The narration on this audiobook is fabulous. I enjoyed Katherine’s narration of The Skylarks’ War so knew this would be just as good. Gripping and emotional.

This book was so beautifully written. It brought to life friendship in unlikely times despite what's going on in the world. We listened to this story as a family and every night felt like we were transported there, experiencing what each character was. My kids begged to listen to just one more chapter and we're happy but sad when it was over. A good family read or listen about friendship and surviving through difficult times.

Hilary McKay’s Swallows Flight is a lovely novel of friendship, family, heartache, struggle and triumph during WWII. Two storylines are told back and forth, two boys in Germany and two girls in England. I found it to be fairly advanced writing for middle grade to keep up with and so would recommend it as a read aloud with a parent/teacher/class or for a more advanced reader that can navigate different storylines, multiple characters, and the dynamics of WWII. Overall I thought it was excellent and would be great for those who loved The War that Saved My Life.

I usually love Hillary McKay books so I picked this up immediately.
However, it quickly became obvious that the tone and the characters just weren’t going to be for me. I found the main characters uncomfortable to read and the setting a bit anxiety inducing. I’m not sure if it’s because I’ve read so much ww2 literature over the years.

There's a lot going on in this book, with four major characters, but it never becomes overwhelming. It helps that the individual sections are not overly complex or carrying a strong narrative. Each chapter is really more of a vignette or snapshot of life than a scene in an ongoing story. Add in secondary and tertiary characters with charm and individuality and we have a realistic story that can almost be described as gentle, even as it talks about war, death, and destruction. It is a story of characters rather than events.

This book was just ok. Personally nothing stood out to me or drew me in, but at the same time it wasnt horrible either.

Once I got into this book, I really enjoyed it. However, at the beginning it was difficult to follow and didn't catch my interest very easily. The parts set during the war were much more exciting. I liked the narrator of the story, her voice was clear and calm whilst also using expression and intonation to distinguish between different characters ans situations.

Set before and during the Second World War, this book follows the lives of children in Berlin and another group of children in England, and their story crosses. It’s a young adult book, and the characters and story are endearing. I think this is perfect for those who like historical fiction, and it’s informative too.

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. I tried to listen to this book a few times and each time my mind would wander.

I had heard so much about this book and I knew it was part of a series but it could be read alone. I was sadly disappointed. It was very hard yak get into. It felt like the characters where unrealistic. I know when I read a book the story plays out in my head as a movie. When the story doesn’t run smoothly, then it’s not a very good movie, which to me is a not a good book.

Beautiful literature that is perfect for the middle school audience and will spark great discussion around war, children, and family dynamics.

I had a hard time getting around the kitten part (early in the story) but if you can keep on, it unveils the building of the setting, history, and deep characters. I was impressed how Hilary McKay was able to weave such a heavy topic in history (WWII) without spitting facts and feeling like a non-fiction book.

My own middle schooler will be reading this as well and I will be delighted to have her feedback and shared discussions from her point of view.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher, I was gifted this book in exchange for an honest review.

I liked this book because it gives relevance to World War II for kids through the eyes of children. You have these friends and neighbors, growing up with each other in two different places, London and Germany, and their lives collide during the war in the most unbelievable way. The story is very unique, and I think that's what makes it such an important book.

Beautiful story. This is definitely not for younger kids however. I found myself a little lost at the beginning of the story. The narrator was great but I think a you d child may have trouble listening and paying attention.

I unfortunately DNFed this title. I got 29% in and still didn't feel oriented in the book or understood what was happening. Not a book for me.

Thanks to OrangeSky Audio and NetGalley for an advanced listening copy of this audiobook.

This WWII story tells the story of 4 different characters - 2 English and 2 German. I love WWII stories but this was really hard to get into. It was difficult to keep the characters straight at first. Perhaps reading it in print would have helped. I would have given it 3 stars but opted for 4 because the ending tied up the many loose ends nicely.

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* Really good read, wouldn't mind owning a hard copy of this! very cute and touching.

Unfortunately I didn't care for this book. I felt as if it dragged on and it had multiple characters you were meant to follow but I found them hard to distinguish from one another so it just made everything sort of confusing. I'm sure plenty of kids who like history would be fans of this book I just wasn't.

DNF @50%

This book is a tricky one to write a review on. I found this book very confusing. I tried reading it 5 different times and I just couldn't get into it. I think because I was listening on audio, I couldn't keep all the different POVs straight and the changes in timeline. To me, the book also read like a children's classic in terms of writing style which made it drag and difficult to follow.

I think this story just wasn't for me, but I will continue to try new historical fiction books and middle grade novels.

Thank you to OrangeSky Audio and Netgalley for sending me an ARC. All opinions are my own.

I listened to the audiobook version of The Swallows Flight. Thanks to #NetGalley for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review. The story follows Erik and Hans in Germany as children who decide to rescue a nest of baby birds. They become friends and realize that they love animals and would like to work in a zoo one day. Then the story moves to Ruby, a young girl who was born with a birthmark and never quite fit in in her family. Her godmother introduces her to another shy young girl named Kate who also doesn't quite fit in with her own family. These two friends become found family and all of the children come of age during World War II. Through extraordinary circumstances, they all affect each others' lives and grow and change.

I loved the narrator, the story, and the glossary and author's notes at the end. The audiobook was a pleasure to listen to and would be much circulated in our library collection. I highly recommend this audiobook!

Thank you to @netgalley @orangeskyaudio for the ALC in return for my honest review.

My thoughts…
Classic. Well, it’s not a classic but it sounded like a classic. I enjoyed the narrator who had a wide-array of voices and accents. I was engaged with how the sets of children, in England and Germany, grew up in the story - from young children to young adults. We were swept along to witness their joys and sadness. We saw the children grow up in the aftermath of the Great War transitioning to World War II. I just loved how the children, Kate, Ruby, Erik and Hans’ lives, intersected. If you read it, you’ll know where “The Swallows’ Flight” come from.