Review: The Simple Art of Flying by Cory Leonardo
SYNOPSIS:
Quirky characters, plucky humor, and a heartwarming message come together in this big-hearted debut novel about friendship and the true meaning of family.
Sometimes flying means keeping your feet on the ground…
Born in a dismal room in a pet store, Alastair the African grey parrot dreams of escape to bluer skies. He’d like nothing more than to fly away to a palm tree with his beloved sister, Aggie. But when Aggie is purchased by twelve-year-old Fritz, and Alastair is adopted by elderly dance-enthusiast and pie-baker Albertina Plopky, the future looks ready to crash-land.
In-between anxiously plucking his feathers, eating a few books, and finding his own poetic voice, Alastair plots his way to a family reunion. But soon he’s forced to choose between the life he’s always dreamed of and admitting the truth: that sometimes, the bravest adventure is in letting go.
REVIEW:
*Book Received in Exchange for Honest Opinion/Review*
Three words to describe this book, quirky, whimsical, and playful. What an awesome debut novel with a refreshing and unique narrative. The story is told from several view points, mainly Alastair (the parrot), letters Bertie is writing to here deceased husband, and Fritz’s medical journal. Now it took me a bit to get used to seeing things from a parrots perspective but once I got into the story, it flew by (pun intended)!
Alastair goes a crazy journey over the course of the book. From endlessly searching for his sister to plotting numerous escapes, he was constantly struggling. But over the course of all these adventures, he realizes that maybe the grass isn’t greener on the other side. And maybe, just maybe he ended up where he should have been all along. Also, to truly love someone, you have to realize what’s best for them…even if its letting them go.
I think this will resonate with the middle grade genre. You hear about bullying, friendships, the healing powers of pets, divorced parents and the mark they leave; the book is so much more than a crazy African grey parrot on a journey of self discovery. The ending took me by surprise but I will say, it left a big cheesy grin on my face.
I think my only grievance is I wish the selected poetry was targeted towards that age genre as well. There are a lot of old, deceased, classic poetry rewrites from Alastair’s perspective and it made me sad that this didn’t carry the light, whimsical feel that the rest of the book did. I would have loved to see Alastair’s take on Shel Silverstein and others who children and young teens are more likely to be familiar with and understand. Otherwise I am looking forward to see what Cory Leonardo comes out with next!
LINKS:
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
