Details

Length: 407
Story Build: quickly builds 
Character development: strong, descriptive 
Age Recommendation: high school readers
Reasoning:, language, sexual content, abusive content, domestic abuse  

Summary and Review

We’ll Fly Away had me right from the start. It begins with a letter from one friend, Luke, to his best friend, Toby. You can piece together that Luke is in jail—-you just don’t know what for yet. When I first discovered this novel and read the back cover, and, really, the whole novel, I thought it was just about friendship. Luke and Toby have been friends for the majority of their life, constantly looking out for one another as neither boy has any supportive home life. However, what they do have is a plan: Luke will get a wrestling scholarship and will bring Toby to Iowa with him when he leaves. 

It’s the perfect plan until Toby’s family situation worsens and some ladies catch the attention of both boys. Bliss delivers some excellent character development with the personality of both boys. Toby’s humor and quick wit caused me to lol at times, while Luke’s loyalty and care for Toby and his younger twin brothers had me pausing and reflecting on my growing love for his character. I found myself on the edge at times, wondering when the other shoe was going to drop for these boys who were always on the brink of losing it—their friendship, their loved ones, and their world. Ultimately you know something happens because each section is punctuated by letters from Luke, in jail, to Toby, who is clearly not with him. 

It wasn’t until I got to the end of the book and read the author’s note that I realized just how much deeper this book ran. The novel is not just about friendship and the toll violence can take on humans. Bliss writes, “When I started We’ll Fly Away, I always called it my “death-penalty book.” It was shorthand, a way to talk about it before I had a working title…. But it’s also a book about friendship…. And maybe most importantly, it’s a book that invites readers to ask the question: do I believe a person can ever be beyond redemption?” (Bliss). 

When I read that, the book brought forth more depth. I found myself replaying scenes from the novel and asking myself that question that Bliss posed at the end of his author’s note. Yes, reading the book for the friendship, loyalty, and love shared between these two boys is vital; but going into the book with Bliss’s question will make you feel more and really inquire as to what you believe about redemption. 

Celebrations

Bliss’s strength is in his way that he crafts the story–hinting at the ending that becomes more clear once you get deeper into the book without spoiling it for the readers. His novel moves along at a fast clip, and he spends his time developing the plot where it is necessary. He builds suspense well with the letters from Luke, and he really pushes the emotional envelope with the conclusion. I found myself wanting to sob in the middle of the local bakery when I finished. Furthermore, the characters of Luke and Toby were well established; I felt like they could be real people  and their personalities were genuine. I thought of them long after I finished the novel, especially when ruminating on what Bliss suggested. 

Hesitations

There were moments when I was confused by the disagreements between the boys. It seemed like their relationship could have withstood some of their areas of struggle–especially from Toby’s end. I was rooting for him and wanting him to, sometimes, be stronger than he was. However, whether or not that is fair is up for debate. My only real hesitation was the timeline of the story in regards to the romantic relationships the boys pursued. They seemed to move quickly, and maybe that is typical of high school ones, but it was a tad unrealistic at moments for me.