CROW FLIGHT

Gin Hartson lives a strictly logical life—until she falls in love with a boy with a dark family secret.

Gin has one goal for her senior year of high school: getting into Harvard. A brilliant computer programmer and statistical modeler, she streamlines her life by programming apps that tell her everything from what to eat to what to wear to what to do with her free time. But her faith in the infallibility of data-driven logic evaporates when she falls for Felix Gartner, the brilliant son of the extraordinarily wealthy owner of the technology company Odin. When Gin and Felix start dating, Gin couldn’t be happier—until she uncovers a secret that forces Felix to choose between his father and his future. For the first time in her life, Gin must learn to trust her instincts, no matter what the data says. While the romance between Gin and Felix sizzles with authenticity and charm, debut author Cunningham crams the corporate espionage subplot into the final third of the book, rendering the potentially suspenseful narrative rushed and forced. Additionally, while it is fascinating to watch Gin’s character evolve, the supporting cast—which is almost exclusively white, as are the protagonists—remains regrettably two-dimensional, especially unfortunate because some characters have the possibility of real complexity, if only the author had chosen to expose their multiple layers.

An enjoyable coming-of-age romance with a poorly paced suspenseful subplot.