Flyaway has been included in the NPR’s Best Books of 2020!
You can sort the full list by a number of categories, which I recommend doing as there are many and varied books on it. Jessica P. Wick’s review of Flyaway is here:
And you can buy Flyaway through all good bookstores and the usual online suspects.
Flyaway was included in the Washington Independent Review of Books’ “Our 51 Favourite Books of 2020“.
You can see their full list here, and Mariko Hewer’s review of Flyaway here.
And, of course, you can buy Flyaway from all good bookstores.
A lovely review of Flyaway by Natalie Meree.
Rich Horton’s review of Flyaway has been included in the New & Notable Books column of the October Locus magazine (see more excellent books reviewed in the column here).
It was also reviewed in Locus earlier in the year (at greater length) by Katharine Coldiron:
“It should be no surprise that Kathleen Jennings’s debut novel is splendid and unusual, that it feels like a dispatch from another, finer world, that it frightens and enchants in the same breath.”
Katharine Coldiron’s review of Flyaway for Locus magazine is now up on their website.
“It should be no surprise that Kathleen Jennings’s debut novel is splendid and unusual, that it feels like a dispatch from another, finer world, that it frightens and enchants in the same breath.”
And I had a great conversation with David McLean of “Published or Not” on 3CR community radio in Melbourne, which is now online here:
(Flyaway is now available through all good bookstores and the usual online suspects.)
Such a lovely surprise to get a review for Flyaway from, of all places. Smart Bitches, Trashy Books — only a little of the surprise is because Flyaway is not (as Carrie points out) romance. Mainly it is because I have a longstanding affection for SBTB, and it is a very nice review, and I wasn’t expecting it at all.
Flyaway by Kathleen Jennings — by Carrie S
“… I adored this novella. ADORED it. I love the imagery, the atmosphere, the incredible tactile quality of the world as described, the structure, and the reveal of what is happening with Bettina and her family. This is some of the best prose I’ve ever read in terms of description. Just look at this, and tell me you don’t feel these descriptions of trees right on your skin and in your eyes…“
A flurry of Flyaway reviews! It’s out now and can be bought at good bookstores and online — and there’s an online event (with Garth Nix) through Avid Reader at 6:30pm AEST on Tuesday 18th August — considerably earlier in most other time zones.
Here is a delightful review from Feathers of Icarus (Krystal Lee), which also makes me laugh — it is so very charming and intensely thorough:
Feathers of Icarus — Review: Flyaway
Kerryn Goldsworthy reviewed Flyaway in the Sydney Morning Herald Fiction reviews:
Fiction reviews: No Presents Please and three other titles
And while it wasn’t in Indie Bound‘s numbered bestsellers (congratulations to them!), it did get a nod as one of their Other Indie Favourites, with Aimee Keeble’s review, which was so thrilling.
Trying to categorize this wonderful novel would be like putting a unicorn into a horse box.
And to my joy and very happy amusement, there is also a review in the September issue (out now) of The Australian Women’s Weekly, a magazine whose recipes — but in particular whose birthday cakes (happy 40th anniversary to that cookbook!) — have loomed so large in many Australian lives and childhoods (this issue of course also contains some lovely photos from Princess Beatrice’s wedding — I like to think Nerida Scott of Flyaway would have approved).
And you can find Flyaway through all good bookstores and online — and there’s an online event on Tuesday I’m excited about — but do check the timezone!
(And, of course, I’m rather pleased with the window drawings.)
One of the most delightful parts of having a book out (Flyaway is published, everyone!) is getting to read really thoughtful, interesting reviews of it! I’m used to getting critique on works in progress, notes for editing, and so on, but reviews are of course a completely different genre of writing about writing — and often make me want to go write more, and explore ideas and angles the reviewer has suggested or found. As a reader, I thoroughly enjoy thoughtful appreciations of books (even — and sometimes especially — books I wouldn’t usually read), but as a writer it’s also really nice to encounter someone getting their teeth into something you’ve made.
Here are two more recent reviews of Flyaway:
Anthony Cardno — Review of Flyaway
“Dreams, especially those we experience when we’re ill, often take turns into completely disconnected and unexpected territory. Flyaway does the same thing several times, action halting for a side story that feels disconnected from everything around it. But Flyaway isn’t a dream, it’s a carefully layered construction. Each of the side-stories is a complete whole – any one of them could be published as a satisfyingly eerie stand-alone short story, an impressive feat in a book that is already economical in length – but everything comes together at the end.“
Alex Brown on Tor.com — “Nothing else in the world beyond but trees”: Flyaway by Kathleen Jennings
“Flyaway is magnificently written and feels like a folktale both old and new. Jennings’ use of language is as uncanny as it is gorgeous. It’s the kind of story where you can smell the macadam baking in the sun and hear the crackle of dry grass.”
Flyaway has been reviewed by Danielle Trussoni in the New York Times! And next to some amazing books.
And it’s in this post of Tor.com’s 8 Favourite Twists on Classic Gothic Stories.
Kathleen Jennings 