Book Review: High Flying

Skylar Haines has a personality disorder; she’s a cutter. She struggles in coping with bad situations, and with people. As a teenager, she feels like a prisoner in her grandfather’s house with no parents to turn to. And just when she thinks her life couldn’t get any worst, she loses her only two friends on two different tragic incidents. Enduring all the pain, she leaves her grandfather who doesn’t show interest in what she loves – flying. In 2018, she becomes a pilot – a female stunt pilot. She performs at the Ace Flying Circus but after an audacious performance in the sky, she comes across a mysterious storm that sends her back all the way to 1997, when she hasn’t been born. To her surprise, she meets her dad who’s involved in drug smuggling, and is bound to be murdered in a week. Skylar puts her life at risk to save him, in hope of saving the future.

High Flying by Kaylin McFarren is a book with many genres: psychological, drama, action, adventure, comedy, suspense, and a touch of romance. The introduction instantly captured me because it gave me an impression that a great adventure awaits. It was then followed by a narrative poem that was still a part of the book’s introduction to an amazing story, and the author sure did write an amazing one.

There are many things I love about this book: (1) The dramatic opening that showed Skylar’s personality and anxiety disorder. I was able to relate to her anxieties and how she’s coping or not coping with different situations, (2) Skylar’s character is one that will be loved by many because of her courage and determination to go through life, (3) Skylar’s conversations with her dad were amusing, (4) The dialogue, in general, made me feel like I was watching a movie and could vividly picture the humorous scenes, dramatic outbursts, and entertaining action scenes, (5) The title is perfect for the story, referring to Skylar’s career as a pilot, and a metaphor related to drug-smuggling, (6) It teaches the value of family and friendship, (7) I was instantly excited upon reading the introduction, “In the beginning, God created man, but things didn’t get interesting until man created the airplane and a strong-minded woman to fly it,” (8) Every chapter has a quote related to its contents, and lastly (9) Considering its cliché theme, the storyline is quite impressive. I never thought I’d like another time travel story, but I did.

Surprisingly, despite the many things I love about this book, there is one thing I don’t like about it: it has poor editing. The good thing is, it didn’t impact my reading experience. Overall, I’m giving it 4 out of 5 stars. It’s packed with all genres possible in one book, so there are no dull moments. Each chapter kept me wanting for more, so I finished reading it in less than a day. That being said, I highly recommend this book to ALL mature readers, regardless of what genre of book you prefer.