I'm all for giving voice to a wide variety of characters but this one didn't work for me. I found the protagonist disagreeable and self-centered. While his idealizing a girl he knows next to nothing about is called out eventually, using that as the motivation for all of his actions was frustrating. And the bully is almost a literal villain. He has no depth. And the story is lacking in nuance.

Told in the vein of Draper's <u>Out of My Mind</u> but in lyrical prose, <u>Fly</u> is the story of a young teenaged boy that struggles with Cerebral Palsy and is just longing to fit in and be noticed.

At first, I was worried that Fly's attitude wasn't going to ever get a check, and it would have made me rank this book much lower had it not. But ultimately I was very pleased with how Hughes decided to deviate from Draper's take on dealing with cerebral palsy and forced Fly to come face to face with his own prejudices and misconceptions about others. This was a quick read, ideal for middle schoolers and up.

This is a novel written in verse with a variety of poem-style entries that tell the story of a teenage boy who has a disability. It provides commentary on the way that people with disabilities are treated, including perceptions and judgements as well as physical or verbal abuse or unfairness they receive from those around them. The main character, Felix (nicknamed FLY) demonstrates how he feels unfulfilled in many aspects of his life, especially at school where he is not challenged. From well developed characters to a moving storyline, this novel is well written and easy to follow. While adults may need to sell some readers on the fact that this book is written in verse, once young readers get into it I think it will be a really great book for them. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to read and review this book!