Critics' Opinion:
Readers' rating:
Published Mar 2017
272 pages
Genre: Literary Fiction
Publication Information
A debut novel about one girl's discovery of family secrets, first love, the limits of forgiveness, and finding one's way in the world, written with wisdom and sympathy by the bestselling memoirist, actor, and director.
When fifteen-year-old Lucy Willows discovers that her father has a child from a brief affair, an eight-year-old boy named Thomas who lives in her own suburban New Jersey town, she begins to question everything she thinks she knows about her family and her life. Lucy can't believe her father betrayed the whole family, or that her mother forgave him, or that her sister isn't rocked by the news the way Lucy is. Worse, Lucy's father's secret is now her own, one that isolates her from her friends, family, and even her boyfriend, Simon, the one person she expected would truly understand. When Lucy escapes to Maine, the home of her mysteriously estranged grandfather, she finally begins to get to the bottom of her family's secrets and lies.
Fans of the rebels and antiheroes in the novels of Rainbow Rowell, A. S. King, and Meg Wolitzer will welcome this sharp, observant new voice in young adult fiction.
"A poignant, character-driven coming-of-age novel that, despite a too-tidy ending, will appeal broadly to teen readers." – Kirkus
"This YA debut suffers from an overload of story - a family drama, a romance, a road trip, and a renewed intergenerational relationship. Other flaws include occasional awkward phrasing, a random musing about race that doesn't fit the overall tone, and a road trip that drags the pace. Strengths of the book include Lucy's realistic response to her dad's revelation, as well as other personal connections, and McCarthy's fame as an actor will add interest." - Booklist
"While the plot seems like it should be action-packed given its story line, the writing is slow and deliberate, which not all readers will enjoy. Save this novel for your most thoughtful readers." - School Library Journal
"Readers will appreciate the honest conversations between Lucy and her family, which underscore the importance of communication to foster connection and understanding. Ages 14–up." - Publishers Weekly
This information about Just Fly Away was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Andrew McCarthy is the author of the New York Times bestselling travel memoir, The Longest Way Home. He is an editor at large at National Geographic Traveler magazine. He is also an actor and director. He lives in New York City with his wife, three children, two fish, and one dog. Just Fly Away is his first novel. You can find him online at andrewmccarthy.com or on Twitter: @AndrewTMcCarthy.
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