Tobyn: The It Girl

Flyy Girls #4

by Ashley Woodfolk

Meet the Flyy Girls. The group of girls who seem like they can get away with anything. Veteran author Ashley Woodfolk pens a gorgeous and dynamic series of four Harlem high-schoolers, each facing a crossroads of friendship, family, and love.

Tobyn Wolfe knows she’s destined to be a rock star. She sings, she dances, and she’s got that “It” factor. Her dreams are even closer within her reach when she meets Maybe Someday–an incredible all-female band–during a night out with her older sister, Devyn. Joining their band would be the perfect way to show off her amazing vocals. It’s too bad her mom can’t see this. She wants Tobyn to go to college and become a serious musician, not follow in Devyn’s footsteps and wind up a struggling artist. Can Tobyn prove to her mom that she knows what’s best, or will her dreams end up becoming a horrible nightmare?

With simply stated text and compelling characters, Flyy Girls is a series that’s perfect for readers of any level.

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, LGBT, Fiction, Friendship, Audiobook, Realistic Fiction

144 pages, Hardcover

Published August 31, 2021

About the author

Ashley Woodfolk has loved reading and writing for as long as she can remember. She graduated from Rutgers University and worked in children's book publishing for over a decade. Now a full-time mom and writer, Ashley lives in a sunny Brooklyn apartment with her cute husband, her cuter dog, and the cutest kid in the world. Her books include The Beauty That Remains, When You Were Everything, and the Flyy Girls Series.

Reviews

[Oyinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book 297 of 2021

3.5✨

I breezed through this series in 2 days and I've come to love these girls and their stories a lot. In order of preference, this would be my least favorite.

Tobyn as a character is great, don't get me wrong, but her book didn't pack a punch to me like the others did. In this book she deals with lots of relationships - romantic and family especially. She also has huge dreams that conflict with her mother's plans for her. I love that in this book we get to see a relationship between sisters play out.

A lot of the characters in this book were annoying, especially Tobyn's competitors and her girlfriend Ava. This book also saw Tobyn deal with her feelings for Noelle.

It was a nice ending to the series and I would love to read some companion novels/novellas sometime in the future.

[Florence Migga · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aww, I flew (pun intended!) through this series, and I'm really going to miss these girls! It was really nice to get a glimpse into Tobyn's life, as I felt I knew even less about her than I did any of the other girls before I got to their stories. Micah's still my girl, but I enjoyed Tobyn and the continuation of the story that was started in the last book.

This series was easy breezy and delightful!

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

The covers of these books are phenomenal and so is the premise-- a group of girls calling themselves the Flyy Girls who always pull a prank at the end of the school year. Like the days of old, the series features one of the girls in each of the books and this time it was Tobyn's turn.

Each of the other books included a serious element inside of the story and some were a little more serious and maybe I liked the seriousness Woodfolk covers in just a short amount of time because this one felt a little more pop culture (with the singing, social media, and girl bands) than it did hitting on issues like grief, anxiety, identity, and family dynamics. Yes it had some of that with the sister's issue (don't want to spoil it), but it was in the background and not part of the story itself.

These books are fantastic quick reads that hold their own and sparkle as a package featuring positive female friendships with teen girls of color.

[Alvina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not so "It" Girl

I thought this was a good way to wrap up the Flyy Girls series.

Tobyn seemed like a really sweet girl, yet I wish she had more of a plan besides just singing.

I liked how the Flyy Girls consistently held each other down, in each book. Gotta love a strong bond that creates a sisterhood like no other.

Good read.

[Elisabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars.

[nokomis · Rating 4 out of 5]

even though this series was a quick read, it made me a little teary now that’s its over. after spending a great amount of time with these characters, they start to feel like your own friends so its kind of heartbreaking yet rewarding when you finally finish. it also had some w/w for once which was great to see that empowerment and diversity:)

[Barbara · Rating 2 out of 5]

The fourth title in the Flyy Girls series turns to Tobyn Wolfe whose strong singing voice leads her to plan a musical career. While her high school a cappella group prepares for competition, Tobyn is also auditioning for a spot in her favorite band, Maybe Someday. It might seem as though everything is coming up roses for her. But she and her girlfriend, Ava, aren't getting along, and Ava seems more interested in social media attention than their relationship. Then, too, Tobyn keeps thinking about that kiss she and Noelle shared and wondering about what it might lead to. With her mother intent on Tobyn attending college and dismissing her musical ambitions, Tobyn needs support from her beloved older sister, Devyn, but she seems nowhere to be found. The author packs a lot of issues in this book, and things move quite fast, making it a good choice for readers who don't like a lot of introspection and prefer familiar situations and outcomes as well as books focused on music and friendship. While all of this is just too light for me, many readers will love it and see themselves in Tobyn and her crew.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am such a fan of this series as a whole. They're so approachable and easy to fly through, a great pick for reluctant readers for sure. In this final volume, we follow Tobyn as she navigates her senior year. She's got dreams of making it big with singing, but her mom is set on her going to college next year. Her sister is responding less and less to her calls and texts, and with a couple of big auditions coming up, Tobyn is desperate for her sister's support. She's also sorting through her feelings around Noelle's confession from the previous book, and her feelings for her girlfriend Ava who only seems to want to be around her when she can livestream Tobyn singing to all her followers for more likes. I'm definitely going to miss these girls and their friendship.

[Amanda Gjokaj · Rating 3 out of 5]

This series as a whole is 4 stars.

Tobyns story was my least favorite of the three but i still enjoyed it! It had the ended i wanted :)

I highly recommend picking these up! They’re easy reads that touch some heavy topics and you easily connect to the characters.

Thank you again to @penguinteen for sending me all 4 copies for free. They’re the perfect size to fit in my tightly squeezed bookshelf :)

[Gemini · Rating 4 out of 5]

Satisfying

Tobyn’s story was the least relatable for me, but it was still interesting. I was especially intrigued by the relationship she had with her older sister. It added an extra layer to her story. I really enjoyed how things unfolded for Tobyn and Noelle. Overall, it was nice to see how each of the girls blossomed. I loved the nod to Augusta Savage and her legacy. That heightened the feel of Black Girl Magic.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though I think this is the weakest installment in the Flyy Girls series (weakest audiobook as well), I very much enjoy these books. I'm eager to recommend them to teens and I think they will be great for older hesitant teen readers and non-readers. I hope Penguin Workshop plans more books in this style (they also publish the Pocket Change Collective and my thoughts are similar on those).

[channy. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved Tobyn and loved this conclusion to this series. I had fun with all these. I also love that I got more development with her and Noelle, they were so cute and happened so organically and I really loved that. All the Flyy Girls were likeable and different from each other and it’s always nice to read that about black girls in fiction so I really don’t have many complaints.

[Patricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oddly, the library had hard copies of the first three of this series and only an ebook for the fourth. The fourth book tells Tobyn's story and wraps up all three of the other fly girls. And now we have finished the short saga.

I'm hoping for a longer book from Woodfolk next.

[S.E. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've completed all four of Ashley Woodfolk's Flyy Girls series. Each book was an enjoyable and nostalgic reminiscence of my high school days. The series portrays situations many teens encounter and does so in a respectful and positive manner.

[Karol · Rating 4 out of 5]

The fourth book in a great series. Tobyn faces her challenges head on. Her confidence withstands some verbal and social media punches as she pushes for the future she wants for herself. She benefits from having close friends to lift her up when she is feeling challenged.

[Megan Mann · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn’t think this was as…developed? I guess? as the other three were. It felt like they packed too much into this one and didn’t let anything really breathe the way the others had. I still greatly enjoyed it, but I felt like the last page could have been a better ending.

[Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good enough. I'm def not the demographic for this book though.

[Classical Lady · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.7 stars

[Ms. Nigeria Nigeria Parker · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tobyn has to be my least favorite in this group. But Ava took the cake. I just couldn't.

[Hilary Redman · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick relatable read!

[Janiyah Lockhart · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was empower it showed to never stop being it self

[Chris Schultz · Rating 1 out of 5]

I won this book on 9/1/2021. I reported it not yet received to no avail. Today is 8/19/2022, still not received.

[John Schoen-McCullough · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wowww the Flyy Girls series is amazing! Love that it’s split into 4 books, from each girl’s perspective, and I was hooked :)

[Laura]

Really loved this. When a hi-lo book can make you forget that it's hi-lo and just pull you into the emotions and the story, that's honestly amazing.

[Kiara Lazhae · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tobyn is classified as the ultimate it girl. She’s likable, beautiful, and has an incredible voice. If only she could bond with her older sister Devyn like before, have an opportunity to sing with the band of her dreams, win $25,000 for studio time, and have a possible chance at romance with Noelle everything would be perfect. Tobyn isn’t shy to go after what she wants but when her sister goes MIA without explanation, Tobyn gets shaken up and wonders if she’s all that after all.

I liked this story but feel it would have been better if we saw her use her creativity as an outlet like in the other books. A few songs from her songbook would have been nice. Nonetheless, this was a pretty solid series and was age-appropriate for teens and middle schoolers.