Ashley Schumacher has solidified herself as an auto-read author for me. Her writing is lyrical as she navigates teen angst, romance, and grief while simultaneously creating characters who feel wise beyond their years.

The story follows Anna and Weston, members of the high school marching band, as they get to know one another while working on a duet. Weston is the town outcast and quirky Anna is the only person who gives him a chance. Their emotional connection quickly draws you in and I love their commitment to telling each other the truth, even if it's hard to admit. Even as high schoolers, they are relatable as they struggle to navigate loneliness and family drama in the midst of their demanding high school extracurriculars.

I recommend going in fairly blind to best enjoy the story. It's an unforgettable story that is full of love and will tug at your heartstrings.

Also shoutout to whoever creates Shumacher's covers—they are stunning and the details are perfect.

Thank you Wednesday Books and NetGalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

The book had a cute premise but I didn’t love the story. I appreciate the flaws of both main characters and think it will be a great book for high schoolers especially those who others may view as “different”

Ashley Schumacher has written another book where I was completely immersed in the setting, story and characters. This book is written in dual point of view but it was so seamless. Anna and Weston were characters that brought me right back to high school with the family expectations, weekly youth group, pressure to do well amongst peers in school and all of the questions of what comes next. Anna and Weston's friendship was one of support and finding the best in each other. This book had me run through all the emotions while reading it. I also really enjoyed the facts woven throughout about music and birds, many being new to me. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy! All thoughts and opinions are my own!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC! I loved Amelia Unabridged and Ashley is a delight, so I was excited for Full Flight. As always, she did not disappoint. I really related to both Anna and Weston in so many ways. I did not relate to marching band, but I learned a lot about it! And I'm honestly really impressed at how physical it is. And the spirit she captures of young love is so on point. I really liked this book even though it ended up leaving me gutted.

4.5 stars. When I saw that Ashley Schumacher was releasing a marching band book, I knew I had to read it, even though the blurb and Schumacher’s tweets have made it no secret that it’s sad. I thought Amelia Unabridged was a perfect YA book in every way, and I couldn’t wait to again get lost in Schumacher’s unique, delectable, emotional writing style. After reading both Schumacher’s books, I love Amelia Unabridged a bit more, but Full Flight holds a special place in my heart as well.

Full Flight alternates between the first-person POVs of Weston Ryan and Anna James, two members of the Enfield High School marching band. Sax player Anna is relatively new to band, and when she’s assigned a duet with talented mellophone player Weston, she elicits his help. Anna is a cheerful straight-A student, teacher’s pet, and lover of all things Christmas. Weston is labeled as a “bad boy” over something he didn’t do, but he’s a gentle soul with a promising future in music. Anna and Weston felt like band kids I would have known in high school, and I connected to each of them in different ways.

Anna and Weston connect immediately and fall for each other quickly. While I preferred the depth of the romance in Amelia Unabridged, this pairing is believable because they’re teens and band is such a bonding activity. When Anna and Weston start dating, Anna keeps it from her parents because she knows they think Weston is a bad influence. I think Weston’s bad reputation felt a bit forced, though I don’t know what it’s like living in a town so small that rumors spread like wildfire. Also, Schumacher wrote this book based on personal experience, so Weston’s reputation could be based on some truths.

As a former marching band member, I adored reading a book about it :,). Band is a wonderfully all-encompassing experience, and Schumacher beautifully captured the vibes: the pressure, the long hours, the close bonds that form, the high of a great performance. I pictured my own high school football field and band room, and all those memories kept flooding back.

Where do I even begin with Schumacher’s writing?? Her style is one of my favorites ever, and I lost track of how many passages I highlighted in this book. Her words are like bold brushstrokes of color, forever imprinted in my mind. Schumacher also has a great grasp of the teenage experience: the MCs’ thoughts are dramatic and fatalistic and resonated with my high school self. I also loved the way the Kaua'i o'o (the bird pictured on the cover) was integrated as a symbol within the story.

Like Amelia Unabridged, this book deals with grief, but in a more direct way. It does get extremely sad, and if I hadn’t been mentally preparing myself for months, I might have shed some tears. I adore the way Schumacher writes about grief, even though I haven’t been through that kind of experience. The harsh realities of grief aren't glossed over, but there’s something comforting about the way Schumacher writes it, almost like a warm hug. By the end of the book, there was a melancholy aura around me, yet I felt hopeful and somewhat happy.

In short, this book is gorgeous and heartbreaking and everything I expected it to be. I can't wait to fall in love with Ashley's next book.

I received an ARC from Wednesday Books via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

content warnings: (view spoiler) grief, bullying, non-graphic sex, divorce (past)

I read Ashley‘s first book Amelia Unabridged last July and immediately pre-ordered Full Flight! Then, I was lucky enough to get approved for this advanced copy and got to read it before officially adding the hardcover to my shelves today.

Full Flight by Ashley Schumacher is your typical girl meets boy, they help each other and fall in love teen romance - until it’s not. Until it becomes absolutely everything, and Anna and Weston have made permanent places for themselves in your heart. The story follows Anna and Weston during their junior and senior years of high school, respectively, while they work together on a marching band duet. Weston is an unbelievable musician though a bit of a social outcast and Anna is a straight-A student who hides her true self from her friends and family. As they work together on their duet, they quickly fall for each other and as they work to prove themselves to their friends, their families, and each other, we see them start to discover what believing in yourself - and having support from others - can do.

I could barely put this book down and was again awed but the way that Schumacher perfectly captures teens today. The character development is great and I loved reading the fast love that so many fall into their teen years. I figured out the end with about 30% left to go but I loved the way the end was crafted and just felt lucky as a reader to enjoy the story. My new copy is already prominently on my shelf and I can’t wait to recommend this one to all of my students after break!

A huge thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Wednesday Books for my eARC of this book!

I got an ARC of this book.

I keep bouncing between 1 and 2 stars. It isn't the worst book I have read, but I did not enjoy it at all.

The romance is instant and for no reason. Within a few pages they are in love and angsting about it. There is no lead up. No reason they are into each other. Lots of smiling and staring. It was incredibly awkward. I just don't get why they were into each other at all.

There really is no compelling plot by 50% (where I gave up). They are heavily into each other, they play music. That is really it. Nothing stands out.

It is told in a dual narrative, but the only way I can tell the voices apart is by who they are in love with. There is no real difference between the characters when it comes to voice, which is just one of my biggest pet peeves when it comes to books. If you are going to do this, I need the voices distinct or to have them not be in first person.

Overall, it isn't a terrible book. It just really didn't work for me. I need a reason there is romance, I need distinct voices. I just needed a lot more than this book offered.

Ashley Schumacher’s Full Flight was an easy-breezy read…until the last 15% or so, which threw me for a heart-aching loop.

First, I admired the detail with which Schumacher builds the community of Enfield, Texas’ high school marching band. My only experience playing an instrument was the violin in elementary school, so it was challenging for me to understand all the logistics behind Enfield’s practices (I had no idea there was so much athletic training involved!) and competitions. That said, my disorientation honestly made their frenzied schedule feel more concrete, as I also felt like I was bouncing between school, social activities, and band. Of course, marching band also provided the perfect backdrop for Anna, a newbie saxophonist, and Weston, an aspiring musician and social outcast (mainly because he constantly wears a leather jacket?), to meet and develop a relationship.

As usual, I’m not a huge fan of insta-love, so I struggled with them growing so close after just four days. After that, however, I found their relationship incredibly sweet. They genuinely brought out the best in each other, with Weston encouraging Anna’s independence from her protective parents and Anna stabilizing Weston’s grades and emotions.

However, I wish the last 20% or so of the novel had been prolonged. The synopsis already gives away the tragic event, but then it happens within one short paragraph, which made it feel sudden, yes, but also less impactful. Schumacher writes her characters dealing with grief so poignantly; I wish there had been more time dwelt on that aftermath in Full Flight.

Still, a good, easy read if you like emotional romances (and especially if you’re a band kid)!

Thank you so much @NetGalley and @wednesdaybooks for gifting me a copy of Full Flight in exchange for an honest review.

🎺 Mini Review 🎷
When I saw that @ashwritesbooks was coming out with a new book I had to try and get an early copy of it. I absolutely loved her debut novel Amelia Unabridged! It was one of my faves last year. This one definitely did not disappoint.

So I do want to start this off by saying because I loved Amelia Unabridged so much I didn’t even read the synopsis. So the heartbreak came out of nowhere and totally wrecked me. I had a feeling something bad was going to happen but unlike most people that read the synopsis, it totally wrecked my world.

I absolutely love Ashley’s writing. It’s so beautiful, poetic and full of emotions. I was totally in tune with these characters and the emotions they were feeling. One of my favorite things about Ashley’s writing is how she brings everything together, full circle. It’s really beautiful. 😍

It took me a while to get into the story, but once I was in it I was hooked. I couldn’t put it down. We follow sweet Anna who gets great grades, listens to her parents, is in band, and never cusses. She wants to please her parents and make them happy but she really doesn’t know what she wants, until she meets Weston Ryan. Resident “bad boy” who is rumored to have ruined the, oh so important, memorial memorial tree. He also wears a jacket that everyone thinks is weird.

Both Anna and Weston are in band but don’t talk much. Until Anna decides to ask him for help with a duet that she is struggling with. Weston decides to help and the rest is history. But after finding love, Anna has to struggle with losing it.

I pretty much cried through the whole last hour of the book and then throughout the acknowledgments, so make sure to read it as well. 😖

If you love ya contemporaries that make you feel so good but also rip your heart out, this is the book for you! I gave it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

This is a book full of charming genuineness, raw sweetness and wicked sharp realism. As such, it truly sends your emotions spinning and wrecks your heart. It doesn't feel right to say that I enjoyed Anna and Weston's story simply because that word and the sentiment behind it seems all wrong. I do think this was a very good read that hit extremely hard emotionally.

Even though I went into this book knowing it was going to break my heart, I still wasn't ready when it happened, Our main characters, Anna and Weston had both felt somewhat like outsiders for different reasons. Finding each other was unexpected and wonderful for them. They each saw past the preconceived notions that others had about them to the people underneath.

It frustrated me even though I understand that a great deal of the "bad boy" image tied to Weston was based on a misunderstanding regarding property damage. Given that he had so many other things going on in his life at the time that were hurting him, other people's opinions didn't matter to him so much. So, he never bothered with denying it. That all played into Anna's parents not wanting her to hang out with him. It all led to their forbidden relationship which made it so much more charged with energy and emotion.

I think that for some readers, the early part of the book could move slowly if you aren't much for musical instruments or band. There is a great deal of time spent describing how to properly play the instrument or be in
the correct formation. It's understandable because it's an intrinsic part of the story. This will either enrich the story for some or they'll feel that it moves slowly.

I, personally, was there for the love story. These two were sweet together. They both had heartbreaking self image and mental health issues. Even though they found refuge in one another, those issues were still there and would have ultimately had to be dealt with if things had not gone the way they did. Of course, their romance is cut short by life's events and the repercussions are absolutely crushing. Regardless of the tears I shed, I'm still glad to have read this story. Anna and Weston's story was sweet and special.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to read and review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

Honestly, FULL FLIGHT could be a great read for other people who love their love interests spilling out their guts almost immediately and falling in insta-love. I don't.

First of all thank you to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for sending me an e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. I was absolutely thrilled when I got it in my inbox and I'm extremely sorry a bout of the dreaded Covid-19 delayed my reading past <i> Full Flight's </i> publication day.

On to the review! Ashley Schumacher did it again, a book with supremely vivid teen characters that you feel like you know set in a very specific environment, this time marching band, dealing with trauma.

Good girl, seemingly happy-go-lucky saxophonist Anna is assigned a duet with withdrawn, unjustly named the "town freak" Weston. Unlike everyone else, she actually gives him and herself the chance to get to know him. Sparks and young, intense love ensue. Growth and healing also happen thanks to their connection. Although they appear to be very different, they actually are very similar and they're dealing with mental health issues that never get explicitly named but that appear to be depression and anxiety. Through their relationship they learn how to manage this, how to be open and trusting.

The plot does have a big twist, not entirely unforeseen since the synopsis does all but name it, and I felt like it came far too late into the book. We didn't really get a lot of time to see the whole cast of characters react and the epilogue's time jump felt like it robbed us of some of Anna's ARC, hence the removed star.

Ashley Schumacher writes heartfelt, beautiful, clean prose. None of it is convoluted, it all feels very authentic. She also uses symbolism and metaphor skillfully, with Anna referring to her depression as shadows, Weston referring to his anxiety as wildfire, and the thread of music as a connector going strong throughout, all the way to the mention of the story of the Kauaʻi ʻōʻō bird. (Really sad to find out that sadly, the bird is extinct and no happy little family of them have been found).

I strongly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys YA contemporary and stories of "misfits" finding their place in the world.

Character driven, Ashley Schumacher’s Full Flight is a love story about two lonely people with their own beautiful melody. It’s a duet between Anna and Weston, filled with these soft piano notes that turn into a crescendo of want, need, and a knowing of being seen. The elegant rhythm flows in a cadence like mated birds singing back and forth to each other in perfect harmony.

Schumacher artfully crafts into her prose this foreboding. You can feel it. This imprint in each chapter. Where you as the reader are waiting for something tragic to happen. It’s etched into the time between Anna and Weston. Like Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, you know, at some point, there will be a loss. Because it’s a tragedy. And we know the Fates well, as they take a shard of glass to the piano strings of a life, leaving those left behind raw and aching for the before.

And even though this love story was only 320 pages, it is the very end that stole my breath.

I loved how Schumacher knits together the music, the tender love between Anna and Weston, and the story of the Kaua’i ‘o’o. Remembering the story of the Kaua’i ‘o’o was just as heartbreaking, remembering how the last male bird was recorded, powerful and rhythmic sounds, that will leave listeners haunted by its mournful tune. Being the last bird of your species is devastating, especially when you’re a species that mates for life. Calling out, desperate to find another one of its kind, and hoping to hear the melodic sound, the answering call in return.

Ashley Schumacher’s artfully written prose will capture readers completely. She deftly creates a story of first love, depression, and loneness in a way that feels raw and real in equal measures. Make sure to have a box of tissues handy.

Happy Reading ~ Cece

This book broke me. Like. I’ve read lots of books where you know the love is doomed and someone is going to die. Sometimes, like with FULL FLIGHT, I know it before I pick up the book because it’s in the cover copy or the title (looking at you, THEY BOTH DIE AT THE END).

But I’ve never read a book like that and had the experience I had with this one. I had so much anxiety about Weston’s death. I knew it was coming. I’d breathe a huge sigh when the next chapter was his point-of-view. I’d panic when it was Anna’s perspective, and skim ahead until I saw him mentioned and still alive.

This one hit me really hard. And it was more than just liking both characters and finding their romance so sweet and adorable. Y’all. The writing here. Wow. I felt completely immersed. Marching band. The friendships. Music. Emotions. It all blew me away.

I loved Schumacher’s debut, AMELIA UNABRIDGED, and to be honest, I was excited about reading another book by her. I was also really nervous because I knew from the outset I was signing up for some heartbreak. It seemed impossible that I could like another book as much as AMELIA, and they’re not the same. But I loved this one, too.

All in all, I loved FULL FLIGHT. I loved the story (the cleverness of skipping chapter 25!), the characters, and how emotionally immersive it all was. Fans looking for laugh-out-loud great friendships, gorgeous romance and total heartbreak– I think I cried for like 30 minutes– definitely need this one on their lists.

I love YA novels and read them often, but I think this is the first band-centric one I've ever come across, and as a former band geek I absolutely approve. I loved the story of these two characterd who were bith a lottle different who come together because of the saxophone. There was some pretty sad stuff I didn't see coming , and while I'm olay with that I know other people might not want to be blindsided. T

Blindsided. That is how I felt while reading Full Flight. I sat down thinking I would read a few chapters before bed, before I knew it two hours passed. I ended up finishing the last third of the book and I was bawling. Tears streaming down my face.

This YA novel is about first loves, being different, and often feeing alone in a crowd of people. But also finding someone who feels like your other half, someone to feel safe with, to tell the truth too, and push you to be your best self.

As always, I knew nothing about this book. I was sold off the cover alone and don’t even think I read a full description. But I am almost glad I didn’t, especially after seeing it after. I felt in the moment, while reading, digesting what was happening just like the characters. I made me feel more of a kindred spirit for what they were going through.

This YA novel is full of nostalgia for high school (for me), marching band references, and being judged based on the actions of your parents/family members. Full Flight was the first book I have read by Ashley Schumacher, but I will be reading her first novel because if it is anything like this one. I know I will love it.

Thank you @Netgalley and @Wednesdaybooks for the digital ARC copy to read and review. First Flight is out was released last week on 2/22!

3 stars = Good, solid, fine

I requested this ARC because the author wrote my favorite book of 2021, even though the plot description really didn't grab me. And again, the author is a great writer, and I really liked the two main characters in this.

But the story was too sedate for me. While I kept reading, because I liked the characters, I kept wondering what the point was - I was missing the driving mission/mystery/conflict. And the ending was very dissatisfying for me. So, this was just not a great fit.

Readers who have a bigger tie to the marching band world or who like a less plot-driven story might really love this. As I said, the writing is good and the characters are great.

Full Flight is a beautifully written young adult contemporary romance novel and it will make you full on sob. I’m just warning everyone who goes into this one without reading other reviews or a full synopsis like I did because I was unprepared. Ashley Schumacher really knows how to write a story that you fall into, that brings you back to your own high school days (if you were an outskirts-of-the-band-kid like me). I was really enjoying this story, and then bam, right before I broke into full on sobs while finishing the story at the start of my work day. I did feel as though there was something missing from the story, a few things that could have been addressed more somehow with both Anna and Weston feeling lonely while in a crowd of people, feeling misunderstood, or as when Anna refers to the ocean storming inside her at night. My favorite quote from the story was “The ocean in my head spits out a rough piece of driftwood onto its shore, gnarled and sun bleached, and begs me to examine it.” This really resonated with me, and I wish it was explored a little bit more throughout the story.

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

Thank you to Netgalley and publisher for an e-arc of this book!

This is a very sweet YA romance and coming of age story.

Anna James is a Junior in high school. She is in the band and working hard to make her parents proud as she struggles to perform in band. She is offered the chance to do a duet but she has to learn her part and the music in time. Weston Ryan is dealing with some issues at home that has put him in a bad state of mind. He is returning to Enfield after moving away for a year. He is struggling to keep his grades up but he is one of the best in the band. He has a somewhat bad reputation with this small town and is avoided by most because he is "different" or "weird". Anna seeks him out to help her with this duet. And so begins a very sweet romance between the two. I love how Weston refers to her as a Happening. She completely changes his whole life and makes him believe in himself again. They are exactly what the other one needs as they know how to accept one another as they are. Anna is not able to be open with her relationship because her parents do not approve of Weston due to the rumors in town. This leads down the road of lying and deceiving her parents. Eventually, the truth comes out. As we watch this family work through some issues it is beautiful to see the love they have and the way Anna and her sister Jenny help her parents see the good in Weston. The romance is short lived and tragedy strikes.

The whole thing takes place in the span of just a couple of months so it is a bit far fetched in my opinion. I enjoyed the characters, I enjoyed the love story, I liked the family dynamics. The friend group was really great too. There was some language which is typical in high school but still I don't like it in my books. There is one sex scene that seems really unnecessary. Like I said, it takes place in such a small amount of time and it is just sort of thrown in there when it doesn't really need to be. Then the tragic part is hard to take as well. I wish it would have had another ending. However, I also really liked the ending because we see how love really can blossom and change a person. I love to see how Anna is changed and her growth in this book is amazing. Overall, it is really good.