Released: 1st July 2017
Published by: Macmillan Children's Books
Genre: YA Contemporary
Source: Publisher
Pages: 344
My Rating: 3 of 5 stars
My Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Linny has been living life in black and white since her sister Grace ran away, and she's scared that Grace might never come back. When Linny witnesses the return to Miami of a cult movie star long presumed dead, she is certain it's a sign. Surely Álvaro Herrera, of all people, can tell her why people come back - and how to bring her sister home?
Sebastian has come to Miami seeking his father, a man whose name he's only just learned. An aspiring astrophysicist, he can tell Linny how many galaxies there are, how much plutonium weighs and how likely she is to be struck by a meteorite. But none of the theories he knows are enough to answer his own questions about why his father abandoned him, and why it left him in pieces.
As Sebastian and Linny converge around the mystery of Álvaro's disappearance - and return - their planets start to collide. Linny's life is about to become technicolor, but finding the answers to her questions might mean losing everything that matters.
Sebastian has come to Miami seeking his father, a man whose name he's only just learned. An aspiring astrophysicist, he can tell Linny how many galaxies there are, how much plutonium weighs and how likely she is to be struck by a meteorite. But none of the theories he knows are enough to answer his own questions about why his father abandoned him, and why it left him in pieces.
As Sebastian and Linny converge around the mystery of Álvaro's disappearance - and return - their planets start to collide. Linny's life is about to become technicolor, but finding the answers to her questions might mean losing everything that matters.
Thank you to Pan Macmillan Australia for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
If Birds Fly Back is a sweet and heartfelt YA contemporary romance where two teens who are missing important people in their lives find unexpected support in each other. While it did take a little while for me to warm up to the story and connect to the characters, once I did I could see why this book has been getting so much positive feedback - the characters are authentic and this blossoming summer romance is full of adorable moments.
The title of this book and its meaning definitely comes into the spotlight within the plot, through continuing symbolism which borders on being poetic while retaining a playful voice through Linny and Sebastian's narration. The writing style reflects how these young people feel about their situations in terms of how they think and speak, but I also liked the inclusion of Linny's budding screenplay based on Grace's disappearance and Sebastian's quotations on 'A Brief Compendium of Astrophysical Curiosities'. It's these quirks and unique interests of the characters which made them seem more realistic. Their relationship as it developed may not have been on a total swoon-worthy level, but it was undeniably cute in the best possible nerdy way.
FINAL THOUGHTS
In all, If Birds Fly Back is a cute, feel-good story about coming into your own place on life's stage and finding someone to share that with. While there may be some missing pieces in what was meant to be the script, this novel shows that with a fresh outlook and new experiences, there is always hope that the next page will bring better days.
Lovely review, Eugenia! :) I hope I enjoy this book a tad more than you did, but I'm glad that you seemed to like it for the most part! I can understand how some contemps are a bit hard to get into at first, especially since this one doesn't seem to be much in the way of plot.
ReplyDeleteCass @ Words on Paper
Thanks Cass! I hope you enjoy it too :)
Delete