Review: If Birds Fly Back

Title: If Birds Fly Back
Author: Carlie Sorosiak
Pages: 352
Published by: Macmillan Children’s Books
Release Date: 29th June 2017
Synopsis:
Linny has been living life in black and white since her sister Grace ran away, and she’s scared that Grace might never come back. When Linny witnesses the return to Miami of a cult movie star long presumed dead, she is certain it’s a sign. Surely Álvaro Herrera, of all people, can tell her why people come back – and how to bring her sister home?

Sebastian has come to Miami seeking his father, a man whose name he’s only just learned. An aspiring astrophysicist, he can tell Linny how many galaxies there are, how much plutonium weighs and how likely she is to be struck by a meteorite. But none of the theories he knows are enough to answer his own questions about why his father abandoned him, and why it left him in pieces.

As Sebastian and Linny converge around the mystery of Álvaro’s disappearance – and return – their planets start to collide. Linny’s life is about to become technicolor, but finding the answers to her questions might mean losing everything that matters.

Purchase from: Amazon | Book Depository | Waterstones

Firstly, thank you to the publisher for sending me a copy of If Birds Fly Back to review!

Review:

I was so excited to read If Birds Fly Back when I first heard about it. It sounded wonderful, and I’d heard so many great things about it that I knew I had to read it. And I am so glad that I did. If Birds Fly Back turned out to be the perfect summer read with just the right blend of romance, humour, friendship and heartbreak — I adored it!

I loved the characters in this book. Told in a dual perspective, we see both Linny and Sebastian’s voices and perspectives, and they were so witty and awkward and passionate about their interests. Their relationship was so adorable!

I liked the focus on the importance of friendships, through Linny’s struggles with her friendship with Cass after disappearance of her sister, and through the bond between Linny and Sebastian and Álvaro. Álvaro was a great character, too, and I loved the friendship he formed with Linny and Sebastian; it was such a positive aspect of the book.

The writing style was beautiful and witty but thanks to the delightful things we call exams, I didn’t get to read If Birds Fly Back quite as quickly as I wanted to – though I’m positive that I would have devoured it in a day. It kept me completely hooked, and desperate to carry on reading. It was the perfect book to get me in the mood for the summer!

Rating: ★★★★.5☆