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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
a really cute book (bar the whole dead girlfriend thing, that was ouch) but it was a lovely depiction of grief that definitely validates younger wlw relationships and feelings. i wish i had this when i was younger.
that being said: i had some issues! one of the characters is implied to be aroace and that is not approached in a wholly positive way. also some issues around consent (nothing terrible happens, just some concerning dialogue in a couple of scenes) and what it means to be a lesbian or sapphic - this book definitely orients that lesbian is the only thing a girl can be if she doesn’t like guys.
overall it was sweet though, just read gently.
that being said: i had some issues! one of the characters is implied to be aroace and that is not approached in a wholly positive way. also some issues around consent (nothing terrible happens, just some concerning dialogue in a couple of scenes) and what it means to be a lesbian or sapphic - this book definitely orients that lesbian is the only thing a girl can be if she doesn’t like guys.
overall it was sweet though, just read gently.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, Lesbophobia
Moderate: Death of parent, Alcohol
Minor: Biphobia, Acephobia/Arophobia
This book was super sweet and I really liked the way it was written. I found myself crying while I was reading it though.
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I loved the big focus on mental health & the characters development. I had a few issues with the ending and Jess’ mother’s decisions, but in general I really liked it, and cried a bunch while reading this book
The Meaning of Birds is a pretty simple plot concept at its heart: girl meets girl, girl loses girl, girl grieves girl, girl figures out how to move on in her new normal. There were lots of things that worked in this book. The main character, Jess, has anger issues that were mostly under control (through techniques and tools her therapist gave her, and by creating art) until her girlfriend Vivi dies of the flu aggravated by her asthma. Then, as she tries to make sense of a life without her GF, Jess’s anger comes back into her life in full force, and she lands herself into some hot water. This plot device brings some other characters, including a mentor as a female blacksmith, into Jess’s life. In the end we know our girl Jess is going to be okay, which is about as satisfying an ending one could hope for in those circumstances. There were some things I didn’t love about this book. I just didn’t find it particularly compelling or captivating and wasn’t feeling like I couldn’t wait to keep reading it. There was a plot line where Jess tries to turn herself straight following Vivi’s death that was problematic. All in all, this was an okay read about a girl trying to navigate the difficult territory of grief. Thank you to Edelweiss and HarperTeen for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Loved that the book followed two different timelines, i'm a sucker for these types of books! I really fell in love with the characters and wished them all the best. I would have loved to read more about both timelines.