Reviews

If These Wings Could Fly by Kyrie McCauley

yuuto's review against another edition

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4.0

“Maybe fear is the toll women pay to exist in this world at all.”

This was a very powerful debut novel about living with domestic violence, told by the oldest of three sisters who is desperate to escape a town where everyone seems content to simply look the other way because it’s not their business, it doesn’t concern them.

Big cw for domestic violence in this, obviously. It’s a tough read, but it’s a good one.

melg0378's review against another edition

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5.0

What a read!!! This is my first 5 star review. This book was a lot for me, as a domestic violence survivor I appreciated Kyrie's flow about DV. It was real and relatable. I did not experience physical abuse but the mental and emotional abuse was very relatable for me. I was able to leave my abuser and get my children to safety. This is a wonderful read, the romance was perfect silver lining to a grim story.

sibongiseni's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

i loved the different ways that the author used to describe the main characters situation. it was poetic almost so i wasn’t always attached to how intense her life was and the crowd were such a beautiful yet dark character as well, they made a lot of sense for this story come to think of it. 

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rachelwrites007's review against another edition

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5.0

Wow. Why did it take me so long to read this book? An unflinching, beautiful, hard read about domestic violence, small towns, wanting to escape, wanting to protect your family, falling in love, and crows. (Yes, really. Crows)

"When the legacy is anger, the inheritance is fear."

kthornette's review

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5.0

“It’s not the crows that make Auburn ugly ...”

It didn’t sit right giving this book only four stars, but felt right giving it five stars.

This story was beautifully written as it explored Leighton’s family life involving domestic violence and its impact and consequences throughout the course of a few months. I was gripped from the start. I can’t express how scared I was for the family when the father’s rage would act up and I couldn’t safely predict what would happen next. I was on the edge of my seat till the last moments. The book contained commentary on traditionalism vs feminism, sisterhood, and intergenerational trauma woven throughout. A lot of heavy topics that didn't come across as over-bearing. The imagery of the growing crow population with its magical realism aspects enhanced all those themes.

Leighton was very relatable in her role as the older sibling wanting to protect her siblings and keep their child-like innocence despite their knowledge and understanding of the events at home. I thought a lot about myself when she decided to do something for herself with trying her hand at romance. It’s hard to do something for yourself when other aspects of your life need you (and, debatably, need you more).

I also loved her relationship with Liam. He was a sweet boy and definitely my type, I won’t lie.

rosecolouredglasses's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

laurenc26's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

chaptersofjacky's review against another edition

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5.0

Leighton und ihre beiden jüngeren Schwestern führen ein vorsichtiges & gefährliches Leben. Bedroht von der Aggressivität ihres Vaters leben sie in Angst und richten ihr Leben danach aus, ihren Vater nicht zu provozieren. Ihre Mutter verlässt ihn nicht, glaubt an das Gute in ihm und auch die Nachbarn in der Kleinstadt Auburn gucken konsequent weg. Doch irgendwann wird sie Situation eskalieren…

Das Cover des Buchs finde ich wirklich sehr cool und aus den Federn und der Schnur, die mit im Päckchen war, habe ich mir ein ziemlich cooles Lesezeichen gebastelt! Der Schreibstil im Buch war gut zu lesen. Die Kapitel waren teils sehr kurz, was mich aber hier nicht gestört hat. Krähen spielen in dem Buch eine große Rolle und so werden Abschnitte des Buchs immer mit der aktuellen Zahl vorhandener Krähen eingeleitet. Die Krähen spielen im Buch für viele Dinge eine Rolle, die ihr aber selbst herausfinden müsst. Die ganze Geschichte ist aus der Sicht von Leighton erzählt, man erfährt, wie sie mit allem umgeht und was sie fühlt. Die Konflikte in denen sie steckt, wie z.B. das sie fürs Studium wegziehen möchte, aber ihre jüngeren Schwestern dann alleine wären, werden wirklich gut dargestellt. Für mich war Leighton generell ein sehr authentischer Charakter. Sie hatte ihre mutigen und traurigen Phasen, Glück und Unglück, Skepsis und Vertrauen. Sie und ihre Scchwestern haben mit unglaublich leidgetan und ich fand vor allem natürlich den Vater, aber auch zwischenzeitlich die Mutter wirklich furchtbar. Auch die Bewohner der Stadt hätte ich alle gerne gerüttelt. Die Geschichte hat mich wirklich in ihren Bann gezogen und beim Lesen habe ich wirklich viel mit Leighton mitgefühlt, war aufgeregt, sauer, traurig und auch fröhlich und erleichtert. Die Geschichte zu beschreiben ist wirklich schwer, da es viel zu spoilern gäbe. Ich fand aber alles in allem Charaktere und Handlung sehr authentisch und habe eine ganze Fülle an Gefühlen beim Lesen durchlebt. Ich kann euch das Buch wirklich nur empfehlen.

zbrarian's review against another edition

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5.0

Very powerful & beautifully written story about the difficulty of living in the terror of domestic violence. There are good days and there are bad days for Leighton, which are captured by McCauley's writing. Don't blink the wrong way; don't breathe the wrong way or the dragon will come out. Leighton eventually finds her voice, albeit anonymously. As her truth comes out, the crows that have been overtaking the town are released alongside her truth. The bond between Leighton and her sisters is strong. Liam, the boyfriend, is written as extremely supportive and concerned but knows not to overstep his boundaries with this horrid situation. It was a book that I read in one sitting, very late into the night.

nixy_pixy's review against another edition

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emotional inspiring sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75