If Birds Fly Back by Carlie Sorosiak

If Birds Fly Back

by Carlie Sorosiak

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.

Reviewed by Kelly on

4 of 5 stars

Share
Prolific author and filmmaker Álvaro Herrera had disappeared, presumed dead. Emerging from the wilderness, Álvaro is the newest resident at Silver Springs Retirement Community where sixteen year old Marilyn and seventeen year old Sebastian have both volunteered for the Florida summer.

Untraceable and elusive, Grace abandoned her family taking her guitar and the colour from Marilyn's world. At sixteen years of age Linny carries the weight of parental expectations, suffocating within the sterile environment her meticulous mother has established. Linny is reluctantly coerced to volunteer at Silver Sounds Retirement Community, a predecessor to a medical profession. Álvaro represents the population who succumbed to wanderlust, those who have sought adventure only to reunite with their families and uncovering their motives may guide Grace home.

Sebastian is a young aspiring astrophysicist who has recently discovered the identity of his biological father. On a journey from Los Angeles to Miami, Sebastian plans to confront the man who abandoned his mother but upon arriving at Silver Springs Retirement Community, discovers an elderly ambiguous man. Sebastian has wonderful support to shoulder his heavy burden. Best friend Micah who is Korean American and adopted by two Caucasian Christians, his mother and aunt Ana, where he is currently residing.

Linny confides within her journal pages. Her parents are grief stricken and although continue to leave their home illuminated each night, are gradually erasing Grace from their lives. Her closest friends are conceited and emphatically condescending, trivialising what may be perceived as undiagnosed depression. Wonderfully diverse, Marilyn a Nigerian American and Sebastian who is experiencing identity loss once his mother remarried and abstains from speaking Spanish. Cuban American Álvaro is an enigmatic character, a commanding presence throughout the narration which unites both adolescents for a common cause.

Debut author Carlie Sorosiak has composed a compelling narrative of compassion and discovery with vibrant, diverse characters. Delicate, tender and ingenuous.

Last modified on

Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 17 July, 2017: Finished reading
  • 17 July, 2017: Reviewed