LitPick Review
Thirteen year old Drew Robin Solo, also known as Birdie, spends her summers helping out at her mother's cheese shop, taking care of her pet rat Hum, and crushing on Nick, the cute surfer who works at the shop. When Hum gets loose in the cheese shop, Drew goes looking for him. Not only does she find her rat, she meets Emmett Crane, a boy who has been eating leftover cheese and has a secret. They quickly become friends, and Drew is introduced to new friends, new places, and new ideas. Most importantly, as Emmett starts to trust Drew, she decides to abandon her normally cautious self and dives headfirst into an adventure that needs to bring a miracle.
Opinion:
"The Summer I Learned to Fly" is well written story that tells all of us overly cautious, quiet teens exactly what we need to hear- you have to take chances once in a while. The plot was realistic and fast-paced, with interesting twists that kept me involved in Drew and Emmett's adventure. Characters like Nick, the cute surfer, Finn, the guitarist, and Swoozie, the auntlike, matchmaking employee were fun and likeable. The ending was sweet, and tied up all of the loose ends. The style "The Summer I Learned to Fly" was written in reminded me a lot of "Dairy Queen," and I would recommend the book to girls who like realistic fiction and adventure, especially coming-of- age stories.
