Book review - Flightsend by Linda Newbery

Charlie and her mum move out to the country to an old house, Flightsend. Her mum sees it as an exciting new start, Charlie sees it as a long bus ride from her friends. But her mother has made up her mind to enjoy this new life and Charlie hasn’t seen her so happy for a long time. She makes the best of it, but thinks her mum’s making a mistake. Instead, the house seems to be just what they need, and it is a summer of growth for both of them.

I’m sure critics all over the country will class Flightsend as ‘bittersweet.’ It’s a story of self-discovery and growth. It’s also about making sacrifices for the people you love. Admittedly there is not too much of a plot, but the characters are interesting and believable, relationships between them are complex. There is also rather a lot of unrequited love, although the book is more about moving on and coming to terms with this than it is about angst.

Despite the emotional complexity of the story, whenever I think about it I don’t have much to say. I read this a week ago and I’m still not entirely sure what I think. The cover is absolutely perfect. That’s exactly what I feel about the book, it’s like lazily lying in the grass in summertime. Flightsend wasn’t outstanding, but it was pleasant, contenting and comfortable, like lying in the sun.