On the Way to Birdland by Frank Morelli

Release: June 8, 2021
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Fish Out of Water Books
Source: Rockstar Book Tours
Find it at Goodreads, Amazon, B&N, TBD, Bookshop.org.

Self-proclaimed teenage philosopher Cordell Wheaton lives in a sleepy, southern town where nothing ever happens; not since his hero, jazz musician John Coltrane, left some seventy years earlier to “follow the sound.” Cordy’s life has been unraveling since his father and his brother, Travis, exploded on each other. The night Travis’s addiction transformed him from a budding musician into something entirely different. The night Travis took his saxophone and disappeared.

When Cordy’s father falls ill, the sixteen-year-old vows to reunite the Wheaton family. He embarks on a modern-day odyssey with forty bucks in his pocket and a dream to find his brother and convince him to be Travis again—by taking him to a show at Birdland Jazz Club in New York City and reminding him of the common bonds they share with their legendary hero. Cordy’s journey is soon haunted by ghostly visions, traumatic dreams, and disembodied voices that echo through his mind. He starts to wonder if the voices are those of the fates, guiding him toward his destiny—or if he’s losing his grip on reality.

About the Author:

Frank Morelli is the young adult novel, No Sad Songs (2018), a YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers nominee, and winner of an American Fiction Award for best coming of age story. The first book in his debut middle-grade series, Please Return To Norbert M. Finkelstein (2019), is a Book Excellence Award finalist and provides young readers with a roadmap to end bullying. Moreover, his fiction and essays have been featured in various publications, including The Saturday Evening Post, Cobalt Review, Philadelphia Stories, and Highlights Magazine.

A Philadelphia native, Morelli now resides in High Point, NC, with a brilliant illustrator and his fur babies. Connect with him on Twitter @frankmoewriter and Instagram @frankmorelliauthor.

On the Way to Birdland Review:

The story made me emotional. Cordy is a great character, and I loved how the author portrayed him. He is naive and curious but sets a goal and is keen to follow it until the end.

Similarly, the author wrote the story beautifully where you feel as though you are next to Cordy throughout the story. I also liked the snippets of Cordy’s dreams and how they eventually merged with the current storyline. At times I also felt like I was reading a modern version of a Mark Twain classic. Cordy reminded me of Tom Sawyer as he goes on his journey and meets various people over his adventure. Cordy meets some memorable characters along the way, and it was beautiful to read some of their conversations. After reading the story, I felt like Cowbird, Emma Rose, Levi, Nasser, and Lula. Some of my favorite moments were when Cordy goes onboard the Ama Kamama or meets Jack. Moreover, the author keeps you on your toes when Cordy will find Travis. Throughout the story, you wonder what happened to Travis and where he went.

Moreover, the ending shocked me. It is not an ending that I usually feel comfortable with, but in this case, I thought it worked very nicely. One of my favorite quotations from the book, which sums up the story well, is when Cordy tells Levi:

“If you don’t leave, how can you live life? How can you understand how the world works? How can you progress?”

Overall, “On the Way to Birdland” is uplifting, moving, adventurous with a touch of mystery. It is a beautiful contemporary Young Adult novel, and I look forward to reading other books by the author.

Giveaway:

3 winners will receive a finished copy of ON THE WAY TO BIRDLAND, US Only.

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I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the Way to Birdland by Frank Morelli Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post, and make sure to enter the giveaway!