The Boy Who Couldn’t Fly Straight

The Boy Who Couldn’t Fly Straight is Jeff Jacobson’s debut novel, the first in an exciting Young Adult series about a fifteen-year old boy who must come to terms with accepting two things about himself.

Book One of a six-part series

Will Grace and her evil coven continue kidnapping teenagers in the greater Seattle area, or will the local witches, determined to live in peace and secrecy, be able to stop them?

Closeted high school sophomore Charlie Creevey and his mother Elizabeth live in the shadows of the Sierra Nevada Foothills, where they tend to their fruit orchards and vegetable gardens, generally keeping to themselves. That is, until one afternoon in late August, when a German shepherd crashes through their living room window and demands that the boy be handed over.

Barely escaping with their lives, mother and son flee California and head to Seattle, where Charlie discovers the secret Elizabeth has been keeping from him his entire life: that he hails from a family of witches, and will soon be initiated into the craft.

The Boy Who Couldn’t Fly Home

What if You Were the Only One Between an Evil Witch and Everything You Love?

Newly initiated into witchcraft, high school sophomore Charlie Creevey’s abilities are out of control. He can see things happening in people’s homes on the other side of town, and inanimate objects fly across the room and smash into walls. With the help of his aunt, he learns to control his new skills, and pours himself fully into the craft. However, his awakened abilities have been noticed by the murderous witch, Grace.

At the same time, he and Diego Ramirez finally admit their feelings for each other, leading to Charlie’s first relationship and the challenges of gay teen love. Tiptoeing out of the closet, Charlie wants to pull Diego closer to him, but keeps him at arm’s length to safeguard the secret that he is a witch. Grace and her coven continue their kidnapping and killing sprees across the Pacific Northwest, terrorizing Charlie’s witch ommunity and drawing him deeper and deeper into the evil coven’s plans. Constantly outwitting Charlie, Grace eventually lures him into the full horror of her schemes.

Can gay teen witch Charlie survive and save his loved ones or will he be pulled over to the dark side and lose everything dear to him?

People Under Jeff’s Spell

Ever since Harry Potter and the Twilight series launched into the young adult fiction world, there’s been an onslaught of similar fiction by authors trying in vain to ride the coattails of that magical, witchy, super-power wave. Too many have missed the mark, but not this read!!

Laura N.
What a captivating book! I am eager to read the next book in the series. Excellent story-telling, the plot really sunk in its hooks and didn’t let go until the last word.

Dorcas K.
Read this book! I’ve been on the search for gay fiction that isn’t just trashy–this is the book I wish I could have read when I was a teenager…but sadly didn’t exist.

Josh S.
A must read for anyone who loves fiction and an honest voice! Jeff is so talented can’t wait for the next one!!

Irie “Lisa”
While Rowling’s “Potter” series is a clear influence, Mr Jacobson manages to deliver an original, interesting plot with a rich cast of main characters.

Furio
I cannot possibly recommend this book highly enough. Thanks to the folks who reviewed it and pointed me in this direction. It’s 12:30 in the morning, I’m only half way through it and I can tell that I’m not going to be getting much sleep tonight because I can’t put this down.

Christopher S.
Jacobson has written a wonderful novel that is full of hidden life lessons for all ages. He is now a member of my favorite top 10 writers club. I counting the days until I have the privilege to buy his second novel! Well done!

Allen P.
This is the Harry Potter book that every gay teenager wished J.K. Rowling had written. It’s sure the book I wish she had written. It is edgier, faster, less whimsical, and very much an American story. There are many, probably intentional, parallels with the Hogwarts books, but they are there simply to acknowledge that we’re dealing with teenagers and magic. It is not a copy, or even an homage to Rowling’s work. It is unique and creative and all its own thing—the same premise in a very different world with a very different point of view. Here we have a more realistic approach to witches and ordinary folks and how their worlds intertwine.

Ulysses D.
This book is a page-turner. Not only did I read it before going to bed at night – I couldn’t help myself from staying in bed a bit longer to read a chapter or two in the morning. Read this book before some producer picks it up and discovers its filmic capabilities – and then, read it again! HBO series, anyone…?

Kim F.
What a marvelous read! This author really knows how to spin a yarn. I loved the sheer adventure and the mystery and the plot (which kept me up till the wee hours twice in a row). Above all I loved the characters, especially Charlie, who thinks he’s a “stupid” country hick that most people wouldn’t want to know – let alone love – and who hasn’t a clue what a sweet, brave and loyal kid he is. Even as he realizes he’s in danger and needs to claim his heritage as a witch as swiftly as possible to combat it, he’s also beset by doubts regarding his sexual orientation, and has to cope with growing fear and shame. I have a feeling that those who read of this gentle teenager’s struggles – regardless of their orientation – will identify with him, and grow along with him, and cheer him on. There were a number of moments when I laughed out loud at the story’s humor, and another time when I found tears streaming down through a good 4 or 5 pages. (That was such a moving passage I read it three times over, with the same results ;-). I enjoyed Harry Potter, but it never made me cry. This book did, and the writing was beautiful and absolutely first rate, conveying important truths without being preachy or didactic. I wish this book was around when I was Charlie’s age; it would probably have made growing up a little bit easier. What an outstanding first novel. Thank you, Mr Jacobson.

Paul J.
I applaud the author for employing a gay hero and attempting to tackle the struggles that an LBGTQ youth faces as he or she goes through adolescence and discovers his or her identity–part bildungsroman, part gay teen romance, and part paranormal adventure, this novel is ambitious in scope and, for the most part, successful.

Shiloh F.
I’m glad I found this book. The story is engaging. The lead characters are lovable. I love Charlie, he’s so real and adorable, it makes you want to cheer him on. All in all, I couldn’t wait for the next book.

Usana W.

Charlie moves in with an aunt and an uncle he barely knows, then has to adjust to a new school and a new life. Soon after, the coven strikes again, barely failing to capture him.

At the same time, Charlie tries to deny that his feelings for popular high school junior Diego Ramirez have become something more than friendship. He learns the hard way that ignoring what his heart wants obstructs his development as a witch, making him defenseless against Grace and her growing threat.

Will Charlie refuse to accept who he is, or will he acknowledge the truth, in order to stay alive and protect the people he loves?