I loved this book - I have enjoyed both of the author's other titles and like that she deals with difficult issues in such a compassionate way. The feeling of difference and isolation shared by both those inside and outside the circus was well drawn. A teenager's yearning for more from life alongside their need for security from around them was at the core of the story for me.  I liked Lo and Rita and wanted the best for them.  Their hearts led them in directions which would disrupt their close family unit and expose secrets. I did not expect the endings but liked the impact Lo had on those left behind. Thought provoking and difficult to read at times but well worth doing so.

REVIEW
As I had read Seed and Paper Butterflies both by Lisa Heathfield and loved both books this one quickly made it to my "Must Read" List! Also as I had recently read Spectacle by Rachel Vincent which had a "circus theme" to it I fancied reading something else with a similar theme. The blurb also mentioned the trapeze which was always my favourite act to watch at a circus both as a child and as an adult taking my daughter to the circus too.

I love the cover! The stark black background, the type you would see inside a big top at a circus when looking up at a trapeze act, then the byline "Don't let me fall..." that fits the trapeze, circus theme but also fits various other places within the book too. The brightly coloured starling on the cover represents the trapeze act within the book and the fact they too fly through the air and wear brightly coloured costumes with feathers. There are also the feathers being shed from the starling which mix in with the stars and stardust on the cover. I think this cover represents the trapeze family within this book perfectly. I also think the shedding feathers could well represent those that leave the circus such as main character Lo's Gran, Margaret. I certainly think this cover will attract the eye and attention when it's on a bookstore shelf. What more can I say this cover is perfection!

The main character in this book is Laura, or Lo as everyone call's her, she is part of a group that travels with her family and another couple of families and form a circus. Sadly the circus is not what it used to be, less and less people are being born into the circus and staying in it. In fact this circus is in danger of extinction itself. The main character Lo, seems to long for the life of a flattie. A flattie is someone not in/from a circus. So when Lo meets a flattie called Dean she is as curious about his life, as he is about her life in the circus.
It begins with harmless flirting when a group of the circus teens go to explore the town they are about to set up in. The book concentrates on Lo and Dean, their differences in lifestyle and the fact that they both yearn for something different, and better. Dean lives with his mother who holds down two jobs and they still struggle to make ends meet. Dean is trying to learn a trade, one that he really isn't interested in, that would bring in money for him and his mother quicker and on a more regular basis. Lo's father and most of the circus people have a strong dislike and weariness around flatties, so Lo ends up sneaking around to meet Dean. 
When Lo's Da finds out she is seeing a flattie he demands she stops. Lo has become too attached to Dean now and it's like an addiction, she has to see him no matter the cost, no matter what she is neglecting to go see him. Lo's parents have always presumed that their daughter would marry Spider, the fire-breathing son of one of the other families that make up the circus. They have also presumed that their other daughter Rita would marry one of the circus performers called Ash. Rita seemed fairly happy with the arrangement until she develops a crush on Rob, the mechanic who does motorbike tricks with them. Rob was once a flattie but he was allowed to join them as he proved himself doing the motorbike tricks and the amount of ideas he had for further tricks. Lo neither likes nor dislikes him to begin with but later in the book she changes her mind when she sees how he watches her mother and when Spider peeks into Robs home then shows Lo, saying he thinks Rob has a woman with him. When Lo looks in she sees her mother. 
Despite being ordered to end whatever relationship it is she has with Dean, and everyone thinking once the circus moved to a different place it would be the end anyway. The relationship continues with Dean using his mother's car to get to the new places the circus is at. It's at one of the new places that Lo also sees her mother and Rob on the beach, but cannot say anything about it as she has sneaked out to see Dean after being warned not to. That is the same day that Grands has a fall and is injured making Lo both angry at her Ma, as is she had been where she should have been she would have heard Grands and then he wouldn't have lain on the floor so long. Lo also feels a little guilty that she wasn't about to help Grands too, due to her seeing Dean. So Lo is carrying a lot of information around with her, confusion about her mother and Rob, as well as about her mother and father. Everything is almost revealed when Rita declares her love for Rob. Their Da goes round to Rob's home and drags him back to his home demanding to know what is going on. Lo sees the guilty looks between Ma and Rob but says nothing. Rob turns everything round onto Rita making out she is a silly little girl with a crush, that he had tried to tell her he wasn't interested but she hadn't listened.
With so much whirling round in Lo's head she makes a catastrophic decision. . . which she later regrets so much. In fact all the sacrifices the circus performing families have made may no longer save the circus as they wonder if it's worth continuing their lifestyle.

The book is written from the differing points of view of Rita and Lo. You can actually feel the different personalities within their own chapters too. It is a rather sad story really, all the things the circus performers give up to keep their show and way of life alive when in reality it is a way of life that is slowly dying. Within the book you see how prejudiced people can be. At one point a young teen boy calling Lo and her family "pikeys" and suggesting they are unclean and are all thieves. On the other hand, the travelling circus performers dislike "flatties" living in one place, coming to the circus demanding more and more dangerous stunts to keep their trade.

My thoughts throughout reading this book, were that it was an emotional and poignant read. You agonize along with Lo wanting to see Dean even though she knows it is a forbidden. She also tortures herself with the two images she has of Rob and her mother together. Also as a reader you have to feel some frustration at Lo and some of the hasty decisions she makes. I wanted to hug Grands, I think if Lo had talked more openly with him, maybe she wouldn't have made such a life changing decision. It shows up the difference in culture and knowledge when the circus people come into contact with medical flatties whom they think can fix anything and everything, almost like magic.
I also loved the characters of Lo & Rita, they were close sisters who told each other almost everything. In fact it is Rita that Lo finally confesses what she has done that will change all their lives. I seriously wanted to shake Lo & Rita's mother and scream at her asking how long she truly thought she could keep such a secret amongst people that live so close to each other. It wasn't really a case of who found out first, more a question of when! I felt like punching Rob. Rob who is a flattie pretending to have circus in his blood.....who in my opinion didn't really care about the circus ways of life, he just wanted the adrenaline that the roar of the crowd made when he came up with more dangerous stunts and they watched them in awe. Why did he have to join the circus and what on earth did he think would be the result of his "meetings" with Liz. Surely he also would know it was only a matter of when the secret came out. I enjoyed disliking Rob as a character, he played with Rita's emotions, and was doing something that would impact and possibly break the circus he professed to love to tiny pieces. 

My actual first thoughts upon finishing the book were that the book was certainly thought provoking, sad yet uplifting, full of emotions and loss. 
Once again I will be on the look out for any other titles by this author. I love her style of writing along with the real life issues she weaves in her slightly more unusual plots. You'll understand what I mean if you read more than one of her books. I highly recommend you read them all.

A beautifully written story I thoroughly enjoyed.  I really felt for Lo the main character as belonging to a circus life affected her relationships with others.

This is a beautiful story of coming of age in unconventional circumstances. The story is told through the eyes of the two sisters Rita and Lo, with the point of view of the sisters alternating in the book. Initially, the two voices were so similar I had to flick back and remind myself which was which otherwise things got a little confusing. By the end of the book though, I had my head on straight and the differences between the two were more clear. This is actually a pretty neat parallel to the relationship between the two girls so if that was deliberate props to the author.

The love story that in part drives the plot of this book was dangerously close to committing the YA crime of 'insta love'. In fact I think it probably does just full on commit the crime. But honestly sometimes insta love isn't a bad thing and it can happen. The way it was told within the story was what made it far more bearable than other similar YA relationships. These are two people who for whatever reason are pulled together and manage, despite their differences, to start to make something work between the two of them. 

This slots into the other theme of secrets within families which is threaded throughout the book. This perfect circus unit, you soon discover, is concealing far more than anyone is aware and it seems inevitable that everything will fall apart in a matter of time. But Heathfield's captivating descriptions of the circus performances leave you willing them to work everything out just so that these characters can continue making their art. 

It was an interesting departure from my usual fantasy realms to read some far more 'realistic' YA literature and I actually really enjoyed it. I was left teary-eyed at my desk in the morning (you may want to have a pack of tissues on hand) which my coworkers may have been a little confused about. Fair warning this book is not a happy-go-lucky walk in the park and the ending is sudden, unexpected and may be difficult for some to deal with. 

If you like a good romance, but one that not only has an imaginative setting and angle but also embraces the darker sides of life then look no further than Flight of a Starling. But maybe don't read it in public unless you want them to see you weep.

My rating: 5/5 stars 

By the way, I received a digital advanced review copy of Flight of a Starling from the publishers (Egmont Publishing) in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and I wouldn't recommend it if I didn't think you'd enjoy it too.

You know when a book looks into your soul and says 'I know you'? Flight of a Starling by Lisa Heathfield (Electric Monkey) got me like that.

'Rita and Lo, sisters and best friends, have spent their lives on the wing - flying through the air in their trapeze act, never staying in one place for long. Behind the greasepaint and the glitter, they know that the true magic is the family they travel with. Until Lo meets a boy. Suddenly, she wants nothing more than to stay still. And as secrets start to tear apart the close-knit circus community, how far will Lo go to keep her feet on the ground? Flight of a Starling is a heartbreaking read with an important message.'

Lisa Heathfield's writing shines. It has crystal precision. It is different, unexpected, truthful. The kind of writing that wakes you up and makes you see things like new. It's a bit like Katherine Rundell's writing, a bit like Jenny Downham. A bit like nothing I've read before.

Flight of a Starling is about difference and the patterns that make us. About finding yourself and having the courage to be yourself. It's also about understanding family and their flaws; the realisation that people are fallible, mistakes are made. It's about finding your place. Navigating that scary unknown thing, the future.

And now for the hard bit. Which is a bit spoilery, so stop here if you want to read it fresh.

 Flight of a Starling deals with suicide. My mum tried to kill herself when I was a young adult. She took a lot of pills and at first she was fine and apologetic and then she wasn't and her body started to break down. She was in intensive care and we said our goodbyes. She did get better. But our relationship has been changed forever. I wonder what it would have been like to have this book then. I wonder if I would have been ready for it. But I was certainly ready for it now and I'm so grateful that it exists. Suicide is a hard, emotive, painful thing and Lisa Heathfield writes about it with honesty and without judgement. It feels raw and truthful and filled with understanding. I hope this book can prevent other families from dealing with it.

Books are our eyes into other lives and experiences and they help us understand and empathise and learn. They reassure and affirm. They hold your heart and say it's ok.

This book held my heart.

Thank you, Lisa.

I love circus books, and circuses in general (people ones not animal ones). What child hasn't dreamt of running away to join the circus? I certainly dream about it and I'm (apparently) not a child anymore. (When did that happen?) Although very different, one of my favourite books is The Night Circus, and I like Nights at the Circus and I'm hoping to read Caravel. So, anyway, when this came up on NetGalley, I had to snatch it!

Rita and Lo are twins (another subject I love reading about!) have been part of the circus their entire lives. Their art is the trapeze, and what an art it is. Heathfield's description of their performances are magnificent, almost as though the art is magical rather than down to hard, hard work and years of practice. Their roving lifestyle sounds so alluring, although I might opt for a comfier bed after a couple of months' travelling!

Heathfield has created two lovely girls in her main characters, but it is not until later on in the novel that I began to really remember which one was which. Maybe I'm dim - or perhaps the characters are too mutable? Their bond as sisters gives them the quality of 'oneness' which I found did no favours as it left both girls the same until the end. 

What does almost every YA novel have in it? Love. When Lo meets someone, that's great! She's never had a love interest before whereas Rita has had her eye on one of the other circus lot for a while. The only problem is... he's an outsider. He lives in a house. In one place. How can he ever understand their lives, how can Rita's family ever accept him? But it'll be okay, she'll move on and can forget him.

Except she can't. He follows her. As secrets about her circus family around her unfurl, she delves deeper into him and this 'other life' that simultaneously terrifies and fascinates her. And, like the trapeze wires, if one thing goes wrong, someone can fall. And they don't use safety nets at this circus.

A good read. Not as great as I had hoped, I have to admit, but I had very high expectations. It was the characterisation that let it down a little, and also the love interest was somewhat cliched. But the ending was... well. You'll have to read it.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this, and thank you to Lisa Heathfield for making it available!

I loved this so much. Like her previous books there is a scarceness to the writing, but Lisa manages to keep the reader guessing and hook us in emotiocally. Gorgeous.

I was quite disappointed in this book to be honest, Lisa Heathfield has been one of favourite debut authors of the last two years. She became quite well-known for her capability to write emotions and to effect the emotions of the reader. This did happen for me with this book but I felt like the story leading up to this was haphazard - almost as if she'd written the ending before the story and then just came up with something to get us there. I didn't believe in the relationships of the characters in the first two-halfs of the book. This book doesn't live up to Lisa's first two books so if you're going to read something by Heathfield then start with one of her other books and work your way to this one otherwise you may be put off her first two which would be a huge shame.

I have thoroughly enjoyed this author's previous books but this one just wasn't for me. I gave it to 45% but I wasn't being drawn in like I had hoped so I have decided to DNF it. As I didn't complete the book it would be unfair of me to post a review.

Another 5 star review for my official favourite ever author! I had thought 'Paper Butterflies' would be one of those one off amazing books, but after this incredible read, all I want is a book shelf full of Lisa's books. Seed is going straight on my birthday present list! The first thing I noticed about this book was the beautiful front cover - I can't imagine the book cover being anymore perfect than it already is. I had to hold back tears in the first chapter, which gives away the main spoiler of the book and I find it shocking that I could get so emotional over a character I didn't yet even know, or have an emotional attachment to. I preferred reading the parts that were from Lo's point of view, but that might be because I knew what was going to happen to her, so was straight away more drawn to her. I did have a little cry at the ending and the only thing I could say that would make the book better for me personally, is that I wouldn't have put the big spoiler at the beginning, because it would have left the end with a much bigger shock for the reader and rather than having a little cry, I would have had an emotional breakdown! It's always good when a writer can make you cry, using characters and scenarios that were thought up in their own head - it shows the power of a true author.

Laura "Lo" and Rita are part of a trapeze act in their family travelling circus. Up until now defying gravity was all that Lo wanted. But then she stumbled across a family secret, sending her off balance and on to another path all together. Torn between loyalty to her family and being true to herself, Lo struggles to make a decision to stay or leave the circus. 

The blurb might lead you to believe this is a story of a girl meeting a boy who makes her want more. And I suppose on the surface that's true, but Dean has only a very minor part in helping Lo to realise who she is. I loved that this wasn't heavily romantic, but instead took a realistic stance on how difficult it is to figure yourself out; particularly for someone like Lo who has only really known the wobbly safety of her trapeze. What she witnesses in the beginning of the book spirals her character out of control, and Lisa Heathfield captures the panicked, irrational behaviour of just that - its heart wrenching and hard to read but on a different level to her other books; it might even be more powerful for being quietly dark. 

The characters within the circus are really well developed, with their own back stories and some circus tricks which were fun to read about. I absolutely loved Paper Butterflies, Lisa Heathfield's first read of mine, for having fresh and original characters and she absolutely did this again. Lo was perhaps the most inquisitive, which made her perspective more interesting to read about than Rita's but a varied point of view definitely provided a new dynamic which kept me interested. 

The plot is quite slow - this is more of a character driven plot, which I loved. Complex characters always keep me reading and I felt so invested in Lo and Rita that I couldn't put the book down. More than anything though, the ending absolutely snuck up on me - Heathfield tricked me into thinking this was just about the characters and completely free of plot twists! 

I definitely recommend this book; this author is quickly becoming one of my absolute favourites!

Lisa Heathfield is a disturbingly wonderful YA author, whose previous novels have already broken my heart into little pieces. Flight of a Starling was no different; the story of Lo and Rita, sisters who have grown up performing in their family's circus, is touching and believable and also, inevitably, really sad. Heathfield's writing is extraordinary; it's subtle, beautiful and effective. I loved the descriptions of the circus and the girls' background. I'll look forward to Heathfield's next book; hopefully I will have recovered from Flight of a Starling by then.
Review to follow on blog on release day.