A solid three stars for me because it did eventually pick up.
Disclaimer: this book was SUPER confusing in the beginning. The very first chapter quite literally put me to sleep because it was entirely descriptions of a town. Nothing felt coherent at ALL in the beginning. Personally not my favorite books to read in general.
I think the thing to keep in mind of what this book is actually about: small town in the middle of nowhere where creepy cryptid-esque creatures are afoot and the main character is a girl who doesn’t remember what actually happened to her missing dad and brothers and tries to discover the truth. Some of the chapters are stories about the creatures and seem random but everything gets tied together.
It was a really short read but the beginning was heavily weighed down with lengthy descriptions that I skimmed over and a ton of confusion and lack of a coherent narrative. It does, eventually, start making a little bit of tense, and gets a bit compelling as you try to figure out what happened, and then it ends. I can’t say I really liked it all that much, it kind of read as a short story meant to be like a creepy fairytale (whereas I was expecting full novel) so I think this is a read that would depend heavily on personal preferences and mood.

This is a fantasy book like no other you'll read in a long time. It is part gothic horror, part mystery, and part horror. The revelation at the end of the story is nothing short of phenomenal. If you are interested in a quick and very entertaining read then this is highly recommended. I did not want to stop reading and wished for more. But in the end I think the amount of story and content are just perfect. Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for this opportunity.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Actual Rating: 4.5/5

Oh, this book. I was enthralled from the first page, from the first sentence. Lush and deep and gorgeous and grotesque and utterly alien at times, the prose takes you on a journey so vivid you can almost imagine yourself alive in the yellow grass and purple shadows of Western Australia.

This book requires a lot of focus. If you are someone who falls into a habit of skim reading, I don’t think this book if for you. You need to read every sentence, every word, to experience the full effect of the story. I spent a bit of the beginning confused by the uniqueness of the author’s writing style, but once I adjusted to it I found it lyrical, almost like a modern fable.

The plot also jumps around, and it took me a few chapters to find my footing in the story. My immense curiosity about Bettina, and what was going on in the strange towns, and the sense of mystery that unravels even in the first few pages kept me reading, but I can see people getting frustrated early on. My advice is, of course, to KEEP READING! Like any truly good novel in my opinion, it takes time for the story to unfold. I’ll also note that the story reminded me of Robert Jackson Bennett’s American Elsewhere, a personal favorite of mine, with its way of painting familiar things just left of normal enough that it sets your teeth on edge deliciously. I’d recommend Flyway to anyway who enjoys the darker side of fairy tales, and wants to be taking on a winding journey of mystery, magic and the seeping influence of memories once forgotten.

Thank you to TOR for providing me an ARC of this book! What can I say other than beautiful beautiful beautiful?

Every detail of this story was so poetic and gorgeous. The imagery was incredible and unique and it felt like an entirely new form of folklore. The length was short and sweet and worked well for the story itself, though I think I could have read 200 more pages where the environment could be built up some more. I was so fascinated by the history of the town that I was a little sad to be leaving it so soon. Even so, I think it wrapped up quite perfectly in its length.

A fantastic little bite-sized myth!

An atmospheric, Gothic delight which blends mystery, folk horror and family drama to great effect. Nineteen year old Bettina Scott is determined to unravel the family mystery all whilst her mother's voice in her head chides her to be more lady-like. The mystery unfolds in a series of creepy folktales and its only at the very end that you see how it all fits together. This was very clever and enjoyable.

After an entirely too long, too dense, and too flowery opening chapter, this book has many great things to offer. We meet Bettina Scott, a prim young lady of nineteen who mostly steers away from other people and has her mother's voice in her head, reminding her to behave like a lady. I got major Shirley Jackson vibes in those first chapters because while Bettina is our protagonist, we can't be sure if she is entirely trustworthy. Or all there, really. Things start going when a mysterious letter arrives, addressed to Bettina, but using her former nickname, Tink. It slowly turns out that her two brothers have left and her father has gone missing a while ago. He may be dead or just disappeared, but so far, Bettina didn't feel the need to investigate or even ask questions. Because that's not ladylike, now is it?

But, as there would be no story if things were different, she and two people who behave like they used to be Bettina's friends, take on a journey to find out what happened. To Bettina's dad, to her brothers, and to their own missing or mysterious family members. Trish and Gary seem to know a lot more about Bettina than she does herself and it takes the entire book for that haze on Bettina's mind to slowly lift. But I'm not saying any more than that.

What you get in Flyaway is not only a mystery, but also lots of folktales. Because the town of Inglewell is populated by many a strange character, all of whom have a past, all of whom have relatives who have seen strange things, who tell old tales of demon dogs, bone horses, the megarrity! And don't think that these interspersed tales are just window dressing either. Each little fairy tale-like glimpse we get feeds into the larger narrative and paints the picture of a place filled with myth and wonder and things that go bump. Needless to say, as a fairy tale lover, I soaked up each and every one of those tales and was all too delighted to see how they all fit together at the end.

There are enough hints throughtou the story to help you figure out certain things for yourself before they are revealed. But Jennings wrote this book cleverly enough for some things to only make sense at the very end, for all the puzzle pieces to fit. She is also a master of atmosphere. Although I thought her introductory chapter was simply too much, I loved what she did with the rest of the book. Inglewell felt alive, filled with secrets and old stories told during long nights, ancient rivalries and superstition. For a novella-sized story, that's quite a feat!

I'm sure there are things that could be improved here, but please don't let the first chapter keep you from reading this book. I, for my part, will be keeping both eyes open for whatever Jennings decides to publish next. She is not just a great illustrator but definitely also a fantastic author!

MY RATING: 7,5/10 - Great!