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    We'll Fly Away
    We'll Fly Away
    We'll Fly Away
    Audiobook8 hours

    We'll Fly Away

    Written by Bryan Bliss

    Narrated by James Fouhey

    4/5

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    About this audiobook

    National Book Award Longlist Title * Booklist Editors’ Choice * CYBILS Young Adult Fiction Finalist * Nerdy Book Club Award for Best Young Adult Fiction * Paste Magazine Best Book * YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults

    “A compelling and raw story.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

    “[Bliss dares] his readers not only to see the depths of human complexity, but to care.”—Booklist (starred review)

    Luke and Toby have always had each other’s backs. But then one choice—or maybe it is a series of choices—sets them down an irrevocable path. We’ll Fly Away weaves together Luke and Toby’s senior year of high school with letters Luke writes to Toby later—from death row.

    Best friends since childhood, Luke and Toby have dreamed of one thing: getting out of their dead-end town. Soon they finally will, riding the tails of Luke’s wrestling scholarship, never looking back. If they don’t drift apart first. If Toby’s abusive dad, or Luke’s unreliable mom, or anything else their complicated lives throw at them doesn’t get in the way.

    Tense and emotional, this hard-hitting novel explores family abuse, sex, love, and friendship, and how far people will go to protect those they love. For fans of Jason Reynolds, Marieke Nijkamp, and NPR’s Serial podcast.

    Praise for We’ll Fly Away:

    ""Bryan Bliss has written an empathetic and stirring novel about what it means to fight for the outcasts, the forgotten, and even the hated, reminding us that we all have worth. That we are all valuable.""—Sister Helen Prejean, author of Dead Man Walking

    “A poignant story of loyalty, abuse, and poverty. . . . This compassionate and beautifully rendered novel packs an emotional punch.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

    “A smart, rugged, all-too-true story of friendship under fire. Believable characters and page-turning tension.”—Chris Crutcher, author of Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes

    “This fast-paced read will have teens tearing through chapters to find out why Luke is in jail. . . . The conclusion will leave them devastated. This is [a] touching book about male friendship for fans of Jason Reynolds.”—School Library Journal

    “The unshakable and unconditional bond between the young men is tested and proves true, a ray of light in the darkness of their stories.”—VOYA

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateMay 8, 2018
    ISBN9780062840950
    Author

    Bryan Bliss

    Bryan Bliss is the author of the National Book Award longlist title We’ll Fly Away as well as Thoughts & Prayers, Meet Me Here, and No Parking at the End Times. He is an Episcopal priest and a creative writing teacher, and he holds master’s degrees in theology and fiction. His nonfiction has been published in Image Journal along with various other newspapers, magazines, and blogs. He lives with his family in St. Paul, Minnesota.

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    Reviews for We'll Fly Away

    4/5

    23 ratings3 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Fell in love with this book my freshman year of high school. Here I am later in life with a daughter and I still love it just as much.
    • 5/5
      I was intrigued by this book from the start, especially when I realised that Luke was writing to his friend from prison. Why was he there? What terrible crime had he committed? It wasn't long before I realised that Luke was not just in prison, he was on death row. I had to read more! And so I followed, the tragic, heart-wrenching story of Luke and Toby, and the events that led to Luke's arrest.These two boys had very few positives in their lives except each other. Toby's father was a drunk and a brute who would take his anger out on his son. Luke had two gorgeous little brothers but his mother wasn't the most reliable and was certainly not Mother of the Year material. However, Luke was a protector and would do anything for his brothers and best friend.The love, trust and loyalty Toby and Luke shared moved me. It was something pure and special which made the ending that more tragic. I will definitely be looking for more books by this author. A powerful read!
    • 3/5
      The first half of the book was strong. The boys' friendship and the hardships they faced in their lives was compelling. Once the females entered the story line, it lost my interest. However, I'm not a young-adult, and teens might enjoy the second half of the book. I did read to the end, but wasn't surprised in the least.