Alexie, Sherman (2007). Flight. New York, New York: Grove PressISBN: 9780802170378
208 pages
Classification: Fiction
Genre: Fantasy
Age Level: 15-19
Stars: 5 stars
Subjects: Violence, Time Travel, Indian, Identity
Reader's Annotation
Zits is a half-Indian, half-Irish boy with no family who is bounced from one foster family to another until, after a brief time in jail, he is about to commit an atrocious act when he suddenly travels back in tim to other moments of horror in the past that make him question his own actions in the present.
Summary
From the beginning of this novel, it is easy to empathize strongly with the character of Zits while simultaneously become horrified at the way others have treated this outcast and how he has decided to lash out at society. He was orphaned at the age of six when his mother died (he never knew his father), and after getting kicked out of his aunt's house for setting fire to her boyfriend (he had cause), he is bounced around from one foster home to another and countless schools along the way. The slow destruction of his humanity is evident in this narration, and the precipice is reached when, after running away from a foster home and a brief stay in jail, he is about to commit an atrocious act he would never be able to undo when he finds himself thrown back in time. He is forced to witness other acts of horror and terror that force him to examine himself and what he is truly capable of, and ultimately make him reconsider his action in the present.
Notes
This can be graphic and unsettling at times. It handles violence, death, and sexual encounters with frankness and honesty that avoids deep emotional exploration, leaving that for the reader to contemplate. This book should be read with the understanding that it requires a certain level of emotional maturity to take in.
Other Information
Readers who enjoy Alexie's style may want to also look at his Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian.
Author Information
