Take Flight is the second book in the Generation Icarus series, an adrenaline-fueled, action-packed read for young adults. The books are about a group of teenagers who can fly after developing wings. They don’t know why they have changed from regular teenagers to something else, but Condor, Owl, Raven, Falcon, Hawk, Tui and Kestrel band together as ‘The Flight’, leaving behind their old names and their families. They try to survive – with many people trying to capture them for different reasons – while also trying to learn the truth about their genesis.
‘The Flight’ hide out in a remote mountain hideaway, and they think they are safe. But they couldn’t be more wrong when Evolutionary Corp mercenaries arrive in helicopters to hunt them down. Only Condor and Kestrel escape being captured, and desperate to save the other Icari, they travel across America to meet with the Angelists, who believe their kind are angels – and there they find another Icari, Hanna. But it’s not long before all the Icari are imprisoned and tortured by the Evolutionary Corps – and it seems unlikely any of them will make it out alive.
Take Flight is a visceral, page-turning read where things seem to go from bad to worse for these winged teenagers for much of the book. Thankfully the ending of the book offers redemption from the grim scenes of torture, and it provides hope for the future. I particularly enjoyed the development of the different characters in this series, with Tui being my favourite personality of the ‘The Flight’. I enjoyed her sass, skills and compassion.
Take Flight is a roller-coaster of a read that is unputdownable, and I can’t wait to read book three of the series.
Reviewer: Karen McMillan
Steam Press, RRP $19.99