Review: Flyaway

Flyaway by Kathleen Jennings
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Ummmm I think I'm in love.

The story is about Bettina (Tina), who goes searching for answers about what happened to her family. Along the way, we get stories within her story; although I wouldn't consider this a book of short stories as all of the shorter stories contribute to the plot.

Things I loved

It's an Australian setting, but it's not all dry heat, scorched earth, blokes and sheilas and roos and Mick and Shazza having a fag and a stubby etc. I freaking LOATHE those Aussie stereotypes so it was so refreshing to read a story set in a small Australian town without any of that crap. The bush in this story is closer to my experience of it - dry, sure, but the life is still there. It's beautiful in its own unique (slightly deadly) kind of way. Plus it feels so isolated - like, even Aussies don't properly know about this secret place.

The mix of Australian setting and whimsy was so beautifully done. It meant that I could see this setting so clearly, while at the same time still firmly believe that strange creatures lurked behind shrubs and hung from the trees. The blend was PERFECT.

Speaking of the whimsy, GOD this had me so hooked! The whispers and legends and darting shadows and echoes ... I gotta tell ya, I was thoroughly spooked. It's so damn eerie and I was just so in love with it all. The magical element of this story is so unique, and there is part of me that was just so ... proud ... to feel like, 'this is how we do spooky creatures in Australia'. Which I'll admit seems a little bizarre, but there you have it. It's like ... this story built so well the whole secrecy side of things that reading it allowed me to take ownership of the secrets a little. It felt like I was in on it, and as spooky as these things were I wanted to protect them.

The atmosphere is properly spooky, and Tina's whole situation is such a mystery. Clearly she's a space cadet compared to her former self but what the heck happened to her? We've got Gary and Trish to ground the story, though, which mean this is more 'magical realism' - while Tina is a little bit off with the fairies and you can't trust anything she says or thinks, we have two very rational characters who still tell these mysterious stories and their own experiences. Rather than 'rational' being thrown out the window, its definition expands to encompass the unusual. It was so elegantly done.

Which brings me to the glue: the writing. It's so beautiful, man. It gave me such a clear image of the place, but it never got bogged down in details. It gives you a taste of the mystery and releases information in small doses, but there was never a moment where I felt the story had stalled. It flowed on so naturally. This is not a stagnant creek, nor white-water rapids. It's just a steady flowing stream with a few bends and dips to navigate along the way. No words are wasted, and while there is a lot of unusual happenings, it never goes over your head completely. It's strange, but not frustratingly so. It's strangeness is what enamoured me so completely.

I just loved everything about this book. It's relatively short, but not condensed. It tells these incredible myths that are woven into the story. The creatures were all totally new to me, but I fell in love with them immediately. Seriously - does legend of the 'Megaritty' exist beyond this story? Because I Googled and came up empty. But I'm so in love with this ruthless little beastie - I want to know more! It just felt like all these creatures belonged to the land, making for such a rich setting.

I suppose this is less about the story and more about the whimsy along the way, but it still kept me curious and entertained and honestly if the author ever visits this place again I AM THERE.

This will appeal to so many people: it's got beautiful language for the slow digesters; it's an authentic Australian setting that will appeal to Aussies like myself while not being a stereotype and therefore alienating those who, like me, are tired of small Australian town settings all being the same; its being Australian isn't actually a huge focus, so the setting won't deter anyone; it's got a mystery to solve; the magic is vivid and yet not overwhelming for those not particularly interested in fantasy; and it just leaves you with so many things to think about after reading.

I can't fault it.

This is definitely one I'll be talking about for a while. Absolutely one of my favourite reads this year. Get on it!

With thanks to Macmillan for my ARC

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