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3.35 AVERAGE
3.35 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is the sort of wonderfully unusual and original book that is impossible to neatly pigeonhole. A little macabre, mysterious and somewhat dark, there is a lightness as well. A surreal journey of someone dealing with (or perhaps not dealing with) the pains of life, who finds herself in a bizarre situation with a conclusion she is blind to.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism
Moderate: Death of parent
An interesting concept to a story with a strange story. It was a tantalising read that was throughly enjoyable!
Thank you to Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Spoiler free
Quirky, Full of Banter yet deals with themes such as grief and alcoholism
Characters ★★★★★
Plot/Themes ★★★★☆
Atmosphere ★★★☆☆
Writing Style ★★★★★
Intrigue ★★★★☆
Enjoyment ★★★★☆
Little bird tells the story of Josie as she buries the trauma of multiple losses with isolation and encounters some unlikely characters.
This book was a bit difficult for me to rate because it hit a little too close to home. It had a good emotional impact and kept me engaged for most of it. The genre was hard for me to pin down didn't feel like horror, it didn't make my spine tingle but had a bit of a strange undertone.
I appreciate how much back and forth banter there was between Skelly and Josie it made everything Josie was going through seem lighter.
In the last 50 pages of the book it did start to get away from me a bit, I would have liked more explanation but I still enjoyed it and have mulled it over a few times since finishing it yesterday.
Spoiler free
Quirky, Full of Banter yet deals with themes such as grief and alcoholism
Characters ★★★★★
Plot/Themes ★★★★☆
Atmosphere ★★★☆☆
Writing Style ★★★★★
Intrigue ★★★★☆
Enjoyment ★★★★☆
Little bird tells the story of Josie as she buries the trauma of multiple losses with isolation and encounters some unlikely characters.
This book was a bit difficult for me to rate because it hit a little too close to home. It had a good emotional impact and kept me engaged for most of it. The genre was hard for me to pin down didn't feel like horror, it didn't make my spine tingle but had a bit of a strange undertone.
I appreciate how much back and forth banter there was between Skelly and Josie it made everything Josie was going through seem lighter.
In the last 50 pages of the book it did start to get away from me a bit, I would have liked more explanation but I still enjoyed it and have mulled it over a few times since finishing it yesterday.
Well, this was actually a surprise.
I don't usually read this genre so I was very excited to try something different but I didn't expect and actual skeleton to be in the picture.
Despite the surprise, it has an captivating plot and interesting characters. Even though most of the times I was wondering what was happening and trying to make sense of all the stories being told, I think it's a nice small read.
Po though, he wins the best character title for me.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this. I received an advance copy of this book in exchange of sharing my honest opinion about it.
I don't usually read this genre so I was very excited to try something different but I didn't expect and actual skeleton to be in the picture.
Despite the surprise, it has an captivating plot and interesting characters. Even though most of the times I was wondering what was happening and trying to make sense of all the stories being told, I think it's a nice small read.
Po though, he wins the best character title for me.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this. I received an advance copy of this book in exchange of sharing my honest opinion about it.
Just wasn’t the subject that I liked but the writing is good
dark
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief, Death of parent
This book wasn't at all what I expected! I grew rather fond of the comforting character of Skelly.
As a sarcastic, twenty something home-body with a dog, I immediately found myself drawn to the main character. However it did take me a third of the book to get into the storyline and be gripped by the magic (the plot skews more towards contemporary fiction in the beginning).
It wasn't until the middle third that I started to enjoy Skelly and the magical stories she told. I also liked the dynamic between Josie and her new friend, preferring the fantasy element to the contemporary chapters before it.
However the ending went in a very different direction to the uplifting 'The Magic Library-esque' ending I expected and, without giving too much away, left me feeling a little sad for the life and relationships Josie could've had, had she chosen a different path.
Additionally, keeping things spoiler-free, I found there were some minor details throughout the novel that were left unexplored or unexplained with Josie's neighbours, mother grocery delivery (yes really!) and job that have lodged themselves in my brain without answers.
Whilst it wasn't one of my favorite reads, it had some great one liners. If you're interested in character-driven story with a magical element and are feeling a little introspective, this book might be worth picking up.
As a sarcastic, twenty something home-body with a dog, I immediately found myself drawn to the main character. However it did take me a third of the book to get into the storyline and be gripped by the magic (the plot skews more towards contemporary fiction in the beginning).
It wasn't until the middle third that I started to enjoy Skelly and the magical stories she told. I also liked the dynamic between Josie and her new friend, preferring the fantasy element to the contemporary chapters before it.
However the ending went in a very different direction to the uplifting 'The Magic Library-esque' ending I expected and, without giving too much away, left me feeling a little sad for the life and relationships Josie could've had, had she chosen a different path.
Additionally, keeping things spoiler-free, I found there were some minor details throughout the novel that were left unexplored or unexplained with Josie's neighbours, mother grocery delivery (yes really!) and job that have lodged themselves in my brain without answers.
Whilst it wasn't one of my favorite reads, it had some great one liners. If you're interested in character-driven story with a magical element and are feeling a little introspective, this book might be worth picking up.
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I loved how the story flowed and the imagery was so vivid! Meuret wrote a relatable character who goes thrillingly good book. I loved the interactions between Josie and Skelly, honestly these scenes kept me hooked and immersed in this tale. Little Bird is a short read that packs a punch. I will be buying a physical copy for my shelves as soon as I can!
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This isn't my typically preferred reading niche, but I ended up enjoying it more than I would've expected.
"We may not always be aware of the energy we force upon the world, but that doesn’t release us of our responsibility to it.”
The skeleton and flowers on the cover were what drew me to this originally and I was hoping for some gothic creepiness, which was not what I got, but it turned out to be okay.
This is a mostly character driven story with magical realism, some very interesting semi-sentient plant life, a definitely sentient skeleton, and an adorable little dog named Po.
Josie is our main character and she has lots of feelings she should be working through, but instead she works through bottles of vodka to avoid those messy feelings as well as any potential human interaction. Between a new neighbor who refuses to be put off by Josie's prickliness as well as the aforementioned vines and skeleton who move into Josie's back yard, Josie is driven out of her comfort zone and forced to face a lot of things she's been avoiding.
At first I didn't like the ending much, but now that I've let it stew a bit, I think it's kind of perfect.
“You can guess what happens next, can’t you Little Bird? You know how these stories go because they aren’t new. They are the oldest kind known to man, and the most potent of all, no matter the age. Perhaps that is why they persist, they endure. Because they are everything— a soul, a heart, humanity broken and raw. These are the stories that crack you open like a soft egg, don’t they Little Bird? They touch the one thing all humans have in common, and they sting, no matter how far removed one might be from the characters.”
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for making this ebook available.
"We may not always be aware of the energy we force upon the world, but that doesn’t release us of our responsibility to it.”
The skeleton and flowers on the cover were what drew me to this originally and I was hoping for some gothic creepiness, which was not what I got, but it turned out to be okay.
This is a mostly character driven story with magical realism, some very interesting semi-sentient plant life, a definitely sentient skeleton, and an adorable little dog named Po.
Josie is our main character and she has lots of feelings she should be working through, but instead she works through bottles of vodka to avoid those messy feelings as well as any potential human interaction. Between a new neighbor who refuses to be put off by Josie's prickliness as well as the aforementioned vines and skeleton who move into Josie's back yard, Josie is driven out of her comfort zone and forced to face a lot of things she's been avoiding.
At first I didn't like the ending much, but now that I've let it stew a bit, I think it's kind of perfect.
“You can guess what happens next, can’t you Little Bird? You know how these stories go because they aren’t new. They are the oldest kind known to man, and the most potent of all, no matter the age. Perhaps that is why they persist, they endure. Because they are everything— a soul, a heart, humanity broken and raw. These are the stories that crack you open like a soft egg, don’t they Little Bird? They touch the one thing all humans have in common, and they sting, no matter how far removed one might be from the characters.”
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for making this ebook available.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism
Moderate: Grief, Death of parent
medium-paced