Emery has always had seizures. They are getting worse, and now her father insists that she stay in a hospital because the seizures are slowly killing her. But, these aren't just ordinary seizures. Emery time travels to different places from the past or the future every time she seizes. She may see people she knows during her travels, but not always. She seems to go and see "the boy" a lot. She doesn't know who this little boy is, but he's trying to tell her something.
The worst part is that her father and his team of doctors don't believe Emery.
Emery just wants to be a normal teen and Gia, her best friend, is happy to sneak her out of the hospital to attend a party. But as her seizures get worse, Emery knows she must figure out what the messages in her travels mean so perhaps she can save herself. Gia turns out to be a great friend, and probably my favorite character.
Emery sneaks away to a town in the upper peninsula of Michigan because she's heard about this place in her time travels. It's a very small town and she begins to ask questions and do some research about things she has seen. She also meets Ash, who becomes her protector. He sleeps outside her cabin in a tent in the freezing cold to make sure she is safe. But Ash has secrets too.
I found Emery's life "on the lam" a bit too easy. She had plenty of money, she finds this cabin that she can walk to everything easily, the townspeople all love her and help her, and there's always a bus to take her where she needs to go. The cabin is cold and rustic -- and she needs to keep a fire going in the winter in the UP, but she never complains or laments her difficult situation. And, she always has plenty of clothes to dress appropriately to the events she gets invited to.
I also didn't like the love/hate relationship between Ash and Emery. There was a lot of talking and then storming off and disappearing for a couple of days. Only to fall into each other's arms after. There was just too much tension and back and forth. I didn't think the relationship developed realistically. Ash, with all his mysteries, was also accepted into this community without question. Once again, a little too convenient.
It sounds like I didn't enjoy Flutter, but I really did! The premise is enticing -- it's different -- and Linko's writing is well done. The pacing is great. It's hard to put down. You might think you can guess the secrets, and some of them you will, but I think you will still be surprised by the way several things turn out. I certainly wasn't expecting the ending -- but I think it's appropriate.
Besides everything being a little too easy, and the romance being frustrating, I think Flutter has great appeal to teen readers, with its exciting pace and twists and turns.
Published by Random House, October 23, 2012
eARC obtained from NetGalley
352 pages
Rating: 3.5/5
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Glad you liked it but sorry you didn't love it.
ReplyDeleteI didn't think about it until now, but great point about things being too easy!
Brandi from Blkosiner’s Book Blog