Review for Taking Flight by Stephen Tritto

I received this book free in return for an honest review.  The opinions included are my own and were no way influenced by receiving the book as a gift.

Taking Flight tells the story of Anthony Bartolo and his unexpected journey.  A member of his group of friends has died while in another country and Anthony volunteers to travel to El Salvador and bring back the remains of his friend.  He tells himself and his disapproving wife that he's only doing it because it's the right thing to do and since he has the time, why not?  So begins his journey to not only find and return his friend, but to all find himself.

In the beginning, Anthony is not a likable person.  You find yourself wondering how someone could be so selfish and self-absorbed.  His wife, Bernadette, isn't much better.  They're both whiny and more interested in material things than in true human interaction.  They host a party but are so worried about what their friends will think that they can't even enjoy the time spent together!  He is a very me, me, me centered person in the beginning with a huge chip on his shoulder.  He's abrasive and rude.  Very much an anti-hero during the beginning stages of the story.

During the journey to El Salvador, Anthony meets Mr. Hernandez who is hired as his bodyguard and his escort through the country.  They couldn't be more different but they develop a quick camaraderie that develops into a deeper friendship.  They will forever be linked and I don't think Anthony will ever forget Mr. Hernandez as long as he lives.  He quickly gains the trust of Mr. Hernandez and is invited into the home of one of his friends where he meets Jorge and Consuelo and their children, who live in the village where his friend died.  His mission goes from one of recovery to one of discovery.  He learns of a secret that his friend had been keeping and one that would change not only his life, but the lives of those back home in America.  He has to deal with corrupt officials and bureaucratic red tape that lengthen his trip and cause strain on his already strained marriage.

Anthony begins the story as a self-absorbed hot shot in the tech field who is overly concerned with material things, money and what else he can do to impress his friends...who really aren't his friends but his wife's friends.  He's shallow and full of himself.  During the course of the book he loses the chip on his shoulder and really starts to look at the world around him.  He watches people who are not rich in the conventional sense, they don't own a lot of stuff, but are incredibly rich in what really counts.  They are rich in life.  They take hold of life with both hands and live every day to the fullest, never knowing if they will see the next sunrise.

This was a truly enjoyable read, once you get past the beginning.  It was a little tedious to start.  I didn't enjoy most of the American characters.  There was no real interaction between them and it was nearly impossible to see why they were even friends.  It was almost as though he wanted to portray the American characters as bad as he possibly could.  Many of them have almost no redeeming qualities.  There were a few characters that seemed to have no place in the story and I'm still not sure why they were included, especially Anthony's ex.  I honestly don't know what she added to the story other than to further make Anthony look like a total jerk.

If you can make it past the tedious beginning, you will be rewarded.  It's worth it.

I was somewhat dissatisfied with the ending, but I think it's more because it felt rushed than with the way that it ended.  The ending truly does work but I think it was just too rushed.   There really weren't any questions left unanswered, but there was just a sense of unfinished business.  You watch Anthony blossom from a heartless jerk into an incredibly empathetic person.  Someone you want to get to know even better.

I will give Taking Flight 4 stars.  It starts slowly but is worth the wait.  It's a well written story with believable characters and engaging dialogue.  The Kindle edition I received was well edited and formatted better than most books I've read lately.  You're left still wanting more and I don't think that's a bad thing.  There are no fairy tale endings here and for that, I was definitely appreciative!   A good read that I would definitely recommend.

Taking Flight on Amazon.com