Flight Risk: A Novel - Hardcover

Fenn, Jennifer

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1626727600 ISBN 13: 9781626727601

Publisher: Roaring Brook Press, 2017

Synopsis

Jennifer Fenn's debut novel inspired by true events, about a teenage boy who has stolen―and crashed―not one, but three airplanes. And each time he’s walked away unscathed.

Who is Robert Jackson Kelly? Is he a juvenile delinquent? A criminal mastermind? A folk hero? One thing is clear: Robert always defies what people think of him. And now, the kid who failed at school, relationships, and almost everything in life, is determined to successfully steal and land a plane.

Told as an investigation into Robert’s psyche, the narrative includes multiple points of view as well as documentary elements like emails, official records, and interviews with people who knew Robert. Ultimately, Flight Risk is a thrilling story about one teenager who is determined to find a moment of transcendence after everyone else has written him off as lost.

About this title

About the Author

Jennifer Fenn has worked as a middle school language arts teacher and has had short fiction and essays published in numerous publications. She lives with her husband, daughter, and Scottish terrier in Downingtown, Pennsylvania.

Reviews

Gr 9 Up—A debut novel inspired by true events. Robert Jackson Kelley idolizes his fugitive father, Robert Kelley Senior. He is proud of his dad's accomplishments as an Operation Desert Storm war hero. Robert spends most of his time with his beloved beagle mix, Hulk, and his flight simulator. He is a poor student and, with the exception of Joey Kovach, has few friends. Robert wants to leave his trailer park home to become an air force pilot, but his aspirations go awry when he and Joey are expelled from high school for selling Robert's mother Deb's Adderall pills. Right before Robert is transferred to Sea Brook Youth Home, Deb blurts out a huge revelation about Robert Senior's checkered past. Robert escapes and hides out in unlocked homes, steals and crashes three planes, walks away unscathed, and is labeled a juvenile delinquent and a criminal mastermind by the media. The teen becomes a folk hero nicknamed the Lollipop Kid, with a rock song dedicated to him. Fenn deftly portrays Robert and Deb as ordinary working-class citizens. Robert's story is told through multiple points of view and documentary sources. Fenn pulls readers in with her coverage of three decades of American political and social issues. There are numerous references to the 2016 election and the Trump administration: the book focuses on the working class, uses the term flight risk to reference the Muslim travel ban, includes a Megyn Kelly—esque talk show host character, and describes Canada as a fugitive refuge. VERDICT Teens will love the documentary-style narrative and will root for underdog antihero Robert.—Donald Peebles, Brooklyn Public Library

Edition details

• Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
• Publication date: 2017
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1626727600
• ISBN 13: 9781626727601
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 384