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tashaseegmiller's review against another edition
5.0
I wasn't all the way sure what to expect from this book, but I was pulled in quickly. The idea of three different points of view to share the story added a depth and well-roundedness that I wasn't expecting and though I had a feeling about some of the secrets, there were several that made absolute sense once the book was finished, but that I couldn't figure out. I like the characters very much (except the ones who are jerks. But I'm not supposed to like them, right?)
Though the stars don't suggest this, my single complaint is the frequency of f-words. Totally the author's prerogative but I got a little tired of how often they showed up - they felt more in line with certain characters than with others, and it is a word that is jarring for me to read.
Though the stars don't suggest this, my single complaint is the frequency of f-words. Totally the author's prerogative but I got a little tired of how often they showed up - they felt more in line with certain characters than with others, and it is a word that is jarring for me to read.
asumprer's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
smorrison4's review against another edition
fast-paced
4.0
An interesting mystery. The alternating POVs confused me at the beginning of the story as I tried to figure out who was who but I appreciated them as the story continued. I love that Kate manages to keep you guessing about Nate's innocence right up to the reveal.
Looking forward to reading more of Kate Moretti's work in the future.
Looking forward to reading more of Kate Moretti's work in the future.
kem_reads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
2.0
debtat2's review
4.0
This is definitely a book you will remember!
It had me racing to the end, forming my own opinions on who and what to believe and to finally get the the last piece of the puzzle and the answers to what actually did happen.
It definitely stands out from other books in this genre, the plot is quite unique, a bit slow in places but seeing it through the different characters roles was very well thought out and sucks you into their lives!
It is a "Did he or didn't he?" and you can't help but finding yourself choosing sides! It made me think like one of them, what really is the truth??
What happened when the birds fell from the sky?
The story focuses around Alicia, Nate, Lucia, and Bridget and it is these people that you instantly get a feel for each of them as you would like they were your new neighbours!
Lucia is a troubled teenager that gets branded as a witch by the clique at school, but there is more going on in the school than anyone realises until it is to late.
High schools can be a treacherous places and kids can be so cruel, everyone will be able to relate to that in one way or another.
Nate, one of the teacher at the school is accused of having an affair with student Lucia and from there lives are changed forever.
As with any small town, and if you live in one yourself you will defiantly understand, everyone has their own opinion.
Nothing much ever happens in the small town of Mount Oanoke so this is a massive scandal and gossip is ripe..
But are the rumours true?
Do you believe Nate or Lucia?
Then things go from bad to worse, Lucia has gone missing so now the story turns to not just Did Nate have an affair with this troubled teenager, but has he done something far worse to her?
I honestly didn't know who to believe, sometimes there is some truth in rumours, but which ones?
I have finished the book so i can now go to bed satisfied but still a bit of doubt.
You will have to finish the book and decide for yourselves!
I definitely recommend this book, i know that is a huge cliche but it is an honest one.
I hope you enjoy it as much as i did
It had me racing to the end, forming my own opinions on who and what to believe and to finally get the the last piece of the puzzle and the answers to what actually did happen.
It definitely stands out from other books in this genre, the plot is quite unique, a bit slow in places but seeing it through the different characters roles was very well thought out and sucks you into their lives!
It is a "Did he or didn't he?" and you can't help but finding yourself choosing sides! It made me think like one of them, what really is the truth??
What happened when the birds fell from the sky?
The story focuses around Alicia, Nate, Lucia, and Bridget and it is these people that you instantly get a feel for each of them as you would like they were your new neighbours!
Lucia is a troubled teenager that gets branded as a witch by the clique at school, but there is more going on in the school than anyone realises until it is to late.
High schools can be a treacherous places and kids can be so cruel, everyone will be able to relate to that in one way or another.
Nate, one of the teacher at the school is accused of having an affair with student Lucia and from there lives are changed forever.
As with any small town, and if you live in one yourself you will defiantly understand, everyone has their own opinion.
Nothing much ever happens in the small town of Mount Oanoke so this is a massive scandal and gossip is ripe..
But are the rumours true?
Do you believe Nate or Lucia?
Then things go from bad to worse, Lucia has gone missing so now the story turns to not just Did Nate have an affair with this troubled teenager, but has he done something far worse to her?
I honestly didn't know who to believe, sometimes there is some truth in rumours, but which ones?
I have finished the book so i can now go to bed satisfied but still a bit of doubt.
You will have to finish the book and decide for yourselves!
I definitely recommend this book, i know that is a huge cliche but it is an honest one.
I hope you enjoy it as much as i did
judithdcollins's review
5.0
Kate Moretti returns following The Vanishing Year, landing on my Top 50 Books of 2016, with her latest THE BLACKBIRD SEASON – a scandal rocks a town with dark chilling secrets. An emotionally charged exploration of a family and community in crisis.
Haunting, complex, twisty, mysterious, and suspenseful — Moretti style.
The whodunit suspense will keep you glued to the pages. The excellent writing, well-developed characters, and crafty plot will keep you entertained and absorbed.
“The river is moving. The blackbird must be flying." —from Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird, Wallace Stevens
Nate Winters and his wife Alecia are well respected in the small quiet town of Mount Oanoke, Pennsylvania. A dying mill town, the people living in this small community have their struggles. Baseball is one highlight of their town.
Nate is a math teacher and baseball coach, well loved by all. A hero to many. Alecia, a former career woman, is now a stay at home mom with their 5-year-old autistic son, Gabe.
Things are quite tense in their relationship, marriage, and household. Of course, with Gabe, her plate is full. Alecia is consumed with his care and often resentful of her husband who spends time at school and on the ballfield helping others.
She is miserable, bitter, angry, and sad. She has little time left over for her husband with a special needs child. Her only friend is Bridget.
Told from alternating points of view: Alicia, Nate, Lucia, and Bridget.
Bridget is a creative writing teacher at the school and a co-worker of Nate. She believes in him. She lost her husband to cancer the previous year. They had all been good friends. Of course, as teachers of high school students, a difficult task; there is always drama—they are self-absorbed glued to their phones, or bullying someone.
Lucia is a senior at the high school. She is an eccentric teen, loner and everyone thinks is weird. A witch? A difficult childhood. She is in a writing class led by Bridget. Bridget feels uncomfortable with Lucia. She has no friends. She writes of death and dying.
“Lucia tackled pain and death clinically, a biology lab dissection. She sees birds. She says they come to her and she knows bad things will happen.” Entries in her journal.
She is exotic with unsettling beauty. Crazy white hair, black-rimmed eyes, and red lips. She has a brother, Lenny, and dropout and a father Jimmy who had skipped town. Is she evil? She has obsessions with blackbirds, ravens, and crows. She reaches out to Nate for help.
How could this pillar of the community— father, husband, teacher, leader, and friend —Nate, find himself in trouble? He would be fired. Everyone would call him a murderer. They would accuse him of an affair. OR a student who came on to Nate and he rejected her —set out for revenge?
A thousand starlings fell from the sky. Not fluttering to the earth, but plummeting. Hard and fast in the middle of the third inning of the opening day at Mt. Oaknoke High field.
Then the pandemonium. A cloud of blackbirds, thousands of them. The entire thing lasted less than three minutes. 911 was called, and everyone wondered where they came from. Why did they fall? What did it mean?
After the falling which everyone thinks is a bad omen, everything bad begins happening. Nate is accused of having an affair. A motel. A reporter. He is fired. Did Nate have a flair for girls in need or was he innocent? A girl goes missing. Fingers are pointed.
A marriage and a town are torn apart. However, is Nate to blame or someone else? Is he being set up and if so whom? Is Lucia a victim or menace? An intriguing character.
A slow-burning gripping tale, both haunting, spellbinding, and disturbing.
A cautionary suburban crime story sprinkled with supernatural elements. The unsettling atmosphere gives a strong sense of fearful apprehension or darkness lurking. Foreboding, suspicion, and unease —a feeling that something bad will happen; a dark cloud.
What lies beneath those dark clouds?
Moretti delves deep into the lives of these flawed characters. Loss and danger—an ongoing theme. From the loss of a spouse, marriage, love, job, trust, and a town. From teens to adults. Bullying. Everyone has an opinion. With an array of emotions. Jealousy and obsession.
Marriage, parenting, infidelity. Expectations. The wide variation in challenges, strains, and strengths of a special needs child with autism; the complex developmental disability, and the caregivers. The strains it can bring to a marriage.
Guilt or Innocence. Good or Evil. Black and white magic. From malicious acts to loyalty and friendship. Self-discovery or destruction. Denial or obsession. A compelling complex book of contrasts, relationships, and expectations with shades of gray.
The symbolic meaning of blackbirds is eternally linked to the "dark vs light" phases of the moon similar to the character’s lives. Blackbirds and birds of black or dark colors are special among their airy clan as they are symbolic of mystery, magic, secrets, and the unknown.
The blackbird teaches you how to acknowledge your power and use it to its fullest. While the crow or blackbird can play the trickster, they are usually benevolent and bring news of good passage and protection.
The condition of the town with its ups and downs and tragedy, as well as the claustrophobic, toxic, bleak, and creepy outlook— also parallels to the character’s lives. Would make for an ideal selection for book clubs and further discussions.
Fans of Jodi Picoult, Heather Gudenkauf, Paula Treick Deboard, T. Greenwood, and Lisa Scottoline’s One Perfect Life (also set in Pennsylvania), will enjoy this emotional thriller.
THE BLACKBIRD SEASON also gave me the chills (psychologically) as so, when watching The Birds, (a 1963 American horror-thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock) as a child—this one did give me nightmares for weeks.
Would love to learn more about the author’s inspiration for this unique book. Hats off to the author for courageously tackling this storyline with so many moving parts. Hint: (an interview Q&A is in order).
A very special thank you to Atria and NetGalley for an advanced reading copy. 4.5 Stars
Have also pre-ordered the Audiobook narrated by Cassandra Campbell (My favorite narrator), Gibson Frazier, Joy Osmanski, Rebekah Ross. Currently Listening.
JDCMustReadBooks
Haunting, complex, twisty, mysterious, and suspenseful — Moretti style.
The whodunit suspense will keep you glued to the pages. The excellent writing, well-developed characters, and crafty plot will keep you entertained and absorbed.
“The river is moving. The blackbird must be flying." —from Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird, Wallace Stevens
Nate Winters and his wife Alecia are well respected in the small quiet town of Mount Oanoke, Pennsylvania. A dying mill town, the people living in this small community have their struggles. Baseball is one highlight of their town.
Nate is a math teacher and baseball coach, well loved by all. A hero to many. Alecia, a former career woman, is now a stay at home mom with their 5-year-old autistic son, Gabe.
Things are quite tense in their relationship, marriage, and household. Of course, with Gabe, her plate is full. Alecia is consumed with his care and often resentful of her husband who spends time at school and on the ballfield helping others.
She is miserable, bitter, angry, and sad. She has little time left over for her husband with a special needs child. Her only friend is Bridget.
Told from alternating points of view: Alicia, Nate, Lucia, and Bridget.
Bridget is a creative writing teacher at the school and a co-worker of Nate. She believes in him. She lost her husband to cancer the previous year. They had all been good friends. Of course, as teachers of high school students, a difficult task; there is always drama—they are self-absorbed glued to their phones, or bullying someone.
Lucia is a senior at the high school. She is an eccentric teen, loner and everyone thinks is weird. A witch? A difficult childhood. She is in a writing class led by Bridget. Bridget feels uncomfortable with Lucia. She has no friends. She writes of death and dying.
“Lucia tackled pain and death clinically, a biology lab dissection. She sees birds. She says they come to her and she knows bad things will happen.” Entries in her journal.
She is exotic with unsettling beauty. Crazy white hair, black-rimmed eyes, and red lips. She has a brother, Lenny, and dropout and a father Jimmy who had skipped town. Is she evil? She has obsessions with blackbirds, ravens, and crows. She reaches out to Nate for help.
How could this pillar of the community— father, husband, teacher, leader, and friend —Nate, find himself in trouble? He would be fired. Everyone would call him a murderer. They would accuse him of an affair. OR a student who came on to Nate and he rejected her —set out for revenge?
A thousand starlings fell from the sky. Not fluttering to the earth, but plummeting. Hard and fast in the middle of the third inning of the opening day at Mt. Oaknoke High field.
Then the pandemonium. A cloud of blackbirds, thousands of them. The entire thing lasted less than three minutes. 911 was called, and everyone wondered where they came from. Why did they fall? What did it mean?
After the falling which everyone thinks is a bad omen, everything bad begins happening. Nate is accused of having an affair. A motel. A reporter. He is fired. Did Nate have a flair for girls in need or was he innocent? A girl goes missing. Fingers are pointed.
A marriage and a town are torn apart. However, is Nate to blame or someone else? Is he being set up and if so whom? Is Lucia a victim or menace? An intriguing character.
A slow-burning gripping tale, both haunting, spellbinding, and disturbing.
A cautionary suburban crime story sprinkled with supernatural elements. The unsettling atmosphere gives a strong sense of fearful apprehension or darkness lurking. Foreboding, suspicion, and unease —a feeling that something bad will happen; a dark cloud.
What lies beneath those dark clouds?
Moretti delves deep into the lives of these flawed characters. Loss and danger—an ongoing theme. From the loss of a spouse, marriage, love, job, trust, and a town. From teens to adults. Bullying. Everyone has an opinion. With an array of emotions. Jealousy and obsession.
Marriage, parenting, infidelity. Expectations. The wide variation in challenges, strains, and strengths of a special needs child with autism; the complex developmental disability, and the caregivers. The strains it can bring to a marriage.
Guilt or Innocence. Good or Evil. Black and white magic. From malicious acts to loyalty and friendship. Self-discovery or destruction. Denial or obsession. A compelling complex book of contrasts, relationships, and expectations with shades of gray.
The symbolic meaning of blackbirds is eternally linked to the "dark vs light" phases of the moon similar to the character’s lives. Blackbirds and birds of black or dark colors are special among their airy clan as they are symbolic of mystery, magic, secrets, and the unknown.
The blackbird teaches you how to acknowledge your power and use it to its fullest. While the crow or blackbird can play the trickster, they are usually benevolent and bring news of good passage and protection.
The condition of the town with its ups and downs and tragedy, as well as the claustrophobic, toxic, bleak, and creepy outlook— also parallels to the character’s lives. Would make for an ideal selection for book clubs and further discussions.
Fans of Jodi Picoult, Heather Gudenkauf, Paula Treick Deboard, T. Greenwood, and Lisa Scottoline’s One Perfect Life (also set in Pennsylvania), will enjoy this emotional thriller.
THE BLACKBIRD SEASON also gave me the chills (psychologically) as so, when watching The Birds, (a 1963 American horror-thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock) as a child—this one did give me nightmares for weeks.
Would love to learn more about the author’s inspiration for this unique book. Hats off to the author for courageously tackling this storyline with so many moving parts. Hint: (an interview Q&A is in order).
A very special thank you to Atria and NetGalley for an advanced reading copy. 4.5 Stars
Have also pre-ordered the Audiobook narrated by Cassandra Campbell (My favorite narrator), Gibson Frazier, Joy Osmanski, Rebekah Ross. Currently Listening.
JDCMustReadBooks
kdurham2's review
3.0
Check out the full review at Kritters Ramblings
From the synopsis, I was excited to read this one. The drama of an accused school teacher, a student that disappears and a small town - sign me up. This one didn't quite live up to the synopsis.
There just seemed to be a lot in this book and maybe a little too much. I felt like the author was trying to tackle too much in one book. There were a few bits and pieces that I would have omitted, so the central drama could have taken a bigger role.
I did like that the chapters were narrated by various characters. I always love when a book gives more than one character the opportunity to move the story along and tell their side of it.
From the synopsis, I was excited to read this one. The drama of an accused school teacher, a student that disappears and a small town - sign me up. This one didn't quite live up to the synopsis.
There just seemed to be a lot in this book and maybe a little too much. I felt like the author was trying to tackle too much in one book. There were a few bits and pieces that I would have omitted, so the central drama could have taken a bigger role.
I did like that the chapters were narrated by various characters. I always love when a book gives more than one character the opportunity to move the story along and tell their side of it.
posie's review against another edition
3.0
I liked this one, but can’t say I loved it. I found it compelling reading. I liked the multiple POVs but found the jumping around in time to be a little hard to follow. I also thought the characters were well developed but I just didn’t really love any of them. The ending, however, feels unfinished and leaves me wanting.
colorfulleo92's review against another edition
4.0
Halfway through I did not think I would like this very much as it had a few thrones I didn't particular care for. However by the end of it I was completely hooked and I liked the way the author went with the plot. It was a bit though to read as it deals with rape and child abuse but glad I'm picked it up anywho.