Scan barcode
bruacioly's review
4.0
First of all, I have to say it was very fitting that I should have read this book in August (an awful month, as proved by real life and some of the historical events that happen here - and no August is neither summer nor holiday month where I live).
That being out of the way: I really apprecciated what this book was trying to do and I thought the writing was beautiful, however, it failed in sparking any kind of emotional connection with me.
I felt like there was too much pressure on me to learn all those historical events that were taught in each chapter and honestly I just got kind of tired. Hystory is not my thing.
I just wanted to explore August own story a bit more without all these other ones.
Also, this tyle of magical realism was very confusing for my brain and I could not suspend the disbelief. I kept remembering that this was just a story device and not merging myself into it enough.
All those negatives aside, I higly recommend reading it, it is a short read, the writing is lovely and maybe it will mean more to others than it did to me.
That being out of the way: I really apprecciated what this book was trying to do and I thought the writing was beautiful, however, it failed in sparking any kind of emotional connection with me.
I felt like there was too much pressure on me to learn all those historical events that were taught in each chapter and honestly I just got kind of tired. Hystory is not my thing.
I just wanted to explore August own story a bit more without all these other ones.
Also, this tyle of magical realism was very confusing for my brain and I could not suspend the disbelief. I kept remembering that this was just a story device and not merging myself into it enough.
All those negatives aside, I higly recommend reading it, it is a short read, the writing is lovely and maybe it will mean more to others than it did to me.
nedasaurus's review
4.0
It's really hard to describe exactly what made this book so hard for me to stop reading. It dealt with a difficult subject--terminal illness-- in a sensitive and realistic fashion, and the frame story of visiting important moments in science was, for the most part, successfully executed. It's a very quiet, sad, and thoughtful read. I read that the author doesn't think of it as a children or YA book despite the simple language and youthful protagonist, and I agree that adults will get more from the tale.
spinesinaline's review
5.0
Read more of my reviews at https://spinesinaline.wordpress.com
I really, really enjoyed this one! The writing immediately stood out so I knew it was going to be a good read, and such an interesting premise! August wants to be a scientist when he grows up but he’s very sick and knows he’ll never reach that dream. A more manageable dream, he desperately wants to make it to his 10th birthday, which is a month away (the last day in August).
Two ravens, Muninn and Huginn (who I now know after reading American Gods!), appear in his room one day and make a deal with him — if he promises to hold on until his 10th birthday, they’ll show him a piece of science every day. Each of these days, we’re transported to a different time and location to see an important scientific discovery, invention, or event that happened on that date in history.
There were some that seemed more straightforward, like the first comet sighting, the invention of the hot air balloon, and the first finding of a Neanderthal skeleton, but the author didn’t shy away from more controversial moments in the history of science, like the Hiroshima bombing and the Night of the Murdered Poets (I hadn’t even heard of the second one before reading this book). These events weren’t described in full detail but enough that we could have a sense of what had occurred and understand its impact.
But even though this book taught me SO much about history (there was a lot of google searching in between reading – quagga, Kon Tiki raft, a plague outbreak in the 18th century?!), what made it such a powerful read was that it wasn’t just a story about science but about grief and illness and how these noteworthy moments in history could relate back to a young boy confined in his bed. I sometimes take issue with the way that young characters are written because often their dialogue seems at odds with their age, but here it made sense that August would be wise beyond his years. We needed that wisdom to explore these different levels of grief and pain as he comes to term with his own death, but he still remained that young boy who could be cranky and scared and so, so tired.
This was somehow still an almost hopeful book in spite of, or because of, it being incredibly sad. I thoroughly enjoyed this read and can’t wait to read more by this author.
I really, really enjoyed this one! The writing immediately stood out so I knew it was going to be a good read, and such an interesting premise! August wants to be a scientist when he grows up but he’s very sick and knows he’ll never reach that dream. A more manageable dream, he desperately wants to make it to his 10th birthday, which is a month away (the last day in August).
Two ravens, Muninn and Huginn (who I now know after reading American Gods!), appear in his room one day and make a deal with him — if he promises to hold on until his 10th birthday, they’ll show him a piece of science every day. Each of these days, we’re transported to a different time and location to see an important scientific discovery, invention, or event that happened on that date in history.
There were some that seemed more straightforward, like the first comet sighting, the invention of the hot air balloon, and the first finding of a Neanderthal skeleton, but the author didn’t shy away from more controversial moments in the history of science, like the Hiroshima bombing and the Night of the Murdered Poets (I hadn’t even heard of the second one before reading this book). These events weren’t described in full detail but enough that we could have a sense of what had occurred and understand its impact.
But even though this book taught me SO much about history (there was a lot of google searching in between reading – quagga, Kon Tiki raft, a plague outbreak in the 18th century?!), what made it such a powerful read was that it wasn’t just a story about science but about grief and illness and how these noteworthy moments in history could relate back to a young boy confined in his bed. I sometimes take issue with the way that young characters are written because often their dialogue seems at odds with their age, but here it made sense that August would be wise beyond his years. We needed that wisdom to explore these different levels of grief and pain as he comes to term with his own death, but he still remained that young boy who could be cranky and scared and so, so tired.
This was somehow still an almost hopeful book in spite of, or because of, it being incredibly sad. I thoroughly enjoyed this read and can’t wait to read more by this author.
balancinghistorybooks's review
4.0
It is not surprising that The August Birds is sad from the outset, but there is also a marvellous amount of hope to the whole. Cade's storyline is imaginative, and her writing is lovely, if unfortunately a little jerky at times, with some quite awkward turns of phrase. I was pleased that the whole wasn't dumbed down to appeal to a younger audience; rather, it is a tome for the curious. Quite profound ideas about life and death have been woven in here. Cade has a great understanding of both person and place, weaving together a wealth of history and the story of her protagonist August's losing battle with cancer. An enjoyable and well tied together novel.
fbstj's review
3.0
a simple and sad tale, I somewhat struggled through the childishness, but I'm glad I got to see the end. cathartic and intriguing, I loved the birds personalities, and would love to see more of them, though unlikely.
More...