ENTRADA BOOK REVIEWS

High Flying

By Kaylin McFarren

Pages: 277 Date Reviewed: May 16, 2019 Release Date: May 3, 2019     Available at:

High Flying is an emotional rollercoaster of a story centering on Skylar and the obstacles life keeps throwing her way. From the very beginning, the reader will be captivated by Skylar's personality and her strength when she is faced with impossible situations. Kaylin McFarren doesn't shy away from the uncomfortable or complicated aspects of daily life, showing the world the true face of someone dealing with their own mental health in an impossible situation.

Right from the very beginning you are pulled into the very essence of Skylar's character and the daily battles she has to face. And face them she does and with such strength and determination that she is an immediate favorite that you cannot help but be completely invested in. McFarren doesn't stop there, throwing Skylar into increasingly more dangerous and complicated situations as the story progresses. She is the epitome of "you never know how strong you are until you have to be" and it's a delight to read.

With a past as dark and twisty as Skylar's, facing childhood trauma and the loss of both her parents, it's hard to imagine a light at the end of the tunnel. And yet High Flying delivers just that, gifting both the reader and the main characters a second chance, to see if the past can be played out differently. Who hasn't wanted to go back into their own past and fix mistakes in the hope for a better future?

High Flying delivers on many different premises without jeopardizing the quality of anything. It's not often that an author can expertly intertwine mental health, time travel, gangsters and crime into one story but the author does just that. She has created a gritty dramatic yet often heart-warming novel that hooks the reader from the very first sentence. While many authors navigate through the time travel element of their stories very logically, focusing on the quest to get home or cause minimal damage, Kaylin McFarren delves into the emotional ramifications of delving into your past. High Flying navigates through the complex agonizing internal battles that a young woman must make when faced with the opportunity to not only have experiences with the father she never met but to also possibly save his life and her future family.

Kaylin McFarren's High Flying keeps the reader hooked from chapter to chapter, not only by creating an exciting story premise and characters but also by subverting the reader's expectations. Just when the story feels as if it's going to end up in one direction it takes a sharp corner and veers off unexpectedly; this is done flawlessly, a true testament to Kaylin's writing skill, that it keeps the reader engaged till the very last words. It's a true joy to read a book without immediately knowing everything that is going to happen and how it will conclude. The air of narrative mystery some authors can only ever aspire to complete.

Overall, High Flying is a delight to read; delving into the human psyche when thrown into their own past leaves the reader wondering just how they would handle the same situations.

"There had to be a universe out there where she could fit in—a place where she could dream about the future and wipe away the memories of her miserable, earthbound life."