Flyaway by Helen Landalf

Synopsis:
Stevie Calhoun knows how to take care of herself. It’s not like her mom hasn’t disappeared before. So why is Aunt Mindy making such a big deal of it now? It’s not like Mom’s reallydoing meth. Stevie makes sure of that. Whatever. She’ll go home with Aunt Mindy if it will keep her from calling Child Protective Services—but it doesn’t mean she’ll stay. Mom will come back. Mom always comes back. And Stevie will be there when she does. But when Stevie meets Alan—frustrating and fascinating and so-different-from-everyone-she-knows Alan—and she starts helping out at the bird rehab center, things begin to look different. Even the tutoring and the ridiculous outfits Aunt Mindy’s forcing her into might not be so bad. Not that Stevie would say it out loud. She can’t. Because how can anything be good if it doesn’t include Mom?
(Synopsis taken from Goodreads).

My Thoughts:
I saw Flyaway for the first time at the library and immediately knew that I had to read it. The beautiful pink cover drew me in right away. The author was nice enough to send me a copy for review, which I am thankful for. After reading it, I have mixed feelings. 

Even though I am an adult, I read a lot of young adult books. Sometimes I love them, sometimes I don't. This was a case of the latter. I think that if I would have read this as a teenager, I would have loved it. However, as an adult, and having been through some of the situations that Stevie goes through, I just wanted to shake her, and tell her to get out of the situation she was in because it was going to end in heartbreak. 

On the other hand, thinking back to what I was like when I was a teenager, I would have loved this book. It's edgy, and heartbreaking. I almost wish that the teenage version of myself had this book to read, a it would have helped me understand and deal with things to come. It deals with serious issues that a lot of YA books won't touch, which makes it a great, informative read for teens. It portrays things in a realistic light, and doesn't sugar coat anything, which is something that I think teens really need (trying to be vague so I don't spoil things for those that want to read it). 

Even though Flyaway wasn't as enjoyable to me as I thought it would be, I think teens could really benefit from reading it. I will definitely be recommending that my local high school libraries add it to their selection of books. I recommend this book to teens from ages thirteen to sixteen.

I give Flyaway: 3.5/5.

Want to know more about the author?
Website: http://www.helenlandalf.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hlandalf
Twitter: https://twitter.com/helenlandalf
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/518966.Helen_Landalf

I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. I was in no way compensated for this review.