IF I COULD FLY
Calypso Summer is on the run, but she can’t remember the events that caused her to leave home. She’s scared and in pain, but she must learn to survive, fast. She must also avoid capture by the police, because teenagers who break the rules get sent for reconditioning. The free-runners Caly hangs out with have warned her about defying the System, There’s a deadly virus in the country too, so nowhere is safe. She takes refuge in a derelict children’s hospital and meets Dair, a renegade who tells her she mustn’t give up fighting for freedom. But when Dair disappears, she finds herself alone and vulnerable again. She’s befriended by a boy called Alfie – and for the first time, Caly feels a bond with someone her own age. A mate who understands how much she misses her mum; who tells her she will remember what happened. But Alfie is hiding a secret that will force her to make the biggest decision of her life. Can Caly ever return home or will she stay on the run forever?
Published by Egmont, January 3rd, 2011
Longlisted, Waterstone's Children's Book Award 2011
Shortlisted, People's Book Prize, 2011
Nominated, Brilliant Book Award 2012
Nominated, Redbridge Children's Book Award 2012
Purchase If I Could Fly via Amazon
REVIEWS
'A satisfying blend of action and reflection for young teens.' Daily Mail, January 2011.
'A beautifully written coming-of-age story.' The Bookseller, July 2011
'haunting and magical ... a cleverly unravelled story that keeps readers guessing for a long time.' reviewed by Julia Eccleshare, Lovereading4kids, January 2011
This futuristic and unusual novel is infused with mystery from the very first page ... lyrically written, surprising and original.' Chicklish, January 2011.
'An elegant, slightly dystopian, kaleidoscopically surreal coming- of-age story ...' The Bookette, January 2011
'... a striking novel that shocked me with a mind-blowing twist at the end that will be loved and remembered by everyone who reads it.' So Many Books, So Little Time January 2011
'Young people will enjoy the fast-paced action, sense of menace and twist that leads to the denouement. Hucklesby has written a satisfying story with a difference for this age group.' Write Away, January 2011
'... a powerful story, featuring a puzzle, set in unknown surroundings, which means you can't know what is OK and what isn't. Very thought-provoking. And I didn't see the end coming.' The Bookwitch, January 2011.
'A really original novel. 'If I Could Fly' tackles issues that ordinary teenagers face in an extraordinary setting.' Robert Napier School with Medway Libraries Headspace Reading Group, January 2011
'I really liked that the mysteries unfolded for the reader at the same time as they did for Caly. It made me feel closer to her.' Robert Napier School with Medway Libraries Headspace Reading Group, January 2011