How to Fly

How to Fly is one of the most fun books I've ever read. Max and Taylor are both immediately captivating leads, as a series of misunderstandings results in Max, an ex-gymnast who moved across the country to escape his traumas, joining Taylor's cheer team, as a girl. While the initial plot setup is more than a little contrived, the lighthearted tone, drawing heavily from high school comedies like Bring It On helped to smooth over my disbelief, and the contrivances allow for some absolutely incredible character moments.

And once things get going, they never stop. Max and Taylor's chemistry is immediately apparent, and the mutual angst and yearning kept hooking me deeper and deeper. I can't wait to see these two finally get together in the next book, because I'm already obsessed. Greaves does an absolutely fantastic job pacing out heavier character moments in between lighter scenes, consistently keeping things an enjoyable read while still exploring the premise to its' fullest.

Compared to Greaves' other works, How to Fly isn't nearly as complex or deep. But it's not trying to be, and it's both a fantastic entry point to her books, as well as a much needed breather from the heavier parts of Kimmy or Dorley. There are still a lot of interesting ideas here, particularly as Max comes to terms with her gender, but the payoff for a lot of these ideas is held off for book two.

Which brings me to my biggest (and only) complaint: this is just the first part of a much bigger story. I absolutely loved what's here, and while the final chapter has some absolutely fantastic development for both Max and Taylor, development that establishes a fantastic foundation for the sequel, it's hard to treat this as anything but the first part of a much larger story. Having read ahead on Alyson's patreon, the major developments setup by the end of How to Fly are absolutely paid off, and Book 2 is going to be even better than this one, but the story is currently lacking a destination, even if the journey is an absolute blast.

How to Fly is such a fun ride from start to finish, and while it might just be part one of a larger story, what's here is so much fun, and absolutely worth your time.