Book Review: Nightbird

Title: Nightbird

Author: Alice Hoffman

Publish Date: March 10, 2015

Rating: ☕ ☕ ☕ ☕ (4)

Friendship? Check. Romance? Check. Family Secret? Check. Pie? Check. Alice Hoffman’s new book Nightbird has all the ingredients needed to create a wonderful story. Our narrator, Twig, lives in the small town of Sidwell, Massachusetts. She’s spent her life trying to be invisible, which is pretty hard to do in a small town where everyone knows each other. But her family has a secret that must be protected no matter what. But when things start disappearing and curious blue graffiti pops up on buildings all over town, Twig and her new neighbor Julia need to find out who the culprit is before the whole town discovers the Fowler Family secret.  

For me, books by Alice Hoffman have been a hit or miss, but I really enjoyed this first attempt at writing for middle-grade readers. There is a fairy tale atmosphere to the story which perfectly complements the setting, even more so because we see it through the eyes of our twelve-year-old narrator.  I just adore Twig; she cares deeply for her family, but at times her loneliness pours into her narrative and it breaks my heart. When she meets the Hall family she starts to open up little by little and we get glimpses of what the real Twig is like.  

There are a couple of things that disappointed me though. The second half of the book was so rushed that when I got to the last page I thought to myself “Is that it?” The ending itself was a bit too neat and pretty, I could almost picture a little wrapped box tied with pretty ribbons and bows.  I also felt that there wasn't enough character development for the secondary characters. For example, I would have liked more scenes with Twig getting to know Julia. All I learned about her was that she had a sunny personality and she liked art. And poor Agate was just a pretty blonde who also liked to sew.

Overall, Nightbird was a story of friendship with a little bit of magic thrown in, I just wish the book was a little longer. I would love to see Alice Hoffman write more stories for middle-grade readers, the scenes that she creates are magical, and out of all of her books that I've read, Twig is by far my favorite character.

**NetGalley provided me with an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.**

You can purchase this book and more at the Book Depository

Book Review: The Swallow: A Ghost Story

Title: The Swallow: A Ghost Story

Author: Charis Cotter

Publish Date: September 9, 2014

Rating: ☕ ☕ ☕ ☕

I know I keep saying this but I’m going to say it again – I have gotten so many excellent middle grade books this summer. And here is another one! The Swallow is a wonderful story about friendship and love. First we meet outgoing Polly and learn about her large family and noisy house. There are two things twelve-year-old Polly wants more than anything: 1. To get her room back from baby Susie and 2. To see a real ghost. Next we meet the quiet Rose. She rarely speaks and glides through life invisible to everyone – except for the ghosts that have haunted her since she was a baby. It was a shared attic wall that brought them together and a mysterious tombstone in the cemetery next to their houses that changed their lives forever.

Polly is such a great character. She is completely honest about her feelings and you can feel her excitement over ghosts and cemeteries. Sometimes her enthusiasm can be annoying and I clearly felt that during the sections where Rose was the narrator. Rose is my favorite character. She is quiet, introspective, and she is not happy that she can see ghosts, in fact it terrifies her. Her serious nature makes it hard for her to keep up with Polly’s enthusiasm for everything, but soon she becomes caught up in Polly’s pace and begins to rely on her for support while they work to discover the secret behind the tombstone.

I really enjoyed reading this. The story is told through alternating viewpoints. Sometimes this can stall a story or make it confusing but each section clearly labels the narrator. Although both girls are so different that it would have been easy to tell who was narrating without being told. The mystery at the center of the story was well executed, although a bit drawn out at times. I’m not going to pretend that I didn’t see the twist coming – this is, after all, a ghost story; but a younger reader who hasn’t read many mysteries or ghost stories may be surprised. Overall it was a lovely ghost story (You don’t see many of those!) and I can’t wait to read more from Charis Cotter.

**NetGalley provided me with an advanced reader copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.**

Book Review: Nest

Title: Nest

Author: Esther Ehrlich

Publish Date: September 9, 2014

Rating: ☕ ☕ ☕ ☕ ☕

My Thoughts:

Once again the folks at Random House Children’s Books have sent me a gem. This is oral historian Esther Ehrlich’s first novel and after reading it (twice) I’m left wondering where has she been hiding? In Nest we meet Naomi “Chirp” Orenstein, an eleven-year-old bird watching enthusiast living in Cape Cod with her father, a psychiatrist, her mother, a former dancer and thirteen-year-old sister Rachel. Chirp is such a pure soul who loves nature, birds, and her family. She is particularly close to her mother and would do anything to make her smile, something that was becoming rare. As her world starts to change, Chirp grows closer to Joey, the strange boy that lives across the street. As she and Joey try to make sense of the changes taking place, Chirp’s world completely falls apart. 

I was so engrossed in Chirp’s world that I often forgot this story takes place in 1972. Normally I cringe when pop-culture references are thrown into a story, but this was an exception. References were sprinkled throughout and they always seemed to pop up right when I needed to be reminded that it wasn't 2014. I could really feel the love that the author has for Chirp and I fell in love with her too. Her way of looking at the world is so unique and special that I couldn't put the book down. I also loved Joey. In the beginning you think he’s just another “bad boy”, but as Chirp gets to know him, you realize he is a smart, sensitive boy, who is also a bit of a germophobe. I was so sad when the book was finished because I wanted to know what happened next. How will his and Chirp’s friendship change as they entered middle school? High school? And beyond. 

Nest deals with some pretty heavy themes and Ehrlich does a fantastic job addressing them in an age appropriate and sensitive way. She doesn't wrap everything up in a neat little bow, because that is not how real life is, but I still felt some closure in the end. I can’t recommend this book enough, and because of the sensitive nature of some of the themes, it is a good book for middle-grade children to read with their parents. Nest has really stayed with me (something that doesn't usually happen with middle-grade books) and I look forward to reading many more books from Esther Ehrlich in the future.

**Random House Children's Books and NetGalley provided me with a copy of this book to read and provide an honest review.**