This is not my usual sort of book. I like autobiographies and biographies, but I know nothing about jets and the people that fly them. This book grabbed on and didn't let go until the very end. In fact, I read it in three sittings, interrupted only by sleep, eating and important things like family. The author used a flashback technique that was a little jarring to get used to at first, but it didn't detract from the story in any way. And her story is a gripping one. I connected with her so easily that I wanted to kick ass on her behalf! She was treated horribly by everyone but family and a couple of special men...and not who you would expect.

My only issue with this book was the way that it ended, but in retrospect, I think she did it to get people talking. Because change won't come unless people acknowledge change is needed.

This was a real page-turner for me, and as I said, I know nothing about jets or the community of brave people who fly them.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read the book and share my review with you. And thank you to the author for sharing her story. I hope she finds success and happiness.

Wow. Jet Girl by Caroline Johnson blew me away. This is such a well written memoir that I never put down unless I absolutely had to. I wanted to read the whole book in one sitting. Johnson has a fascinating story that deserved to be told and she did a great job telling it. Here is a story that shows what it is like to be one of the few women in male-dominated fields and the struggles that come with that. It also shows that even your dream jobs can be less than dreamy in the wrong environment. While I flew through the first three quarters of the book, she last quarter had a completely different tone that slowed me down because it was so heart-breaking. While Johnson describes the struggles of mistreatment throughout the whole book, the last part of the book really showcases the consequences such treatment can have. I am thankful that she told her story, appreciate what she does for this country, and really hope that the changes she suggested are being made to make opportunities equally available no matter who you are.

This was a well written memoir of a fascinating woman.
The style of writing was great - there are a handful of times when the choice of words is unusual (eg "Many of guys I’d had conflicts with had moved on to their next jobs, and the remaining junior officers were all pretty copacetic") but in general it was easy to read, fast paced, down to earth, and care had been taken to ensure that terminology was suitable for a non-military/non-USNavy reader. There was a really good mix of "work" and "personal" and there was a real sense that Caroline was sitting opposite you telling you her story.

In the first half of the book, the story switches between active duty aboard the USS George H.W. Bush & her time training at various establishments - It was easy to follow & I liked this approach as the stories about training backing up everything she was doing on active duty. The everyday details of her life, anecdotes about the people she worked alongside (never naming names, but using nicknames that those who know them would no doubt recognise) and detail of military operations give a rounded picture of her life & character.

Caroline Johnson was one of the first US women to fly jets & she had a difficult time achieving her goal - she was passionate about her role, and driven to succeed, but being one of very few women in the role led her to experience discrimination, sexism and abuse that should never have happened. When she returned home from deployment in Iraq, she experienced a difficult time. She returned to the Naval Academy to teach the next generation of aviators and during this time focussed heavily on changing the culture from within.

Overall, an excellent memoir giving an insight into the reality of being a woman in a very male dominated world - I really enjoyed reading her story & hope that this story & the changes she was implementing at the Naval Academy have had a positive impact for the next cohort of "jet girls"

Disclosure: I received an advance copy of this book free via NetGalley, but all opinions are my own

“My Life in War, Peace, and the Cockpit of the Navy’s Most Lethal Aircraft, the F/A-18 Super Hornet” reads the subtitle of this powerful memoir by a young American hero. She truly believed the sky was not the limit, but the start of her dream job, serving her country.

For all her extraordinary skills and accomplishments, she presents herself as a down-to-earth, fun young woman. Her openness and eager enthusiasm makes for an engaging and relatable story. Except very few people could relate to what she’s accomplished- succeeding at every goal she set for herself in a demanding environment.

Her story begins in June, 2005, when she enters the United States Naval Academy. Every few chapters, the story skips a few years, switching to the times encompassing her training, and her years on active duty. This time sequence was easy to follow, but a chronological progression of her story would have been just as effective.

When Caroline Johnson graduated from the Navy Academy, she entered the rigorous flight school training and then was selected to join the prestigious Blacklion squadron. She deployed on the USS George H.W. Bush to Afghanistan and Iraq for 9 months. This is a massive warship, over 1,000 feet long, with 90 airplanes and helicopters. She was the Weapon Systems Officer and flew in the Super Hornet. Her descriptions of this plane that can go 500 mph, as she took off and landed on the ship-Tailhook!-and as she flew over the Taliban and ISIS are incredibly exciting.

Author Johnson shares the everyday details of her life, contrasted with detailed military stories, which gives us a broad picture of what it was like for her during school, training and deployments. Many of her school and training experiences were arduous and difficult and took great focus and determination. She was very driven to succeed, she always aimed to be #1, yet she she also enjoyed hanging with her girl friends.

She was fully committed to her mission and believed that the evil of ISIS had to be stopped. However, when she returned home, she experienced a difficult time. She gives us much to think about as to how the military can better support women and I commend her for doing her part to make improvements.

I always try to thank military members when I see them, and I thank Caroline Johnson for her dedicated and committed performance and for sharing her military life in a book that is even more exciting than Top Gun.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a digital review copy. This is my honest review.

An inside look at how the Navy treats it's female officers. I loved the story from the beginning but became very disillusion during the last half. the military needs to do better to keep your most skilled and brightest.

Jet Girl is a must read and a must buy. Well written, easy to understand, and fascinating. I am sure she could fill thousands of pages with her stories of service.

This book is a great view into Caroline's career in the naval air force. It was really well written- easy to read, easy to understand, and very informative. The book switched a bit from time frames, but it was a great way to fully understand Caroline's experience overall. I thought it was fascinating to learn more about the training that these pilots go through, and the rush of excitement not only in training but also in flights while in combat or on a specific mission.
The story was also eye-opening, and discouraging, to understand how women are treated in this role. I could feel Caroline's frustrations, and was rooting her on to stay strong when others tried to bring her down or minimize her impact. I have a lot of respect for her and really enjoyed reading her story.

An excellent biography with insight into the training, politics, and prejudice in today’s naval air corps, including the naval academy, shore-based training, and life aboard the aircraft carrier.