After enjoying quite a few of Chris Bohjalian’s previous novels, I was quite excited to have the opportunity to read his upcoming novel “The Flight Attendant”.
I thought this was a fantastic read!
Flight Attendant, Cassandra (Cassie) Bowden wakes up in a hotel room in Dubai. The first thing she realizes is that she’s not in her hotel room and the second thing she realizes is that she’s not alone. There is a man sleeping in bed next to her. She carefully tries to get out of the bed without waking him. The self loathing starts to hit almost as hard as the pounding in her head. Binge drinking and partying are a way of life for Cassie.
“She learned quickly that music sounded better, people were nicer, and she was prettier when life’s rough edges had been smoothed over with a little alcohol. Or, better still, with a lot.”
After reflecting on the little she could remember from the previous night, she finally turns to the sleeping man in bed. And although it’s not unheard of for Cassie to wake up next to a man she barely knows, this time is very different….
Because the man in bed next to her? He’s not sleeping…….
He’s dead.
When Cassie realizes the man is dead, she’s shocked and terrified. And then she realizes that SHE has blood on her too. She can recall some things from the night before, but there are also huge gaps in her memory. She remembers his name – Alexander (Alex) Sokolov and that he’s an American. He was sat in her section on the flight to Dubai. She realizes that she has two choices. She can call for help or she can go back to her hotel, meet up with the flight crew and fly to her next destination. She wants more than anything to be back in the United States.
What will Cassie do? Did she murder Alex? She’s almost positive she didn’t. She’s not a violent person. But if she didn’t do it… Who did? And what could this mean for her own safety?
The story is told from two points of view, Cassie’s and another mysterious woman. We learn more about Cassie and some of the poor choices she’s made. There were also intermittent police reports/interviews which I found interesting. It gave me a bit of an idea of what the police were thinking, without giving anything away.
I enjoyed learning what life might be like working as a flight attendant. There were quite a few funny and/or interesting stories about the things that happen on different flights. Of course this is fiction, but I could see these things happening. For example: Someone allowing a child to urinate in an air-sickness bag…even though he has terrible aim! Or panic building all because a certain passenger is in the bathroom a little too long. And what do you do with the body of someone who had passed away on a crowded plane?
I guess you’ll have to read to find out.
Drawn in from the first page, I flew through this novel. I thought it was an exciting story with great characters and an interesting plot. A few things may have seemed a bit implausible, but I was so entertained that I didn’t care. I always find Chris Bohjalian’s novels original and I can always tell that he’s done his homework. Granted some of the stuff may go over my head sometimes, but I always end up learning something while still enjoying the story. Overall, this was an awesome read.
“Remember that person you wanted to be? There’s still time”
I can’t wait to read more from Chris Bohjalian!
I would like to thank Chris Bohjalian and Doubleday publishing for the advanced copy I received in exchange for my honest review.
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