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Flightsend
Flightsend is Charlie's new home, whether she likes it or not. Her mother sees it as an end to all that’s gone so tragically wrong. They had been a proper family. Mum; her boyfriend, Sean; and Charlie, with a new baby sister on the way. But the baby died before she was born and everything changed. Gradually, Charlie’s mother pushed Sean away, before resigning from her job and selling the house.
Charlie is certain that the move to a ramshackle cottage, miles from anywhere, can only make things worse. She couldn’t be more wrong. For Charlie’s mum there’s a new business and the fresh start that she knew she needed. And for Charlie there’s a new job, new friends, a newly discovered talent for art, and new feelings for two very different men. It’s a summer of beginnings, not ends; a summer that Charlie will never forget.
Charlie is certain that the move to a ramshackle cottage, miles from anywhere, can only make things worse. She couldn’t be more wrong. For Charlie’s mum there’s a new business and the fresh start that she knew she needed. And for Charlie there’s a new job, new friends, a newly discovered talent for art, and new feelings for two very different men. It’s a summer of beginnings, not ends; a summer that Charlie will never forget.
- GenresYoung Adult
241 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1999
1 person is currently reading
85 people want to read
About the author
Linda Newbery
84 books53 followersLinda Newbery's latest novel for adults is THE ONE TRUE THING. She has published widely for readers of all ages, and is a Costa Prize category winner with SET IN STONE, a young adult Victorian mystery. She has twice been shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal, with THE SHELL HOUSE and SISTERLAND.
With friends Adele Geras and Celia Rees, Linda hosts the literary blog WRITERS REVIEW, which features reviews, recommendations, interviews with authors and insights from booksellers.
Linda is an active campaigner on animal and environmental issues and has published a guide to compassionate living: THIS BOOK IS CRUELTY FREE - ANIMALS AND US.
She lives in rural Oxfordshire.
With friends Adele Geras and Celia Rees, Linda hosts the literary blog WRITERS REVIEW, which features reviews, recommendations, interviews with authors and insights from booksellers.
Linda is an active campaigner on animal and environmental issues and has published a guide to compassionate living: THIS BOOK IS CRUELTY FREE - ANIMALS AND US.
She lives in rural Oxfordshire.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
December 22, 2015
Flightsend is a tale of broken hearts, sudden changes and the changes of growing up. We meet Charlie, a sixteen year old girl sitting her GCSE exams and is whisked away along with her mother into the house titled Flightsend. The story is set over one summer and revolves around a mother-daughter bond which in today's world, is an important thing as family is a part that we keep close to our heart.
There is hints of mystery throughout the story which tied into Charlie's new home but as the story went on, I found myself starting to yawn a little. Yes, I do admit that I was tired whilst reading this but conflicts were very few and not fully developed. When the ending rolled around, I had already guessed what was going to happen and without spoiling the story for anyone who wishes to read it, my hunch was right.
If you are looking for a simple story to read on a long day when you have nothing else to do, read this story. If however like me, you like to see stories with hints of action and spice in, plot twists out of the blue that rock you to the core, then this isn't the story for you. I will read more stories by this author as I have a couple more in my room at home to read. But overall, I was slightly disappointed with the lack of action and tension.
On a positive note, the mother-daughter bond in places was quite good. I remember the times that I argued with my mum. Other times was confusing and I had to flick back through a couple of pages to see what was going on.
There is hints of mystery throughout the story which tied into Charlie's new home but as the story went on, I found myself starting to yawn a little. Yes, I do admit that I was tired whilst reading this but conflicts were very few and not fully developed. When the ending rolled around, I had already guessed what was going to happen and without spoiling the story for anyone who wishes to read it, my hunch was right.
If you are looking for a simple story to read on a long day when you have nothing else to do, read this story. If however like me, you like to see stories with hints of action and spice in, plot twists out of the blue that rock you to the core, then this isn't the story for you. I will read more stories by this author as I have a couple more in my room at home to read. But overall, I was slightly disappointed with the lack of action and tension.
On a positive note, the mother-daughter bond in places was quite good. I remember the times that I argued with my mum. Other times was confusing and I had to flick back through a couple of pages to see what was going on.
March 19, 2011
Charlie is a typical British teen. She's 16 and taking her GCSEs and getting ready to start the 6th form - which means that she's taking a national standardized series of tests and getting ready to enter the equivalent of 11th grade. Charlie's mother has broken up with her long-term boyfriend, quit her job and is moving them to Flightsend, a cottage in the country. Charlie will be away from her friends, a long bus ride away from school and in the middle of nowhere. And nobody asked her about breaking up with the boyfriend. She likes him and he's a gym teacher at her school, so she sees him all the time.
"Flightsend" is a lovely book that takes place during 6 months of Charlie's life.
"Flightsend" is a lovely book that takes place during 6 months of Charlie's life.
March 11, 2012
Flightsend Review
Charlie was about to begin a whole new life when she and her mother moved into an old cottage called Flightsend. Her mother sees this as an opportunity to start fresh after all that has gone so tragically wrong. This young adult novel by Linda Newbery, expresses feelings of love and family, confusion and distress, and hate and happiness. Charlie would soon find out whether moving to this cottage was going to make things better or worse.
Before moving, Charlie's mother was in a relationship with a man named Sean, that was several years younger than her. To them, the age difference didn't matter because Sean was a very kind, caring, and genuine man that Charlie formed a very close bond with. Charlie's mom, Kathy, tried to have a baby with Sean but unfortunately the baby died during the pregnancy. After that, Kathy pushed Sean out of her life and she was going through a lot of depression. That was when she decided to move to Flightsend. There, Kathy took up gardening and Charlie began working at a place called Nightingales. This was a place where many tutors gathered to teach students about subjects like art, math, drawing, and many other things. The owners of Nightingales was a couple with a young daughter named Rosie. She reminded Kathy of her baby Rose, which she lost during pregnancy. Charlie was always very upset with her mother for pushing Sean out of her life because he seemed like the perfect husband and father. Charlie could not understand why her mother was always trying to ignore Sean and not take him back. Charlie's certain that not taking Sean back will make everything worse, but she couldn't be more wrong.
The First summer at Flightsend turned out to be really nice and proves to be a turning point for both Charlie and her mother. In the beginning, Charlie was not too happy about moving to Flightsend. However, while she began working at Nightingales, she made new friends and looked forward to going their everyday. She noticed that her mother was no longer depressed and was actually beginning to enjoy life a bit more. As long as her mother was happy, that's all that mattered. Charlie also found a dog and ended up keeping him. One day when she took out Caspar, her dog, she came upon an old aircraft facility. She actually ended up seeing a small plane land and a tall man came out. His name was Dietmar and he was from Germany. He actually used to live in Flightsend until he moved back to Germany. Charlie showed Dietmar around town and introduced him to her mother. Kathy began spending more time with him and told Charlie that she really liked him. So, would this mean Sean was no longer in her life and Kathy was starting a new beginning?
"Flightsend" by Linda Newbery was overall a good book. The big idea was that a mother was getting over the fact that she dumped her boyfriend of many years and tried to escape her depression by moving away, leaving herslef and her daughter trying to start fresh and to enjoy themselves in a new home and town. I felt very sorry for Charlie because she had to watch her mother go through so much pain and grief, but then again, she progressively got better and both Charlie and her mother were beginning to really like Flightsend and accept that it was home. This book deals a lot with a mother and daughter relationship and how their different lives and opinions affect one another. "Flightsend" was easy to read and understand. I rated this book three stars because there were a few moments in the book that I felt were unnecessary and didn't really fit into the big picture of what the book was about, like for example when Charlie and her friends were on their way home and almost got into a car crash. There wasn't really that much action, just a bit of drama and conflicts between people, but otherwise it an ok book.
If this book might interest you, then other books by Linda Newbery are "Lucy and the Green Man," "Sisterland," "Set in Stone," and "The Shell House." If you would like to purchase this book, a hardcover copy from Barnes and Noble costs $17.09. Linda Newbery also writes children books and fiction books.
Charlie was about to begin a whole new life when she and her mother moved into an old cottage called Flightsend. Her mother sees this as an opportunity to start fresh after all that has gone so tragically wrong. This young adult novel by Linda Newbery, expresses feelings of love and family, confusion and distress, and hate and happiness. Charlie would soon find out whether moving to this cottage was going to make things better or worse.
Before moving, Charlie's mother was in a relationship with a man named Sean, that was several years younger than her. To them, the age difference didn't matter because Sean was a very kind, caring, and genuine man that Charlie formed a very close bond with. Charlie's mom, Kathy, tried to have a baby with Sean but unfortunately the baby died during the pregnancy. After that, Kathy pushed Sean out of her life and she was going through a lot of depression. That was when she decided to move to Flightsend. There, Kathy took up gardening and Charlie began working at a place called Nightingales. This was a place where many tutors gathered to teach students about subjects like art, math, drawing, and many other things. The owners of Nightingales was a couple with a young daughter named Rosie. She reminded Kathy of her baby Rose, which she lost during pregnancy. Charlie was always very upset with her mother for pushing Sean out of her life because he seemed like the perfect husband and father. Charlie could not understand why her mother was always trying to ignore Sean and not take him back. Charlie's certain that not taking Sean back will make everything worse, but she couldn't be more wrong.
The First summer at Flightsend turned out to be really nice and proves to be a turning point for both Charlie and her mother. In the beginning, Charlie was not too happy about moving to Flightsend. However, while she began working at Nightingales, she made new friends and looked forward to going their everyday. She noticed that her mother was no longer depressed and was actually beginning to enjoy life a bit more. As long as her mother was happy, that's all that mattered. Charlie also found a dog and ended up keeping him. One day when she took out Caspar, her dog, she came upon an old aircraft facility. She actually ended up seeing a small plane land and a tall man came out. His name was Dietmar and he was from Germany. He actually used to live in Flightsend until he moved back to Germany. Charlie showed Dietmar around town and introduced him to her mother. Kathy began spending more time with him and told Charlie that she really liked him. So, would this mean Sean was no longer in her life and Kathy was starting a new beginning?
"Flightsend" by Linda Newbery was overall a good book. The big idea was that a mother was getting over the fact that she dumped her boyfriend of many years and tried to escape her depression by moving away, leaving herslef and her daughter trying to start fresh and to enjoy themselves in a new home and town. I felt very sorry for Charlie because she had to watch her mother go through so much pain and grief, but then again, she progressively got better and both Charlie and her mother were beginning to really like Flightsend and accept that it was home. This book deals a lot with a mother and daughter relationship and how their different lives and opinions affect one another. "Flightsend" was easy to read and understand. I rated this book three stars because there were a few moments in the book that I felt were unnecessary and didn't really fit into the big picture of what the book was about, like for example when Charlie and her friends were on their way home and almost got into a car crash. There wasn't really that much action, just a bit of drama and conflicts between people, but otherwise it an ok book.
If this book might interest you, then other books by Linda Newbery are "Lucy and the Green Man," "Sisterland," "Set in Stone," and "The Shell House." If you would like to purchase this book, a hardcover copy from Barnes and Noble costs $17.09. Linda Newbery also writes children books and fiction books.
March 13, 2021
I havered between three and four stars, and ultimately went with three, not because I didn't enjoy the book, but because I didn't enjoy it quite enough to imagine ever wanting to re-read it....also there wasn't enough cottage fixing up for my taste, so I started off a bit disappointed. It was "after three months it was liveable" and I like all the details of flagstone scrubbing etc in my English cottage fixing up stories. On the other hand there was a good amount of Charlie realizing her artistic talents, and since I like to read about people sketching that was nice for me. Having typed that I will now bump the book to four stars.
July 20, 2025
This is a great coming of age book. I think the message is about letting go of the past and accepting change, even when it's uncertain.
January 26, 2015
The book Flightsend is about a broken family of a mother named Kathy, a daughter named Charlie and Kathy’s boyfriend, Sean. The “family” is having issues getting over the lose of their baby and Kathy attempting to get over grief of breaking up with Sean although Charlie thought it was stupid of her.
When Kathy was looking for a new house, Charlie began thinking her mom was trying to run away from the past by changing everything. When Charlie first saw Flightsend (the name of the house) she looked disappointed about how run-down the house looked, she didn’t like the fact that it was so far away from town and she missed her friends. She then began trying to get her mom and Sean back together but then Kathy makes it final that she is not getting back together with him. That’s when Charlie realizes that she is in love with Sean so she tries to stay away from him.
One day when a plane lands in the old air field by Flightsend and Charlie was walking her dog, Casper, she invites the man who was flying the plane to go to her house. When the man realizes she lives at Flightsend he told her that he once was the owner of the house and that the rosebush in their garden was a memorial to his dad, a German pilot. When the man and Kathy met they got along well and they shared a passion of gardening. Charlie begins to believe that they should be more than just friends.
The man explains that his father had died at the old air field and he named the house. Charlie then remembered what her mom had said “That’s what it is isn’t it? An end to all the sadness these past few years?”. Then Charlie realizes she’s glad that they moved there.
i think this book was amazing, It was very moving. It also had real life experiences and struggles that are relatable. It Also showed me that change isn’t so bad sometimes, especially if something bad has happened in your life.
When Kathy was looking for a new house, Charlie began thinking her mom was trying to run away from the past by changing everything. When Charlie first saw Flightsend (the name of the house) she looked disappointed about how run-down the house looked, she didn’t like the fact that it was so far away from town and she missed her friends. She then began trying to get her mom and Sean back together but then Kathy makes it final that she is not getting back together with him. That’s when Charlie realizes that she is in love with Sean so she tries to stay away from him.
One day when a plane lands in the old air field by Flightsend and Charlie was walking her dog, Casper, she invites the man who was flying the plane to go to her house. When the man realizes she lives at Flightsend he told her that he once was the owner of the house and that the rosebush in their garden was a memorial to his dad, a German pilot. When the man and Kathy met they got along well and they shared a passion of gardening. Charlie begins to believe that they should be more than just friends.
The man explains that his father had died at the old air field and he named the house. Charlie then remembered what her mom had said “That’s what it is isn’t it? An end to all the sadness these past few years?”. Then Charlie realizes she’s glad that they moved there.
i think this book was amazing, It was very moving. It also had real life experiences and struggles that are relatable. It Also showed me that change isn’t so bad sometimes, especially if something bad has happened in your life.
July 6, 2010
Flightsend is a cottage, way out in the country, that becomes a new home for Charlie and her mother. Charlie isn't pleased with the move but not in an obnoxious way, and ultimately she discovers a number of good things about her new life.
I found myself wishing for more of the mother's motivations for the move, perhaps as a balance to Charlie's experiences. We know the events that result in the move, but not much about what was going on in her head. The mother has her own self-discovery and it would have been interesting to have had more of her take on things.
I found myself wishing for more of the mother's motivations for the move, perhaps as a balance to Charlie's experiences. We know the events that result in the move, but not much about what was going on in her head. The mother has her own self-discovery and it would have been interesting to have had more of her take on things.
March 6, 2012
I enjoyed the book, but it was a little strange at parts. The character is roughly 15-16 and one of her teachers is making very slight advances towards her. She realizes and avoids hi, I am just not sure that is a good message to send. That you should just avoid teachers making inappropriate advanced. However, the overall story (excluding that part) was good, although it seemed more about her mother than her.
January 1, 2013
An interesting buildingsroman about how a girl grows up in the countryside after living in town her whole life and how she deals with her mother, her mother's break up with her boyfriend and father figure, and the loss of her baby sister. She finds a place where she has room to breathe, and so she breathes.
April 5, 2016
It was OK
A coming of age type of story where a girl and her mother leave the father and move to the country. They both adjust to their new lives and Charlie, the girl, is able to move on.
Being just OK, I wouldn't recommend this to anyone.
I think I decided to read it based on the author's name.
A coming of age type of story where a girl and her mother leave the father and move to the country. They both adjust to their new lives and Charlie, the girl, is able to move on.
Being just OK, I wouldn't recommend this to anyone.
I think I decided to read it based on the author's name.
April 1, 2013
i didnt even finish reading this book, thats how boreing it was;i kept telling myself it would get better but it never did, it had no plain plot, jut the ordinary info about an average teen having to move house. i only got half way and litrally gave up.
April 11, 2011
I love this book one of my top books ever.
July 20, 2012
It was so good! Bring be back to the memories of being at countryside. Its well written, creating the scene perfectly and story itself is catchy. Read!
Read
December 9, 2012Putting this book down for now, don't know if I'll get to finishing it.
June 1, 2013
this book was OK got boring, and it was just plain, boring and uneventful. Wouldn't recommend it.
June 12, 2013
I was enjoying the escapism in this story until the ending which was so contrived it ruined the book for me.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews