If Birds Fly Back

If Birds Fly Back
Written by Carlie Sorosiak
Contemporary, Mystery, Romance
352 Pages
Published June 27th 2017
Thank you to Pan Macmillan Australia
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★★★★
Linny has been living life in black and white since her sister Grace ran away, and she's scared that Grace might never come back.
When Linny witnesses the return to Miami of a cult movie star long presumed dead, she is certain it's a sign. Surely Álvaro Herrera, of all people, can tell her why people come back and how to bring her sister home?

Sebastian has come to Miami seeking his father, a man whose name he's only just learned. An aspiring astrophysicist, he can tell Linny how many galaxies there are, how much plutonium weighs and how likely she is to be struck by a meteorite. But none of the theories he knows are enough to answer his own questions about why his father abandoned him, and why it left him in pieces.

As Sebastian and Linny converge around the mystery of Álvaro's disappearance and return, their planets start to collide. Linny's life is about to become technicolor, but finding the answers to her questions might mean losing everything that matters.
Prolific author and filmmaker Álvaro Herrera had disappeared, presumed dead. Emerging from the wilderness, Álvaro is the newest resident at Silver Springs Retirement Community where sixteen year old Marilyn and seventeen year old Sebastian have both volunteered for the Florida summer.

Untraceable and elusive, Grace abandoned her family taking her guitar and the colour from Marilyn's world. At sixteen years of age Linny carries the weight of parental expectations, suffocating within the sterile environment her meticulous mother has established. Linny is reluctantly coerced to volunteer at Silver Sounds Retirement Community, a predecessor to a medical profession. Álvaro represents the population who succumbed to wanderlust, those who have sought adventure only to reunite with their families and uncovering their motives may guide Grace home.

Sebastian is a young aspiring astrophysicist who has recently discovered the identity of his biological father. On a journey from Los Angeles to Miami, Sebastian plans to confront the man who abandoned his mother but upon arriving at Silver Springs Retirement Community, discovers an elderly ambiguous man. Sebastian has wonderful support to shoulder his heavy burden. Best friend Micah who is Korean American and adopted by two Caucasian Christians, his mother and aunt Ana, where he is currently residing. 

Linny confides within her journal pages. Her parents are grief stricken and although continue to leave their home illuminated each night, are gradually erasing Grace from their lives. Her closest friends are conceited and emphatically condescending, trivialising what may be perceived as undiagnosed depression. Wonderfully diverse, Marilyn a Nigerian American and Sebastian who is experiencing identity loss once his mother remarried and abstains from speaking Spanish. Cuban American Álvaro is an enigmatic character, a commanding presence throughout the narration which unites both adolescents for a common cause.

Debut author Carlie Sorosiak has composed a compelling narrative of compassion and discovery with vibrant, diverse characters. Delicate, tender and ingenuous.

28 comments

  1. Ah, I love these types of books! Mystery novels, the diverse characters (astrophysicist!) and dealing with grief. It seems like a great story.

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    1. It's such a lovely read, colourful and wonderfully affirming.

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  2. I'm curious to see how their stories are connected.

    Lovely review, as always, Kelly!

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    1. Thanks Joy. I love books where characters interconnect, it creates intrigue and intensity.

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  3. The one thing that attracted me was diverse characters. Marilyn sounds like an amazing character.Linny's character honestly sounds so relatable *sigh*
    Haniya
    booknauthors.blogspot.com

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    1. Linny is such a wonderful character Haniya. I can't wait for you to meet her!

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  4. The cover looks so light and fluffy but there's obviously more depth to the story.

    For What It's Worth

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    1. The United States cover is beautiful, using a black cover model representative of Linny but the Australian cover is so striking and eye catching. It makes it feel a little younger than it actually is though.

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  5. I love diverse characters! Linny and Sebastian sound like wonderful MCs. I need to add this book to my TBR list. :)

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    1. They are! I love the connection they shared through Alviro. The romance was lovely and gentle, I was surprised how much I had enjoyed it.

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  6. Great review! I am so excited for this one! Thanks for sharing. :)

    Cass @ Words on Paper

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    1. Looking forward to seeing what you think of it!

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  7. Wow. I'm with Karen, when I saw the cover i thought "cute fluffy feelgood contemp" but after reading your wonderful words i am now thinking "super deep and meaningful".

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    1. It's still reasonably light reading but really lovely Sarah. I think you'll enjoy this one.

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  8. The book seems to be a perfect mix - diverse characters, nice story, nice writing and grief. Thanks for the review.

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    1. I adored the bright and diverse characters, they really added to the overall storyline. Wonderfully charming Resh.

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  9. This book has gone on and off my TBR a few times but your review has reminded me why I added it to my TBR in the first place. The characters sound absolutely wonderful and the kind of characters I want to be reading about so I'm moving this back on to my TBR and I am off to hunt it out at my library.

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    1. I'm really looking forward to seeing what you think of it Becky. It's so wonderfully engaging and a quick read. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.

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  10. I think this is the first time I've seen a character have the full name of someone I know. I need to read it, if not for that reason alone. :D

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    1. Would be interesting to see how the two compare Christy.

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  11. What a tender, beautiful read this seems like. And I like that it's set in a retirement home -- I think YA tends to forget characters of all ages can have a lasting impact on a storyline.

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    1. My thoughts exactly Verushka. Young adult tends to forget about parents and very few books feature older family members like grandparents. I was hoping to see more from other retirement home residents but still a great read nonetheless.

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  12. Lovely review!

    Would you mind checking out my book reviews blog at https://elsbookreviews.blogspot.ca/ and possibly give it a follow? Super excited to read your posts!

    - El

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    1. Thanks sweetheart and I will do shortly! Thanks for visiting!

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  13. I've been meaning to read this book for agessss (okay, I admit it, mostly due to the lovely cover). It sounds like a great mix of diverse characters and an interesting plot. Great review!
    Megan @ http://wanderingsofabookbird.blogspot.co.uk/

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    1. Thanks Megan, looking forward to seeing what you think of it!

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  14. This book sounds all types of interesting, and the cover is stunning! Great review Kelly <3

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