FLOATING BOY AND THE GIRL WHO COULDN'T FLY

Mary's world is turned upside down when an impossible act derails her young cousin's birthday party.

A mysterious, skinny boy captures Mary's attention at her massive family's gathering. The boy goes on to attract everyone's attention when he climbs a tree and jumps, only to float up, off and away. Soon Mary's young brother begins floating as well, and when a shady man turns up asking questions, Mary is caught up in an increasingly bizarre chain of events with only one objective: protect her brother at all costs. That single-mindedness is what ultimately sinks the book: Mary’s worry-wart tendency becomes her defining characteristic, without enough other personality traits to make her feel rounded. In a world where wonderful and fantastic things are happening, it's a bummer to be stuck with the one character who refuses to have a good time. Making things worse, the flying boy has even less charisma then Mary. Mary's friend Liv is a spitfire, the only bright spot in a novel that should be filled to the brim with excitement and fun. The blue mood deflates narrative interest, making the short book feel all too long. The action and romance elements are botched as well, delivered with the grace and subtlety one expects from cookie-cutter teen melodrama.

Alas, this book sinks.