After the death of her baby Rose, Charlie’s mum yearns for a fresh start and when she discovers Flightsend she sees it as the answer to their troubles. Although Charlie wants to offer support she finds it hard to see how ostracising her mum’s ex-boyfriend Sean will help. Is this the right way to get over their loss? A new start may be what they all need. The first summer in Flightsend will prove to be a turning point for them both and a time that Charlie will never forget.

Review This enjoyable novel is a light summer read. Dealing with the difficult subject of loss Newbury introduces us to a mother and daughter who are moving house in order to escape past demons and start afresh. Yet she shows how difficult this can be as sixteen year old Charlie struggles to come to terms with her mother’s break-up with Sean. Linda Newbery isn’t a writer who shies away from issues as we haveseen in her prize winning book ‘Set In Stone’.  In this book first published in 1999 she has explores the relationships between male teacher and female student, whilst maintaining a slick commentary on the subject

Teenagers will easily be able to empathise with Charlie as she is a likeable character attempting to keep an open mind whilst the situations around her constantly alter. Although she wants to help her mother who is dealing with the death of her baby, she sees the pain that her mothers’ ex-partner Sean is going through, and wishes that she can re-unite them and make her mother see sense. Yet all is not as it seems within this relationship, which is the key to the mystery in this  novel. This isn’t an awe-inspiring and thrilling book like ‘Set in Stone’; instead its sensitivity and believable characters and situations make it  an accessible and interesting read.

2008-04-30