We'll Fly Away - by Bryan Bliss (Paperback)

About the Book

Alternating between his third-person account of senior year and letters from death row, a young man untangles the chain of devastating circumstances that led to his conviction in a powerful, thought-provoking, and heartbreaking novel about friendship, regret, and redemption.

Book Synopsis

National Book Award Longlist Title * Booklist Editors' Choice * CYBILS Young Adult Fiction Finalist * Nerdy Book Club Award for Best Young Adult Fiction * Paste Magazine Best Book * YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults

"A compelling and raw story."--Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"[Bliss dares] his readers not only to see the depths of human complexity, but to care."--Booklist (starred review)

Luke and Toby have always had each other's backs. But then one choice--or maybe it is a series of choices--sets them down an irrevocable path. We'll Fly Away weaves together Luke and Toby's senior year of high school with letters Luke writes to Toby later--from death row.

Best friends since childhood, Luke and Toby have dreamed of one thing: getting out of their dead-end town. Soon they finally will, riding the tails of Luke's wrestling scholarship, never looking back. If they don't drift apart first. If Toby's abusive dad, or Luke's unreliable mom, or anything else their complicated lives throw at them doesn't get in the way.

Tense and emotional, this hard-hitting novel explores family abuse, sex, love, and friendship, and how far people will go to protect those they love. For fans of Jason Reynolds, Marieke Nijkamp, and NPR's Serial podcast.

Praise for We'll Fly Away:

"Bryan Bliss has written an empathetic and stirring novel about what it means to fight for the outcasts, the forgotten, and even the hated, reminding us that we all have worth. That we are all valuable."--Sister Helen Prejean, author of Dead Man Walking

"A poignant story of loyalty, abuse, and poverty. . . . This compassionate and beautifully rendered novel packs an emotional punch."--Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"A smart, rugged, all-too-true story of friendship under fire. Believable characters and page-turning tension."--Chris Crutcher, author of Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes

"This fast-paced read will have teens tearing through chapters to find out why Luke is in jail. . . . The conclusion will leave them devastated. This is [a] touching book about male friendship for fans of Jason Reynolds."--School Library Journal

"The unshakable and unconditional bond between the young men is tested and proves true, a ray of light in the darkness of their stories."--VOYA

Review Quotes

"A poignant story of loyalty, abuse, and poverty...Readers will easily empathize with quiet, tightly controlled Luke...and goofy, self-effacing Toby. This compassionate and beautifully rendered novel packs an emotional punch." - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"In this truly tragic story there is profundity at every turn, and readers up for heartbreak will come away understanding more about loyalty, empathy, and redemption." - The Horn Book
"Bliss creates a layered, well-developed character who makes bad choices but remains redeemable. . . . The unshakable and unconditional bond between the young men is tested and proves true, a ray of light in the darkness of their stories..This book will stick with [readers] for a long time." - Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)
"Bliss weaves together a compelling and raw story...A powerful story of loyalty, betrayal, and crippling family dysfunction." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Complex...Bliss excels at this kind of storytelling, the sort that zeros in on a character and offers a full, vibrant picture of his or her circumstances and choices. ...[Bliss] instills so much raw humanity in his characters that it's nearly impossible not to empathize." - ALA Booklist (starred review)
"A smart, rugged, all-too-true story of friendship under fire. Believable characters and page-turning tension. Bryan Bliss is going to be around for a while." - --Chris Crutcher, author of Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes
"This fast-paced read will have teens tearing through chapters to find out why Luke is in jail. ... The conclusion will leave them devastated. This is [a] touching book about male friendship for fans of Jason Reynolds." - School Library Journal
"We'll Fly Away asks readers to consider the women and men on death row, not as scary photographs or philosophical arguments, but as actual human beings. People who are flawed, but still have hopes and dreams. People who are capable of transformation and growth. People who are more than the worst thing they've ever done. Bryan Bliss has written an empathetic and stirring novel about what it means to fight for the outcasts, the forgotten, and even the hated, reminding us that we all have worth. That we are all valuable." - Sister Helen Prejean