The reader is introduced to Dalia immediately, when she is doing what she loves...watching a POV video of a roller coaster. Little does Dalia know how much her world is going to be upturned when her dad wants to take a ride to get some bagels. Suddenly, Dalia is dealing with a different aspect of her life she didn't even know existed.
Arlow does an excellent job of capturing the emotions and development of each character. While at times the plot felt a little too unbelievable, the storyline plays itself out and gets wrapped up nicely in the end. Overall, an enjoyable read.

Almost flying is the story of Dalia. Dalia is excited for summer because she has a huge plan - to ride a roller coaster. When she learns of her father’s engagement, her plans change and she ends up joining her sister to be on a weeklong trip to amusement parks. However, she gets more than she’s bargained for when she realizes she may have feelings for her new friend. This book is so full of voice that I felt like I was right smack in the middle of it the whole time. My senses were overloaded. While I live in the Bible Belt and stories like these don’t often make it into our libraries, I love this one. I love it’s depth and emotions. It’s a great and fun read.
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I received this as an ARC E-copy via Netgalley. Thank you to the author Jake Maia Arlow, Dial Books, and #BookPosse!

Almost Flying by Jake Maia Arlow

Wow wow, I wish I could put this book in the hands of every middle schooler I know. Jake perfectly captures what it’s like to be a sweaty, anxious thirteen year old with a crush.

Dalia lives with her dad in Long Island. She loves swimming, bagels and most of all, rollercoasters. She’s lonely, and hesitantly nurturing a friendship with new girl Rani.

When her father announces that he’s been secretly dating a new woman for the past six months and that they’re now engaged, her whole world turns upside down. To make matters worse, she has a new stepsister: Alexa is a college student with absolutely no interest in getting to know Dalia.

It turns out they have more in common than either of them think, starting with a love for rollercoasters. Dalia crashes her future stepsister’s amusement park themed road trip, with new friend Rani in tow.

There’s so much to love in this book: the way Jake captures the texting vernacular and internet habits of teens, the heartbreak of losing a best friend, and the pain of knowing that your life is changing in ways you can’t control. As an adult reader, I especially loved the college students in the book— empathetic, imperfect young adults who are still figuring things out.

I so wish I had read a book like this as a teenager— one that treats being queer as special but not weird. And that shows that it’s okay to be angry with people you love. I want to hug all the characters in the book and I’m so excited for it to be out in the world for more people to love.

I loved this book. The voice felt so real as the author navigates issues of class, sexuality, and the best roller coaster POV videos available on Youtube. The sapphic relationship at the center of the story unfolds beautifully and leaves the reader with a warm glow.

It's hard to know where to begin listing the things that endeared me to ALMOST FLYING, Jake Maia Arlow's ever-so-touching middle grade debut. I devoured this one, sucked in from the very first page by both the premise and the voice... oh, and the roller coasters.

Like most thirteen-year-olds, Dalia hasn't quite figured out who she is yet, and her dad isn't making things any easier. He's just told her that he has a girlfriend, and that the two of them are getting engaged. It's all pretty awful for Dalia, except that her soon-to-be-stepsister, college-aged Alexa, is embarking on a theme park road trip with a friend, and Dalia gets sent along for some 'bonding.' The bonding part is every bit as awkward and forced as Dalia imagines it might be, but at least she gets to bring along her new friend, Rani. And at least she'll finally be able to try out the roller coasters she loves so much but has only ever experienced through online videos.

I love road trip novels, and I adore theme parks, so put those two things together, especially at a time when real-world travel isn't an option, and I'm hooked one hundred percent. You can smell the popcorn and sunscreen and funnel cake, hear the shrieks of the riders, and feel the lazy, sweaty summer boredom of waiting in line for the park's biggest attraction. Dalia's delightfully nerdy coaster obsession just shines on every page.

And so does her voice. I have such a soft spot for voicey novels, especially when the narrator is quiet and unsure on the outside, but screaming on the inside. The exquisite pain and tenderness and uncertainty of Dalia's first crush - made more challenging by the fact that it's on Rani, with whom she's sharing a motel room - is so beautifully drawn, and the family she ultimately finds will make your heart sing. The scenes where the young adult characters offer support, wisdom, and encouragement to Dalia as she realizes she has feelings for another girl just about broke me, they were so beautiful.

I loved this one from beginning to end.

Huge thanks to Jake Maia Arlow, Dial Books, and NetGalley for the advanced copy.