Bryan Bliss

I was intrigued by this book from the start, especially when I realised that Luke was writing to his friend from prison. Why was he there? What terrible crime had he committed? It wasn't long before I realised that Luke was not just in prison, he was on death row. I had to read more! And so I followed, the tragic, heart-wrenching story of Luke and Toby, and the events that led to Luke's arrest.

These two boys had very few positives in their lives except each other. Toby's father was a drunk show more and a brute who would take his anger out on his son. Luke had two gorgeous little brothers but his mother wasn't the most reliable and was certainly not Mother of the Year material. However, Luke was a protector and would do anything for his brothers and best friend.

The love, trust and loyalty Toby and Luke shared moved me. It was something pure and special which made the ending that more tragic. I will definitely be looking for more books by this author. A powerful read! show less

Bryan Bliss’s No Parking at the End Times is one of those books that pulls you in by virtue of its title alone. And it largely lives up to the various promises embodied in that title.

Abigail and Aaron, teenaged twins, have had their lives horribly disrupted. Their parents have always been religious, as is Abigail, but when her father loses his job, then sees a billboard advertising the end times, things get complicated. He takes the billboard as a message from God, sells their North show more Carolina home, packs everyone into the family van, and drives cross-country to San Francisco, so they can be with the billboard-erecting pastor when the world ends.

Most of the money the family has goes to the pastor, and Abigail and Aaron find themselves living with their parents in that van, attending endless church services, lining up at soup kitchens, making do with the clothes on their backs. The end times don’t come as predicted, but their father remains loyal to Brother John, embracing each new disappointment as proof that God is choosing their path.

Abilgail keeps hoping for a solution to their dilemma, some new revelation that will take them back to North Carolina and life she once knew. She wants to keep her family whole, their faiths intact. Aaron, always less religious than Abigail, assesses the situation differently: they’ve been abandoned by their parents (even if they’re still crowded into the same van), and he and Abigail are going to have to set out on their own and find a way to return to North Carolina without their mother and father.

The story is told in Abigail’s voice, so one begins reading identifying with her, but as the novel progressed, I became less patient with her. I wanted Abigail to see their situation as clearly as Aaron does. However, I think it’s to the author’s credit that he has her cling to her faith so tightly. In a world without moorings, she needs some hope of resolution, of love, even if the faith she’s turning to is the very thing that set her family adrift.

I won’t say anything about how their situation does/dosen’t get resolved, but I will say that watching this sister and brother work their way through these challenges makes for interesting and engaging reading. show less

“We are not living in a world that stands still."
I have feelings after reading this books. Not bad feelings or even good ones, just a lot of feelings. This book definitely pulls at your heart and leaves an impact. It’s so much a character study of friendship and the messiness of life. It’s almost overwhelming, but in a good way. We’ll Fly Away follows best friends Luke and Toby living in their small North Carolina town. We see their friendship, their fights, and what happens when it show more all goes horribly wrong.

Things I Liked
The story really is just a snapshot of a life. It’s earnest, honest, and exposed. I love stories about friendship and We’ll Fly Away delivered in showcasing the dependency, the anger, and the love between these two in a heartfelt and painful way.

I LOVED the letters that Luke wrote to Toby. It not only added a cool timeline element to the story, but I enjoyed getting to know him more and really get into his mindset.

Things I Didn’t Like
I wasn’t the biggest fan of the romances in the story, and they unfortunately got more prevalent as the story progressed. I honestly thought they were not needed at all.

I feel like We’ll Fly Away is almost painful to read. (Yes, I did cry) I don’t know if it’s something you can really enjoy, so much as just the story that’s being told and the lives these characters have lived. The story feels personal, so it was really easy to complete invest yourself. If you’re looking for a reading experience that will leave you thinking and feeling something, look no further than We’ll Fly Away.

I received a copy of the book from Harper Collins via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. show less

This is a YA book and I can definitely see the appeal for teens -- it's full or questions and rebellion and rightly so. Really this gets a 3+ for content -- it's an original idea, but the story-telling falls a little short with predictable glowering, sullenness, running, fighting, more running. But the premise is very clever. Abigail is the 16-year old narrator and through her eyes we learn what has befallen her family. They are living in a van (down by the river), on the streets of San show more Francisco after selling all their worldly goods in North Caroline, donating the money to Brother John of multiple billboard fame, and traveling West to be raptured at the End Times which are imminent (according to Brother John). The big date has come and gone and despite the family's destitution, Brother John continues to ask for Faith and time (and money). Abigail and her twin brother Aaron no longer believe it. Though it has only been a couple weeks since they arrived in San Fran, Abigail and Aaron are quick to see what their parents can't. Bro. John is a fraud and they are being duped. Their Mom seems to have a slight sense of reality, but is bent on supporting their father (who had lost his job in NC before he became a religious fanatic). Abby says: "Every night as we fall asleep in the van, I cannot escape the fact that our parents have ruined everything. That's true. But we have a choice -- all of us. We can spend every day look for reasons to snipe, to pick and pull at what little we have left until it is nothing but crumbs. Love and family, in the ruins. Or we can fight to stay together." (48) Faith was always an important family value, but the limits are being tested, especially the twins' faith in their parents. When Abigail realizes Aaron has been sneaking out of the van at night (a little hard to believe that wouldn't be noticed), she follows him and realizes he has a whole life outside of her with other street kids. Things take a turn for the worse when Aaron offers to sell drugs for a thug to earn money to get Abby and him back home. After some street violence (that seems a little sterilized for the reader's sake) the twins force their parents to choose between them and Brother John. This book does not denigrate religious faith, but it does offer a litmus test of belief -- and God wins over man. Some rough language and implied sexual violence, but probably ok for the mature 7th grader and up. show less