I received an electronic ARC of this wonderful novel from Netgalley, Malcolm Brooks, and Grove Press.  Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me.  I have read this novel of my own volition of and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work.  Malcolm Brooks writes a compelling story with rounded, wholesome characters and brings us to the troubled times in the mid-1930s with touches of both reality and hope. 

Houston Finn - labeled 'Huck' by his schoolmates - has an excellent mechanical mind and a love for the whole concept of flying that has shaped his life in small-town Montana.  Before his Junior year in high school, he built - and flew - a glider from plans available by mail - the 1932 Flying and Glider Manual.  The glider flew only long enough to break out windows in the local drug store, but Houston was able to figure out the problems inherent in the design, and aim higher - to a plane.  The family owns a small ranch, but his father also has a mechanical repair shop in downtown Billings, and Houston stayed in town during the week for school. His mother stayed at the ranch except for church.  Houstons plans are kept secret from everyone but his father, Roy, because of his mother's frailty and a running feud Houston seems to have with the son of the local law.  Enter his cousin Annelise, exiled to her Aunt Gloria's care to finish her senior year after a real clash of spirit with her own mother, and already with the knowledge and experience of airplane piloting, though she is not yet licensed.  What could go wrong? 

This is an excellent novel, well versed in 1930s lore from politics to Amelia Earhart's last flight to church revival tents and the growth of the Mormon church. This is a story that will warm your heart and keep you up late.  Brooks is an author I will follow.

I am not exactly sure what I expected but this one did not pull me in. I started it three times and got 50% in and finally called it quits. This might be considered a young adult genre but the sex scenes should have ruled that out. It appears to be a coming of age story of several high school friends that have come upon a dead body whom had a cool watch and a cousin that has come to visit under questionable circumstances. I kept waiting to get to the height of the story about their flying, the building of their plane or the mystery of the dead person but it kept us in the perils of young puberty way to long. I am sure many will love this tale, unfortunately it wasn't me. 
I thank Atlantic Grove and Netgalley for the opportunity to read an ARC for my unbiased opinion. 3 stars.

Thank you Malcolm Brooks and NetGalley for providing this ARC, which will be published March 9, 2021. 

A somewhat too vibrant teenage girl is sent to live with her aunt’s family in a small 1920s Montana town. Annalise is a trained pilot, having taken lessons for a couple of years. All the USA is crazy about Charles Lindbergh and Amelia Earhart. Huck, her “dern” boy cousin has been secretly building an airplane with the help of a shop assistant hired by his father. The characters are fully formed and believable for that time and place. There’s a lot of information a piloting a small homemade plane. The plot is well woven.

The summer of 1937 in America- dark clouds are already forming in Europe and the United States has their share of clouds, too. It is the time of the Great Depression, certainly a storm cloud, but the sun still shines through, particularly on Aimee Semple McPherson and Amelia Earhart. For fourteen-year-old Houston “Huck” Finn, it is a hot summer and a summer that opens the door to adulthood for him.

“Cloudmaker” is a dense, lyrical look at rural life in Montana. In many ways, this is a family saga as the author takes plenty of time to introduce us to the Finn family with close-up backstories of Huck’s parents, his cousin Annelise who visits for the summer and the new mechanic at the family mechanic shop. We see the “old” America of our folklore- strong, independent, determined, hardworking and religious people. We experience the national pride for Amelia Earhart. And we also view the newer America- one of invention and industry and new values and morals.

“Huck” is an endearing character. He is keen on flight and airplanes and we hang out with him in the mechanic shop’s workroom as he first builds a glider, and then with the help of Annelise and the mechanic, he builds an airplane. People back then were also resourceful and it’s a great story as to how they obtained the Model A motor for the plane.

Huck and his buddies take on some “bad guys” and Huck also begins to learn about love. Huck has the whole long, hot summer to ponder his life. Little does he know that the European cloud will soon engulf his world. Annelise and the mechanic also expand their horizons.

I found this to be an emotionally touching and interesting story. It is long and detailed, so plan to read it when you have time to read slowly and think. Thanks to NetGalley and Atlantic Grove Press for an advanced digital review copy. This is my honest review.

Cloudmakers is a good story with well-written characters. It will be a great book for people who enjoy historical type fiction and books about adventure and inventing.

Pretty good overall. A nice story with a good plot, and well written characters. This includes some adventure and mystery and some drama. Literary fiction fans may enjoy this most. 3.5 stars rounded. up.

Thanks very much for the ARC for review!!

A coming-of-age story with plenty of adventure. However, it did feel quite long at times, with chapters dedicated to the character's backstories. I understand how it added to the richness of the story, but there were times when I wanted it to meander less and get back to the story at hand.

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.