Learning to Fly by: Misha Elliott

I must begin by stating that although I work with young adults, on a college campus, reading about them is not necessarily something I seek out regularly. However, occasionally, there is a title that catches my attention and Learning to Fly by Misha Elliott happened to be one of them this week. In this novel, Sophia Marshall is the main character that has had a less than perfect upbringing by her single mother Angie, although she was the mother, at times, appeared to be, just as old as her daughter as she tried to simply try.

 Angie moved Sophia around a lot and on this most recent move something unusual happens, both mother and daughter finds themselves H-A-P-P-Y. Angie, falls in love with their unsuspecting landlord Larry and Sophia is swept clean off her feet by the star QB Alex Matthews. While love is in the air for both mother and daughter, they both come of age and learn to love themselves and then each other. However, although Sophie has broken out of her preverbal cocoon and has metamorphosed in to a butterfly, she has this underlying fear of being like her mother.

 Now there is this Alex. This kid, Alexander Matthews is just as dreamy as any high school quarterback should be with family and friends that love him dearly. His father is overbearing and wants to live out his football dreams through Alex and sees Sophia as a distraction. Driven to please his father, Alex make decisions that brings happiness to everyone else leaving nothing left for himself. So after a few wardrobe, car and name changes, Sophie and the now Zander are away at college and things get a little interesting to say the least.


 Overall, I thought this was a pleasant story about relationships. Although the premise was about Sophia and Alex or Zander, the relationship between mother and daughter and father and son was definitely there. The author, Misha Elliott, painted a clear picture of the glorious for some and tortuous for others, high school years. However, I felt “some kind of way” at some parts of the story. There were parts where I felt something was missing and other where I thought it was too much. Some parts I felt things were rushed and others I felt things dragged.

 I digress. All in all, I liked Learning to Fly. If you like the New Adult genre, this is the book for you. It was a cute and sweet story about first impressions and perseverance. And despite me feeling “some kind of way” about parts of the novel, I am looking forward to running and reading the second book in the series entitled Come Fly With Me.