“𝐈 𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐞 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐮𝐬 𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲.”

I finished this overdue arc last night (sorry, @wednesdaybooks), and I'm very torn about how I want to break it down in today's review.

I'll start with this: As a reader you will have a 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 with this book if you go in blind (like I did) versus if you read the synopsis first.

As most of y'all know, I'm Team No Info when I dive into a book, so this one completely caught me off guard. I won't elaborate as to why in case you're a fellow member of #GoingInBlind.

Set in a small, football-worshipping town in Texas, this YA contemporary is a nostalgic glance back to the tumultuous days of high school spent navigating friendships, futures, and first loves.

Anna James, teacher's pet and marching band newbie, is paired up with the town's leather jacket wearing "bad" boy, Weston Ryan, to master a pivotal duet for their upcoming regional competition. And although they have little in common, sparks fly between the duo in that instalove way that can only be genuine with teens. Where glances and flirty exchanges fuel the flames of passion and the promises of forever.

Heavily centered on the themes of loneliness, grief, and overcoming snap judgements, 𝐅𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐅𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 is an emotionally charged, yet age appropriate, story that I would have swooned for in my youth. Reading it as an adult, I wish the ending had been expanded and allowed a little bit more room to breathe. It felt abrupt and jarring, which added a level of realism, but sacrificed some of my ability to connect to the characters. Part of me, however, is thankful Schumacher didn't dive deeper because I found myself shedding more than a tear or two despite the content hovering at the surface level.


Thank you to Wednesday Books for providing me with an earc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.



Trigger Warnings: death, death of a child, grief, anxiety, divorce, bullying, car accident

I'm normally not a big fan of YA, but this book struck a chord with me. It's a beautifully written though incredibly sad story of first love. I loved that the main characters were musicians in a high school marching band. I really identified with that aspect of the story. I played flute in a marching band for two years in high school. Full Flight took me right back to that period of time in my life even though it was quite a long time ago.

I loved this book, but it was a bit too sad to bear. Have tissues nearby while reading this one!

Ashley Schumacher wrote an Ode to her first love, and took us along with her on a trip down memory lane. In her Acknowledgement, she speaks directly to her own lost youthful first love, telling him that she finally got around to telling his story.

<Img src="https://www.thefashionisto.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Fashionisto-Exclusive-Diego-Moncada-001-800x1199.jpg"/>

Weston was an outcast - a trouble-maker, a boy from a broken family who "did not fit in." Anna James came from a "proper" family, so when Weston and Anna are paired for a duet for the state contest, Anna was not expecting to fall in love with the high school "bad boy."

<img src="https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/images/james-dean-stands-with-italian-actress-pier-angeli-news-photo-515450458-1562529914.jpg"/>

I have to say, Weston was NOT my definition of a bad boy, however. He marched to the beat of his own drum and dreamed of a career involving music. He also had a thing for "good girl" Anna. He had admired her from afar, never expecting to "win the prize" of her heart. (Triple Sigh!) Inevitably, with everyone telling Anna not to go there, she absolutely did! (Forbidden fruit is always so enticing, as most of us know to our own cost!) What an incredibly intense relationship they had, only for it to end before it really even began.... (sob, sniffle!)

Of course, when the tragic event (no spoilers here, but even the blurb hints at it) occurs, Anna is completely broken and rarely leaves her room. She can barely function and her parents worry endlessly: will she recover from this incredibly tragic loss?

<img src="http://38.media.tumblr.com/37c0928c9e3f1f16c6f910cc3c04247e/tumblr_nabqw145or1slmtxco1_500.gif"/>

I have to say that Anna did, eventually, show us how it can be done. She did, of course, have a lot of help from Weston's friends, the band, her parents and just about everyone who had ever tried to warn Anna that Weston was "bad news!"

<img src="https://c.tenor.com/rDCV30HyIOAAAAAM/marching-band-ohio-marching.gif"/>

Ashley Schumacher is truly a gifted writer who can pull on each and every heart string you own. This is a beautiful story, but these bad boy tropes are difficult because they have been done to death, and it is hard to make any story with this plot line sound new and fresh. Still, this books was well worth the read and all the tears! I'm rating this one a 4 out of 5 stars. My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review!

Anna is in ninth grade and starting marching band. She’s a good student. She’s assigned to work with Weston, who’s considered to be a trouble maker. As they begin to have feelings for each other, they have to fight to see each other. But then just when everything feels perfect, tragedy strikes. This was an emotional look at youth, friendships, and love.

A book that you love and hate as the story takes a devastating twist. A first love that makes you believe all is possible. Explores the pressures of high school, band competitions, and going against the crowd.

I'm mad I read this book. It feels like it was written just to make readers cry, which, why?

The characters felt like manic pixie dream caricatures and I hated the ending.

getting caught up on my netgalley reviews always feels like two steps forward one step back, because i keep requesting more titles and ending up with more than i started. oh well, c’est la vie!

anyways, i recently finished ‘full flight’ by ashley schumacher, a ya novel about anna and weston, two teens in marching band in there small, christian town in texas, who are forced to work together on a duet they’re competing for. weston is seen as an odd kid in town with a difficult past, while anna is the girl-next-door who is willing to give him a chance. before you know it, the two develop feelings for each other, but must keep them a secret from anna’s overprotective parents.

this book just wasn’t for me. there was nothing wrong with it, i just really couldn’t connect to any of the characters or what they were experiencing. the story felt like it dragged, even though the book was not a long one. they’re romance was the main plot point of the story, but it took so long to develop that the book was nearly halfway done before anything happened. maybe i’m just not the right audience for this one (it is ya, so that’s probably true), but i just wasn’t a fan.

I loved all of the characters, which is something unusual. There is usually one character that is unlikeable in most books.

I knew something bad was going to happen from the blurb, but man, it broke my heart. Ashley Schumacher has a way with words. I will read anything she writes.

My friend was a big band person in school, so I recommended this to her.

I received an ebook copy, but all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley for access to this title in exchange for a honest review!

Oh, this book hurt my heart.

Anna, Weston, Ratio, and all the characters really truly came alive on the page. Reading this felt like I was in school again and they were right alongside me. I enjoyed every aspect of this story, especially the attention towards music and feelings surrounding loneliness because it was so raw and I could tell it came from a place of love.

This story was so good, the main characters had such a grip on my heart by the end of the story that I just didn’t want to let it go. Another great book by this author!

I am not sure how to gather my thoughts about this one to be honest. Truly no one writes about grief quite like Ashley Schumacher. Her debut novel is still one I think about from time to time. If I am honest, I think I am going to forget about this one. There are moments that are written quite beautifully and I would have to have a cold, cold hear not to be impacted, but... I must have a semi-cold heart because parts of this were alternately frustrating and too drawn out.

I will say I think if you are a band kid, or were a band kid, you will appreciate this one as it is a love letter to growing up in band. I was not in band, but I appreciated it. The characters are also darling. I am just not quite convinced of the overall plot. It is a YA romance and the characters have chemistry, but the plot seems to trudge along until the very end - and while I understand the end, I am not convinced it needed to end in the way it did. I am low-key mad about it.

So... I guess I liked this book because, again, Schumacher really knows how to tug at the heartstrings but... It did not quite fly and land quite as meaningfully for me as I think it was supposed to.

Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.

I loved Ashley Schumacher's first novel, Amelia Unbridged. This one didn't hit the mark for me. While I loved the characters, the plot/story was lacking. I could never fully commit to the story.

I went in thinking that I was going to really love this book. I was disappointed. I ended up not finishing the book..

Reasons to read this book:
-- An ambitious, smart heroine who likes to wear Christmas socks. She is also trying to find out how to be a good daughter but also start becoming a more self dependent person.
-- A romantic hero that is misunderstood because no one gets a chance to know him.
-- An annoying little sister that saves the day.
-- An emotional twist that will leave you reeling.
Also, I listened to this on audio and it was very good.

This book was so cute! Marching band, good girl/bad boy, etc. Typical high school romance, but with the added bonus of marching band. I was in marching band, and it was a blast! And then this book went and made me tear up at work! That almost never happens... Check this one out!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Ashley Schumacher is fast becoming one of my favorite writers. Her YA story, Full Flight, is about high school bandmates, with the two leads being Anna and Weston. Both are lonely people getting by during the time-sucking days of fall band practice and performance. Weston is the town outcast and is unfairly deemed a troubled person who has vandalized his high school in the past. It’s not true. His parents are divorcing, and he has no one who truly cares for him until he is paired up with Anna. In a small town with judgmental people, Anna and Weston find their way to each other. For these two sweet characters, they are no longer lonely. The author writes: “He tastes like lemons and chocolate is my last coherent thought before my brain is shrunk to the size of a single-celled organism whose only job is to never stop kissing.” Ms. Shumacher writes a great story and especially about young adults. But this old adult enjoyed a story as timeless as Romeo and Juliet. Thanks to @netgally, @wednesdaybooks for this timeless and sweet story. #ya #lovestory #highschool #highschoolband #love #loss #life #forgiveness #powerful
🎷
Thank you Netgalley and Wednesday Books for the opportunity to read this book which was sweet, charming and absolutely amazing. #netgalley @netgalley This book was published on Feb. 2022. @wednesdaybooks

#reading #books #bookstagram #book #booksofinstagram #JustBooksBookstagram #bookish #lindaleereads2022 #booklove #readinglife @ashwritesbooks 🐋

This might be a case of "it's me, not you" but I found this book boring and drawn out. I kept checking how far I had gotten. At 70%, I finally skimmed the last chapter, went back to skim a couple more, and finished with the epilogue. To make things worse, I had a hard time with Anna and the way she treated her sister as well as her other actions. I think some people will enjoy reading this YA romance but it wasn't for me.

Schumacher has written another heartbreaking romance about two teens. Her writing is lyrical, and quick to read. This story follows two band kids as they find their way together in a duet, and uncover some truths about themselves. They figure out how to stand up for themselves and create healthy boundaries.

It may be just me in this moment, but I felt less connected to the characters than I did in Amelia Unabridged. I struggled to relate to their frustrations, and found the general theme to be whinier than I was expecting. The ending felt abrupt, and although there was some reconciliation, it didn't feel as just as I had hoped.

Ashley Schumacher's "Amelia Unabridged" literally flew to my favorites shelf the moment I finished it. Despite its flaws, Schumacher's ability to write a more complicated romance plot line captivated me.

The romance is central in "Full Flight" with a slightly younger cast of characters. Anna and Weston are both students at Enfield High. Anna is the quirky, people-pleasing, Christmas-loving saxophone player in the marching band. Weston is the bad boy, leather-jacket-wearing, divorced-parent-having loner who plays me mellophone in that same band. When they get paired up for a small duet in an upcoming show, Weston helps Anna learn her part, and she helps him keep up his grades. Romance ensues.

The greatest difference between Schumacher's novels is the development of the romance and the focus on high school characters. Weston instantly falls for Anna from the moment he sees her, which is cute and all, but usually unrealistic. The beginning of their relationship was filled with corny phrases that were meant to be romantic, but fell flat for me. It wasn't until about half way when Anna started mentioning her love for writing that the flirtatious banter got more sophisticated. Their relationship conflicts are also grade-level appropriate -- lying to people about the relationship, feeling as if the person will leave as a result of familial trauma, fighting for acceptance as your weird self. But most of this was overdramatized as a way to make the conflict seem weightier. Weston's constant reference to the "I'm not good for you" trope mixed with his leather jacket and "pirate smile" didn't work for this reader.

The cringiest part for me to read, though, was the band content. I grew up playing in bands and orchestras, and tend to find realistic fiction that focuses on this hobby ends up being simplistic or too corny. This book was filled with way too many old band teacher jokes that were meant to be read as funny, and there were too many minor characters whose development relied solely on the instrument they played. By the end I understood why the music aspect needed to be included (and I actually liked it there), but it was too much and too corny for me to enjoy.

Despite all this, I was still sobbing. Somewhere between the stumbling beginning and the end, I found myself caring for these two characters together. Most of the romantic dialogue later in the book is beautiful and charming, much like what I remember from her first book. I will still continue reading Schumacher's book, even though this one didn't work well for me. She's two for two on making me cry!

Full Flight by Ashley Schumacher is a beautiful book, but it is also one that will break your heart. Following two band kids who fall in love despite the odds being stacked against them, this one contains the excitement of marching band and two complex main characters. The writing style is also poetic, making this a great read for those looking for a more thought-provoking and emotional read.

After joining her school’s band later than everyone else, Anna constantly feels like she’s falling behind, especially with the upcoming competition season. However, when she is assigned a duet with Weston, an outcast with a reputation as a troublemaker, he becomes her tutor, and Anna’s skills start to improve. As they spend more time together, Anna realizes that Weston is nothing like the rumours, and what starts as a few practice sessions quickly blossoms into romance. However, because of Weston’s reputation, Anna’s parents would never approve, forcing them to hide their relationship. Together, Anna and Weston must fight for love with the odds against them.

❀ COMPLEX MAIN CHARACTERS

Anna and Weston are both complex main characters, and I enjoyed their emotional depth. As she is a newcomer to band, I really felt for Anna and her desperation to prove herself as a musician, and I was struck by the contrast between her bright personality and the darkness she experiences. Weston’s character is also interesting, as the mystery surrounding him has made him the subject of much of the town’s gossip–gossip which is completely false. Both characters experience loneliness in their own way, but I loved watching them find comfort in each other as they slowly reveal their true selves.

❀ POETIC STYLE

This book has the kind of writing that I immediately knew would break my heart. As it tackles themes like loneliness, the style is very poetic, and I really enjoyed the way the bird motif ties in with this. Ashley Schumacher has proven herself as an author who is able to make me feel the emotions behind her words–not only sadness and grief, but also the giddiness of first love–so I look forward to reading more of her books in the future.

❀ AN EMOTIONAL STORY

Full Flight by Ashley Schumacher is an emotional story of love and loss. I enjoyed the premise of a marching band contest, and the main characters are well-developed. The poetic writing style reminded me of Nicola Yoon’s work, so I’m sure fans of books like Instructions for Dancing will enjoy this one.