Friday, June 30, 2017

Review: If Birds Fly Back - Carlie Sorosiak

If Birds Fly Back
Carlie Sorosiak
Series: n/a
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: HarperTeen
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads
A sparkling debut about love, family, and the mysteries of the universe. Linny has been fascinated by disappearances, ever since her sister Grace ran away in the middle of the night without saying goodbye. Sebastian can tell you how many galaxies there are, and knows how much plutonium weighs. But the one thing he can’t figure out is the identity of his birth father. They’ve never met, but Linny and Sebastian have one thing in common: an obsession with famous novelist and filmmaker Alvaro Herrera, who went missing three years ago and has just reappeared. As they learn more about the mystery of Alvaro, Linny and Sebastian uncover the answers they’ve been searching for. With humor and heart, debut author Carlie Sorosiak weaves a story of finding people who leave and loving those who stay, perfect for fans of Jandy Nelson and Emery Lord.

I am not even sure where to start with this book. But, the gif above pretty much sums up what I looked like when I finished reading If Birds Fly Back. You know, where you are so happy and emotional, that you are simultaneously laughing and crying. That was totally me.

I immediately fell in love with the characters in this book. Both Linny and Sebastian were so cute and unique. Linny was an aspiring filmmaker, who was trying to come to terms with her sister's disappearance. She felt like her world had dimmed without her sister in it, but Linny just did not see herself the way others saw her. She was vibrant, sweet, and charming. And Sebastian! He was the geek that you could not resist. His mother had finally revealed the identity of his father, and he was in Miami trying to connect with said father trying to solve that puzzle of why his father left him. Sebastian was a lover of astrophysics, who always felt like there was a piece of him that was missing, when in fact, he was a a perfect package of loving son, awesome friend, and quirky genius.  These two were awesome on their own, but even better together.

This story really won my heart, because both Linny and Sebastian were searching for someone, but along the way, they found themselves and each other. This type of story always pierces my heart and brings me joy, and If Birds Fly Back was no exception to this rule. This tale masterfully blends so many themes together. Sorosiak tackles family, first love, identity, and friendship. I obviously latched onto the love story with both hands, as I always do, but it was made better by all the other parts of the story.

Something which enhanced my reader experience was the way Sorosiak told the story. The book alternates between Linny and Sebastian's POV. Linny's chapters contain excerpts from her Journal of the Lost and Found, as well as scenes from her screenplay, The Left-Behinds. Sebastian's chapters contain quotes from A Brief Compendium of Astrophysical Curiosities, as well as his own very well named theories. Each excerpt and quote was used thoughtfully and fit properly in the part of the story it was placed. They provided interesting background information, and also helped me focus on important ideas in that chapter. I especially loved The Left-Behinds. These snippets spoke so much as to the feelings Linny kept deep down inside, and we filled with gorgeous imagery.

This book was the perfect blend of fluff and substance, hard and soft, heavy and light, happy and sad. It took me through just about every emotion, and left me with my heart bursting with joy. If Sorosiak continues to write books like this, I will read every one of them.

**I would like to thank the publisher for the advanced copy of this book








Sebastian is planning to go to Cal Tech to study astrophysics, and there are a bunch of science references peppered throughout the books. 

Do you like science?
Let us know in the comments!

14 comments:

  1. Your review totally sold me on this book. I love that it was the perfect mix of fluff and substance and grabbed at so many emotions. I will need to check this one out. Great review!

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    1. I cannot stop grinning just thinking about It! 😄

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  2. I haven't heard of this one, but any book that can make you cry over its beauty and because it's so emotionally charged, immediately had my attention. I'd love to see more contemporaries with dual POVs as I sometimes find myself wanting to know about other characters' journey. Glad you enjoy this one so much!

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    1. I found this looking for debuts, and I am so happy I did. The duel POV was definitely needed for this book, since it was really both of their stories - Sebastian looking for his father and Linny looking for her sister, and I really liked being in both their heads.

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  3. This sounds amazing! How is it that I've never heard of it before? I'll have to check it out!

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    1. This was such a standout for me. I cannot think of one thing I did not like about this book.

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  4. This seems like a beautifully heart wrenching book! Great review!

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    1. I really loved it, and it touches upon all these issues of abandonment that really hit home with me.

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  5. I knew I wanted to read this and I've kept it on my TBR for a reason (even though I'd forgotten some of the details of what this is about but your review has reminded me and it sounds even better than I remember it sounding so brilliant review! I love a book which is both fluffy and has depth to it.

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    1. Obviously I liked it. The family element, the romance element, the abandonment element -- it worked for me. I liked both main characters and found the excerpts interesting. I always like when a book can touch about issues, but not get bogged down in it

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  6. Any time an author is compared to Jandy Nelson, I'm interested! Linny and Sebastian also sound awesome, especially Sebastian (I love a geeky character, haha). The scenes from The Left-Behinds sound absolutely heart wrenching, too!

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    1. I really liked this one, and I would say I could see the comparison more during The Left-Behinds scenes, which were beautifully written and had that quality that I love in Nelson's writing. Lots of sad parts, but Sorosiak gives good closure and lots of hope.

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  7. :DDD This review makes me so happy!!! I am so excited for this book, just got to wait for the paperback because I don't normally collect hardcovers. Hahah while I wait I'll probably get a copy at the library, hopefully they get it soon! I loved everything that you said. I enjoyed reading the first chapter as a teaser and think I'm going to fall in love with this one!

    Cass @ Words on Paper

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    1. Yay! I am glad you previewed and liked what you read, because I loved this one.

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