Review: Flutter by Gina Linko

Author: Gina Linko
Release date: October 23rd 2013
Publisher: Random House BfYR
Hardcover, 352 pages
Buy: Amazon
         The Book Depository


I know I’m supposed to write a review with a head and a tail, start from the beginning and work my way toward the end (at least that’s the way I usually do things) but I’ll make an exception just this once and start with the ending, from which I honestly doubt I’ll ever recover. The ending of Flutter broke my heart, destroyed me completely, and then left me with a small sliver of hope to cure my wounded heart. It was both unexpected and unexpectedly gorgeous, one of those conclusions that take you completely by surprise, but when you stop to think about them, you realize there was really no other way to make things work. Those are the best endings, aren’t they? Even when they’re exceedingly painful and cruel, they leave an impression, something that stays with you forever.

And now, back to the beginning, I guess…

When Emery was just a little girl, she started having seizures that completely changed her life, only they aren’t seizures at all, they’re jumps through time, loops, as Emery calls them. Her father, the neurologist, refuses to believe her. Instead, he put together a team of scientists to work on her episodes and he treats her as no more than a lab rat. After giving the team, but especially her dad, more chances than they deserve, Emery decides to run. Lead by a little boy from her loops, she goes to Esperanza where she meets Ash, a kind, but strange young man who comes with his own mystery and problems.

Emery is the perfect heroine, truly she is. Her curly red hair and fair complexion make her beautiful, but she is too thin, almost transparent, completely exhausted by her condition. The lack of sleep and jumping through time always take their toll, and she is constantly dizzy and weak. On the inside, however, the girl is made of pure steel. She is decisive, strong and never afraid to stand up for herself. Since she has no one to care for her or care about her, really, these are the qualities she needs the most. A few insecurities occasionally did shine through, but considering her background, they’re more than understandable, and they felt genuine to me, not just sad, attention seeking behavior, but real doubts of someone no one ever saw for what they truly are.

The romantic element is very strong in Flutter, but never strong enough to overtake the plot. Emery and Ash shared a connection, yes, but they both kept their secrets for the longest time, and I truly appreciated that Emery never allowed herself to become obsessed with the mystery that was Ash and forget about the world of trouble she was in. Theirs was a romance I could definitely get behind, believable, but with a dreamlike quality that matched everything else Emery was going through. While I didn’t connect with Ash nearly as strongly as I connected with Emery, I sympathized with him immensely. His every act of penance was utterly heartbreaking and it made me feel oddly protective toward him.

It broke my heart to know that he couldn’t forgive himself, I couldn’t do that for him. I couldn’t take that on for him. If I could, I would. If I had learned anything from the odd little life that I had lived, especially in the last few years, it was that you had to be kind to yourself. Sometimes no one else was.

It’s obvious to me that Linko teaches college English; her writing is very clean, precise and grammatically correct. She isn’t fond of contractions (though she does use them occasionally, especially in dialogues) which makes her prose a bit stiff at times, but I enjoyed her style overall.

Unfortunately, the cover isn’t doing this book any favors. It does reflect the story fairly well, but it’s not nearly eye-catching enough. We all know that covers sell books – bad books, let alone the good ones. It always saddens me when, due to an unnoticeable cover, an excellent book doesn’t get the attention it deserves, while horrible books sell like cookies because of some girl in a pretty dress. Random House, I’m staring daggers at you! You better make sure that Linko’s next book, Indigo, gets the cover it deserves. I promise I’ll read it. (Oh, who am I kidding, I’d read it even if it came wrapped in greasy parchment paper. And you should too. Linko is that good.)

My recommendation? Read it now, cry for a while and then read it again.