It's been a little over 24-hours since I finished The Flight Attendant by Chris Bohjalian and I'm still not sure where to start. I thought if I gave myself some time to wrap my head around what I'd just read. Obviously from the 4-star rating I enjoyed this read, yet, for the life of me I can't see why. Here's why...

Bohjalian's The Flight Attendant introduces us to Cassie Bowden. She's a flight attendant that doesn't shy away from a good time. She's basically a functioning alcoholic (and that's putting it nicely... so far). As she jet sets around the world touching down in one beautiful city after another, her time between flights are filled with drunken table dances and meaningless sexual encounters.

It's business as usual on a flight to Dubai when Cassie meets and hooks up with a young, handsome hedge fund manager. After spending hours flirting with each other they meet up, hook up, and shack up for the night. When day breaks, Cassie attempts to make her getaway as this man, Alex, lie sleeping, still piecing together what she can from the night before, she notices Alex doesn't stir. Thinking she'll make a clean getaway from this latest dalliance, she's alarmed to find Alex, and herself covered in blood.

Refusing to end up like the American in Paris, Amanda Knox, she does what she can to wipe away any trace of her having been there. Dubai isn't exactly the place to be entangled in what appears to be a homicide, especially when you're a woman. From the moment Cassie leaves Alex's hotel room, she becomes...

I don't even know what to say...

They say if you have nothing nice to say don't...

I can't not say it at all. I'm a self-proclaimed reviewer, for Pete's sake. So... here we go...

Shit's about to get real.

Let's begin with the niceties.

The Flight Attendant hooked me from page one. I've read other works by Bohjalian but this one is my favorite by far. Despite the gripes that have. As I write this review, the gripes that I have with this book are actually quite big and I'm amazed I was able to overcome them to offer a positive review. Believe me, I am shocked.

The Flight Attendant is a fast moving car with no breaks. Seriously! I don't think I was bored at any point in this read. Infuriated, yes. Bored. No. Readers will share Cassie's trepidation as she wonders what's around the corner. Is it the FBI? Is it the extradition? Or possibly the other woman she vaguely remembers from that night with Alex?

Our other source of fear is the fact that Cassie is a wreck. A stupid, idiotic, alcoholic wreck that most readers will want to choke to death or slap some sense into. She's given so many chances to redeem herself and "act like a grownup" she fails time and time again. I'm sorry if that reveal was a spoiler of sorts, but seriously, 20-pages in makes it obvious Cassie's flying without a pilot.

My final gripe is that I have no clue what that ending was all about. It sorta just came at you. Some people were burned and some secrets were uncovered. Note to Bohjalian, if you ever read this review, please explain to me what happened there. I'm no Einstein, but I'm no Homer Simpson either.

Sure I had my gripes with this novel. Actually pretty definitive gripes that usually pull my rating down, down, down. Yet, The Flight Attendant was quite entertaining. There's an apprehension that's maintained throughout the novel that forces readers to see it through. Bohjalian could have made this a sappy, woe is me story about a drunk but instead, delivers a nail-biting mystery that will stay with most long after the last page is read.

Copy provided by Doubleday Books via Netgalley

Admittedly I was drawn to this after hearing SO much hype about it online – after a very dramatic start (you can’t really call your main character waking up next to the dead body of her one-night stand anything else, right?!) and an ending that just kept pulling out the plot twists right up to the epilogue, I was really pleasantly surprised by this!

I don’t want to share much more of the plot as it would spoil the reading experience for you, but will say I found the pace (and my interest in turning the pages!) really quicken closer to the end of the book. Some of the lead up was a little tedious for me, quite possibly in part because the main character, Cassie, is written as an alcoholic train-wreck who keeps putting her foot in it and worsening her own situation. In hindsight I think this was needed to give context to later parts of the plot. Cassie is not an overly sympathetic character for most of the novel, I think at times I actually found myself cringeing for her in disbelief at what she was doing!

I loved the effort the author had put into the finer details about flight attendants, in-flight antics (/horror stories!) and the lifestyle of pilots and flight attendants. I have many of both in my family and will definitely be getting them to pick this one up!

Believe the hype readers, it’s a page turner and I’m not at all shocked it has be been picked up for a film adaptation!

Thanks to Chris Bohjalian, Double Day and NetGalley for my proof copy.

Confession: I remember loving Midwives, but that was in 1997 which was (gulp) more than twenty years ago. In the meantime, I’ve acquired some of Bohjalian’s other books, but somehow haven’t managed to crack the covers. The Flight Attendant has officially changed that for me.

So—wow.
What a book.

In the opening scene (so not a spoiler), Cassandra wakes up in a hotel room in Dubai next to the man she slept with the night before. This is a pattern she has repeated in cities all over the world, in various stages of alcoholic stupor—except this time, the man next to her has been brutally murdered.

The Flight Attendant is my favorite kind of thriller, with multiple threads and plenty of things I didn’t see coming, as well as a morally compromised and unapologetic narrator. This kind of narrator has been done before, sure; but where the narrator in Girl on the Train was somewhat grating, Cassandra hits the right wrong notes, if that makes any sense—she’s not looking for pity from anyone, and she owns her sometimes appalling decisions, even when as a reader you might feel she’s on some kind of suicide mission.

This one kept me turning pages and left me completely satisfied.

This novel was a slow growing thriller. It took some time to get into, but boy am I glad that I stuck it through. I felt a distaste for the character, but the twists kept me on the edge of my seat.

This novel started off really interesting. A woman wakes up next to a dead body and has no idea how it died and only a vague idea of how the vodka-fueled hookup could have ended so poorly. I was hooked for the first few chapters as we followed Cassie's drunken memories and reactions to this unexpected chain of events. I found myself wondering what I would have done in that situation and how it was going to play out.

Then the middle of the book happened. We know who killed the dude so there is no mystery of "did she or didn't she", a good 30% of the dialogue centered around Cassie's alcoholism. People admonishing her for drinking too much, her admonishing herself about drinking too much. Even total strangers telling her she drinks too much.

The final third redeemed itself somewhat by providing a slight twist that I didn't really predict but seemed to fit. Skip the epilogue though...it was unnecessary and kind of made me angry.

So - on my rating scale it ended up a solid three. I didn't hate it but I didn't love it, but I think there is an audience for it so definitely give it a try.

I'd like to thank Chris Bohjalian, NetGalley, and Doubleday publishing for providing me a Kindle copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What an unlikable main character. Made it hard to enjoy the book with such a mess of a character and the constant horrible choices she made. I did enjoy learning about flight attendants in general however. Secondary characters were much better written.

The first book I reviewed on Girl Who Reads was by Chris Bohjalian. I loved that book so much that I had to start the blog. I felt the same way about his latest novel The Flight Attendant. It was so good.

Bohjalian has created two female characters that are in turns sympathetic. Though you probably wouldn't be best friends with either one of them.

Cassie is a self-destructive flight attendant. She is spiraling out of control and even though when she hits what would be rock bottom for most people, waking beside a slain man, she still continues to find new lows. Even before she is wholly convinced she didn't kill him, the reader somehow knows that she was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Perhaps it is my strong affinity to the underdog, but I was rooting for Cassie from the start. This created a great amount of anxiety for me - waiting for the shoe to drop. First, it was waking beside a dead man who wasn't her husband while in Dubai - they imprison women just for having sex out of wedlock what do they do if one is found guilty of murder? Then it was her unease and failure to take steps she had promised herself - get a lawyer, stop drinking, etc.

It wasn't until about the middle of the book when it became clear what everyone was looking for that the trepidation eased. I still wasn't sure Cassie wasn't going to jail because she seemed incapable of helping herself - it was more than that. It was like she wanted to be found guilty as she seemed to do everything that could hurt her. Good thing she had some good people looking out for her.

Then there is the other female character Elena. Elena seemed to be shrouded in shadow so it took a little longer to feel sympathy for her. In the end, I was hoping both could have a happy ending.

Bohjalian's careful attention to detail made this story and the people feel so realistic. I loved how he subtlely wove details of everyday life as well as technical details of the various characters' occupation into the story. It really showed off Bohjalian's mastery of storytelling.

I loved every aspect of The Flight Attendant. Even though it didn't end quite the way I had hoped - my version was more wishful thinking rather than a realistic conclusion given the situation.

If you are looking for a well-written thriller where you figure enough out that you think you know how everything is going to be only to be surprised by an unseen twist, then this is the book to pick up. It is truly a delicious thriller.

This book was a definite page turned with twists and turns along the ride. I did think it could be a tad bit faster paced, but I thoroughly enjoyed the story. I would definitely read more work by this author!

Thank you NetGalley and Chris Bohjalian for the book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this one! Read it fast. I needed to know what was going to happen! I was thrown at first because I assumed the book would be about whether she did it or not, but it wasn't, you find out right away and then it's about so much more than that! There's a side story line consisting of nasty scary Russian underground! Loved it! Twists and turns. Things I didn't see coming, which isn't super easy to do anymore!

Only crazy thing was the epilogue was a BIT confusing as far as what actually happened. I wish that was a little clearer. But overall my first Bohjalian read and it was an A+!

The Flight Attendant is a fantastic slow-burn of a mystery filled with espionage and adventure. The plot is complex and full of twists. If you're looking for a fresh take on the espionage thriller, be sure to check out The Flight Attendant today!

This was actually my first Chris Bohjalian novel. The story was full of a slow-burning tension and it sucked me right in. I was not too excited about the ending, but otherwise I really enjoyed this one!

Cassie Bowden, the flight attendant in Chris Bohjalian's latest novel, leads such a dissolute life that it's hard to imagine how she can manage her job. Every chance she gets, she drinks to a blackout state, sleeps with whatever man happens to be handy, and makes disastrous decisions. At the start of this book, her latest disastrous decision results in her waking up covered with the blood of the dead man beside her and with no memory of how he died. Was she responsible for his death – she doesn't think so, but she really couldn't say for certain. Her decision about how to react to this situation is true to character, as she avoids doing anything other than running from the posh hotel room in Dubai and back to her plane to the U.S.

Since she met the dead man, Alex, when he was very much alive and a passenger on the plane to Dubai, she is interviewed by FBI agents who seem much more concerned about what he might have discussed with her than they are about his death. Cassie has a brother-in-law who is involved in the top-secret destruction of nerve gas, and since there is some sort of concern that Alex may have been involved in Russian spying, this makes Cassie a person of interest. And, of course, flying all over the world puts her in a perfect profession to be a courier. But whatever Alex might have been, Cassie is no spy. She is just a woman who makes poor decisions with great frequency.

Much of the book is told from Cassie's confused perspective, while other sections are told from the perspective of Alex's killer. These sections fill in the gaps as to why the FBI (or is it CIA, Cassie is not so sure) is so interested in the case. Cassie's lifestyle is captivatingly fascinating, and it is hard to put the book down because of the potential train wreck that seems to be just around every corner. Bohjalian has created a character in Cassie that is compelling, if not sympathetic. The killer is equally gripping, but likewise not anyone you'd truly like to spend time with. The twists that tie the plot together are classic Bohjalian, and the descriptions of the locations to which Cassie travels add to the reading experience.

In the end, everything comes together in a nice neat package. Perhaps it happens too quickly and is a bit too neat, but it does make sense and the reader will come away from the book with a reassuring sense of closure.

Amazing, amazing read!! Hooked me right from the start and I couldn't put it down! I stayed up way past my bedtime to finish this and have been recommending it to my customers non stop!!

FABULOUS!!! I can’t say enough good things about this book. 5 star suspense for me.

Bohjalian is a master of the slow, beautifully-written build up, but sometimes his endings need work. This latest novel is definite proof of that. It's good, but the abrupt ending kind of ruined it for me.

Thx to Netgalley, Doubleday, and Chris Bohjalian for this ARC. One of my favorite books this year.!
There are so many intricate weaving of storylines here. Each new chapter brought me one step closer to adventure, mystery, espionage, and even a seemingly kind of friendship for me of all these characters. I even found that I felt sorry for, but started liking the female enemy. There are a few endings in this book, and I saw none of them coming. I would love to see “The Flight Attendant” as a series. This book was so good ! !

Cassie is a flight attendant who also happens to be an alcoholic – severe alcoholic to the extent that she gets black-out drunk on a regular basis. On a flight to Dubai, she hits it off with Alex, a handsome first class passenger. After Alex takes her to dinner, she spends the night in his hotel room instead of the room provided by the airline. They have one drink, then another, then another…Then Alex’s friend Miranda stops by with a full bottle of vodka and they drink even more.

In the morning, Cassie wakes up in bed next to Alex. There’s a problem – Alex is dead. His throat has been slit and there is blood everywhere. Unfortunately, Cassie drank so much that she can’t remember a thing after Miranda left. What happened? Did she do it? Could she really have killed a man and not remember it? And why would she do that in the first place? She and Alex had a great time. Just in case, she wipes down the hotel room and destroys as much of the evidence as she can.

As you can probably tell from my summary, Cassie is a VERY frustrating character who makes VERY bad choices. She fully admits she has a drinking problem but even waking up beside a dead man isn’t enough to make her quit. She continually ignores the advice of the lawyer she retains just in case she’s charged with Alex’s murder to the point that I wanted to shake her silly.

Obviously, whether or not Cassie or someone else killed Alex is a mystery but there are other mysteries (that I can’t tell you about because they would be spoilers) on top of mysteries. And I was continually surprised by the many twists and turns the story took. I truly did not see them coming, especially the ending. Which, by the way, ties everything up in a neat little bow, which I loved! All mysteries are solved.

I recommend The Flight Attendant to everyone but especially to fans of crime novels and thrillers. You will not be disappointed. Also, Kaley Cuoco, of The Big Bang Theory, has optioned The Flight Attendant and will produce and star in a limited series based on the book.

As a side note, the only other book of Bohjalian’s I’ve read is The Sandcastle Girls, which was also great but could not have been more different from this book. I’m impressed with Bohjalian’s range and will definitely be reading more by him.

I was completely engrossed right up until the very end. For some reason, the ending felt rushed and not quite consistent with the rest of the story. Still a good read, and I would recommend to others.

The very beginning of the book definitely grabbed my attention. But of course it's because that's because she woke up with a body. And so it begins!

Just as Cassie has that rush of adrenaline coursing through out her body upon discovering that body, I was also in a rush of adrenaline and kept at a fast pace reading this story. But it didn't last that long. That urge to keep moving without stopping. The plot slowed down and now it was just knowing what exactly happened tot hat person she woke up to. 
This story carries two point of views from two characters. Cassie, the flight attendant, and someone named Miranda (not going to talk about Miranda).
So let me explain the main character, Cassie. She's a self- destructive alcoholic who keeps making more mess of what she's already into. She can't even function one night without a drink and sadly that's her life. Drinking and sleeping with men. What led her to this point was witnessing her father so bear in mind this may open some wounds for people who are recovering alcoholics or may have witnessed a loved one who suffered with this addiction. Because this story indeed kept bringing up that. Truth be told, I kind of wanted to have a taste of something while reading this book. But I think that's how all books are. Anyways, Cassie seemed like someone who was clearly out of it. I didn't see myself attached to this character. Felt more like a bystander just witnessing her acting like a fool. She wasn't someone to hate. She seemed nice and genuine but pretty foolish. 
I enjoyed a bit of a mystery but it wasn't all a mystery because the author tells you who it was and from their it was mainly why and what will happen next. The story kind lacked more of suspense. The ending wasn't what I expected but hey to be honest, it could have had alternate endings. It was a good entertainment and a good read so I give it 3.5 out of 5.