Did I enjoy this book? Absolutely!
Did I love this book? Not particularly.
Was I sobbing the last 15% of it? Yes, yes I was.
Would I recommend it? I would! With the grain of salt that it took me a while to get invested

Overall, this was a really great read. I love that it didn't follow your typical romance plot line, had mixed feelings about the band stuff, and really appreciated the body and "weird kid" inclusiveness.

It took me a bit to get into this book because I wasn't overly invested in the characters and honestly, I LOVE watching those big bands do their thing, but I wasn't super interested in reading about the work and effort it takes to get there. I did band all through grade school and high school and it was NOTHING like Weston and Anna's experiences so I suppose I just found it hard to separate my personal past with the story.

I felt like Weston's weirdness was a bit overplayed and maybe I missed it, but I didn't totally understand why the entire town (including adults) was semi-against him. Sure, sure he wore the same leather jacket 24/7 and he was the scapegoat for the desecration of some memorial in town, but it all felt a bit dramatized.

Additionally, I loved that Anna's body shape was referenced and we had passing remarks of self-consciousness (what 16 year old isn't self conscious?!) but particularly appreciated that it wasn't a huge focal point.

Weston's parents divorce also felt a bit overdone for me but as a child to parents who are still together, maybe I just couldn't appreciate the gravity of his situation.

Again, this was a very good read and one I would definitely recommend. I listened to the audio and while both narrators took a bit for me to warm up to, I think they did a great job.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the copy.

Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for providing an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 — This was a sweet but ultimately devastating story about Anna and Weston, teenagers from different social spheres in their small town. Their story is one of first love, bucking external expectations and dealing with grief and loss.

🎷 I read and absolutely loved Amelia Unabridged by this author, so I knew I had to read Full Flight too!

🎷 The love story in this book is simple and sweet, yet heartbreaking. This author writes very well about average teenagers who experience tragic circumstances. I cried in both of her books so far!

🎷 You find out at the end what the title means... 🥺

🎷 As a former marching band member myself (2 years color guard, 2 years drum major) I appreciated that band was shown in a positive light in this book. Marching band is hard! It requires a lot of work! Early and late practices, the ability to multi-task, memorize, play music, survive itchy uniforms… and you have to make it all look effortless! I’ve always thought marching bands weren’t appreciated enough so I loved that this book did such a great job depicting how band really is.

🎷 If I’m honest, I think I enjoyed Amelia Unabridged just a little bit more than Full Flight. Full Flight dragged a bit for me and the ending felt too abrupt. That said, I would still recommend either of these books to anyone who enjoys a sweet, clean, first love story. And I am definitely looking forward to Schumacher’s next book!

Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress @wednesdaybooks for an eARC of this book, which I have read and reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

I loved Amelia Unabridged last year - so I was hyped to snag this one on Read Now. Unfortunately I just didn't connect with this story - especially with the male lead

This is a case of the synopsis majorly letting down the book. If the synopsis mentions moving on after the unthinkable happens, that should be within the first 20-25% of the book. Not 85% of the way through! It sets up entirely the wrong expectation and turns it into a totally different story.

I will read anything Ashley Schumacher writes and this did not disappoint. It met everything Ashely does well: recovering from traumatizing experiences, finding love on the other side, learning to love yourself, and finding how to move forward. Both characters in this book have their traumas and they don't hesitate to embrace the pain, but when the pain filters into their personal lives and the way their families feel about their love. They persevere beyond it but trauma takes no breaks and Ashley knows that, embracing it and writing the pain as it happens. It's deep and passionate and yet another fantastic book by her.

Thank you for this arc copy of Full Flight. It wasn't my type of book but others may like it. I did enjoy the cover picture though.

The prose is well done, as is the dialogue. I enjoyed both characters' POVs equally, and in different ways. There was quite a bit of exposition at the start, as we’re introduced to their histories. Anna and Weston’s love of band made me yearn for the fact that I was never able to be in band (never enough money and my parents never improved their lot like Anna’s did). It was a neat little sense of belonging that I will never feel in real life.

The plot rests on Weston being an outcast for weak reasons. His parents are divorced and he went away to a different town for a year, and wears a leather jacket. I don’t understand why people don’t like him when he’s even got friends who hang out with popular people? Who might even defend him to them if they speak negatively about him? I suppose this happens in real life, too, especially when a person is absent. Rumors abound and an image is built up without the consent of the interesting party.

Wes and Anna’s love is well described, and grows and changes at an appropriate pace, even considering their age. The pacing of the entire novel was well done, until the end bits. I knocked the rating down a bit because of the ending. It felt like a cheap shot when things were going so well. The shock value of it all kind of ruined the ending and the novel for me in the end.

Even so, I enjoyed this book more than Schumacher’s first book. It felt more solid and well put together. While I don’t like comparing one book to another, it feels necessary in this case for me. I was not a fan of Amelia, Unabridged and felt hesitant to pick up this novel because of that. I’m glad I did as it was an enjoyable book, good for a younger audience or anyone wanting a romance.

I adored Amelia Unabridged, so I was delighted to receive a copy of Full Flight by Ashley Schumacher.

As a former band kid, I appreciated the focus on the contest season of marching band, which just happens to coincide with football season.

This is a timeless tale of teen love, despite the odds.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me. All thoughts are my own.

Full Flight is a young adult contemporary fiction. The story was really touching but the writing style wasn't quite what I was expecting. While it was very personal and an excellent representation of grief, but at times it left me wanting more. I have heard that her books are fantastic and am definitely planning to check out another one, this one might just not have been the right book for me!

3.5/5 stars

This is a YA romance and my first book by this author.

The book has two 1st person POVS: Anna and Weston.

They live in a small town in Texas. And they are both part of the high school band. Anna needs help with a duet. And she gets Weston to agree to help her.

I did enjoy all of the story surrounding the band. And the duet was definitely a fun part of the book.

I didn't love how everyone thought that Weston as so weird. And the religious and strict parents were not my favorite.

I did sort of like seeing Anna and Weston's friendship evolve. And I loved her writing. And how they helped each other (her helping him with his homework and him helping her with music).

There were definitely things that happened towards the end that seemed too quick for me. Also I don't really understand what the point of the end was. Possibly the author was telling about her own experience. I definitely think that the blurb gives away too much of the story. But overall it was an interesting coming of age story.

First off, how stunning is this book cover?! This drew me in right away. I am happy to say I loved the book as well. This is such a beautiful and heartbreaking read. The writing will draw you in immediately and make you not want to put it down. I recommend checking it out!!

Full Flight is a brilliant YA novel, surrounding Anna and Weston, where they fall into each other’s paths through their school’s marching band program. One is beholden to their parents opinions, and the other is the notable bad boy of the town.

This story pulled at all of my heartstrings and is perfect for lovers of Sarah Dessen and all YA-loving ages!

Based on the synopsis, I expected this to be a book about grief, dealing with what happens to Anna after her boyfriend dies. Halfway through, I was starting to wonder if I'd misremembered what the book was going to be about. You know when the boyfriend finally dies? EIGHTY-FIVE PERCENT IN. Frankly, I feel cheated by the synopsis and I think the content that's promised in it gets really glossed over and rushed.

This might have had more of an emotional impact on me had I been enjoying the book, but the writing style really didn't work for me, and I didn't find myself caring about these characters. It felt like a really bland, generic story. Had the book actually done what the synopsis promised, it might have been reminiscent to You've Reached Sam, but as it is it didn't work at all and I just kept waiting for something to happen.

A great love story for all band geeks alike, past and present. As a former band geek, this brought back memories and a nostalgic feeling, and will for those former band geeks, as well as touch those present geeks.

This is another book by an author I have previously loved. And it is a YA love story about Band kids! LOVED this premise. Initially it is a story about a “good girl” with strict parents who falls in love with the forbidden “bad boy” (the bad boy is actually not very bad). It’s almost a love at first sight situation but they spend a lot of time fighting about little misunderstandings.
The predictable drama of the parents finding out and forbidding the relationship and the coming around happens. Should be happily ever after.
Then at 90% in— as the description dates “the unthinkable happens” and the girl has to move on. I just didn’t see the purpose of this. I guess to show how she grew as a person from being with him, but why?

Marching band ✅
A love story ✅
A heartbreak that cannot be taken away ✅

Ashely Shumacher has done it again. She warmed this former band geek’s heart and shattered it at the same time. Anna and Weston are two halves of a whole, brought together by music…and homework. We watch as they come together, first love, first everything, only to have the unimaginable happen. Just as she did with her first novel Amelia Unabridged, she takes the reader on a journey of self discovery, acceptance and a love that survives across the heavens.

Full Flight by Ashley Schumacher- This one was just okay for me. I felt the story was beautiful and had a great message, but the execution of it was off. The transitioning from chapter to chapter felt choppy. I still love Schumachers written and look forward to her next book, but this one left me a little disappointed.

This book ended up being a DNF. Rating is based solely on the content I did read. I ultimately found the pacing and development of the story and/or characters not engaging enough to continue on and finish the complete book.

I absolutely loved Ashley's previous book, so I was excited to pick this on up. I really enjoyed this one too, it sorta caught me by surprise. Be prepared to have your heart string tugged with this one.