FLYAWAY
by Kathleen Jennings
Rating: 4/5
Pages: 176
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: tor.com
Release Date: July 28, 2020
In a quiet Queensland town, Bettina Scott’s mundane life is upended when one of her missing brother’s sends her a note—a note that will catapult her on a quest into the various folk and fairy tales throughout the town in an attempt to find out what happened to her father and brothers.
Told with a quiet sense of uncanny, this novella manages to tie lush prose and normalcy into one unsettling package. And as the mystery unfolds things get more and more bizarre.
Honestly, I really enjoyed this novella, there was just enough of the uncanny to set my teeth on edge. And even in the beginning, I was waiting eagerly to find out what was going to happen next. Right from the start, there’s this excellent sense of atmosphere to the book, and I just knew that things weren’t quite what they seemed.
Where the book didn’t quite hit the mark for me was in the characters, while ultimately I was interested in the conclusion, I just didn’t find any of them sparkled in that special. Bettina is just… kind of bland… it’s like she exists within a haze, which I guess makes sense given the story, but ultimately, it’s not that interesting to read about.
This is the type of book that I’d recommend to people who are fans of gothic mysteries and fairy-tales, for those who are into more character-driven books, this may not be a great fit.
Kathleen Jennings is an award-winning author and illustrator, to learn more about her, check out her website.
To buy the book check the links below:
** Specials thanks to NetGalley and Tor.com for providing me with an eARC of this book**
*** like this review? Join my newsletter for a monthly recap of my reviews!***