This was another book recommended to me on my writer’s lift on Twitter. Flying Back to Innocence by Stephen Vega takes on some of the toughest and politically debated topics of our current times. Needless to say, I have a lot of thoughts and I think that’s exactly what the writer was going for. Here’s my review.
This book was actually better than I had expected. The plot doesn’t follow a linear path, but instead, visits different characters in each chapter talking about different aspects of their lives. You might visit their past or present at times, but each chapter is another piece to the puzzle. And as a fan of Nancy Drew, I adore puzzles.
We start in the present with Harry Smith. He’s a self-made man who worked from the ground up and has found a little bit of fame as a screenwriter in Hollywood. He’s in his 50s, alone, and an easy target for a maliciously ambitious lawyer who’s trying to make a name for herself among the stars.
Suzanna Groves is out for blood, or in this case, Harry Smith’s blood. After an awkward interaction at a local bar, she decides to dig into Harry’s past and pulls up an old girlfriend, Amy, from 35 years ago. Amy was a kid when Harry and her dated, maybe even a little too young for him.
The plot poses a lot of difficult questions of what really happened with Harry and Amy back in the day. I’d liken it to watching an episode of Law & Order: SVU. You’re not really sure what’s going on throughout the story and you won’t have all the facts until the very end. I’m sure this was intentional by the author because the whole point is to test how you would perceive the alleged crime. Are we truly innocent until proven guilty? Or is it the other way around?
The author touches on a plethora of political topics in this one book. The #metoo movement, systemic racism, stereotyping, the rich versus the poor…I could go on. There’s a lot to unpack in this short book which kept it all very interesting. The only reason I didn’t rate this book a little higher was because it wasn’t the most accurate with how something like this would be handled by the courts or the law. In some instances the book seemed to read a little preachy as well. But other than that, I could see what the author was going for and I enjoyed it.
Without spoiling the book too much for others, I will say that Harry Smith had a fascinating life. Some of it was tragic while other parts were exhilarating. I thought the other characters were well thought out and I felt something different for each one. Some I liked and others I despised. Overall, I thought it was a good story that packed a lot of meaning behind its words.
If you like reading about different takes on perspectives, this book is worth a read. It may even leave you surprised with your own feelings. Give it a read and don’t forget to leave the author a review. Happy reading!
Author Lauren Eason 