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randeerebecca's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
This was a heavy subject but was written in a way that it was honestly just boring. I didn’t feel connected to any of the characters at all.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Grief, and Mental illness
Moderate: Alcohol and Death of parent
Minor: Lesbophobia and Homophobia
pinklemon254's review against another edition
3.0
Deals with grief and the aftermath of death really well. The emotion is there, I just felt it was a little slow going.
basilkumquat's review against another edition
4.0
Jess struggles with anger management in coping with her father's death, which only compounds with the loss of her love, Vivi. Really loved the nuances and mess involved in the depiction of grief. Love is complicated, and so is mourning the inexplicable loss of those you love. None of the characters are perfect (although Cheyanne was a little bit too stereotypical for me personally) and it makes the story feel more relatable and real as they try to figure it out.
joannaautumn's review against another edition
4.0
I have put off writing a review for this book because of two reasons.
One, it was a hard book to read, being that it deals with losing somebody and dealing with the grief that comes with the loss. I have lost a family member a few years ago and even though the main character lost her significant other, I could relate to her pain.
Reason number two is that I was in a melancholic mood right after I finished the book and that was not in tune with the hope and positive message that the book closes off with. I did know that I should write the review when some time has passed so I could see the big picture.
I liked this book. It isn't a perfect book but if you connect with the characters or the overall feelings in this book, you will like it a lot.
I recommend reading this book but prepare for a rollercoaster of feelings.
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Not an easy read, RTC.
One, it was a hard book to read, being that it deals with losing somebody and dealing with the grief that comes with the loss. I have lost a family member a few years ago and even though the main character lost her significant other, I could relate to her pain.
Reason number two is that I was in a melancholic mood right after I finished the book and that was not in tune with the hope and positive message that the book closes off with. I did know that I should write the review when some time has passed so I could see the big picture.
I liked this book. It isn't a perfect book but if you connect with the characters or the overall feelings in this book, you will like it a lot.
I recommend reading this book but prepare for a rollercoaster of feelings.
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Not an easy read, RTC.
shiloniz's review against another edition
5.0
I wish I could read this all over again for the first time.
sidneyellwood's review against another edition
3.0
This book was so hard to read. Not because it was bad, but because it dealt with grief and the aftermath of loss. Jaye Robin Brown writes a really emotional, moving story about dealing with compounded grief - which is, like, really hard to deal with.
I related to Jess so much, honestly; I don't struggle with anger management, and I've never lost a girlfriend or close friend. But I can understand her reactions and lashing out and isolating herself because I've been in such a similar place before. The Meaning of Birds doesn't skimp on how Jess struggles with everything after losing Vivi, and I could sympathize entirely with how hard it is to readjust to normal life and how Jess feels like she shouldn't be happy without Vivi. A lot of the side characters frustrated me, though; it felt like they were pressuring Jess to just "move on" from Vivi's death, Levi especially.
I really adored Jess and Vivi's relationship, though - they were incredibly cute, and I felt Jess's love for Vivi and how painful it was for her to lose Vivi. Usually I'm not fond of books that constantly go between the past and the present, but I think it worked really well for this book. It showed Jess's life with Vivi and how happy they both were, and contrasted it to after Vivi and Jess learning to find her way without Vivi. Here, I feel like the flashbacks added more of an emotional punch to the book than if it had just been divided into two sections.
One thing I liked is that The Meaning of Birds showed compounded grief, which is when a person experiences loss without really recovering from previous loss, and it isn't something that you see in YA too often. Jess's father had passed several years before Vivi, and her feelings about both get tangled up. I definitely think there are teens out there who might find this book helpful in knowing they're not alone. Losing one person can dredge up old feelings, and I don't think that's talked about enough, in YA or anywhere. The book doesn't prescribe some deeper meaning to death. Sometimes people die for no reason at all, seemingly out of the blue, and there's no pretending otherwise in this book.
Another part that I felt was really important was how art was talked about as something that was both painful yet a way to cope. Jess is an artist, but after Vivi's death, art is too painful for her to do, so she turns to blacksmithing instead as another art form, which was really neat. I also loved Greer and Eliza; they were probably my favourite side characters. We love adorable supportive lesbians. But Jess's blooming interest in blacksmithing shows that it's possible to find new, healthy things you enjoy after a loss. I really understood Jess's feelings around art after Vivi died, and it was good to see her accept that it's okay to grow and change.
There were a few things I felt were a tad questionable that took away from my experience of reading it. A couple off-hand comments about asexuality, bi/pansexuality, and trans women that rubbed me the wrong way, for example. These comments are not directly a/bi/trans-phobic, but it struck me as a bit iffy, especially because some of Jess's views were never really addressed or challenged, and they were casual comments that didn't add much to the story altogether.
Yes, this is a tragic book about a young lesbian losing her girlfriend, but it shows her learning to cope with it, even if there's no "getting over" it. I think a lot of teens dealing with loss of all types could use this book. However, anyone who reads this should definitely have some tissues nearby, because--as you'd expect--it is horribly sad.
content warnings: death of a parent, death of a loved one, grief
Thanks to Edelweiss and HarperCollins for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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I related to Jess so much, honestly; I don't struggle with anger management, and I've never lost a girlfriend or close friend. But I can understand her reactions and lashing out and isolating herself because I've been in such a similar place before. The Meaning of Birds doesn't skimp on how Jess struggles with everything after losing Vivi, and I could sympathize entirely with how hard it is to readjust to normal life and how Jess feels like she shouldn't be happy without Vivi. A lot of the side characters frustrated me, though; it felt like they were pressuring Jess to just "move on" from Vivi's death, Levi especially.
I really adored Jess and Vivi's relationship, though - they were incredibly cute, and I felt Jess's love for Vivi and how painful it was for her to lose Vivi. Usually I'm not fond of books that constantly go between the past and the present, but I think it worked really well for this book. It showed Jess's life with Vivi and how happy they both were, and contrasted it to after Vivi and Jess learning to find her way without Vivi. Here, I feel like the flashbacks added more of an emotional punch to the book than if it had just been divided into two sections.
One thing I liked is that The Meaning of Birds showed compounded grief, which is when a person experiences loss without really recovering from previous loss, and it isn't something that you see in YA too often. Jess's father had passed several years before Vivi, and her feelings about both get tangled up. I definitely think there are teens out there who might find this book helpful in knowing they're not alone. Losing one person can dredge up old feelings, and I don't think that's talked about enough, in YA or anywhere. The book doesn't prescribe some deeper meaning to death. Sometimes people die for no reason at all, seemingly out of the blue, and there's no pretending otherwise in this book.
Another part that I felt was really important was how art was talked about as something that was both painful yet a way to cope. Jess is an artist, but after Vivi's death, art is too painful for her to do, so she turns to blacksmithing instead as another art form, which was really neat. I also loved Greer and Eliza; they were probably my favourite side characters. We love adorable supportive lesbians. But Jess's blooming interest in blacksmithing shows that it's possible to find new, healthy things you enjoy after a loss. I really understood Jess's feelings around art after Vivi died, and it was good to see her accept that it's okay to grow and change.
There were a few things I felt were a tad questionable that took away from my experience of reading it. A couple off-hand comments about asexuality, bi/pansexuality, and trans women that rubbed me the wrong way, for example. These comments are not directly a/bi/trans-phobic, but it struck me as a bit iffy, especially because some of Jess's views were never really addressed or challenged, and they were casual comments that didn't add much to the story altogether.
Yes, this is a tragic book about a young lesbian losing her girlfriend, but it shows her learning to cope with it, even if there's no "getting over" it. I think a lot of teens dealing with loss of all types could use this book. However, anyone who reads this should definitely have some tissues nearby, because--as you'd expect--it is horribly sad.
content warnings: death of a parent, death of a loved one, grief
Thanks to Edelweiss and HarperCollins for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
BLOG | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM
moony_reads's review against another edition
5.0
well fuck. this author doesn't know me but somehow wrote out every intricity of my life and turned it into a stunning book that really really hurt my feelings. everything from the loss of a loved one to the bird obsession to the anger issues to the blacksmithing all ties into my life and i am so broken after reading this. not only that but the writing style is beautiful and the way the then chapter titles fit so seamlessly into the writing was gorgeous. i read this aloud with a friend and we both just sobbed through the last few chapters and i've never wanted to thank an author whilst suing for emotional damages more than i do right now.