Fly

by Alison Hughes

A novel in free verse about a middle schooler who discovers he’s not the only one grappling with the imperfections of the world. In this powerful novel in free verse, Felix Landon Yarrow (F.L.Y., or “Fly”), a fourteen-year-old boy with cerebral palsy, is captivated by the noble, chivalrous ideals of knighthood. So when he fears that a school villain, Carter, poses a danger to his lady love, Daria, he knows rescuing her must be his quest. Using his wits and his own unique powers, he constructs an elaborate plot meant to culminate with him on his wheeled “trusty steed” triumphantly conquering his enemy and saving his “damsel in distress.” Alas, for this brave knight, as for most middle schoolers, plans often have a way of going awry. Alison Hughes has crafted a moving and unflinching story of courage, connection and self-discovery. In the spare first-person narrative, Felix’s witty, often sarcastic and self-aware voice matter-of-factly reveals how it feels to be the kid in the wheelchair. Felix is a fully realized, funny character who defies labels, and who learns and grows as the story unfolds. For reluctant and avid readers alike, this book is a potent vehicle for engaging young people with a unique perspective and for encouraging empathy. It’s an excellent choice to showcase the power of poetry and, in particular, novels in verse. It provides character education lessons in respect, courage and kindness.

Genres: Middle Grade, Novel In Verse, Poetry, Young Adult, Realistic Fiction, Disability

200 pages, Hardcover

Published October 4, 2022

Reviews

[Read by Curtis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've always steered clear of the "free-verse novel," but if Fly is a fair representation of the genre, I will be sure to read more. Using language in a snappy, creative, and playful manner, Hughes tells a layered story from the perspective of a fourteen-year-old narrator with cerebral palsy who has some important lessons to learn about life and the people around him. Highly recommended.

[chris · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not for me. Felix’s misogyny and savior complex made this a slog, and even when these things are somewhat addressed (at the very end) they’re still framed as stemming from a noble place. Plus he seemed to miss that Don Quixote is satirical, but whatever.

Notice that only men — specifically Felix — are portrayed as eloquent and intelligent, whereas women are… not. His mother is portrayed as perfect, radiant… and low brow, “charmingly” unable to pronounce “Don Quixote,” for example, to which Felix responds with bemused condescension. When Daria, the girl Felix has chosen to be his damsel (read: stalking victim), finally confronts him about his misogynist, creepy, entitled behavior, the author undermines her by making her talk in text-speak (in that way nobody actually does), thereby making her look slightly immature despite her totally valid points. And rather than (understandably and reasonably) tell Felix he blew the chance for them to be friends, she immediately buckles when he responds with a quip and a smile, because apparently he’s just that charming.

I have other problems with this book, but Felix being off-putting and creepy is the biggest one.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Felix is fourteen, he has cerebral palsy, and he often feels invisible, though he knows he's plenty smart and very observant.

This story in verse is smart and funny! Additionally, it's got some older-kid themes (not just Felix liking a girl, but also drug dealing at school) and is not at all simplistic the way some middle grade stories can be.

I really enjoyed it, and not just because I could relate to so much of the cerebral palsy stuff. If Felix's thoughts or actions start to bother you, don't give up on him.

And yes, that's me right there in the acknowledgments. I love that I got to have a small part in Felix's story. (Biased? Me? Nah.)

"If you aren't
impossibly intelligent,
superhumanly brave,
awesomely inspiring
(or whatever else they need),
what use are you?

How do they even compute you?

Average is not an option"

(Hughes, 119).

[Miranda Locuratolo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick easy read! Every poem/chapter made me want to read more!

[Theediscerning · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did think of starting this review with just the words "believe the hype", but as I write nobody else on goodreads that I can see has picked up on this as a must-read, and anyway the word "hype" contains as much connection to reality as "glamour". "Glamour" is the false, the pretence that might make you look beautiful, and not the real thing. "Hype" is not the real thing, either – connections to "hyperbole" and so on show it to be similarly fake. And with this book, and this main character, the fact people don't see the reality beneath the surface is key.

So, erm, "believe the reality".

This is a very impressive read, is the reality, as it does a lot of what mainstream teen and tween fiction still struggles with. Its focus is courtesy the first person narration from Fly, a secondary school lad with cerebral palsy, a down-on-her-luck single mom nearing retirement from being a cleaner, a carer while at school, and a bundle of assumptions people lay on him. First they assume that with a broken body comes a broken mind, then they decide he's a maths savant – they even believe they can get away with calling him Fly, which isn't his real name, but everybody just uses it.

So Felix, not Fly, has a lot to be bitter about. But having his back, steering him through all the hours when he can't be bothered to look up and see pity, inanity and everyone's constant struggle to avoid the alleged struggle of talking to him, is "Don Quixote", the hefty and ancient volume about chivalry, dubious assumptions and justice. This is yet one more unexpected layer on the whole piece, and who knows – people may well turn to more than the exam notes to check it out as a result.

The other distinctive thing to talk about is that this is free verse – regularly throwing in rhymes, and so on, but matching concrete verse in the way it weaves its very short lines across the page and back with a near-rapping, spoken-word style. This is both eye-opening, very successfully done, and very annoyingly chopped up into chapters every couple of pages. How I wish I'd just stopped with the poem/chapter titles much earlier, for the flow is superlative from one to the next.

So, we get a presentation that is bound to feel unique to many (and in a way that makes the 200pp flash by like few others); we get a non-mainstream character narrating, and from my inexperienced ear never causing any jar or doubt to his authenticity; and in bringing something so, so classical to the contemporary teen novel we get something both very literate and very readable. No I don't know all the current canon, the benchmark books for this audience, but I do know what I feel about this, which is that this has what it takes to enter that canon. I will question the way some things are dropped, such as the flying dream, and I remain annoyed it got chopped up, but all the same it's a lot more than a four star read.

[Janet McGuire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Felix Landon Yarrow aka FLY is a 14-year-old boy who is a wheelchair bound student with Cerebral
Palsy. Sometimes the Cerebral Palsy not only effects his mobility but also his speech. Fly's favorite book is Don Quixote and he takes a copy of the book with him wherever he goes. FLY looks at Daria as his damsel in distress and Carter as the bully that Daria needs to be rescued from. FLY would like nothing better than to have Carter 's true colors appear in front of Daria so that she will find out what a lowlife he is. FLY sends anonymous notes to Daria throughout the story to warn her that Carter is not good enough for her. Finally, the time has come for FLY to make his move by starting a fight with Carter. FLY's trusty sidekick (his aide, Levi) is nowhere to be seen and cannot help him in his fight to battle evil.
This a fast-moving story which will draw the students' interest. It well appeal to a disabled student reader as well as a normal student reader as it gives the disabled a voice and shows that having a disability does not affect the feelings of good versus evil. The story is written in free verse which helps the story to keep the reader's attention and moves the story along. The free verse style of writing is an effective way to draw the reader in and allow the story to flow quickly. I give this book a five-star rating and it would be a welcome addition to any middle school readers' to be read list.

[Niki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alison Hughes uses language creatively in Fly, a novel in verse. Felix has cerebral palsy and is wheelchair bound. He develops an interest in a classmate, but notices another classmate, with shady tendencies, is also interested. Despite being heavily reliant on others, he is determined to catch her eye and take him down.

There are many likeable aspects to Fly, especially how Felix's character with disabilities is portrayed. He yearns to be seen and feels burdened by the forced relationships with those he depends on. However, I also disliked a few aspects. The male-heavy novel didn't represent females very well or thoughtfully. Felix read as a white character that stalked a helpless female classmate because he thought he liked her. Additionally, I'm not confident that Hughes has the authority to write about the emotions of a person with cerebral palsy, as I do not believe this is her experience. While she thanks a sensitivity reader that I assume examined that aspect, it still makes me nervous to accept as an authentic voice.

Fly is nominated for the 2024 MYRCA Northern Lights.

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a novel written in verse with a variety of poem-style entries that tell the story of a teenage boy who has a disability. It provides commentary on the way that people with disabilities are treated, including perceptions and judgements as well as physical or verbal abuse or unfairness they receive from those around them. The main character, Felix (nicknamed FLY) demonstrates how he feels unfulfilled in many aspects of his life, especially at school where he is not challenged. From well developed characters to a moving storyline, this novel is well written and easy to follow. While adults may need to sell some readers on the fact that this book is written in verse, once young readers get into it I think it will be a really great book for them. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to read and review this book!

[Ren · Rating 5 out of 5]

While poetry isn't my normal choice, I have to say the trend of YA recently of novels in verse is growing on me. Between reading this and Punching the Air this year, both stand out as something different and I'm in love. Hughes captures everything one would want in a novel; those fantastic character arcs, a solid story, something that feels whole while having that interesting writing style to go along with it. Felix is a great protagonist, if a slightly unreliable narrator, and this is one I would wholeheartedly recommend if you're interested in something different.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Told in the vein of Draper's Out of My Mind, but in lyrical prose, Fly is the story of a young teenaged boy that struggles with Cerebral Palsy and is just longing to fit in and be noticed.

At first, I was worried that Fly's attitude wasn't going to ever get a check, and it would have made me rank this book much lower had it not. But ultimately I was very pleased with how Hughes decided to deviate from Draper's take on dealing with cerebral palsy and forced Fly to come face to face with his own prejudices and misconceptions about others. This was a quick read, ideal for middle schoolers and up.

[Maeve Littooij · Rating 1 out of 5]

[1,5]

I have mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, it is insightful to read a story from the point of view of someone with cerebral palsy. It offers a first-hand look at the relentless judgements they can face - being underestimated or considered incompetent. The way the main character navigates through and articulates these experiences is interesting. However, my appreciation is tempered by the book's underlying themes of misogyny and an outspoken saviour mentality, which I found disappointing and distracted from the core insights.

[Amanda Sanders · Rating 5 out of 5]

The main character in Fly has cerebral palsy and is in a wheel chair. Many stories with handicapped characters are about the character overcoming their handicap and accepting it. This isn’t about that at all. It has a real plot and great action and deep character change. I read it without reading the summary and think I enjoyed it more because I did. It was insightful and engaging: a great read.

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

[Kkharvey · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Joan Galat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommended.

[Lori Emilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super novel in verse, with flawed, nuanced characters. Highly recommend!

[Sharon Skinner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartfelt and heartwarming. Wonderful representation. This book shows that we are all capable of being heroes, if only we allow ourselves to fly.

[Teresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great story about not overlooking people who are disabled.

[Tara Mickela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fly is angry and frustrated and sick of being misunderstood literally and figuratively. He has CP and people are uncomfortable with him, in fact most of the time they don’t even see him. So it’s no surprise when he sets out to protect Daria just like his literary hero Don Quixote. Funny and oh so very real.