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Fly Back, Agnes
A story that tackles the everyday inner turmoil of growing up and staying true to oneself.
Twelve-year-old Agnes hates everything about her life: her name, her parents' divorce, her best friend's abandonment, her changing body . . . . So while staying with her dad over the summer, she decides to become someone else. She tells people she meets that her name is Chloe, she's fourteen, her parents are married, and she's a dancer and actor--just the life she wants.
But Agnes's fibs quickly stack up and start to complicate her new friendships, especially with Fin, whose mysterious relative runs a local raptor rehab center that fascinates Agnes. The birds, given time and care, heal and fly back home. Agnes, too, wants to get back to wherever she truly belongs. But first she must come to see the good in her real life, however flawed and messy it is, and be honest with her friends, her family, and herself.
Twelve-year-old Agnes hates everything about her life: her name, her parents' divorce, her best friend's abandonment, her changing body . . . . So while staying with her dad over the summer, she decides to become someone else. She tells people she meets that her name is Chloe, she's fourteen, her parents are married, and she's a dancer and actor--just the life she wants.
But Agnes's fibs quickly stack up and start to complicate her new friendships, especially with Fin, whose mysterious relative runs a local raptor rehab center that fascinates Agnes. The birds, given time and care, heal and fly back home. Agnes, too, wants to get back to wherever she truly belongs. But first she must come to see the good in her real life, however flawed and messy it is, and be honest with her friends, her family, and herself.
296 pages, Hardcover
First published March 3, 2020
2 people are currently reading
1570 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Atkinson
6 books92 followersI'm the award-winning Middle Grade author of FROM ALICE TO ZEN, I EMMA FREKE, THE SUGAR MOUNTAIN SNOW BALL, THE ISLAND OF BEYOND, and FLY BACK, AGNES MOON coming in Spring 2020!
My favorite part of writing for tweens is connecting with young readers and aspiring writers. I've visited with thousands of students (schools, libraries, book clubs, Skype) across the USA and as far away as Canada, Ireland, and China!
So if you're interested, check out my website www.elizabethatkinson.com and contact me about my Author Visits and writing workshops!
My favorite part of writing for tweens is connecting with young readers and aspiring writers. I've visited with thousands of students (schools, libraries, book clubs, Skype) across the USA and as far away as Canada, Ireland, and China!
So if you're interested, check out my website www.elizabethatkinson.com and contact me about my Author Visits and writing workshops!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
November 4, 2020
Oh, this one gave me all the 'noisy' feels. When I started reading this one (because I was in desperate need of a good children's fiction read!), I thought it must be all the middle-grade-age angsty talks and thoughts. And yes, there's this crazy, loud mom (like most of the mothers actually seem like to kids of such age) and there's this disconnected kind of family issues going on that I thought it's just the beginning of the book.
Then I went through the second chapter, then the third and the fourth. And yes, the main character is just complaining non-stop. Okay, I thought, she's a kid trying to adjust to her new surroundings.
And then a few more chapters and ....NO. O JUST couldn't read it anymore.
Here's what would have made the book more appealing:
I wish there less of racist remarks even though it might have been written solely for the confusion of the characters involved or just to portray the main character realistically.
I wish the girl-you-are-growing-up-your-body-is-changing kind of dialogues and lines were a bit less tacky and handled with sensitivity even though they were meant to be straightforward and adult-to-kid kind of casual talk.
I wish comparisons made between the characters were less.
And then there's this last straw for me:
Comparison of a person's face to a bull dog.
No.
I just cannot read this.
Thank you #NetGalley for the book #FlyBackAgnes
Then I went through the second chapter, then the third and the fourth. And yes, the main character is just complaining non-stop. Okay, I thought, she's a kid trying to adjust to her new surroundings.
And then a few more chapters and ....NO. O JUST couldn't read it anymore.
Here's what would have made the book more appealing:
I wish there less of racist remarks even though it might have been written solely for the confusion of the characters involved or just to portray the main character realistically.
I wish the girl-you-are-growing-up-your-body-is-changing kind of dialogues and lines were a bit less tacky and handled with sensitivity even though they were meant to be straightforward and adult-to-kid kind of casual talk.
I wish comparisons made between the characters were less.
And then there's this last straw for me:
Comparison of a person's face to a bull dog.
No.
I just cannot read this.
Thank you #NetGalley for the book #FlyBackAgnes
March 3, 2020
This is a book cover that simply beckons the reader to enter in. Inside is a summer story that has heart. Agnes is determined not to go to Topeka for the summer with her mom, Mo; boyfriend/mural artist, and his eccentric 6-year-old son. She schemes and fibs to get permission to spend the summer with her dad. He is a free-range parent type and Agnes roams the countryside making new friends and presenting herself as a girl named Chloe who is older and her the life Agnes really wants. When new friends Stella and Finn begin to share their secrets, Agnes begins to count her blessings. She is convicted that it is time to come clean. An end of summer party brings things to a climax and helps Agnes to take steps to move forward. Includes stories of teenage mothers and an intersex baby. Also is a bit heavy on Agnes and the timing of her first period. Mother Mo really spends a LOT of time discussing this with her daughter. The book did allude to many of the signs of that monthly visitor.
Thank you to Lerner Publishing and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to Lerner Publishing and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
February 21, 2020
Agnes is 12 years old and has a best friend named Megan. Overnight Megan morphs into a type of girl that her and Agnes never aspired to be before - caring about make up, wearing dresses and gossip. Agnes overhears Megan say some not so nice things about her at a sleep over and she is devastated. On top of that her mom has decided that her and Agnes are going to follow her boyfriend and his son and spend the summer in Kansas. Agnes does not want to go and ends up moving in with her dad for summer break while he is house sitting in a different town. She decides to play a game and makes up an entire new life for herself, one that she really wants to be true. She makes friends in the new town but after so many lies she is worried that she messed everything up. What will happen when the truth comes out?
This is a such a cute book! I read it in one sitting. I remember mean girls and family issues at home around the same age. I use to dream up different life stories... only mine were in my head or in a journal, never actually told people a made up life. So in a way, my 12 year old self related to Agnes. When my daughter gets older, I can’t wait to share this book with her. I just wish the author had left us with a 10 years later epilogue...
This is a such a cute book! I read it in one sitting. I remember mean girls and family issues at home around the same age. I use to dream up different life stories... only mine were in my head or in a journal, never actually told people a made up life. So in a way, my 12 year old self related to Agnes. When my daughter gets older, I can’t wait to share this book with her. I just wish the author had left us with a 10 years later epilogue...
March 29, 2020
This new middle grade novel by award-winning author, Beth Atkinson Eames, will break your heart and make you cry with joy. I think it's her best yet, and they've all been stunning.
February 8, 2021
“Ah, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive!”
This quote immediately popped into my head as soon as the young protagonist,Agnes,decides to become “Chloe” while spending the summer with her father. She’s had a rough year; her parents have divorced, her older sister up and left without warning. Agnes’ loud, take-charge mother has remarried, to a man with a six-year-kid who only speaks in a fake British accent. And to top it off, Agnes’s best friend seems to have dropped her for a snobby new girl. Agnes feels that her entire life is falling apart, piece by piece, and she can’t stop it. When she meets up with new people in the town where her dad lives in a borrowed house, it suddenly seems like a great idea to take on a brand-new identity! No one there knows her or her family, so there’s no chance of getting caught if Agnes plays the game really, really carefully...
I think this would be a great book for middle-grade readers. Agnes is a character that any child of that age could easily relate to!
This quote immediately popped into my head as soon as the young protagonist,Agnes,decides to become “Chloe” while spending the summer with her father. She’s had a rough year; her parents have divorced, her older sister up and left without warning. Agnes’ loud, take-charge mother has remarried, to a man with a six-year-kid who only speaks in a fake British accent. And to top it off, Agnes’s best friend seems to have dropped her for a snobby new girl. Agnes feels that her entire life is falling apart, piece by piece, and she can’t stop it. When she meets up with new people in the town where her dad lives in a borrowed house, it suddenly seems like a great idea to take on a brand-new identity! No one there knows her or her family, so there’s no chance of getting caught if Agnes plays the game really, really carefully...
I think this would be a great book for middle-grade readers. Agnes is a character that any child of that age could easily relate to!
June 26, 2020
Would you rather live a life full of pain and regret or live the perfect dream life? Of course, everyone would rather live a perfect life. Agnes is no exception. After her parents’ divorce, her best friend’s abandonment, and having to deal with her changing body, Agnes is more than ready to ditch her life and make up a new one. So, that’s exactly what she decides to do. While spending the summer away at her dad’s home, Agnes decides to tell everyone she meets about her life, only it isn’t her life at all. It’s the life of Chloe, a girl with married parents who work amazing jobs, a girl who has an awesome older sister, and a girl who lives in Kansas, not boring old Vermont. At first, pretending to be Chloe seems like the best decision Agnes has ever made. But when the lie turns into a complicated, irreversible web, Agnes must decide whether she should try to continue her fictitious life, or if she should accept and welcome who she is and what her life actually looks like. Follow Agnes along on her journey in the book Fly Back, Agnes by Elizabeth Atkinson.
Opinion:
I found this book to be both delightful and extremely relatable. As a senior in high school, it’s been a bit since middle school, but this book managed to draw me right back into that beautiful mess with no effort at all.
Agnes is a great main character and is really easy to connect with. The readers follow along with her struggles with puberty, friendship, and family drama. Everyone who reads this book will be able to find at least one thing about Agnes that will remind them of themselves.
The trope of making up a fictitious life and lying to everyone about it may not seem like an interesting plotline, but I found that this story was extremely enjoyable and also easy to read. The language was simple but still described scenes in the book with excellence. The emotion that is laced throughout the story is beautiful, powerful, and usually rather rare in other books of this genre, making this story refreshing and engaging.
In conclusion, I highly recommend this book for any up-and-coming middle schoolers, a current middle schooler, or even someone in high school. The story is clean and enjoyable and also holds a valuable lesson: Even if your life is messy and not the way you want it to be, it’s your life and is the way it is for a reason, even if you don’t see it yet.
Opinion:
I found this book to be both delightful and extremely relatable. As a senior in high school, it’s been a bit since middle school, but this book managed to draw me right back into that beautiful mess with no effort at all.
Agnes is a great main character and is really easy to connect with. The readers follow along with her struggles with puberty, friendship, and family drama. Everyone who reads this book will be able to find at least one thing about Agnes that will remind them of themselves.
The trope of making up a fictitious life and lying to everyone about it may not seem like an interesting plotline, but I found that this story was extremely enjoyable and also easy to read. The language was simple but still described scenes in the book with excellence. The emotion that is laced throughout the story is beautiful, powerful, and usually rather rare in other books of this genre, making this story refreshing and engaging.
In conclusion, I highly recommend this book for any up-and-coming middle schoolers, a current middle schooler, or even someone in high school. The story is clean and enjoyable and also holds a valuable lesson: Even if your life is messy and not the way you want it to be, it’s your life and is the way it is for a reason, even if you don’t see it yet.
March 8, 2020
Alrighty. So. This is a beautiful book and I love it. I would’ve given it five stars except for the fact that there was no epilogue when it said that fin was going to meet with Agnes 10 years later. That’s really bugging me so…
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 1, 2020
12 year old Agnes’ life is changing rapidly. Between her parents divorce and the new people they’re dating (and being stuck sharing a room with Georgie, her mom’s boyfriend’s annoying and quirky son), her changing body, and it being the summer before middle school when even her best friend has suddenly decided to be someone she’s not, Agnes is struggling. When her mom informs her that they are going to spend the summer in Kansas for an art show her boyfriend, Richard (aka “The Mumbler”), is involved in, Agnes tells her first lie. And it works. She ends up getting to spend the summer with her father instead. He’s housesitting at a beautiful large home by the river while his girlfriend is away. And the gig even comes with a dog! For three whole months Agnes won’t have to share a room or her father, and she’s always wanted a pet.
Once she gets to her father’s the lies start to build. Agnes can’t help it. They seem to be working and lies feel easier than the uncomfortable truths she’s living with. Soon she finds herself lying about where she’s from, what she does, even her own name. Instead of being plain old Agnes, she’s now Chloe from Topeka, age 14 instead of 12, and an actress. At first the lies don’t seem like such a big deal to Agnes but as she forms real friendships with the people she’s lying to, things get complicated.
Ultimately Agnes discovers she’s not the only one with secrets, though she is the only one lying and I really appreciated the nuance here and ways that realistic difficulties of life are brought up. I think that’s a very important part about growing up too- both the development of empathy towards others and that as much as you wish time would hurry up and you could just be older, there really is no perfect age or perfect life.
I related to this book so much, to a younger version of myself. I would ride bikes with a neighborhood friend and insist we pretend we were famous singers, even going so far as only referring to one another by our fake names. I always wanted to be older then too. The tween years are so hard. You really are stuck in the in between, changing but it’s unclear into what. Fly Back, Agnes captures that sense of being in between so well. I think this would’ve been a perfect read for me or for any kid caught between elementary and middle school, childhood and the teen years. There’s a sense of excitement going as Agnes’ lies build and you wonder how far she can go or how much she’ll get get away with.
I also loved and didn’t expect that there would be an intersex character in this book. I won’t say who because it already feels a bit spoilerish but the fact that it is handled as important but not the whole or even main story is amazing. That’s true diversity- when diverse characters exist within the story but the diversity is not the whole story or plot itself. Similarly, Agnes is multiracial and again, it’s one more layer to her story but also just who she is. Loved this.
I am so thrilled by the way Middle grade novels are flourishing and the diversity that has become such a big part of YA is trickling downwards, as well as the way Middle grade is really taking on real life, difficult and complex problems. When I was growing up, I remember having a really hard time finding books I could relate to. I loved to read and read all the time but there wasn’t a lot of YA yet and kids/middle grade books often read so simplistic. Being able to read about diverse characters and real issues, to find stories with characters just like you or dealing with the issues you are, is so important and I’d like to think I would’ve felt a little less lonely and a little less weird as a kid if I had books like this one to read.
4.5 stars and exactly the kind of book that belongs in every school or classroom library!
Once she gets to her father’s the lies start to build. Agnes can’t help it. They seem to be working and lies feel easier than the uncomfortable truths she’s living with. Soon she finds herself lying about where she’s from, what she does, even her own name. Instead of being plain old Agnes, she’s now Chloe from Topeka, age 14 instead of 12, and an actress. At first the lies don’t seem like such a big deal to Agnes but as she forms real friendships with the people she’s lying to, things get complicated.
Ultimately Agnes discovers she’s not the only one with secrets, though she is the only one lying and I really appreciated the nuance here and ways that realistic difficulties of life are brought up. I think that’s a very important part about growing up too- both the development of empathy towards others and that as much as you wish time would hurry up and you could just be older, there really is no perfect age or perfect life.
I related to this book so much, to a younger version of myself. I would ride bikes with a neighborhood friend and insist we pretend we were famous singers, even going so far as only referring to one another by our fake names. I always wanted to be older then too. The tween years are so hard. You really are stuck in the in between, changing but it’s unclear into what. Fly Back, Agnes captures that sense of being in between so well. I think this would’ve been a perfect read for me or for any kid caught between elementary and middle school, childhood and the teen years. There’s a sense of excitement going as Agnes’ lies build and you wonder how far she can go or how much she’ll get get away with.
I also loved and didn’t expect that there would be an intersex character in this book. I won’t say who because it already feels a bit spoilerish but the fact that it is handled as important but not the whole or even main story is amazing. That’s true diversity- when diverse characters exist within the story but the diversity is not the whole story or plot itself. Similarly, Agnes is multiracial and again, it’s one more layer to her story but also just who she is. Loved this.
I am so thrilled by the way Middle grade novels are flourishing and the diversity that has become such a big part of YA is trickling downwards, as well as the way Middle grade is really taking on real life, difficult and complex problems. When I was growing up, I remember having a really hard time finding books I could relate to. I loved to read and read all the time but there wasn’t a lot of YA yet and kids/middle grade books often read so simplistic. Being able to read about diverse characters and real issues, to find stories with characters just like you or dealing with the issues you are, is so important and I’d like to think I would’ve felt a little less lonely and a little less weird as a kid if I had books like this one to read.
4.5 stars and exactly the kind of book that belongs in every school or classroom library!
April 12, 2021
This story was so good, I didn’t put the book down til I read the author’s note. Each and every page describes Agnes . . . Chloe . . . and her obstacles, excursions, and friends in such a compelling and adventurous way, you have to see it to the end. I love the way Elizabeth Atkinson takes such a simple situation and adds so many amazing twists and turns, that you not only feel the character, but you are the character! Atkinson really perfected the world of Agnes, down to smallest details. I really enjoyed this book and you would too!
February 12, 2020
Agnes, as a character, never lured me in. She came off as flat and whiny to me. Her concerns are common ones at that age, so perhaps readers at that age will identify with the book.
March 23, 2020
Agnes is a twelve year old girl who doesn't know where she belongs. Her parents are divorced, her older sister Viva doesn’t visit or speak to anyone in her family, her friends aren't being too friendly, she’s slowly turning into a woman and worst of all she doesn't know where she belongs. But when she pretends to be someone she’s not, she realizes her life can be pretty good if she tried. Most people can understand what she is going through. What she is going through is complicated. When she crosses the bridge in Bittersweet to Renew where she pretends to be Chloe who’s an actress (mostly theater and some TV ads) with a dancer background with a fabulous life. Her new friends think she’s amazing, but when they find out that Chloe is all just a game, they all feel hurt.
I recommended this book for all ages. This book is expectly a good for girls who feel out of place and need to know other girls go through the same thing. I could connect with Agnes before we’re the same age and have gone through something similar. Being a girl is difficult and it feels good to know you’re not alone.
I recommended this book for all ages. This book is expectly a good for girls who feel out of place and need to know other girls go through the same thing. I could connect with Agnes before we’re the same age and have gone through something similar. Being a girl is difficult and it feels good to know you’re not alone.
June 13, 2021
I love the main character Agnes. I think many middle school girls are going to read this book and feel seen. The way she hates her life, her parents, her hair, her name, her best friend, all of it--is SO middle school. Her mood swings and denial over the changes adolescence brings are also something I see in my students.
Agnes's parents are divorced, an event that has obviously scarred Agnes. Agnes's mother is really quite obnoxious (mostly because we only see her as a one-dimensional loudmouth), and her dad really does seem happier off by himself. He lets Agnes spend the summer with him and then promptly tells her that he will be shutting himself in his office for 12 hours a day and Agnes is free to explore things on her own. He doesn't tell her they'll be house sitting for his fiance, doesn't ever mention it to her the whole time they're together until the woman shows up at a very important party and announces it. A party Agnes's mother was also at. A-w-k-w-a-r-d...
Actually, so many things happen at that party! Agnes's summer persona goes up in flames as all her lies are revealed. Omgosh, so many lies!
Then we have these secondary characters who are super complicated and cause Agnes all kinds of inner turmoil as she learns the secrets of their pasts. Stella, Fin, and Harriet have secrets of their own that they are keeping from Agnes (who they know as Chloe), and those secrets are--WHOA complicated! In fact, they were a little TOO complicated for my liking. They opened up whole new worlds to Agnes, worlds that definitely confused her and made her feel uneasy. Unfortunately, this part of the story was really underdeveloped and Agnes didn't work through any of it. I guess maybe the author included those backstories as a device for Agnes to learn that the world is more complicated than her own little universe.
The author's portrayal of a 12-year old girl is spot on, and I will recommend this book to students.
Agnes's parents are divorced, an event that has obviously scarred Agnes. Agnes's mother is really quite obnoxious (mostly because we only see her as a one-dimensional loudmouth), and her dad really does seem happier off by himself. He lets Agnes spend the summer with him and then promptly tells her that he will be shutting himself in his office for 12 hours a day and Agnes is free to explore things on her own. He doesn't tell her they'll be house sitting for his fiance, doesn't ever mention it to her the whole time they're together until the woman shows up at a very important party and announces it. A party Agnes's mother was also at. A-w-k-w-a-r-d...
Actually, so many things happen at that party! Agnes's summer persona goes up in flames as all her lies are revealed. Omgosh, so many lies!
Then we have these secondary characters who are super complicated and cause Agnes all kinds of inner turmoil as she learns the secrets of their pasts. Stella, Fin, and Harriet have secrets of their own that they are keeping from Agnes (who they know as Chloe), and those secrets are--WHOA complicated! In fact, they were a little TOO complicated for my liking. They opened up whole new worlds to Agnes, worlds that definitely confused her and made her feel uneasy. Unfortunately, this part of the story was really underdeveloped and Agnes didn't work through any of it. I guess maybe the author included those backstories as a device for Agnes to learn that the world is more complicated than her own little universe.
The author's portrayal of a 12-year old girl is spot on, and I will recommend this book to students.
March 16, 2020
I think this book might have been perfect if not for the confused identity aspect in a character that even had me with more questions than answers after they were introduced.
Other than that, I loved this book from the first chapter. I loved the inner dialogue, the sarcasm, and Agnes' view on life. It represented her age well with the high of living free and owning who she was, then suddenly hitting a brick wall with how quickly life changes as a preteen both internally and externally, going through an identity crisis she wasn't prepared for.
I thought this premise was a perfect representation of the struggle to merge these two selves within you. The supporting characters did go a bit deeper than I might have wanted introducing teenage pregnancy and the confused identity that just left me more confused with such a shallow introduction to his issues. I think it would have been fine just dealing with that characters struggle with adoption instead of bringing on that many layers to one person. I do not have a child, but I'd be nervous to have a preteen finish this book then come to me with questions unprepared.
I was getting nervous as this story was nearing an end with how the author would wrap everything up cleanly, but she did beautifully. Everything came crashing down at once and it was a beautiful disaster that unraveled exquisitely.
Thank you BookSparks for the free review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
Other than that, I loved this book from the first chapter. I loved the inner dialogue, the sarcasm, and Agnes' view on life. It represented her age well with the high of living free and owning who she was, then suddenly hitting a brick wall with how quickly life changes as a preteen both internally and externally, going through an identity crisis she wasn't prepared for.
I thought this premise was a perfect representation of the struggle to merge these two selves within you. The supporting characters did go a bit deeper than I might have wanted introducing teenage pregnancy and the confused identity that just left me more confused with such a shallow introduction to his issues. I think it would have been fine just dealing with that characters struggle with adoption instead of bringing on that many layers to one person. I do not have a child, but I'd be nervous to have a preteen finish this book then come to me with questions unprepared.
I was getting nervous as this story was nearing an end with how the author would wrap everything up cleanly, but she did beautifully. Everything came crashing down at once and it was a beautiful disaster that unraveled exquisitely.
Thank you BookSparks for the free review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
March 2, 2020
***I received a free copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
⭐⭐⭐💫
Fly Back Agnes by Elizabeth Atkinson is a cute middle grade books about growing up. Agnes is struggling with her parent's divorce and her sister moving out. Her friends are changing and she feels left out. When she gets an opportunity to stay with her dad for the summer she takes it. She only told a small lie to get her way. Once she gets to his house she realizes that no one knows her so she reinvents herself with a few more small lies. Eventually the lies stack up and she finds herself in an uncomfortable situation. How is she going to fix this?
The story is told from Agnes's point of view. The struggles of a 12 year old are shared through her. I found the story fun and definitely enjoyed this book. There were however some subjects that were more teen/adult related in this book. Agnes makes friends with teens that have more complicated issues than she herself has.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Middle Grade
Release Date: March 3, 2020
⭐⭐⭐💫
Fly Back Agnes by Elizabeth Atkinson is a cute middle grade books about growing up. Agnes is struggling with her parent's divorce and her sister moving out. Her friends are changing and she feels left out. When she gets an opportunity to stay with her dad for the summer she takes it. She only told a small lie to get her way. Once she gets to his house she realizes that no one knows her so she reinvents herself with a few more small lies. Eventually the lies stack up and she finds herself in an uncomfortable situation. How is she going to fix this?
The story is told from Agnes's point of view. The struggles of a 12 year old are shared through her. I found the story fun and definitely enjoyed this book. There were however some subjects that were more teen/adult related in this book. Agnes makes friends with teens that have more complicated issues than she herself has.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Middle Grade
Release Date: March 3, 2020
February 22, 2020
This book is set to be released at the beginning of March 2020. I give this a 3.5 star read. I thought it was well written and displayed the struggles that normal teenagers go through...not liking their life or wishing their lives were different. I enjoyed Agnes, I thought she was true to her struggles and accepting. I also liked the fact that she realized that she may wish her life was different but that at the end of the day, her life wasn't bad.
Agnes develops friends, struggles with the truth, struggles with coming of age but also knows, sees, and feels like she is loved.
Overall, I think it is a great book for middle aged children. There is a stroyline within the book that should not be an issue but probably is with many who just do not understand it. For that reason, for those parents, they may need to see it for themselves to see if it is appropriate for their kids. I'm glad that the author, Ms Atkinson put it in there because it is something that people deal with. I'm glad she did not shy away from it.
Agnes develops friends, struggles with the truth, struggles with coming of age but also knows, sees, and feels like she is loved.
Overall, I think it is a great book for middle aged children. There is a stroyline within the book that should not be an issue but probably is with many who just do not understand it. For that reason, for those parents, they may need to see it for themselves to see if it is appropriate for their kids. I'm glad that the author, Ms Atkinson put it in there because it is something that people deal with. I'm glad she did not shy away from it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 12, 2021
I did enjoy this book a lot, but I did not like the character Mo. It just confused me a little why her kids called her by her first name, but it doesn't matter. I feel for Agnes when she has to share her room with her mom's boyfriend's son a few days a week.I also think that Mo pays more attention to her boyfriend's son than she does Agnes. I did not like the character Lux an how she sort of bragged about knowing Megan, when Agnes was he best friend first, but they made up and Lux went away. I felt sad for Agnes because her older sister Viva, left and abandoned her family and works at a soy bean farm. I would hate to lose my sister like that. But, it was a sweet ending when Agnes went home and her annoying mom and her boyfriend and boyfriend'd kid surprised her with Viva. It was a sweet, charming novel.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 23, 2020
I read this book in one day, because, yes, it grabbed me enough that I wanted to see how it would all turn out.
Overall, good story, of a girl whose parents have divorced, and she decides to spend the summer with her father rather than her mother. And while she is there, she makes up a better life, to the new people that she meets, where life is good, and her parents are rich, and she’s an actress.
And of course you know this will all come to a bad end, so it is interesting to see where it goes and how.
There are some interesting secrets in the small town she stays in. I won’t reveal them here, but they are all plausible
All the issues that come up are well dealt with, so that is a good thing.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
Overall, good story, of a girl whose parents have divorced, and she decides to spend the summer with her father rather than her mother. And while she is there, she makes up a better life, to the new people that she meets, where life is good, and her parents are rich, and she’s an actress.
And of course you know this will all come to a bad end, so it is interesting to see where it goes and how.
There are some interesting secrets in the small town she stays in. I won’t reveal them here, but they are all plausible
All the issues that come up are well dealt with, so that is a good thing.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
March 28, 2020
I am a sucker for coming of age stories.
Agnes is at that awkward age. Puberty is happening even if she wishes it wouldn't. But, more important she is navigating how to live in a world that isn't what she wants. Her parents divorce catapulted everything and now she feels displaced. As if there is no where she truly belongs.
In the story, she does what many dream about: adopting a new identity. Pretending to be someone you aren't so that others will see and like you.
But, life has a way of catching up to you as it does for Agnes. And she finds that the feeling of isolation and not belonging are not unique to her. Some of her new friends fess up to hiding parts of their life. For one is it having a child as a teen. For another it is a gender identity issue.
Agnes is at that awkward age. Puberty is happening even if she wishes it wouldn't. But, more important she is navigating how to live in a world that isn't what she wants. Her parents divorce catapulted everything and now she feels displaced. As if there is no where she truly belongs.
In the story, she does what many dream about: adopting a new identity. Pretending to be someone you aren't so that others will see and like you.
But, life has a way of catching up to you as it does for Agnes. And she finds that the feeling of isolation and not belonging are not unique to her. Some of her new friends fess up to hiding parts of their life. For one is it having a child as a teen. For another it is a gender identity issue.
September 7, 2020
This is a story of Agnes, a 12-year-old girl, who is realizing her life is not what she wants it to be. Her mother and father have been divorced for a year, and Agnes lives with her mom, mom's significant other, and his son. Agnes's older sister has abandoned the family after the divorce.
Agnes's best friend now wants to hang with the popular girls. When offered the opportunity to live with her father for the summer, Aggie jumps at it. She decides she's going to re-create herself as Chloe, a 14-year-old actress and that's how she introduces herself to the new kids she meets. These kids are teens and since they believe that "Chloe" is one, too, they confide all sorts of intimate details of their lives. She knows she's not ready to take on their stories, but they think she's an older girl and she can't tell them the truth. When Agnes's identity is finally revealed, her new friends feel betrayed and Agnes has to try and make it right. Topics such as menstruation, gender assignment, and teenage pregnancy put this book into the middle school category.
Agnes's best friend now wants to hang with the popular girls. When offered the opportunity to live with her father for the summer, Aggie jumps at it. She decides she's going to re-create herself as Chloe, a 14-year-old actress and that's how she introduces herself to the new kids she meets. These kids are teens and since they believe that "Chloe" is one, too, they confide all sorts of intimate details of their lives. She knows she's not ready to take on their stories, but they think she's an older girl and she can't tell them the truth. When Agnes's identity is finally revealed, her new friends feel betrayed and Agnes has to try and make it right. Topics such as menstruation, gender assignment, and teenage pregnancy put this book into the middle school category.
February 24, 2020
I received this ARC from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Fly Home Agnes was a sweet an honest look at how hard it is to be a kid in your own skin. Agnes hates everything about her life - her name, her freckles, her hair, her over-bearing mother, her step-brother’s fake accent, her so-called best friend, and her AWOL older sister. Her summer seems like it’s a chance to start over as someone new, but somehow it all gets more complicated than she ever intended.
This book does a great job putting Agnes’ very real worries into perspective and showing her and the reader that everyone is fighting their own battles.
Fly Home Agnes was a sweet an honest look at how hard it is to be a kid in your own skin. Agnes hates everything about her life - her name, her freckles, her hair, her over-bearing mother, her step-brother’s fake accent, her so-called best friend, and her AWOL older sister. Her summer seems like it’s a chance to start over as someone new, but somehow it all gets more complicated than she ever intended.
This book does a great job putting Agnes’ very real worries into perspective and showing her and the reader that everyone is fighting their own battles.
April 22, 2020
Thank you, NetGalley, for a complimentary ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!
I thought this book was absolutely delightful-and cringe worthy! Watching Agnes navigate her way through puberty, the consequences of lying, and divorce was painfully relatable. I enjoyed the growth of the character as she realizes that just because her parents are divorced doesn't mean it's the end of the world, and I also enjoyed seeing her parents grow as people as well, once they realized how serious it had an effect on their children. When I have daughters, this is one I would definitely love to share with them.
I thought this book was absolutely delightful-and cringe worthy! Watching Agnes navigate her way through puberty, the consequences of lying, and divorce was painfully relatable. I enjoyed the growth of the character as she realizes that just because her parents are divorced doesn't mean it's the end of the world, and I also enjoyed seeing her parents grow as people as well, once they realized how serious it had an effect on their children. When I have daughters, this is one I would definitely love to share with them.
March 20, 2020
3.5 stars. My daughter and I read this book aloud. She’s 12 years old. She thought the mom was funny and embarrassing. She liked when the MC started to figure things out for herself. We didn’t like the problem presented by Fin. There was great relationship development between them until he dropped a bomb at about page 200 that changed everything. Plus, it seems that EVERY middle grade book nowadays has a gender-related issue. We were like “oh, here we go again.” The story itself was good, however...
April 23, 2020
When Twelve-year-old Agnes has to spend the summer with her dad she decides to become someone else. Left on her own as her dad works on finishing his PhD, she becomes fourteen-year-old Chloe to the new friends she meets. Fin works at a raptor rehab center and Stella at her grandmother’s store, and they both have secret lives of their own. When truths are uncovered Agnes struggles to reveal her own story. A heartwarming novel for mature readers about growing up, relationships, and finding love and acceptance.
August 16, 2021
My god, was that quite the ride. A quirky and tender expression of growing up, being different, being LGBTQ, etc, this book deserves to be in every FREAKING library.
Agnes starts off whiny but becomes relatable and likable, and you come to terms with the annoying characters like Mo and Georgie through the book. Definitely an example of prime character development.
I really feel like the plot was stretched out though, and the text was pretty skimmable at places which were just filler.
Would recommend to everyone but especially youth in minorities, easy five star.
Agnes starts off whiny but becomes relatable and likable, and you come to terms with the annoying characters like Mo and Georgie through the book. Definitely an example of prime character development.
I really feel like the plot was stretched out though, and the text was pretty skimmable at places which were just filler.
Would recommend to everyone but especially youth in minorities, easy five star.
January 2, 2024
3.5/5
This may be better suited for late middle grades, young YA readers. There are some topics that readers may find to be a bit mature - an intersex character, deep discussions about menstruation, etc.
However, Elizabeth Atkinson writes about twelve year old girls with perfection. So many young readers will relate to Agnes and every emotional moment they live through with her. This is definitely going to be one I recommend to students who find themselves in families like Agnes.
Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.
This may be better suited for late middle grades, young YA readers. There are some topics that readers may find to be a bit mature - an intersex character, deep discussions about menstruation, etc.
However, Elizabeth Atkinson writes about twelve year old girls with perfection. So many young readers will relate to Agnes and every emotional moment they live through with her. This is definitely going to be one I recommend to students who find themselves in families like Agnes.
Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.
March 24, 2020
I rarely read middle grade books, but this was such a great story! I loved all the characters, and how real they felt, dealing with today's issues. And I loved Agnes' idea of being someone new, though of course, I knew it would all come crashing down. It was very realistic, and showed the consequences of her actions very well. I also loved the realizations she had in the end. This would be a great book for a young girl with a complicated family life. The messages in the end were great!
April 2, 2020
A cute little coming of age story about Agnes and her summer with her Dad. re-inventing herself to be a whole new person has its up and downs, and in the end is it really what she wants. It was a good quick book to read, the pace came and went in some parts of the book and the ending was a bit too clean wrap up for me, but a good book. I can see that it would be good for libraries and schools. Thanks for the ARC NetGalley
June 24, 2020
Just this morning I was wondering when the story in this most excellent book would take off, and it did, barely letting me catch my breath. I even teared up at the end. I loved this book, its characters, the way things happened in the book, even as I was cringing with the pain of what Agnes put herself through.
September 9, 2021
To me this was one of those books that just draws you in right away. To say the least I loved it. I felt that it was relatable for a girl to be going through a time in her life like this and it is a fiction book but it really has a real life sense to it. I so if you are looking for a good book to read then this one you can't put down!
February 15, 2020
I read this book in one sitting! I think many tween girls will be able to relate with Agnes as she struggles with the fact that she's growing up, dealing with her parent's divorce, and having an overbearing mother. What a lovely book!
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