Fly on the Wall by Remy Lai

Abstract

Reviewed by: Fly on the Wall by Remy Lai Kate Quealy-Gainer, Assistant Editor Lai, Remy Fly on the Wall; written and illus. by Remy Lai. Holt, 2020 [336p] Trade ed. ISBN 9781250314116 $16.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9781250785787 $9.99 Reviewed from galleys R Gr. 4-6 Tired of being treated like a baby by his mother and sister, twelve-year-old Henry Khoo decides to fly alone from Australia to see his dad in Singapore. The plan initially goes surprisingly well (he purchases a ticket with his mom's credit card), and soon he's up in the air. Unfortunately, he can barely focus on his journey because on the same flight is Tim Aditya, a kid who could reveal that Henry is the school-infamous gossip vlogger Fly on the Wall and who seems to be threatening to do just that. There's contrivance here, but the rush to get to the plane and then the slowness of the flight provides a nice trajectory for Henry's emotional journey. Readers initially get an onslaught of his anxieties, frustrations, and worries, both about actually completing this mission and about his mom and sister's perception of him as the family's baby, but soon it becomes clear that he's making assumptions about other people' assumptions and using that as an excuse for unkind behavior (including to poor Tim Aditya). Lai presents Henry's flaws with sympathy and grace, never condemning him and resisting preachiness while allowing readers to come to their own conclusions about what responsibility and independence look like. The cartoony art is crucial to the storytelling, as are the more formal, digital looking illustrations from the vlog. Fans of Lai's Pie in the Sky (BCCB 5/19) will appreciate this thoughtful, funny tale of a kid's unexpected journey to emotional growth. Copyright © 2020 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois