I was doing pretty well until the mention of the birds, only a little bit of tears. But then - the floodgates opened.

Full Flight follows two teenagers, in a sort of opposites attract (the nerdy and good girl, and the still pretty nerdy but kind of messed up guy) as they discover true love. Both of them try to fight it at first, but then eventually can’t help but fall in love against all odds.

The synopsis gives away a lot of the story, although of course has none of the heart or the build up. The whole story, just like <i>Amelia Unabridged</i> was so beautiful, and well-crafted, with just a hint of melancholy.

I really loved how the author brought together the title and how there were so many moments throughout the story that could have been foreshadowing. I can’t wait to reread this now knowing what happened at the end.

I still think Amelia Unabridged will keep its top spot, but this was definitely a good follow-up.

For me Ashley Schumacher is one to watch.

On how to navigate young love when your parents tell you no, which only makes you want to say yes more, while living in a small town.

This is a wonderful novel depicting what teen love is like. It's extremely heartfelt and heartbreaking at times. While I'm way late on this review I'm glad I finally picked it up!

Ashley Schumacher knows how to write about teen characters and young relationships. Her debut showed us that and she followed up with another book that breaks you open before slowing piecing you together word by word.

Ashley Schumacher has done an excellent.....though emotional.....job of skillfully taken readers back to that confusing, emotionally charged period in our lives we called high school. Two young people learn to lean on each other, count on each other, care for eah other, then life throws every hope they had away. But the story along the way will wring every feeling you have and leave one young woman to face the world with courage. Definitely a 5 star read. I'm checking Schumacher's back library, but I'm buying a bigger box of tissues first.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The first 3/4 of Full Flight by Ashley Schumacher gets a solid 4 stars. The last quarter felt abrupt and disjointed, and not just because it's sad. In some ways, I think it portrayed an excellent example of real life. At the same time, it was extremely hard for me to concentrate and focus on that last section, which affected my enjoyment of the story as a whole. All in all, though, I do think Ashley Schumacher paints a beautiful picture of what it's like to fall in love and FAST as a teen. I'm so glad I pulled this one out of the Netgalley archive and gave it a shot!

(3.5 stars, rounded up to 4)

"Full Flight" by Ashley Schumacher is a compelling coming-of-age story that soars with authenticity and heart. Schumacher skillfully navigates the complexities of adolescence, capturing the essence of teenage struggles and triumphs with honesty and compassion. Protagonist Anna's journey of self-discovery is both relatable and inspiring, and readers will find themselves rooting for her every step of the way. While the novel's pacing is steady and the writing style engaging, some readers may find certain plot developments to be predictable or familiar. However, Schumacher's strong character development and poignant exploration of themes such as friendship, family, and identity elevate "Full Flight" above typical young adult fare. Overall, it's a worthwhile read that offers moments of insight and emotional resonance, making it a solid choice for fans of contemporary YA fiction.

DNF @ 17%

I have enjoyed other works by this Author but this one was just a miss for me. Mentally I struggle with books that I know will make me sad/deal with grief right now and so I set this one aside.

Thank you Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to ugly cry at the end of this. The problem right off the bat that I had with this was the character names. The book I finished before this was set at a school named Weston. The male main character is named Weston. Our main girl is named Anna and both of them are on the high school marching band.

I don't know anything about marching band and was hesitant at how I was going to like this. It was very band centric with insta love. It was sitting at a two star for most of the book because every chapter was the same with Anna not wanting to lie to her parents and wanting to be good at saxophone and worrying about her duet with Weston. Weston was not wanting to get to close and was basically the outcast in their little small town Texas high school.

He didn't want to fall for Anna because his parents divorced and he had the mindset that every relationship is doomed and love doesn't last.

I thought about DNFing this because it was taking forever but I pushed through and the ending had me crying. I am really triggered by car crashes. The whole ending of this reminded me of the Rascal Flatts music video What Hurts The Most because it is exactly what happens, minus teenage pregnancy which is what I was expecting because there is a sex scene but not graphic.

I ended up giving this a three star. The end is what bumped it up a star because it gave me emotion and it was touching, I just wish there was more of that throughout the book.

Such a beautiful heartfelt story! I’ve only read two books by this author but the way she crafts her stories and characters and just ughh every feeling you think you could have.

This was a beautiful read! Ashley writes books that are meaningful and beautiful. I really enjoyed this one and will for sure be reading more books by her!

Really great book I have had so much reading this and getting to know these lovable characters will definitely continue to read books by this author

Listen up book lovers, here's the scoop: I was all set to fall head over heels for Anna James and Weston Ryan's duet in their marching band. But alas, the stars were not aligned for me and this book. While Schumacher's writing style is ah-mazing and I did get attached to Anna, Weston, and some of the supporting characters, I just couldn't get past the insta-love vibe. I mean, these two make eye contact and boom! They're soulmates. Plus, the reason behind Weston's outcast status in the small Texas town was a bit of a head-scratcher, and Anna's happy-go-lucky facade felt like it glossed over some deeper issues. But, on the bright side, the book does touch on the struggles of being a teenager, and Schumacher's writing is simply stunning. While this book wasn't for me, I can see how others might adore it. A copy was kindly provided to me by Wednesday Books via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I want to preface this review by saying that I absolutely LOVED Amelia Unabridged, so I had high hopes for this book. Unfortunately, this book was just not for me. There was a lot of high school band throughout the book, which had no interest for me, and I really didn't like either of the two leads. I didn't feel like they had character growth by the end of the book and while I knew "something" was coming at the end of the book, I felt like it was almost put in there for the drama/tears factor. I did like how the book explored loneliness, especially with high school students, because it was very relatable.

At times, I felt like the book portrayed high school and the church as it was when I was in high school, which was 20 years ago. It felt historical fiction-y, because I didn't feel like the today's society. I know times have changed and I wish that was reflected in this book. Ultimately, this book was not for me.

Thank you to @stmartinspress for the #gifted copy.

If you want to read a book that will give you a good cry, then this is it. This one hit all my emotions. Young love is so sweet. It brought me back to my youth and I am a sucker for a football story. Anna and Weston have to hide their relationship from her parents. He is the troublemaker, but they are in love..... Can they overcome tragedy? This story is so beautiful, yet so sad.

What I liked: Ashley Schumacher has a way of writing that will absolutely rip your heart out of your chest. No exaggeration, in the last 16% I was SOBBING, questioning the cruelty of the world, and the author for making me feel these things. I think this book did a great job at slowly getting you invested in it’s characters, to the point where you don’t even realize how much you care for them until the Horrible Thing happens. There’s also some great exploration of what it’s like being a teen, struggling with dark thoughts (maybe a little depression rep?), loneliness, and pressures from everyone around you. I

What I didn’t like: let me start by saying that I think this book was based on the author’s real life experiences, and therefore I don’t feel I can critique certain parts of it (if that’s what happened, who am I to disagree??) My biggest issue is that this book dealt with grief but in a way that doesn’t actually let you grieve. The whole thing is so happy and then you get hit with this huge thing in the last ~40 pages, that leaves you feeling awful and like your soul has been ripped out and, as my brother pointed out, maybe that’s the point. Because that’s how life happens sometimes. HOWEVER that isn’t really what I was expecting from a YA contemporary romance. Because the rest of the book is SO YA contemporary, with mental health issues, slightly cheesy insta love, and the struggles of being a teen.

This book made me emotional in the best way. I loved the beautiful lyrical writing that was so authentic to AS. She is a great story teller. This book was so good and I found myself rereading it.

Full Flight is a story of first love that encapsulates the butterflies and the pain that is often inevitable. Adding in that it is forbidden provides complications for the relationship but amplifies Anna's and Weston's desire to be together, which then meant anxiety on my end. When would Anna's parents find out? Would they still be able to see each other? While their relationship starts with a lie, it easily grows into two people who find understanding and belonging with each other. The character development is done well.

It was on its way to being a 4-star read when I hit that pesky third act. It did not matter that the possibility was revealed in the blurb because 1) I forgot about it and 2) it hurt so damn much. It was completely unfair and I wish there was such a thing as a do-over. 😭😭😭

The dual point of view worked well for the story, leaving me bereft when one voice was suddenly silenced. I kept questioning how Schumacher could do this to me. (3.5 stars rounded to 4 stars)

Pick this up if
✨️band was your thing
✨️you enjoy books about first love
✨️opposites attract is a favorite trope

This book was just sadly not for me! I was hoping for something different but it turned out to be something I was not expecting, which is okay and I'm sure someone else would love it!

As I sit here writing this review, my nose is stuffy and my eyes are red because I’ve been bawling. This book made me Feel so much. I always cry with Ashley Shumacher so it’s no surprise this book was no different. Such a good emotional books! Definitely recommend if you want a emotional read!