Flight: A Novel by Sherman Alexie
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Book Reviews of Flight: A Novel
Book Review: A Powerful Novel
Summary: 5 Stars
Sherman Alexie has a knack for knocking the wind out of you, reaching inside your chest, yanking out your heart, and making you laugh the entire time. FLIGHT--a surreal journey through time with a potentially homicidal, yet sardonically funny, teenager named Zits--is no exception. Zits has experienced grief and betrayal throughout his life: his American Indian father abandoned him at birth, his Irish mother died when he was a child, and he has since been shuffled through a series of abusive or indifferent homes. Just as he tries to take revenge on society (particularly white society) by massacring innocent people, he finds himself transported into the bodies of a series of Indians and whites, each of them participants in a wrenching cycle of violence and betrayal.
Along with betrayal and revenge, plane crashes are a recurring theme in the book, which conjures thoughts of 9/11. Indeed, in an interview with NPR, Alexie said that the inspiration for the novel was a story he heard about the flight instructor who trained one of the 9/11 hijackers, the friendship that blossomed between them, and the betrayal the pilot felt when he discovered what his friend had done. In a way that is very pertinent for the events of our time--not only terrorism and our response to it, but also the recent spate of shooting sprees, ongoing racial violence, and more--FLIGHT is a meditation on cyclical violence and the question of whether it can ever be justified.
FLIGHT is a beautiful novel, and while full of tragedy, it is an ultimately hopeful story. On his journey, Zits learns that even amid the worst horror, there are those courageous souls whose humanity overrides the desire for vengeance. As he has a gift for doing, Alexie suffuses the novel with humor and sensitivity.
Book Review: Adolescent Connections
Summary: 5 Stars
Sherman Alexie reaches out to every adolescent who has ever felt isolated, alone, or embarrassed about themselves. The protagonist, Michael (or "Zits") embodies the very essence of adolescent behavior: he lashes out against authority; he seeks acceptance and friendship from a boy that shares similar beliefs; he speaks in a tone and voice that is a perfect replica of most teens today; and, Zits searches for his identity at a point in his life which mirrors when most teens are uncertain of who they are. Each of these important life experiences offer the reader a chance to connect to this dynamic character.
The language that Sherman Alexie uses really is sophisticated, relatable and engaging. Zits uses foul language to protect himself. Basically, the language Zits uses serves as a defense mechanism, and in turn, shows his reluctance to open his heart. Zits usually reacts with statements like, "You bet your plopping a** I'm laughing at you," (15) when he wants to avoid conversations or agitate someone. This is by no means the crudest of his language usage, but for this review, I chose to keep it as clean as possible. Check it out to see what other hostile comeback responses Zits responds with.
As a future high school English teacher, I am a little reluctant to use this book during the beginning of my career because of the crude language used at times, but I would definitely recommend this book to all tenured teachers who want to share endless conversations about adolescent behavior.
For those readers out there that just want to curl up with an engaging quality read, I recommend this book to you as well.
Book Review: A Surprising Story with a Terrific Message!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
Flight, from the very beginning is a powerful, ambitious and completely new genre of Young Adult literature. The novel is a quick read, though provides some troublesome language...though just remember, "it's only letters strung together!!!" Flight is about a young boy who is trapped in the foster system, aware of his heritage only through words and his own research. This touching story depicts a boy, with real problems growing up and questions about both his future and his past. The story becomes a little complicated as "Zits" travels back through time to the civil rights era, to little big horn and then ends up as a pilot in today's time.
The book is carefully thought out as with the rough beginning, the novel sends clear messages about judging, stereotypes and natural (unnatural) human behavior. As a Pre-service teacher I feel this book could be both difficult to teach, but also offer new levels of teaching concepts and ideas with new materials. The novel is designed to be taught and offers provocative teaching ideas and questions at the end of the novel. The book is a quick read, but full of content both practical, teachable and conscious rising. I found the novel to extremely thought provoking and it established a new hero in today's time. The novel found its way into my consciousness by creating a child of history, whilst convincing us that today's kids need a focus and attention, just like Zits.
The book is funny, tough and compelling all at the same time. If you have the opportunity, I would definitely suggest teaching this novel to high school kids as it really sends all the right messages.
Book Review: Take a moment before you act.
Summary: 5 Stars
Thank goodness for the great tellers of stories that reconnect us to the honor of being sentient.
Alexie's new novel is a compassionate exploration of how a throw away life can still harbor a loving and forgiving soul.
Zits, the 15 year old shape shifter hero of Flight carries great sadness, shame, anger, and an education by television garnered living with 20 foster families in the nine years since his mother died of cancer into a moment that becomes an extended awareness of how connected we all are in our losses, our anger, and our assumptions of what is historically accurate and what may have been. Zits possibly becomes several people in and out of the "present", "future", and "past" - all in a moment that will change the course of that particular life. Whether this actually happens or whether it is his fantasy, the choices made by Zits within the shape he has been thrust into will forever affect his relationship with his own pivotol choice.
This book may be perceived as having a happy ending. It is happy in the sense that some lives are allowed to proceed with love, with hope. It is sad in allowing Zits and ultimately the reader to know how lucky we are to have that chance in a world where there are still so many throw away souls and where there is a self indulgent need by so many of us to manipulate others for gain or revenge.
I couldn't put this book down. I will always be grateful I took the time to sit down with it, and reconnect with the Mind of Alexie.
Book Review: Has a little of everything
Summary: 5 Stars
I see everyone is analyzing this book to the nth degree . Maybe that's because there's a 13 page "Black Cat Reading Guide, Questions for Discussion". in the back. I've never seen anything like that before. Neat. I wish they would have given us the answers tho :o)
I enjoyed Flight because it was different, imaginative, funny (in the beginning), yet poignant.
Some say the ending was a "cop out", too "happily ever after" ish. I saw it as hopeful. Landing in the family Zits did doesn't guaranty his future, not at all, but it does give him and the readers hope.
Zits recounts when he was at the Newark Airport baggage claim and saw a bunch of army soldiers all dressed in their best uniforms with all their medals and ribbons playing keep-away from this nerdy soldier who was wearing thick black army glasses and had big old Army-nerd zits on his face. "His zits were worse than mine.."
"Yeah sure, these guys were serving their country.....but they were just kids, 18, 19 yrs old: immature and goofy and mean and acne scarred and funny and stupid and silly and unsure about everything.
And these are the children we send to fight our wars. And all of us children fight to defend adults. Doesn't that seem backward?" Yes it does. The draft age should be reversed.
I found Flight his best. The Toughest Indian in the World second. The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven, Reservation Blues, Indian Killer I didn't care for.