Art of Crash Landing (DeCarlo)

Book Reviews
DeCarlo has created a compulsively likable mess of a protagonist who will keep readers laughing and cringing—even as they begin really rooting for her...surprising, poignant and page-turning...a strong debut and a thoroughly entertaining read.
Fort Worth Star-Telegram


[A] pitch-perfect novel about family secrets, self-forgiveness and redemption…DeCarlo’s debut novel’s originality and fresh voice will endear her to readers…Every character in DeCarlo’s novel is complex and richly drawn…this story is so vibrant and universally human that it’s sad to see it end.
Dallas Morning News


Decarlo’s excellent debut chronicles what happens when 30-year-old Mattie Wallace finds herself uStunning...DeCarlo has loudly claimed her seat at the table of today’s elite contemporary Southern women writers including Joshilyn Jackson, Fannie Flagg and Sue Monk Kidd. They continue the work of literary giants like Carson McCullers, Eudora Welty and Flannery O’Connor, crafting haunting stories about the peculiar, the impolite
Oklahoma Gazette


A success...Mattie made me laugh with some of her sarcastic remarks and her self-deprecating humor.
Oklahoman


This first novel by an Oklahoma-born Texan is written with verve, assurance and some salty language.
Toronto Star


[E]xcellent debut.... Mattie Wallace finds herself Unearthing family secrets in her mother’s hometown.... DeCarlo’s writing bristles with Mattie’s vibrant personality. The book’s final pages feel somewhat rushed and condensed...[but] otherwise a triumphant first novel.
Publishers Weekly


[A] fascinating, mysterious novel.... This debut is thick with secrets; it will cause readers to question everyone and everything. The author does an outstanding job combining suspense with heartache, adding a dash of romance and, at the end, hope. —Erin Holt, Williamson Cty. P.L., Franklin, TN
Library Journal


DeCarlo deftly weaves in flashbacks about Mattie’s childhood and creates a cast of wonderfully full-blooded, fallible characters…Best of all is Mattie herself, who has cultivated a measure of humanity in addition to impressive survival skills and whose briskly told story is instantly involving. An impressive debut.
Booklist


Grief, laughter, sarcasm, heartache, sadness—Melissa DeCarlo’s debut novel has it all. Starting out with light-hearted humor thanks to the narration of its spunky protagonist, The Art of Crash Landing wvolves into a compelling, genuine story about a woman’s search for her identity.
BookPage.com


A journey into her mother's past helps a young woman right her own future.... Mattie's voice is fresh, her penchant for off-color language balanced with a revealing earnestness and vulnerability... DeCarlo's debut is confident and accomplished, filled with heart and humor.
Kirkus Reviews