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4.08 AVERAGE
4.08 AVERAGE
Sugar-sweet. That is why I really couldn't give Wesley the Owl anything less than four stars. I have always loved birds, and a few times a year, I am awakened by great horned owls, hooting from rooftops in our neighborhood. I also believe that wild animals can make meaningful connections with people, although it is up to us to understand their natural instincts and the limits of safe interaction. This book touches on all of that, and it is a very sweet story. However, there are a few problems: First, while the story is told chronologically, the photographs that are included are not placed within the text in that way. Not necessarily confusing, but a little annoying. Secondly, there are several places in the book where the author relates characteristics and habits that are consistent in owls, and many of these traits she sees in Wesley. Great! Interesting! We get it! But then the author has to say (with the capital letters), over and over and over again, "That is the Way of the Owl." Too much. Finally, if you are going to include vivid descriptions of your owl mating with your arm, over and over and over again, okay, it is part of the story. But then you include a chapter called "S ex Tapes"? And subtitle the book, "The Remarkable Love Story of an Owl and His Girl"? It's a little crazy, and boarders on creepy. Still, it is an interesting, sweet and quick read. Sweet.
4:5 stars. I’m not sure how this book landed in my e-book queue but what a delightful memoir. Not only is the story about the author’s experience raising a barn owl very interesting, she also writes knowledgeably about owls in general. Would not recommend the audio version, reader was a bit too emotive.
I will read and re-read this book. It is such a sweet tale of a special bond between an owl and a researcher. Now, this does follow the troupes of animal books, so you know what you are getting into. BUT it is so worth the read.
I admired the author's devotion to animals in general and Wesley in particular. And Wesley is a great name for an owl.
I just can't rate this book higher because I struggled with the author's writing style. It lacked fluidity to the point of being jarring. Character development was also lacking. I had a good sense of Wesley, which was wonderful, but no sense of the several people that were integral to the stories.
I know I'm in the minority with a low rating and I think it's more me than the book so if you love animals and think you'd like to read the book then I would encourage you to do so.
I just can't rate this book higher because I struggled with the author's writing style. It lacked fluidity to the point of being jarring. Character development was also lacking. I had a good sense of Wesley, which was wonderful, but no sense of the several people that were integral to the stories.
I know I'm in the minority with a low rating and I think it's more me than the book so if you love animals and think you'd like to read the book then I would encourage you to do so.
I love owls and this book just proved why! It made me laugh and it made me cry. A great memoir about a girl and her special friend.
Interesting story about how she and the owl bonded, but not well written.
***NO SPOILERS***
For nineteen years, Stacey O’Brien cared for an unlikely pet: a barn owl whose injured wing meant he never would be able to thrive in the wild. This is a heartwarming, amusing, and most of all, fascinating account of one biologist’s experience studying a wild owl in the closest way possible--by sharing her own home (and oftentimes pillow) with it over the course of its entire lifespan. The experience affected her profoundly.
Even for readers not especially interested in owls or who don’t normally like animal stories, this book is difficult not to enjoy. O’Brien wrote this in an easy, conversational style, as if talking to a close friend, while generously interspersing her personal narrative with intriguing facts about owls. In one section, she details how raising a barn owl complicates her dating life, then a few paragraphs later explains that owls evolved to live in tree hollows because unlike other birds, they do not have waterproof feathers.
The book is grounded in hard, scientific facts, which never ceased to interest; however, what fascinated me most was this passage:
Veering off the topic of Wesley to the broader subject of animals in general, O’Brien further explains that increasingly, animal trainers are replacing traditional negative reinforcement (such as using force against an animal and yelling) with this telepathy technique. I found this to be the most forward-thinking section in the entire book and possibly the most important.
As far as animal-themed stories go, Wesley the Owl stands out because of its appeal to a wide variety of readers. Its even-handed--and lively--focus on both animal biology and the relationship between O’Brien and Wesley would entertain both the biology geek and the animal lover. Here’s a book that’s neither dryly scientific nor manipulatively sentimental and cutesy.
Additionally, like James Herriot’s [b:All Creatures Great and Small|32085|All Creatures Great and Small (All Creatures Great and Small, #1-2)|James Herriot|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1393644607s/32085.jpg|2247074], Wesley the Owl contains many genuinely hilarious, truth-is-stranger-than-fiction moments, and, like Herriot, O’Brien herself is extremely likable. It’s virtually impossible not to like someone so unabashedly honest--from being jolted awake by Wesley attempting to feed her a mouse to toting along a baby owl (plus dead mice) on a first date, O’Brien holds back nothing.
I felt shocked, then amused, repulsed, sad, puzzled, then shocked all over again. The book shines because of O’Brien’s complete willingness to share each vivid detail. Her fervent desire to pass along her fascination with owls is evident from page one, and by the final page she has more than achieved this goal.
Final verdict: Easily a must-read.
For nineteen years, Stacey O’Brien cared for an unlikely pet: a barn owl whose injured wing meant he never would be able to thrive in the wild. This is a heartwarming, amusing, and most of all, fascinating account of one biologist’s experience studying a wild owl in the closest way possible--by sharing her own home (and oftentimes pillow) with it over the course of its entire lifespan. The experience affected her profoundly.
Even for readers not especially interested in owls or who don’t normally like animal stories, this book is difficult not to enjoy. O’Brien wrote this in an easy, conversational style, as if talking to a close friend, while generously interspersing her personal narrative with intriguing facts about owls. In one section, she details how raising a barn owl complicates her dating life, then a few paragraphs later explains that owls evolved to live in tree hollows because unlike other birds, they do not have waterproof feathers.
The book is grounded in hard, scientific facts, which never ceased to interest; however, what fascinated me most was this passage:
Some scientists believe that animals may use some sort of mental telepathy to beam picture thoughts to communicate with each other, and experiments indicated that it does work between humans and certain animals[...]Some researchers are also accumulating empirical evidence that animals use a form of telepathy to communicate with and understand us[...]Several experiments showed that some dogs can tell when their owners are about to come home, even without the cues that people had thought the animals were associating with their arrival, such as the sound of the car, the time of day, or footsteps.O’Brien details how she used this kind of mental communication to get Wesley to cooperate when it was of utmost importance to trim his beak and talons. She was stunned the telepathy actually worked.
Veering off the topic of Wesley to the broader subject of animals in general, O’Brien further explains that increasingly, animal trainers are replacing traditional negative reinforcement (such as using force against an animal and yelling) with this telepathy technique. I found this to be the most forward-thinking section in the entire book and possibly the most important.
As far as animal-themed stories go, Wesley the Owl stands out because of its appeal to a wide variety of readers. Its even-handed--and lively--focus on both animal biology and the relationship between O’Brien and Wesley would entertain both the biology geek and the animal lover. Here’s a book that’s neither dryly scientific nor manipulatively sentimental and cutesy.
Additionally, like James Herriot’s [b:All Creatures Great and Small|32085|All Creatures Great and Small (All Creatures Great and Small, #1-2)|James Herriot|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1393644607s/32085.jpg|2247074], Wesley the Owl contains many genuinely hilarious, truth-is-stranger-than-fiction moments, and, like Herriot, O’Brien herself is extremely likable. It’s virtually impossible not to like someone so unabashedly honest--from being jolted awake by Wesley attempting to feed her a mouse to toting along a baby owl (plus dead mice) on a first date, O’Brien holds back nothing.
I felt shocked, then amused, repulsed, sad, puzzled, then shocked all over again. The book shines because of O’Brien’s complete willingness to share each vivid detail. Her fervent desire to pass along her fascination with owls is evident from page one, and by the final page she has more than achieved this goal.
Final verdict: Easily a must-read.
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
This is a fun read if you like books about people/animal relationships such as James Heriot’s stories or Farley Mowatt’s stories of his dog and owls. It is entertaining and heartfelt and includes both information and the author’s personal experiences. Fast and fun read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Grief
Wesley the Owl: the story of biologist Stacey O'Brien and her adoption of a 4 day old baby barn owl. The book is a retelling of the 19 years spent caring and loving for this animal and of the love and bond the two of them shared.
My favorite line from this book:
'Live your life not by staying in the shallow, safer waters, but by wading as deep into the river of life as possible, no matter how dangerous the current. We have only one chance at this life.'
I have this abnormally large soft spot in my heart for animals and this novel really did a number on that spot. Going into this book I understood the story line and as it can be expected this also included the retelling of Wesley's final days. The bond that this woman shared with Wesley was so amazing and touching and heartbreaking in the end. I was in tears. This may not have been a novel of literary genius, but the story and the message was beautiful.
My favorite line from this book:
'Live your life not by staying in the shallow, safer waters, but by wading as deep into the river of life as possible, no matter how dangerous the current. We have only one chance at this life.'
I have this abnormally large soft spot in my heart for animals and this novel really did a number on that spot. Going into this book I understood the story line and as it can be expected this also included the retelling of Wesley's final days. The bond that this woman shared with Wesley was so amazing and touching and heartbreaking in the end. I was in tears. This may not have been a novel of literary genius, but the story and the message was beautiful.