In a brilliant turn of events, I’m on the blog tour for If Birds Fly Back by Carlie Sorosiak!
Which means you get a glorious day that includes (1) a most marvellous review of this cute and nerdy little book, and (2) a GIVEAWAY at the end because you deserve all the love, little dovekins.
Also appreciate the levels of title-applicable origami in these photos okay? I am proud.
Thanks to Pan Macmillan for having me on the tour!
★★★★☆
Linny has been living life in black and white since her sister Grace ran away, and she’s scared that Grace might never come back. When Linny witnesses the return to Miami of a cult movie star long presumed dead, she is certain it’s a sign. Surely Álvaro Herrera, of all people, can tell her why people come back – and how to bring her sister home?
Sebastian has come to Miami seeking his father, a man whose name he’s only just learned. An aspiring astrophysicist, he can tell Linny how many galaxies there are, how much plutonium weighs and how likely she is to be struck by a meteorite. But none of the theories he knows are enough to answer his own questions about why his father abandoned him, and why it left him in pieces.
As Sebastian and Linny converge around the mystery of Álvaro’s disappearance – and return – their planets start to collide. Linny’s life is about to become technicolor, but finding the answers to her questions might mean losing everything that matters.
Goodreads Book Depository Boomerang Books Publisher
Carlie Sorosiak grew up in North Carolina and holds two master’s degrees: one in English from Oxford University and another in Creative Writing and Publishing from City University, London. Her life goals include travelling to all seven continents and fostering many polydactyl cats. She currently splits her time between the US and the UK, hoping to gain an accent like Madonna’s.
If Birds Fly Back was entirely super cute!
It featured a bunch of nerds and an adorakble friendship-turned-romance with plenty of bantering dialogue — HERE ARE A FEW OF MY FAVOURITE THINGS BASICALLY. The only downside of my reading experience was dropping it on my face while being absorbed by these delicious words. Thank you to all the universe, stars, and pebbles upon the shores that I read a paperback and didn’t die or lose my eyes over a hardcover. Life can be kind.
It’s dual narrated by both Linny and Sebastian. And I can’t even pick a favourite! THEY’RE SO CUTE. Linny is totally obsessed with film and Sebastian is into astrophysics. I love how their individual chapters included either scientific facts or snippets of a screenplay being written. It turned them into individuals and made their passions really interwoven with the plot line. My only problem was since they’re both 1st person, I felt their voices were pretty similar. But Linny was a bit anxious and Sebastian was an absolutely exploding piece of rainbow confetti.
BASICALLY SEBASTIAN AND LINNY.
So I loved them! They were both diverse, too, with Sebastian being Mexican and Linny biracial with a Nigerian mother.
The story is basically all about missing people.
And birds. But more like metaphorical birds. Except for the part where a bird poops in Sebastian’s hair and duuuuuude. I feel so bad for you. Birds are nasty.
Linny’s sister disappeared and Sebastian is looking for his never-before-met-dad. But since the tone of the book was pretty happy and quirky and light, I did actually fail to feel like really emotionally caught up in the missing people. I can see Linny’s suffering with her sister just having vanished, but the rest of the story was so funny?!?? I was thoroughly enjoying it, but my heart strings didn’t get pulled.
I loved the scenes were Sebastian and Linny just hung out and were DORKS together. Putting stars on ceilings. Making terrible Mexican food. Being super awkward. IT WAS SO SWEET! Most of the book is set in an old-people’s home where they’re volunteering for the summer and caring for an old famous writer, which didn’t really interesting me? But it was never boring! I had SUCH fun reading! Until, you know, I brained myself with this book. Then I read on, slightly bitter, but still pleased at least they were having a nice time.
I will definitely say this is a super cute tale!
It reminded me of An Abundance of Katherine‘s meets When Dimple Met Rishi. And THE NERDOM LEVELS WERE GREAT. I loved the snippet’s of Linny’s screen play and I learned SO many science facts thanks to Sebastian. Like I’ve totally forgotten them all now, but my memory is akin to a dead french fry. So. It was great at the time.
Fun dialogue! Fun banter! Their relationship was so well done, with ups and downs and awkward cuteness and I rooted for them! Definitely chase this one day if you’re after a summery fun read that is like popsicles and sprinkles with a side dish of NICE PAIN.
Also chase after it if you want to read about two dorks who hide in a cupboard rather than socialise at a party. #Relatable
Open AUSTRALIAN only!
Great review! I hadn’t actually heard of this book before but I’ve now added it onto my TBR 😉 Nerd appreciation + banter are two of my favourite things 💕
I haven’t heard NEARLY enough about it!! I hope it doesn’t go underrated because it was soooo cute. :’)
Noted! I hate it when great books are underrated, it makes me sad 🙁
… (cont.) I honestly don’t know enough birds to really have a favourite but robins are cute
I like both summer reads and dark reads. Granted I read more dark but you need the light to mix it up a little and relax! My fav bird is a particular type of grey dove that live in Tasmania and Sydney because their coo-coo call reminds me of Summers spent at my Grandmothers in Sydney when I was a kid. They always woke me up in the morning.
For sure! It’s like a little reading holiday from, you know, HAVING OUR HEARTS HORRIBLY BROKEN. *shrieks*
I don’t know if I have a favourite bird. Maybe the blackbird?
I prefer dark books (you know this), but every once in a while something lighter is nice.
It’s good to break things up a bit, right?! It’s like a little break from having our FEELS SMASHED. :’)
Gah! Every time I see such a positive review for a contemporary I think ‘you know maybe I should give it a try’
Then I go to buy it and end up getting 4 fantasy books and 3 preorders instead 🤔🤔🤔 someone just really needs to five me infinite books and infinite time to read them????
Loved your review Cait!
This is understandable though. Because fantasy is obviously life.😂 (But obviously the answer here is to strike gold and read and buy ALL THE BOOKS. *starts digging for gold in backyard*)
you either need a time turner, or have Edward Cullen turn you into a glittering vampire. Or, there’s becoming a ghost like Onyx Webb (yes it is a book/ series)
I’m currently immersed in the BLOOD and SADNESS that is ACOL, so I feel like I’ll definitely be in the mood for something sweet once I finish. (I got The Lost and Found from the library and though of you, so maybe that) I like tuis, they’re a type of bird in New Zealand. I had a traumatic experience the other day when this dog I was with caught a bird and broke its wing before I could convince him to spit it out. Oh well, I guess he couldn’t help it. I really want to read this!
OMG ARE YOU OKAY? DO YOU NEED A SHOCK BLANKET? I’m rereading AGOS so I can then reread ACOL because apparently I like pain and have no respect for myself. *cries*
Oh oh I hope you like The Lost And Found. <3 It's so lovely. Also her new book is just out (Everything All At Once) and it's SO good too!!
I’m a sucker for summer books. The vibes you get from them are truly wonderful and it’s, even more, fun when you read the book in summer in the holidays, outside in the summer breeze. I definitely love dark books SOO MUCH – I live off them. But those snippets of the unknown outside world can be interesting. Helps with research.
SUMMER BOOKS ARE SO SWEET AND FUN. And generally contain ice cream and I can get behind that. I love icecream. :’) Unfortunately for me all the USA summer books come out in winter, so it’s kind of…not seasonal for me.😂😂
OMIGOSH ICECREAM. I’ve had so much Icecream this month. I tried out peanutella which is Peanut mixed with Nutella and I ADORED IT. Mango Sorbet is so much fun. And then I had Cookies & Cream ice cream WHICH IS DELICIOUS. i think I appreciate Icecream too much in books. My favourite bird would be a Phoenix. SUCH A SHAME THEY’RE NOT REAL.
ALL THE ICE CREAM. SO MUCH LOVE!! Except for me and nuts…we don’t agree.😂 But cookies and cream tho. YAS.
awww, that book seems so cute! I must read it. also, my mom went back on her no library thing, and just requested a bunch of books she wants us to read. but she didn’t let us pick our own books! hmmf.
Most crazily, ~Olive
I hope you get a chance sometime!! (And are allowed to go back to the library?!)
This book has caught my interest. Sounds quite emotional.
I do love kookaburras. We have a pair that laugh like crazy to tell us rain is on the way.
My dad used to feed kookaburras on our verandah!! It was pretty cool!!
I like to mix up my reading, so I like summery books and darker stories. My favourite bird was always a Peregrine Falcon until the last few years when I decided I really like Ravens. No particular reason for that change that I can think of though. (Perhaps I just see more of them.)
WELL I DEFINITELY LOVE RAVENS TOO. *looks steadily at The Raven Boys* 😂😂
Confession: I will always pick up books with birds on the cover. So pretty 🙂
I like balance in my reading, so I like my dark fantasy but I also like summery fluff to relieve my brain. Doing Year 12 at the moment means I prefer lighter books because my brain is too tired for anything else, but I have a good long list of harder books for after graduation. Always enjoy your book reviews so thanks PaperFury.
My favorite kind of bird are the blue wrens we get “Down South” Margaret River way (in WA). So beautiful! (and yes, I’m Aussie too :))
OH OH HELLO FELLOW AUSSIE!! (It’s always nice to find other Aussies online.😂) And blue wrens sound really lovely! I’m up in FNQ and willy wag tails are super cute. :’)
And AGREED. Fluff books are good when one is super tired. I find fantasy takes a lot of energy!
I KNOW! We’re a rare species 😉
We get willy wag tails around here too, and yes they are adorable <3
I KNOW! We Aussies are a rare species 😉 *high five*
Cool, FNQ- I guess you get a lot of flooding this time of the year?
We get willy wag tails around here too, and yes they are adorable <3 I like watching the little dances they do, they're very cheeky birds 🙂 I have relatives from England who always comment on how colorful the birds are here- I guess it makes up for all the spiders ha ha
Yes, I think it's the complex history, geography and 50,000 characters with similar names that makes fantasy exhausting to read (although that the world building and characters are also what I love about fantasy, so…)
I actually only JUST moved here 1 month ago.😂 But I used to live here as a kid, and yeah the wet season sucks blehhh.😂
This does sound super cute. Am I going to catch feelings if I read it though?
You may catch a FEW feelings. :’)
Oh no. So, read it with a whole chocolate cake to hand?
This book sounds great, I might try and read it. I’m not really all that picky about dark or light books, either way’s fine really. My favourite birds are owls (owls are a bird right…?), I’m very fond (obsessed) of owls.
OWLS ARE GREAT. Of course they’re birds.😂 I would like a pet owl, tbh.
I just got an arc of this, and I’m so excited to read it. I’m glad you liked the book! Great review!
YAYYYY. I hope you love it too!!
Lol what light summery reads LET’S DELVE INTO THE WORLD OF DARK STABBY FANTASY. (Like Illuminae. 😭 THAT BOOK THO OMG.) But! I do like some cute fluffy contemporaries at time to keep my head sane(ish). This one sounds super cute! And yeah, sometimes when there’s a really big emotional event in fluffy books, I just don’t feel it. But YAY for sassy banter! And great review! <3
Illuminae is a GREAT light fluffy summery read.😂😂 IT IS!! I always think it’s funny when summer HAS to equate to light reads bahhaha. (Mind you it’s winter here for me, but whatever.)
Love the review! I’ve never heard of it before but it sounds great! Normally I prefer the dark reads, but something light and summery is always welcome, so I’ll have to see if I can find myself a copy. ^-^
My favourite bird… I have no idea! I’m torn between a wedgetail eagle, willie wagtail and a rainbow lorikeet.
Agreeeeeement. Sometimes it’s a nice break/diversion. :’) PLUS THEY’RE SO CUTE.
I love how your last wee recommendation is to grab it if you like reading about dorks who hide in a cupboard at a party. LOL.
Well that would be ME at a party.😂
When it comes to YA, I’m pretty eclectic – so I like Summery books and darker books. This sounds pretty cute, so I’m glad I have a copy from NetGalley waiting for me on my Kindle. Currently reading When Dimple Met Rishi, so I might not want more cute straight after, but I look forward to reading it whenever I get to it,
I don’t have a favourite kind of bird. However, I did once have Love Birds. They were pretty. But noisy. Oooh, ROBINS! I like robins. An Blue Tits/Grey Tits. I only ever see pigeons, so when I see something different, I get all happy. And Robins have a kind of special meaning to my family, kind of. We saw a robin at my Nan’s funeral. And then nine months later, at her sister’s funeral, we saw another (or the same? The funerals took place at the same cemetery). So yeah, we kind of like Robins. 🙂
Great review, Cait!
Ooh, I hope you like it!! And Dimple & Rishi is adorable, right?!? I LOVED THAT ONE SO MUCH.
Robins are super cute! I don’t think we have them in Australia? But I always liked the robin in the Secret Garden!!😂
OMG! It sounds sooooo good! And a CROSSOVER between When Dimple Met Rishi AND An Abundance of Catherine’s?!?! I NEED this so badly. I’ve been craving something really cutesy after my recent fantasy binge (oops I’m supposed to be reading more classics for the summer!). Also my FAV type of birds is and has always been . . . A Chickadee! They are not only the cutest little beings, but make the best (in my opinion, sound).
Yessss! It had so many fun vibes from both those books I thought. :’) And like fantasy is GREAT and the bEST but I actually do think light summery reads make for a good break.😂
YASSS this book looks so cute and I KNOW I’m going to love it! I’m going to be studying astrophysics at university (if all goes to plan) so it’s awesome to see a character obsessed with astrophysics! 😀
OMG YOU ARE A SMART LITTLE BEAN, AREN’T YOU?!? *stands in awe*
I think I just added this to my TBR list! Sometimes I just need a light little read to get me through…
And interestingly enough, I don’t like birds. I am not a morning person and their chirping is too cheerful in the morning and it just makes me grumpy. Plus I have a mockingbird by my house that likes to sit on my front porch and run through all of its calls just because it can feel my hatred….
Yayyy! I hope you enjoy it! I definitely think it was light and quirky and fun. :’)
AND DUUUUDE, I DON’T LOVE BIRDS EITHER. I got attacked by a kookaburra when I was about 8 and traumatised myself for life.😂
I’m not actually sure what happened with me and this book. We just did not get along. Also I almost dropped it in the bath which is not particularly conducive to a good reading time. BUT I’M GLAD YOU LIKED IT.
What is it with dropping this book?!? I swear it must be slippery or something. I brained myself with it.😂
I wish I had a Twitter so I could get more entries. XD But it’s all good, either way I’m going to read the book. I’ve actually had it on my list since the beginning of this year, and I am excited that this blog tour is happening to help spur me along to finally read it. 😀
Just so you know, it’s an Aussie only giveaway! Sorry about that!
And I’m SO glad you like the sound of the book! *flails happily* 😀
Ooooh, okay. I apparently missed that. Oh well, I have enough giveaway chances. XD
No worries at all!😂 I actually accidentally enter US ones ALL the time.😂 Fineprint is hard?!?😂
I love darkness in my books!!! I just started Now I Rise by Kiersten White, and Lada is so dark, SHE’S PERFECT!!!!! I also need sass or sarcasm. That is key. Me+sassy/sarcasm= YES PLEASE. I haven’t thought about what my favorite bird was until now. Hmm…Idk. Can a phoenix be my favorite bird? I don’t have a favorite non-fictional bird. What is your favorite bird?
I’M RELATING TO ALL OF THIS VERY KEENLY. *nods vigorously* I loooved And I Darken and I need Now I Rise so so badly. Also why don’t ALL books have sass? I need.
I think phoenix’s count for sure. I mean, who doesn’t love a bird that sets itself and the world on fire? :’)
(I actually am mildly terrified of birds due to an unfortunate incident between me + a kookaburra in my childhood.😂)
The Australian cover for this is SOOO much better than the US one, so I shall add it to my Book Depository list haha. Can I confess something? I saw this one at ALA Midwinter, but the cover made me say “no, not a ‘me’ book”. And now I am MAD at myself because I have heard some good things!
I do generally like my books with a bit of darkness, I will say. But sometimes a summery book is fun too! And honestly Cait, I am not a fan of birds, so much. I can tell you my LEAST favorite kind of bird though, and that is a BIRDPERSON. No thank you please.
I actually like the US one better.😂 I’m so cantankerous when it comes to covers?!? I almost always prefer the US…sheesh, Cait, where is your loyalty.
I am not a birdperson either, don’t fear.😂I still am scarred internally from being attacked by a kookaburra at 8 because it wanted my lunch. RIP my love of birds. (Although I do like chickens. Especially dead, and fried, and edible.)
I’m so excited to read this book, it sounds really cool!
Eeeeep, I hope you do get to try it someday! It’s super awesome. :’)
Great review, Cait! <3 I am so excited for this book! I read the first 2 chapters sampler on the author's website, but resolved to wait until the library or for the US paperback release because I really like that one more. But. I wouldn't MIND winning my own copy, like that wouldn't be the worst thing to happen to me. Thanks for the opportunity. 🙂
Thanks Cas!! And good luck! 😀
Ooh this book sounds fun! Contemporary isn’t in my usual field of reading, but this one looks interesting. I usually tend toward light and fluffy books, but will also take a few dark books, but I need to be ready for them. because otherwise, diSASTER STRIKES.
I like a bit of both too honestly! It varies things up so it’s not like CONSTANTLY all your favourite characters are dying. :’)
I do like a summery read from time to time. Specifically for long car rides because Steve tends to play podcasts, and it is easier to read something that does not require too much focus 😉
My favourite kind of bird is penguin <3 <3 <3