Member Reviews
This second book in the Lux series after finishing Lux: The New Girl. The structure of this mini series is brilliant. All of the Flyy Girls' cast members are given a great amount of screen time, and their individual stories may stand on their own. I loved getting to know each and every one of them.
This second book in the Lux series was my next read after finishing Lux: The New Girl. The structure of this miniseries is brilliant. All of the Flyy Girls' supporting cast members are given substantial screen time, and their individual stories may stand on their own. I enjoyed getting to know Micah from Lux's point of view in the first book, and then from Micah's point of view in the second.
Characterization in this novel, like all of Ashley Woodfolk's writings, is superb. Even in the limited space of these novellas, she makes her characters feel vivid and three-dimensional. Micah's loss is palpable and painful, and I found myself crying along with her. It's another great story. Really looking forward to continuing with the Flyy Girl series.
The second book in the series, and I’m loving it just as much as the first one! I can’t wait for more.
Micah deals with anxiety and panic attacks after losing her brother almost a year ago. She is known as a good girl because she goes to church, but she is considering whether she wants to sleep with her boyfriend. This book covers mature topics, but is written for reluctant readers, so it was a quick read for me. I enjoyed getting to know Micah and look forward to future books in this series.
I loved getting Micah's POV in this book - It explores the intersection of religion, sex, and sexual identity as well as the process of grieving and mental health issues that can stem from traumatic experiences. Another great addition to this series and excited to read the next two!
This is the second story in this series, and follows Micah, the group's "good girl". Micah is experiencing grief from the death of her brother, new serious feelings and desires in her relationship, along with the conflicted feelings about her religion and her families expectations.
I thought this was another great bite sized read, and again, even though these books are small, they pack such a punch. I loved the portrayal of Micah's grief, how it affects her a year later, and especially how she is learning to cope healthily through therapy and the support of her loved ones. Like Lux, her relationship with her parents is challenging, and again, I felt that unfairness and frustration myself throughout the story. I also thought it showed how those issues affect other parts of her life, especially her romantic relationship and that storyline. I loved this story and it's portrayals of these issues.
3.5 stars
*I received a copy from PenguinTeen in exchange for an honest review*
This was a fun read. This is written at a purposely lower reading level to engage teens who might struggle with higher level reading so the writing does read as simplistic, but it didn't bother me because I knew it was purposeful. Micah as a character was interesting to read, and I appreciated how the book showed her dealing with her grief, anxiety, and going to therapy. I really enjoyed the healthy portrayal of therapy. I also thought her struggle with her faith in contrast with her romantic relationship was interesting and I think it would be relatable for some teens.
Similarly to the previous book in the series I had an issue with a conflict in the later half of the book where I didn't quite understand why the parents were reacting the way they were. Or rather I understood why, but I don't think they're completely justified and the book doesn't acknowledge that.
Thank you to Penguin Teen for providing me with an ARC of this book. All thoughts are my own.
Last month I read Lux which is the first book in the Flyy Girls series and I quite enjoyed it. I was provided with an ARC of this second book so I thought I would take the opportunity to read it. However, this book did not meet my expectations. This book is also a Hi-Lo book which means that it is written so that there is high interest but low level of difficulty. While the writing may come off as "simplistic" for a YA novel that is intentional.
Micah's story in this series is interesting for a number of reasons. It explores the intersection of religion, sex, and sexual identity as well as the process of grieving and mental health issues that can stem from traumatic experiences. I really enjoyed the representation of anxiety in this book. Readers have the opportunity to see Micah learn to cope with the symptoms that come with having anxiety. She becomes more aware of her triggers and methods that she can utilize to cope. If anything, this was my favorite part of the book. While Woodfolk attempts to discuss even deeper issues such as the relationship between religion, sex positivity, and sexual identity, I think that it was a little too much for the length of this book. Don't get me wrong, all of these topics are important; however, I feel like they were skimmed over and never completely discussed because there wasn't enough dedicated time. Teens are going to enjoy seeing the conversations come up within the framework of this story; however, I think that they would also benefit from a more nuanced conversation.
There is great dialogue around the different ways in which people grieve which causes a rift in Micah's family. The relationship that she has with her parents begins to deteriorate because of expectations that they have for Micah that she can't possibly fulfill. I wanted a little more conversation and dialogue between Micah and her parents that would have shown the lack of realism behind their expectations, but also why they would even want to impose such expectations. I think it would have made the text flow to together a little better.
Overall, I thought it was a good addition to the series, but it wasn't as good as the previous book.
Just like Flyy Girls #1, this was just as good. I loved that this book tackled the loss and grief Micah was going through. It felt very relatable and real, and I think it's important to highlight these very real situations and have young people be able to explore the process through a character in a book. When there is loss in a family, everyone in that family doesn't grieve the same and at the same amount of time, and this story did a great job of showing that. I highly recommend this book and LUX: The New Girl (Flyy Girls #1).
Thank you Penguin Teen for this advance reading copy.
After reading Lux: The New Girl, I immediately dove into this second book. I love the way this mini-series is formatted! Not only do we eventually get to spend time with all the characters in the Flyy Girls, but each story is complete on its own. I loved learning about Micah from Lux's perspective in book one, then jumping into Micah's head this time around.
As with all of Ashley Woodfolk's books, her characterization is STELLAR. She manages to make everyone feel so real, so alive -- an especially impressive feat in the short space of these novellas! I found myself feeling emotional right alongside Micah; her grief is both tangible and devastating. Another excellent story. Can't wait to read the rest of the Flyy Girl books!
Thank you Penguin Teen for providing a free advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Thank you so much Penguin Teen for not only sending my the electronic ARC and the physical copies. This book was short sweet and is perfect to read at this time. I highly suggest this book especially if you want to read something quick and culturally appropriate right now. The characters are very rich especially for it to be so short.
The second installment in the Flyy Girls series picks up a few months after where Lux the New Girl left off and focuses on Micah Dupree, who is the “good girl” of the group and is okay with that. She’s happy getting good grades, going to church, and looking up to her seemingly perfect older brother Milo. This is another novella-length story in which Woodfolk does a lot with a little. Micah grapples with anxiety and panic attacks following Milo’s death, and we see how hard she and her therapist try to work through her triggers and fears, and as someone who has required counseling on and off for over a decade for anxiety, I appreciate the care with which Woodfolk broaches this topic.
On top of all this, Micah also finds herself at a crossroads in both her romantic relationship and her relationship with religion, specifically what she’s been taught about virginity. As a woman of faith who was also raised in a “wait until marriage” household and church, I love how Woodfolk tackles the nuances of virginity, sex, and romance by also exploring the emotional aspect of sexuality and the importance of not feeling pressured to do something that one is not ready for. Micah the Good Girl is a great story about self-exploration, grief, and relationships.
In true Flyy Girls fashion, Woodfolk has delivered another amazing, relatable story.
This book takes a look at Micah, the painter of the group. She’s dealing with her own struggles whole trying to be a good friend to her Girls too.
Micah’s story really hit home for me because I could see much of myself. I suffer from panic attacks too. I take medicine to help, but they’ve never gone away completely. I was raised in a very religious household, and I’ve asked myself the same questions about sex and GOD that Micah did. I cried a bit when Micah talks with her therapist... the catharsis and release...was tangible.
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Big thanks to PenguinTeen for granting me this eARC in exchange for an honest review!
This is the second book in this series and it did not disappoint. In my review for book one I said I would recommend that book to all the teens I came across and this book is no different. Although book two is quite different, it follows the same themes that were present in book one. I really enjoyed how the two books seems to flow perfectly together. Normally when I read a second book in a series, there is always a disconnect, but that did not happen with these books!
This is the second Flyy Girls book I read, and I feel like what frustrated me with the first one is becoming more of an issue. The characters seem to be "types", meant to fulfill certain roles, as the subtitles themselves suggest. Micah is the "good girl", the church girl, who is beginning to struggle with her faith. While the focus of the book is Micah's grief and her panic attacks after losing her brother, she also has questions about following the faith she grew up in. These are hinted at, but the only one that's addressed is her decision that it would be o.k. to have sex with her boyfriend because she loves him, although she also decides to wait a bit. Her decision is presented without the deep angst I know many Christian teens feel and without even mentioning the deeper questions under this issue. Her decision is presented as if it's the foregone conclusion. I'm still waiting for the mainstream (not Christian) book that doesn't assume that the end of the struggle will always be going against what they've been taught. I know kids of many faiths who struggle and choose to continue to let faith shape their lives. Why is it so hard to find those in YA books?
This was an exceptionally well written story about grief and anxiety. I really love how well Micah's panic attacks and her changing relationship with her late brother were handled. I enjoyed reading about how her anxiety blended in with her relationship with her parents and with her faith as well. I did think that this book was a little short and I would have liked more in depth discussion on the intersection of faith, sexuality, and intimacy. Even still, the fact that I want more tells me that this is a book I really enjoyed. Can't wait for the other twy Flyy Girls' books!!
This is my new favorite series for reluctant teen readers. Flyy Girls is the next generation's Bluford High: high-interest, low-difficulty books about a diverse group of high school girls dealing with fitting in, mental health, family, and identity. I saw Ashley Woodfolk speak at this year's SLJTeen event, and her vision of a relatable, accessible series is absolutely realized in Flyy Girls.
This is a story about conversations. Micah lost her brother a year ago, and now she experiences panic attacks. She has some fantastic conversations with her therapist about coping strategies, with her boyfriend about sexuality and consent, and her best friends about all of it. Her relationship with her parents is strained, but they too talk about hard truths.
Micah's story, the second in the series, definitely feels heavier than Lux's and is even better than book one. I can't wait to put this series in my teens' hands!
This little book packs a punch. In this installment of Flyy Girls we follow Micah as she struggles with anxiety following the sudden death of her brother. She struggles with teenage hormones, grief, guilt about disappointing her parents and god. These stories are so relatable. Don’t let their size fool you, these stories will change lives.
I thought this book was much more insightful and well done than the first one!! Maybe because I could relate more to the main character? But this was SUCH a sweet story: perfect length, characters that face real-world issues, topics dealing with grief, healing, anxiety, and mental illness. Plus LGBTQ+ representation! I thought this was beautifully done and extremely powerful being less than 150 pages long. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy!
I enjoyed the first book in the series and liked the concept of learning about a group of high school friends over the course of a series. The books are compulsively readable: short in length, clean prose, dynamic characters, and realistic conflicts.
Unfortunately, the second book fell short for me. I did enjoy the very real depiction of anxiety and grief. It added so much to Micah's character. Due to the length of the novel (it's very short! my kindle version said 100 pages), I think the author tried to tackle too much -- adding in the issue Micah of wanting to be physical with her boyfriend (a subject that I didn't enjoy reading about, personally). The novel felt too thin and a little repetitive after the first book (especially in the parent-child relationship and interactions).