the main characters in FLYAWAY, suffered from the same type of cancer, I nearly put the book down because it upset me so much. It brought back memories I wasn't ready to face and I spent most of the time reading this book with watery eyes.
I've always loved the aspect of bonding with animals (I mean, SPIRIT is probably by favorite animation ever) and FLYAWAY gave me that and so much more. I mean, it also caused me a lot of pain and tears, but it was worth it. Every character is detailed and interesting, and Harry and Isla'sromance friendship literally made me squeal and sob and scream at the walls.
I have a feeling a lot of people haven't read this because it's a middle-grade novel, technically, but if you're avoiding this book because of its age group...
GET YOUR ASS BACK HERE AND READ IT
OKAY
Also, a million hugs to Vanessa, for sending me a signed copy of FLYAWAY all the way from England. Thank you so much. I love you.
of course i'm not ugly crying who told you that hahaha
Seeing as the narrator of FLYAWAY is a thirteen year-old girl, Lucy Christopher could've written a juvenile middle-grade book with ridiculously simple writing and stiff dialogue. But she didn't. Lucy Christopher knows teenagers; she knows we're smarter than society thinks we are, and she doesn't fuck around. FLYAWAY was a smart book with beautiful messages and intricate characters.
I had a friend die of leukemia several months ago, and when I learned that Harry, one of the main characters in FLYAWAY, suffered from the same type of cancer, I nearly put the book down because it upset me so much. It brought back memories I wasn't ready to face and I spent most of the time reading this book with watery eyes.
I've always loved the aspect of bonding with animals (I mean, SPIRIT is probably by favorite animation ever) and FLYAWAY gave me that and so much more. I mean, it also caused me a lot of pain and tears, but it was worth it. Every character is detailed and interesting, and Harry and Isla's
I have a feeling a lot of people haven't read this because it's a middle-grade novel, technically, but if you're avoiding this book because of its age group...
GET YOUR ASS BACK HERE AND READ IT
OKAY
Also, a million hugs to Vanessa, for sending me a signed copy of FLYAWAY all the way from England. Thank you so much. I love you.
January 2, 2019
This is an emotional and heartwarming read about family, friendship and helping others, including birds. My eight year old niece even read some of it to me, and seemed to enjoy it too.
August 7, 2010
This is a sweet and heart-wrenching book. Isla, the narrator has a compelling voice, and is very likeable- she is selfless, and her relationship with her family is very strong. Harry, the sick boyfriend, though really shines.
Their blooming relationship is innocent, and it is fun to watch it unfold. The loner swan brings them together and parallels their adventure.
Spoiler below!!!
The only thing I don't like is that it did not give me closure on whether Harry makes it through his transplant. But then again, sometimes the open ended ending really is the best, because you are always rooting for the patient to pull through and for the romance to continue, but as Lurlene McDaniel has proved, there is just something about death that can also make a perfect ending, because it is sad, beautiful, and reflects reality. But, I don't know about real statistics, but the book said 50/50 chance, so in the end it is left to the reader to decide, or you can take her dream of Harry being a swan and migrating as he didn't pull through, or you can find hope in his text and say that he did.
Their blooming relationship is innocent, and it is fun to watch it unfold. The loner swan brings them together and parallels their adventure.
Spoiler below!!!
The only thing I don't like is that it did not give me closure on whether Harry makes it through his transplant. But then again, sometimes the open ended ending really is the best, because you are always rooting for the patient to pull through and for the romance to continue, but as Lurlene McDaniel has proved, there is just something about death that can also make a perfect ending, because it is sad, beautiful, and reflects reality. But, I don't know about real statistics, but the book said 50/50 chance, so in the end it is left to the reader to decide, or you can take her dream of Harry being a swan and migrating as he didn't pull through, or you can find hope in his text and say that he did.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 25, 2012
After reading Lucy Christopher’s book Stolen, I knew I had to read the rest of what she wrote as well. I was not disappointed by the next book I chose by her. Flyaway is a touching, uplifting, and all around wonderful story.
A young girl - Isla (pronounced like eye-lah) - narrates this story that begins with her and her father going out early in the morning - like they do every year - to watch the whooping swans when they return to the nearby wetlands preserve, marking the start of winter. But this year is different: newly constructed power lines injure the front line of the swans and drive the rest away. It looks like one young female is disoriented and gets left behind by those swans able to change direction and avoid the wires, but Isla and her dad have to leave before they can check on her fate.
The next weekend, Isla’s dad insists they go out again and try to find what happened to the swans, but on the path to the preserve her dad falls over with a heart attack. Isla, upset and scared, still manages to run back for the phone and get emergency help for her dad. He is transported to the hospital, and it is touch-and-go for him as he waits for a heart operation.
Meanwhile, Isla makes friends with a patient who is about her age, named Harry. He has leukemia, and is waiting for a bone marrow transplant. The two discover that by looking out Harry’s window, they can see a young female swan on the lake, and Isla thinks she is the one that got separated from the flock the day the whoopers arrived at the preserve. She goes out to see her and the swan is not afraid of Isla, and amazingly, becomes attached to her. She even imitates Isla’s behavior, but does not seem to know how to fly back to the rest of her flock.
With the help of her grandfather, Isla constructs swan wings that she can wear to teach her swan how to fly, reporting on her progress to both her father and to Harry. As the book approaches its denoument, readers have three “patients� about whom to worry: Isla’s much-loved dad, the infectiously optimistic Harry, and the faithful and intrepid swan.
Evaluation: This book intended for a middle grade audience is enchanting. Christopher takes unusual and interesting circumstances and explains the characters� reactions to them with everyday impressions and feelings that combine to capture the imagination and pull us into the story. Moreover, all of the characters are absolutely endearing, but each in a quite different way.
Rating: 4.5/5
A young girl - Isla (pronounced like eye-lah) - narrates this story that begins with her and her father going out early in the morning - like they do every year - to watch the whooping swans when they return to the nearby wetlands preserve, marking the start of winter. But this year is different: newly constructed power lines injure the front line of the swans and drive the rest away. It looks like one young female is disoriented and gets left behind by those swans able to change direction and avoid the wires, but Isla and her dad have to leave before they can check on her fate.
The next weekend, Isla’s dad insists they go out again and try to find what happened to the swans, but on the path to the preserve her dad falls over with a heart attack. Isla, upset and scared, still manages to run back for the phone and get emergency help for her dad. He is transported to the hospital, and it is touch-and-go for him as he waits for a heart operation.
Meanwhile, Isla makes friends with a patient who is about her age, named Harry. He has leukemia, and is waiting for a bone marrow transplant. The two discover that by looking out Harry’s window, they can see a young female swan on the lake, and Isla thinks she is the one that got separated from the flock the day the whoopers arrived at the preserve. She goes out to see her and the swan is not afraid of Isla, and amazingly, becomes attached to her. She even imitates Isla’s behavior, but does not seem to know how to fly back to the rest of her flock.
With the help of her grandfather, Isla constructs swan wings that she can wear to teach her swan how to fly, reporting on her progress to both her father and to Harry. As the book approaches its denoument, readers have three “patients� about whom to worry: Isla’s much-loved dad, the infectiously optimistic Harry, and the faithful and intrepid swan.
Evaluation: This book intended for a middle grade audience is enchanting. Christopher takes unusual and interesting circumstances and explains the characters� reactions to them with everyday impressions and feelings that combine to capture the imagination and pull us into the story. Moreover, all of the characters are absolutely endearing, but each in a quite different way.
Rating: 4.5/5
July 12, 2014
My reaction in one gif:
Full review:
I’d read Lucy Christopher’s debut novel, Stolen and was completely captured by it. The tension, the characters, the psychology. I knew coming into her second novel, Flyaway, that it wouldn’t have the same punch as a book about a girl getting kidnapped, but I was stoked to see what else Christopher could do.
This book is not big. It’s little. It’s quiet. In a way, it reminds me of Jane Austen. Not that it is a satire, but that it depicts life on a small canvas. Isla’s life is like an ordinary girl’s, and it becomes difficult with the hospitalization of her father, her concern for a lone swan lost from its flock, and a boy who she likes and may die from a marrow transplant if his body doesn’t accept it. From there, friendships, family dynamics, and psychology are further explored from everyone’s reactions of what is going on around them.
Everything was handled beautifully, in a very understated sort of way. Her relationship with Harry is reminiscent of an early Hazel and Augustus from The Fault in Our Stars, and also for a younger set of kids. It’s tender and aching and longing all at once.
Some of the narrative focused on Isla’s dreams, and the number of them got to be a bit much for me, but that’s a fairly small quip for an otherwise lovely novel.
Full review:
I’d read Lucy Christopher’s debut novel, Stolen and was completely captured by it. The tension, the characters, the psychology. I knew coming into her second novel, Flyaway, that it wouldn’t have the same punch as a book about a girl getting kidnapped, but I was stoked to see what else Christopher could do.
This book is not big. It’s little. It’s quiet. In a way, it reminds me of Jane Austen. Not that it is a satire, but that it depicts life on a small canvas. Isla’s life is like an ordinary girl’s, and it becomes difficult with the hospitalization of her father, her concern for a lone swan lost from its flock, and a boy who she likes and may die from a marrow transplant if his body doesn’t accept it. From there, friendships, family dynamics, and psychology are further explored from everyone’s reactions of what is going on around them.
Everything was handled beautifully, in a very understated sort of way. Her relationship with Harry is reminiscent of an early Hazel and Augustus from The Fault in Our Stars, and also for a younger set of kids. It’s tender and aching and longing all at once.
Some of the narrative focused on Isla’s dreams, and the number of them got to be a bit much for me, but that’s a fairly small quip for an otherwise lovely novel.
April 17, 2022
a book i fell in love with as a kid and left such an impression that it wouldn't let me go. finally re-read it and it didn't dissapoint at all! a lot of things went over my head as 9 (or maybe 10) year old, so i feel like i could appreciate it even more this time around. gorgeous writing that gripped me with the same magic that held me over 10 years ago.
April 6, 2023
This is heartwarming and short.
But I just wished Isla would have a specific age describing her ever since the start of this book, she thinks like an average normal teenager but attends art class and talks like a middle schooler.
But I just wished Isla would have a specific age describing her ever since the start of this book, she thinks like an average normal teenager but attends art class and talks like a middle schooler.
January 12, 2010
Flyaway is only Lucy Christopher's second book, but already it feels like I've been reading her words for years. It's completely different to her debut novel, Stolen, but is just as good, if not better. This story is told by Isla, a teenage girl with a love for all types of birds. When her father is taken to hospital, it's there she meets a boy called Harry Brambling. Isla and Harry discover a swan out on the lake, and before they know it, everything changes.
Isla is an engaging narrator, with a warm personality and a selfless nature. She's supportive when her family needs her, she's encouraging to her sick father, and she's the anchor that ensures Harry keeps hold of the cheeky sparkle in his eyes. Like Isla's father, Harry's not well himself, though you'd never be able to tell from his high spirits and positive attitude. The friendship that forms is so lovely and innocent, and is a refreshing change from all the supercharged teenage hormones I've become so accustomed to.
Accompanying Isla and Harry throughout the book is a lone swan that has become detached from its flock. It might not be able to talk or interact like a human can, but it's just as important as the other characters. It has the ability to just be, and to guide and offer comfort when it's needed most. It's described so vividly that I almost believed it could be sat outside in my own tiny fish pond, bobbing for goldfish and tormenting the frogs. I never had any interest in swans before reading Flyaway, but now I want to experience their magic for myself.
There are a few short dream sequences throughout Isla's tale, and while they do fit into what's happening in the real world, I felt that a couple of them interrupted the flow of writing and unnecessarily complicated things. The last venture into Isla's imagination is so poignant and touching, and really made me think things were going to turn out differently than they did. I'm glad I was wrong!
Flyaway is chock-full of beautiful imagery, realistic plot threads and short chapters that will tug at your heartstrings. It's a story about family, friendship, and overcoming the many obstacles that life will inevitably present. I just wish it had a higher page count, because I could have carried on reading it for days.
Isla is an engaging narrator, with a warm personality and a selfless nature. She's supportive when her family needs her, she's encouraging to her sick father, and she's the anchor that ensures Harry keeps hold of the cheeky sparkle in his eyes. Like Isla's father, Harry's not well himself, though you'd never be able to tell from his high spirits and positive attitude. The friendship that forms is so lovely and innocent, and is a refreshing change from all the supercharged teenage hormones I've become so accustomed to.
Accompanying Isla and Harry throughout the book is a lone swan that has become detached from its flock. It might not be able to talk or interact like a human can, but it's just as important as the other characters. It has the ability to just be, and to guide and offer comfort when it's needed most. It's described so vividly that I almost believed it could be sat outside in my own tiny fish pond, bobbing for goldfish and tormenting the frogs. I never had any interest in swans before reading Flyaway, but now I want to experience their magic for myself.
There are a few short dream sequences throughout Isla's tale, and while they do fit into what's happening in the real world, I felt that a couple of them interrupted the flow of writing and unnecessarily complicated things. The last venture into Isla's imagination is so poignant and touching, and really made me think things were going to turn out differently than they did. I'm glad I was wrong!
Flyaway is chock-full of beautiful imagery, realistic plot threads and short chapters that will tug at your heartstrings. It's a story about family, friendship, and overcoming the many obstacles that life will inevitably present. I just wish it had a higher page count, because I could have carried on reading it for days.
January 22, 2010
Lucy Christopher’s sophomore novel, Flyaway, is just as breathtakingly beautiful as her first. Though in a very different way.
Flyaway is written in such fluid prose that it takes you right into the heart of Isla’s world. I felt like I was watching the swans with Isla and her dad, riding to the hospital with her in the middle of the night and sitting with her while she started to make the best school project in history. Lucy Christopher captured an air of sadness with her soft, subtle prose. But it is also a novel filled with hope and magic. Not Harry Potter magic, but the true magic of love, friendship and family.
Lucy is clearly a master of imagery. I knew this from some stunning scenes in , but she really cemented herself as a favourite after Flyaway. Some of the most stand out images for me are Isla and Harry teaching their swan to fly and when Isla’s Dad tells her the myth of the swansong. I won’t spoil it and tell you what it is, but it’s truly special and I still catch myself thinking about it over a week after finishing it.
The relationships in Flyaway are all understated and yet still compelling. I loved how Harry and Isla’s chance meeting grew into friendship and then to a sweet, innocence romance. They complimented each other perfectly. Harry’s bright, cheeky, confident outlook suits Isla’s focus and tendency to worry. Another of my favourite relationships in Flyaway is the one Isla and her dad share. She’s clearly the apple of his eye and she worships him right back. Their little traditions, shared love of birds and general connection make Isla one seriously lucky girl.
I loved Flyaway nearly as much as I did Stolen and with this novel Lucy Christopher has put herself firmly on my auto-buy list.
Flyaway is written in such fluid prose that it takes you right into the heart of Isla’s world. I felt like I was watching the swans with Isla and her dad, riding to the hospital with her in the middle of the night and sitting with her while she started to make the best school project in history. Lucy Christopher captured an air of sadness with her soft, subtle prose. But it is also a novel filled with hope and magic. Not Harry Potter magic, but the true magic of love, friendship and family.
Lucy is clearly a master of imagery. I knew this from some stunning scenes in , but she really cemented herself as a favourite after Flyaway. Some of the most stand out images for me are Isla and Harry teaching their swan to fly and when Isla’s Dad tells her the myth of the swansong. I won’t spoil it and tell you what it is, but it’s truly special and I still catch myself thinking about it over a week after finishing it.
The relationships in Flyaway are all understated and yet still compelling. I loved how Harry and Isla’s chance meeting grew into friendship and then to a sweet, innocence romance. They complimented each other perfectly. Harry’s bright, cheeky, confident outlook suits Isla’s focus and tendency to worry. Another of my favourite relationships in Flyaway is the one Isla and her dad share. She’s clearly the apple of his eye and she worships him right back. Their little traditions, shared love of birds and general connection make Isla one seriously lucky girl.
I loved Flyaway nearly as much as I did Stolen and with this novel Lucy Christopher has put herself firmly on my auto-buy list.
Read
May 14, 2019Flyaway by Lucy Christopher is about a 13-year-old girl named Isla. Isla's father falls when they are racing across the fields, following the swan flying into winter at the lake like they do every year. At the hospital, Isla meets Harry, who is fighting against cancer. Outside the hospital windows, Isla watches a lone swan struggling to fly. Isla thinks that is she could help the lost swan to fly and lead her back to her flock, everything will be good again.
My favorite part of the book was when Isla meets Harry at the hospital. And they both don't judge each other or jump to conclusions about each other when they meet and talk. Although Harry mentions about his cancer treatment, Isla still sticks around and keeps visiting him. And Harry also doesn't judge Isla, when she tells him about her love of birds, more specifically swans. Which is why Isla starts to like him.
The book connects to the concept of survival by showing both physical and emotional survival. Isla's father and Harry both have to survive literally in the hospital fighting for their lives. While Isla and the rest of her family have to get through the emotional struggle as her father is trying to live. Mainly for Isla, she is experiencing the emotional struggle of having to two people (Her father and Harry) she really cares about in the hospital, who are very sick.
The author uses symbolism throughout the book. Christopher uses the lost swan Isla finds near the hospital to show Isla herself. The swan represents how lost and lonely Isla is, even with her family around because she doesn't know what's going to happen next with her dad and Harry. Which is the same with the swan because it doesn't know where it's flock is and it's by itself until Isla comes along. I haven't read a book like this where the author uses symbolism with another type of character to show the main character.
Isla's story of survival as she gets through the emotional struggle and family drama shows how strong she is for a 13-year-old. If you like family drama or relationships, you will love this book.
My favorite part of the book was when Isla meets Harry at the hospital. And they both don't judge each other or jump to conclusions about each other when they meet and talk. Although Harry mentions about his cancer treatment, Isla still sticks around and keeps visiting him. And Harry also doesn't judge Isla, when she tells him about her love of birds, more specifically swans. Which is why Isla starts to like him.
The book connects to the concept of survival by showing both physical and emotional survival. Isla's father and Harry both have to survive literally in the hospital fighting for their lives. While Isla and the rest of her family have to get through the emotional struggle as her father is trying to live. Mainly for Isla, she is experiencing the emotional struggle of having to two people (Her father and Harry) she really cares about in the hospital, who are very sick.
The author uses symbolism throughout the book. Christopher uses the lost swan Isla finds near the hospital to show Isla herself. The swan represents how lost and lonely Isla is, even with her family around because she doesn't know what's going to happen next with her dad and Harry. Which is the same with the swan because it doesn't know where it's flock is and it's by itself until Isla comes along. I haven't read a book like this where the author uses symbolism with another type of character to show the main character.
Isla's story of survival as she gets through the emotional struggle and family drama shows how strong she is for a 13-year-old. If you like family drama or relationships, you will love this book.
October 13, 2017
This book was definitely a page turner. When I first got the book I didn’t think I would enjoy it as much as I did. The book Flyaway was an amazing short read, and I would recommend it to anyone who likes true emotion in a book. One thing I loved about the book was the relationship between the main character, Isla and her father. The true emotion that author, Lucy Christopher, put into the story is unreal.
In the book Isla’s father goes through a heart attack which takes a huge toll on their family; in the midst of it all Isla found something to distract her and maybe help her find some closure with everything going on. Along the way she meets a boy named Harry, and soon enough a romance begins to form.
Flyaway is a major eye opener, I love how the book makes you feel grateful for everything you have without even trying. Lucy Christopher has wrote many amazing novels, but I think this is one is my favorite by far.
In the book Isla’s father goes through a heart attack which takes a huge toll on their family; in the midst of it all Isla found something to distract her and maybe help her find some closure with everything going on. Along the way she meets a boy named Harry, and soon enough a romance begins to form.
Flyaway is a major eye opener, I love how the book makes you feel grateful for everything you have without even trying. Lucy Christopher has wrote many amazing novels, but I think this is one is my favorite by far.
July 10, 2018
This was beautifully written with lots of great visuals and an aching story line. Slight spoilers, but I expected to be in tears at the end and was not, so I was pleased, though sometimes the books that rip your heart out are the ones that stick with you the most.
May 29, 2011
I had read Lucy Christopher's "Stolen" and was eager to read her next book. This did not disappoint. The story is rich with well-developed characters about whom you come to care deeply. Isla, the main character, is a young teen who shares with her dad an intense interest in birding, and in watching wild whooper swans as they migrate into England for the winter. She and her dad are following a flock of swans as they migrate in, when he suffers a heart attack. As she and her family anxiously hover in the hospital while her father receives treatment, she meets a boy, a young cancer patient. The story follows several threads, always with Isla as the narrator. One thread is about the way her mother, brother and Isla pull together around her very ill father. This is a warm, caring family, and the ways in which they quarreled, yet supported each other rang very true. There is another thread about Isla's grandfather, her father's father, who has an intense fear and dislike of hospitals after having lost his wife to an infection she picked up while being treated in one. There is a thread about the swans, who are having more and more difficulty finding places to winter as urbanization takes over their old habitats. Isla and her father had shared this concern, and she takes on the mantle of care while he is ill, sharing snippets of her observations with him to cheer him toward recovery. Finally, there is a thread about a budding romance Isla has with a boy awaiting a bone marrow transplant. They watch a lone swan on a lake they can see from his hospital window, and devise a plan to help the swan rejoin her flock. In all of this, these stories of life in its many permutations, there is a binding love, a transcendent human compassion and spiritual bonding of one life to another. As Isla tells her art class, when making a presentation about flight and the flight of swans in particular, the swans need each other to migrate. They need each other to be carried through the currents of air, through darkness and the unknown. And so do we need each other, the support of other life, in this world. This is just a beautiful, haunting book. Ms. Christopher is truly talented and I look forward to reading more from her.
January 28, 2012
Plot: One cold winter mourning, Dad gets sick - and goes into hospital. It's there I meet Harry, with his scruffy hair and firefly eyes. From his window we watch a wild swan on the frozen lakes outside. There's something different about her, truly different. Almost magical. Perehaps, if we can help her, everything else will begin to make sense.
Review: There were 3 major themes to this book: Family, Swans and Harry. The book itself was suprisingly captivating and I even found myself crying towards the end (okay, I am a bit of a wimp, but everybody has to have a good cry every once in a while :D)
I'll start with her family - Isla's Dad goes into hospital in need of a heart valve transplant, but his Dad (Isla's Grandad) won't visit him because his wife dies in hospital. Isla's brother Jack is one of those Popular, Footballing boys, and at the start of the book Isla has a crush on his best mate Crowy. Isla's best friend has just moved away, leaving her feeling vunerable and alone at school.
The swan aspect starts when Isla and her Dad are birdwatching - when he collapses. Isla then finds one of the Swans they were watching at the lake outside the hospital.
The Harry section: Harry has cancer, and his own room at the children's ward. He meets Isla while she is waiting in the hospital, and she is immeadiately intrigued. I really liked Harry; his character was confident and unafraid of everything, until he faces his own problems.
All these threads weave together to create an emotional masterpiece, plain and simple, and what starts a bit awkwardly ends up transforming into a beautiful swan.
Try it for yourself, you may just like it - 4 stars (Which is a good rating, for me! I have to save the 5's for special occasions! :D)
Review: There were 3 major themes to this book: Family, Swans and Harry. The book itself was suprisingly captivating and I even found myself crying towards the end (okay, I am a bit of a wimp, but everybody has to have a good cry every once in a while :D)
I'll start with her family - Isla's Dad goes into hospital in need of a heart valve transplant, but his Dad (Isla's Grandad) won't visit him because his wife dies in hospital. Isla's brother Jack is one of those Popular, Footballing boys, and at the start of the book Isla has a crush on his best mate Crowy. Isla's best friend has just moved away, leaving her feeling vunerable and alone at school.
The swan aspect starts when Isla and her Dad are birdwatching - when he collapses. Isla then finds one of the Swans they were watching at the lake outside the hospital.
The Harry section: Harry has cancer, and his own room at the children's ward. He meets Isla while she is waiting in the hospital, and she is immeadiately intrigued. I really liked Harry; his character was confident and unafraid of everything, until he faces his own problems.
All these threads weave together to create an emotional masterpiece, plain and simple, and what starts a bit awkwardly ends up transforming into a beautiful swan.
Try it for yourself, you may just like it - 4 stars (Which is a good rating, for me! I have to save the 5's for special occasions! :D)
October 24, 2011
Thirteen-year-old Isla and her father share a deep love for the swans that spend winter on the nearby lakes, chasing after them so they can tell where they have landed. But on one of their jaunts, her father becomes ill and is hospitalized. While visiting him, Isla meets Harry, who has leukemia and is waiting for a bone marrow transfusion. They bond over their shared interest in one swan that Harry can see from his window, a swan that became separated from the others and seems unsure how to fly. Isla is convinced that helping the swan rejoin its flock and sharing her school art project--a Leonardo Da Vinci-inspired flying machine made with a harness and real wings--will help her father recover.
This book is filled with beautiful language and description of the swan that has an almost mystical connection to Isla and the budding love between Isla and Harry as well as the often complicated familial bonds that keep some members close and others at a distance. While this book has a very different feel to it than the author's 2010 Stolen, Christopher clearly knows her way around relationships and has created complex characters in this book. I loved the scenes in which Isla runs as fast as she can, flapping her wings and coaxing the swan to do the same.
This book is filled with beautiful language and description of the swan that has an almost mystical connection to Isla and the budding love between Isla and Harry as well as the often complicated familial bonds that keep some members close and others at a distance. While this book has a very different feel to it than the author's 2010 Stolen, Christopher clearly knows her way around relationships and has created complex characters in this book. I loved the scenes in which Isla runs as fast as she can, flapping her wings and coaxing the swan to do the same.
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January 16, 2012I received the ARC of FLYAWAY from the BEA. What attracted me to this novel was the author, Lucy Christopher. I had read her first novel, STOLEN, which I thought was absolutely brilliant. FLYAWAY is quite different than STOLEN but also interesting. It's a MG novel narrated by Isla, pronounced I - la. Isla has a close relationship with her father. Together they share a love for birds, especially swans. As the swans migrate, Isla and her dad track them around their community.
SPOILER - SO BEWARE -
On one of those excursions the father collapses and is taken to the hospital. He is very sick and eventually needs a heart valve transplant. While worrying about her father, Isla meets a sick boy named Harry. The two of them become close friends. And then a lone swan enters their lives. To read the description of this swan's antics was quite interesting.
MGers will learn a lot about swans, how to navigate complex relationships, and how to cope with a family member who is sick.
This is a great book for kids who are going through tough times. Isla will become a friend who can relate to their fears.
SPOILER - SO BEWARE -
On one of those excursions the father collapses and is taken to the hospital. He is very sick and eventually needs a heart valve transplant. While worrying about her father, Isla meets a sick boy named Harry. The two of them become close friends. And then a lone swan enters their lives. To read the description of this swan's antics was quite interesting.
MGers will learn a lot about swans, how to navigate complex relationships, and how to cope with a family member who is sick.
This is a great book for kids who are going through tough times. Isla will become a friend who can relate to their fears.
October 20, 2011
Isla and her Dad share a love for watching swans return to local ponds each year. This year, however, Isla sees that her father isn't quite himself. When he falls to the ground with a heart attack, Isla's quick action calling for help gets him to the hospital in time to save him. Dad has to have a heart-valve replacement, and during his stay, Isla meets Harry, a cancer patient who is waiting for for a bone-marrow transplant. Throughout Isla's worries, she concentrates on the swans and on a very special art project that is tied in to one very special swan. Isla's gruff grandfather plays an important supporting role in the plot of this special book that is great for all middle grade readers. The book evidently takes place in Scotland, but it really could be set almost anywhere. Only small clues gives hints that it takes place in the British Isles. The subplots are wound together very skillfully, and I was glad to find a gentle animal story with a touch of innocent budding romance, some worry about illness for a little drama, and some family tension. It's well worth reading.
December 7, 2011
While the ideas presented in this book are interesting, I rated it at 2 stars. It is not the subject matter itself (which is heavy), but the writing which was heavy-handed. Perhaps because it is written as a children's book, some of the symbols and allusions were written to be extra obvious, but I think a lighter (not as in comedic, but as in deft) touch would have worked better. It felt as if the author were shining spotlights on certain character names and plot events and shouting "LOOK AT THIS SYMBOLISM!!!" Additionally, the atmosphere created by the author was relentlessly depressive, despite scenes of spiritual communion between the main character, Isla, and her father/Harry/the swan. I think many young readers would be interested in the premise of this book but would put it down before reading the final page.
February 2, 2012
I didn't really know anything about this one, just that it had good reviews and just recently made it onto ALSC's Notable Children's Books list. So I picked it up. And now that I am done, I can absolutely see why it was on the notable list. This book is absolutely brilliant and beautiful. Sometimes when I read a book where things are really up in the air, I want to sneak a peek at the ending to see if all of the characters are going to make it. But I wasn't tempted even once while reading this one. For me, it was all about the journey. I realized partway through that however things ended up for the characters would be fine with me, because it was the experiences they were having that made the book so beautiful. But the ending didn't disappoint, either. It was fabulous. I could happily read this one again and would highly recommend it.
November 29, 2011
This book knocked me over. It's full of beautiful imagery about swans and birds, freedom and hope. Isla and her father take special delight in following the swans as they migrate from Iceland every year to a lake near their home. This year their flight has become dangerous because of a power plant and at the same time her father suffers a heart attack while they go looking for swans. In the hospital, Isla meets Harry, a talkative, interesting young patient awaiting a bone marrow transplant. In school Isla is studying Leonardo da Vinci's flying machines and she is determined to make one.
July 22, 2011
Being a bird person, I thought I would love this book because it's about a girl who loves swans. It's a good story and tackles some tough subjects for kids like the near-death of a parent and chronic illness of a kid. BUT IF I READ ANOTHER BIRD/FLYING/FLOCK/SWAN METAPHOR IN THE NEXT 6 MONTHS I'M GONNA FREAK OUT! If she'd taken out a few of those, it could have been about 100 pages shorter and twice as good.
February 8, 2013
Not as exciting or unusual as , but I thoroughly enjoyed this teenage girl's interactions, both in reality and in her dreams, with the injured swan and her flock. The whoopers in the natural world were the perfect contrast to the hospital scenes and Christopher includes some lovely romance for the YA reader too.
August 19, 2012
Oh my goodness! I absolutely loved this book! It was so wonderful and special and touching! It played with all of my emotions and I could not read it fast enough! The ending was just so loving and touching! Excuse my loss for words. It was just perfect! I loved every single second of it! Definitely one of my favorites and a book I want to own!
July 11, 2012
What a nice coming of age story. I loved how connected Isla was with her dad and granddad! The relationship that Isla develops with the swan was also amazing! The relationship that humans develop with nature is so awe-inspiring and powerful.
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August 5, 2011*sob*
April 13, 2017
I absolutely loved this book! I could not put it down. It was soooo sweet and a really good book too. Not just some typical cheesy love story about a cancer patient. I would recommend it to anyone.
February 19, 2019
I really enjoyed this book! I listened to it in my car with a book on CD and I couldn't wait to get back in my car just to listen to more of it.
October 10, 2015
I loved it :) it's a really good book :)
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