Flight Risk: A Novel
By (Author) Jennifer Fenn
Roaring Brook Press
First Second
18th July 2017
United States
Young Adult
Fiction
Childrens / Teenage personal and social topics: Runaways
FIC
Hardback
384
Width 137mm, Height 224mm, Spine 33mm
460g
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.
"Teens will love the documentary-style narrative and will root for underdog antihero Robert." - School Library Journal
"...rife with police chases, vacation-home burglaries, and, of course, plane crashes." - Kirkus
"Fenn has penned an original, thrilling tale with wide appeal, including for older reluctant readers." - Booklist
"Debut author Fenn tells a multilayered story of identity, ambition, and societal expectations as she chronicles the misadventures of Robert Jackson Kelley, who becomes known as the Lollipop Kid after he steals and crashes three private airplanes." - Publisher's Weekly
"The primary focus, through Robert's narration, is painfully vivid, putting the reader into the jumpy, erratic consciousness of a boy who really ought to have been taking his medication. Besides that internal exploration, the novel also interrogates the public's fascination with criminals who gain cult status by evading capture." - VOYA
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. Flight Risk is her debut novel.