We'll Fly Away

Product Description National Book Award Longlist Title * Booklist Editors’ Choice * CYBILS Young Adult Fiction Finalist * Nerdy Book Club Award for Best Young Adult Fiction * Paste Magazine Best Book *YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults “A compelling and raw story.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review) “[Bliss dares] his readers not only to see the depths of human complexity, but to care.”—Booklist (starred review) Luke and Toby have always had each other’s backs. But then one choice—or maybe it is a series of choices—sets them down an irrevocable path. We’ll Fly Away weaves together Luke and Toby’s senior year of high school with letters Luke writes to Toby later—from death row. Best friends since childhood, Luke and Toby have dreamed of one thing: getting out of their dead-end town. Soon they finally will, riding the tails of Luke’s wrestling scholarship, never looking back. If they don’t drift apart first. If Toby’s abusive dad, or Luke’s unreliable mom, or anything else their complicated lives throw at them doesn’t get in the way. Tense and emotional, this hard-hitting novel explores family abuse, sex, love, and friendship, and how far people will go to protect those they love. For fans of Jason Reynolds, Marieke Nijkamp, and NPR’s Serial podcast. Praise for We’ll Fly Away: "Bryan Bliss has written an empathetic and stirring novel about what it means to fight for the outcasts, the forgotten, and even the hated, reminding us that we all have worth. That we are all valuable."—Sister Helen Prejean, author of Dead Man Walking “A poignant story of loyalty, abuse, and poverty. . . . This compassionate and beautifully rendered novel packs an emotional punch.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review) “A smart, rugged, all-too-true story of friendship under fire. Believable characters and page-turning tension.”—Chris Crutcher, author of Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes “This fast-paced read will have teens tearing through chapters to find out why Luke is in jail. . . . The conclusion will leave them devastated. This is [a] touching book about male friendship for fans of Jason Reynolds.”—School Library Journal “The unshakable and unconditional bond between the young men is tested and proves true, a ray of light in the darkness of their stories.”—VOYA From School Library Journal Gr 9 Up—This novel explores family abuse, sex, first love, and friendship. Luke and Toby have been best friends since they were kids. Now in their senior year, tensions are rising and their friendship is tested. Luke is a three-time state champion wrestler, known for his hot temper and sticking up for Toby in any situation. Toby defuses tension with his quick wit and humor, while at home his criminal father has begun to take an interest in utilizing his underage son. Both boys have family issues, with abusive fathers and absent mothers, so they rely solely on each other. Alternating between a third-person account of the boys' senior year and Luke's letters to Toby from death row, this fast-paced read will have teens tearing through chapters to find out why Luke is in jail. Once readers have put the pieces together, the conclusion will leave them devastated. This is touching book about male friendship for fans of Jason Reynolds and Matt de la Peña. VERDICT A realistic and emotional story that will be an excellent choice for high school libraries.—Morgan O'Reilly, Riverdale Country School, NY Review “A smart, rugged, all-too-true story of friendship under fire. Believable characters and page-turning tension.  Bryan Bliss is going to be around for a while.” -- —Chris Crutcher, author of Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes “ We’ll Fly Away asks readers to consider the women and men on death row, not as scary photographs or philosophical arguments, but as actual human beings. People who are flawed, but still have hopes and dreams. People who are capable of transformation and growth. People who are more than the worst thing they’ve ever done. Bryan Bliss has written an empath