Flyaway

Flyaway
Author: Helen Landalf
publication date: December 19 2011
pages: 182





Summary:
Fifteen-year-old Stevie Calhoun is used to taking care of herself. But one night, her mom, who works as an exotic dancer in a downtown Seattle nightclub, never comes home.

That’s the night Stevie’s life turns upside down.

It’s the night that kicks off an extraordinary summer: the summer Stevie has to stay with her annoyingly perfect Aunt Mindy; the summer she learns to care for injured and abandoned birds; the summer she gets to know Alan, the meanest guy in high school.

But most of all, it’s the summer she finds out the truth about Mom.

FLYAWAY is the story of a teen girl’s struggle to hold on to what she’s always believed, even as her world spins out of control.




Review:

Flyaway was nothing like I expected it to be, honestly I didn’t think I was going to like it, but I ended of loving it.

This book was difficult to read at times just because the sorry excuse for her mother was acting like her daughter was nothing, Stevie loves her mother unconditionally until she doesn’t come home for 3 days, after 3 days her rich condescending aunt Mindy comes and takes her to her house. Stevie hates it there, she wants to go back home and wait for her mom to come home.

Aunt Mindy doesn’t believe she is coming back and takes Stevie in and gives her a better life. Stevie always heard nasty things about Mindy from her mom; she acts all perfect, with her perfect life and perfect house.

Stevie hates Drake, he knows what he and her mom are up to, so she’s goes to house and peers through the window and sure enough there is her mother with Drake doing drugs. She knows her mother has problems; she just wants to be with her and help her.

Stevie’s character grew throughout the book; she was strong as she dealt with her crappy life. I loved Aunt Mindy, she loved and cared for Stevie, even if all Stevie did was disrespect her, she was so forgiving.

I definitely cried in this book, it was so sad yet there was a happy outcome, Stevie might have had a bad life but there were people who cared about her and wanted to be there for her.

Helen’s writing was definitely emotional, and the subject of this book made me realize that there are kids and teenagers who have to deal with parents who are addicted to drugs or alcohol and they have no idea what to do.

Makes me want to go out there and help every one of them. I definitely recommend this book to everyone. When this comes out in December be sure to buy a copy!

4/5 stars