Hey y’all, I’m back with another grand book review! And, this time… we (finally) have one I REALLY like!
Heads up, it deals with aliens, too. Like, extraterrestrials. Yuh!
The Book Overview
In a nutshell, and I’m kind of copying other Goodreads reviewers here, Flying is basically a mash-up between Men in Black and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. And cheerleading, like, the sport (yes it’s a sport, people!), is thrown in the mix too for good measure.
The Book Cover and Description, Taken from Goodreads:
“But that night, Mana’s life goes haywire.
First, the hot guy she’s been crushing on at school randomly flips out and starts spitting acid during the game. Then they get into a knockdown, drag-out fight in the locker room, during which Mana finds herself leaping around like a kangaroo on steroids. As a flyer on the cheerleading squad, she’s always been a good jumper, but this is a bit much. By the time she gets home and finds her house trashed and an alien in the garage, Mana starts to wonder if her mother had her reasons for being overprotective.
It turns out, Mana’s frumpy, timid mom is actually an alien hunter, and now she’s missing–taking a piece of technology with her that everyone wants their hands on, both human and alien. Now her supposed partner, a guy that Mana has never met or heard of (and who seems way too young and way too arrogant to be hunting aliens), has shown up, ordering Mana to come with him. Now, on her own for the first time, Mana will have to find a way to save her mother–and maybe the world–and hope she’s up to the challenge.”
So, yeah, basically Buffy the “alien slayer”… in cheerleader form. But, of course, the book itself is full of action and adventure along with hints of comedy and romance… and rom-com settings.
Let me just say: it’s for readers who like something unique and totally not boring! Which is 100% me, haha.
My Review
Well, first and foremost… I got the hardcover of this book at one of those half-price bookstores, and I would not have even picked it up if it weren’t for that cover. Yep, totally judged this one by its cover… but, honestly, that turned out well for me!
Because I think this book rocked it. It was fast-paced, on-the-go, something-always-happening-to-someone-and-somewhere-interesting. It was… dare I say… one I had trouble putting down!
Now, maybe I’m just giving this book more credit than deserved (there were some alien-fighting parts that were a little… strange, sure) because I’ve just been in a rut of reading books that are, to me, pretty uninteresting… but, you know, I did like this one quite a bit more than those others I’ve been reading lately, so I’m gonna support it whole-heartedly!
Let’s Talk About That Humor
So, let’s mention the comedic factor of this book. Because, honestly, if you’re slaying aliens left and right after cheering at an otherwise uneventful basketball game, you’ve got to have a sense of humor, right?
Well, this book had a ton of subtle humor, which you all know I totally appreciate. I mean, I do love obvious humor, too, but the subtle ‘just a quiet funny comment here, a little funny dialogue there, a funny adjective here’ method works well for this story. It doesn’t distract from the main plot, and it makes it all feel good to read.
“He has Dakota all tied up on the bench. He used duct tape to wrap his ankles and hands together, doubling Dakota back onto himself. Dakota’s eyes meet mine, and you can tell he is so not into this S and M crap.”
Flying, Chapter 2
And That Romance…
There’s also this super cute romance trope going on between our main character, Mana, and her best friend, Lyle, the whole story. It’s not forced, and it feels natural. And, with the humorous banter between the both of them, it feels very rom-com-y, too. I know I only like romance when it’s this type, and I’m sure there are a lot of you out there that can appreciate it, too. Just nothing forced–that’s all I ask!
The combination of subtle romance and subtle humor reminds me a lot of this other book, too, especially when we throw the whole “saving the world” thing into the equation… but, I’m just saying.
Anyway, I just found out there is a sequel to this book, too; it’s called Enhanced, also by Carrie Jones, and seems to carry on where this book left off. I’m not so sure I want to look into it, though, because… well, I feel like this book does really well as a stand-alone book. Man, does everything have to be in a series these days?
Well, let me know in the comments if you have read or are planning to read this book plus what you think of it and/or my review!
Tl; DR: Flying is for YA readers who love action and adventure and can appreciate some subtle hints of comedy and romance.
–Kari
Kari Lynn M. 