Linny has kept a journal of famous disappearances ever since her sister Grace ran away in the middle of the night. Sebastian is an aspiring astrophysicist with a working theory for everything—but the one thing he can’t figure out is the web of family secrets surrounding his birth father.

They haven’t met—yet—but Linny and Sebastian have one thing in common: an obsession with famous novelist and filmmaker Àlvaro Herrera, who who went missing three years ago and has just reappeared. As their lives converge around the mystery of Àlvaro in this dual POV contemporary YA romance, they begin to uncover the answers they’ve been looking for.

With humor and heart, debut author Carlie Sorosiak weaves a story of searching for those who leave—and loving those who stay.

"If Birds Fly Back feels like that last hazy, sun-drenched summer of high school, when you know you'll need to find your place in the world, but you're busy laughing and falling in love under starlit skies. It's the rarest author who can pull off laugh-out-loud hilarious, profound, and breathlessly romantic, all in the most sparkling prose. That shortlist includes Rainbow Rowell, Nicola Yoon, and now, Carlie Sorosiak."—Jeff Zentner, acclaimed author of The Serpent King and Goodbye Days

Two teens are searching for answers. What happens when they find each other instead?

• A Heartfelt Summer Romance: An aspiring filmmaker and a hopeful astrophysicist connect over a shared obsession, only to discover their own stars are beginning to align.
• Two Intertwined Mysteries: Linny is looking for her missing sister, Grace. Sebastian is searching for his birth father. The reappearance of a reclusive author might hold the key to both of their secrets.
• A Poignant Coming of Age Story: A story about the families we're born into and the ones we find, searching for those who leave and learning to love the ones who stay.
• For Fans of Modern YA Classics: With the sparkling prose of Jandy Nelson and the emotional depth of Nicola Yoon, this debut is a must-read for lovers of smart, funny, and moving teen fiction.