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frances_with_an_e's review against another edition
5.0
This book needs a pocket of tissues inside the front cover. The words carry the weight of a heart. A heart that knows how it is to exist but to not be deeply seen. I am stuck for words to express the emotion and pure beauty of this text. Looking forward to reading more from Crystal. Thank you for sharing your gift of storytelling.
fictionalkate's review against another edition
5.0
The day Jewel was born, her five-year old brother, Bird, tried to fly… but didn’t survive the fall. Her family has been broken ever since. Her grandfather has not spoken a word since that day and is a husk of the man he used to be. Her parents seem to barely notice her and Jewel is still living in the shadow of the brother she never even met. When Jewel meets John, the nephew of a neighbour, the secrets of the past and the things her family won’t talk about come to the surface and force everyone to face reality.
Bird, Crystal Chan’s debut novel, is a heartbreaking read. The main character, Jewel, is the perfect person to narrate this story. She has the bluntness of a child who is on the cusp of becoming a teenager. I found her style to be candid and heartfelt as well as completely believable. She’s hurt and feels alone despite having her family around her. I admired her tenacity and the passion she has for geology. Reading about Jewel’s memories of her relationship with her mother broke my heart and her interactions with her grandpa really made me feel for the young girl.
I loved reading about Jewel’s friendship with John. I don’t believe Jewel does anything half-hearted and her camaraderie with him was beautiful to read. The way the two bonded over their own secrets and problems was authentic and added another layer of realism to this novel. Their passion for astronomy and geology was contagious and the way they spoke about their fields was beautiful. I loved how Jewel described rocks and her eagerness to learn about the stars from John.
The culture of Jewel’s blended family ran strong throughout this novel. The food, music and spiritual beliefs of her father’s Jamaican ancestry and her mother’s Mexican heritage all add to make Jewel’s family different. With Bird’s death still haunting her family, Jewel struggles to make her parents listen to her and support her choices. She has to cope with being unique among the people of Iowa and trying to navigate what she believes. Her father’s strong belief in spirits (or “duppies”) cause Jewel to question certain things in her life and directly contrast her mother’s Catholic beliefs. The spirituality of Jewel’s grandfather and father really drew me in. I found myself questioning Jewel’s reality and eager to discover the existence of duppies at times.
I think Bird is one of the most beautiful written novels I’ve read. The voice of Jewel was a pleasure to read and I adored where Crystal Chan took me on this journey. The characters are all flawed and that adds to their appeal. The story and Jewel’s candid narration was both heart breaking and moving. I adored this book and highly recommend it.
Bird, Crystal Chan’s debut novel, is a heartbreaking read. The main character, Jewel, is the perfect person to narrate this story. She has the bluntness of a child who is on the cusp of becoming a teenager. I found her style to be candid and heartfelt as well as completely believable. She’s hurt and feels alone despite having her family around her. I admired her tenacity and the passion she has for geology. Reading about Jewel’s memories of her relationship with her mother broke my heart and her interactions with her grandpa really made me feel for the young girl.
I loved reading about Jewel’s friendship with John. I don’t believe Jewel does anything half-hearted and her camaraderie with him was beautiful to read. The way the two bonded over their own secrets and problems was authentic and added another layer of realism to this novel. Their passion for astronomy and geology was contagious and the way they spoke about their fields was beautiful. I loved how Jewel described rocks and her eagerness to learn about the stars from John.
The culture of Jewel’s blended family ran strong throughout this novel. The food, music and spiritual beliefs of her father’s Jamaican ancestry and her mother’s Mexican heritage all add to make Jewel’s family different. With Bird’s death still haunting her family, Jewel struggles to make her parents listen to her and support her choices. She has to cope with being unique among the people of Iowa and trying to navigate what she believes. Her father’s strong belief in spirits (or “duppies”) cause Jewel to question certain things in her life and directly contrast her mother’s Catholic beliefs. The spirituality of Jewel’s grandfather and father really drew me in. I found myself questioning Jewel’s reality and eager to discover the existence of duppies at times.
I think Bird is one of the most beautiful written novels I’ve read. The voice of Jewel was a pleasure to read and I adored where Crystal Chan took me on this journey. The characters are all flawed and that adds to their appeal. The story and Jewel’s candid narration was both heart breaking and moving. I adored this book and highly recommend it.
crystal_reading's review against another edition
4.0
Title: Bird
Author: Crystal Chan
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Pages: 304
Availability: January 28, 2014
Review Copy: Edelweiss Digital ARC
Review: Bird punched me in the gut on the very first page. Within the first few pages the reader sees a bit of the pain that Jewel's family is struggling through. As the story continues, it becomes evident that the family may be struggling, but it seems they are losing the battle. Jewel meets a mysterious boy though and she starts changing. It's hard to tell whether the change is a good thing. Crystal Chan manages to keep the reader wondering about a lot of things. Is Jewel changing for the better or the worse? Is the boy a duppy or just what he claims? What keeps Grandpa silent? All of this wondering kept me reading at a fast clip.
Much of the book takes place outside. Jewel and her family have a garden, but she is also out climbing trees, walking in the rain, climbing and examining rocks and spending time at a cliff. Another character loves space, so there is also a healthy dose of star gazing. Jewel's home is an uncomfortable place to be so it made sense that she would be away from it as much as possible.
The book slowed down a bit in the middle, but what kept me interested was the conflict and relationship between Jewel and her grandfather who was withdrawn and silent. Jewel's grandfather seemed more than just detached. He even seemed a bit hostile. I wanted to puzzle that out and I had hope for some change. In addition to the family issues, Jewel and her new friend both seem to be dealing with how they fit in with their families, but also in the wider community. Jewel's father is Jamaican and her mother is Mexican which is pretty unusual in small town Iowa. Race isn't the central issue of the book, but does come up and I am glad to find a middle grade book happening in the mid-west with such a situation. There are young people here in the mid-west that need to see that they are not alone as a mixed-race child.
There is just enough mystery to keep the reader off-balance and interested in the solution and the relationships are what won me over. The word duppies might have been a factor too. I love learning fun new words. This would be a nice addition to an elementary library.
Review originally posted at http://readingtl.blogspot.com/2014/01/review-bird.html
Author: Crystal Chan
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Pages: 304
Availability: January 28, 2014
Review Copy: Edelweiss Digital ARC
Review: Bird punched me in the gut on the very first page. Within the first few pages the reader sees a bit of the pain that Jewel's family is struggling through. As the story continues, it becomes evident that the family may be struggling, but it seems they are losing the battle. Jewel meets a mysterious boy though and she starts changing. It's hard to tell whether the change is a good thing. Crystal Chan manages to keep the reader wondering about a lot of things. Is Jewel changing for the better or the worse? Is the boy a duppy or just what he claims? What keeps Grandpa silent? All of this wondering kept me reading at a fast clip.
Much of the book takes place outside. Jewel and her family have a garden, but she is also out climbing trees, walking in the rain, climbing and examining rocks and spending time at a cliff. Another character loves space, so there is also a healthy dose of star gazing. Jewel's home is an uncomfortable place to be so it made sense that she would be away from it as much as possible.
The book slowed down a bit in the middle, but what kept me interested was the conflict and relationship between Jewel and her grandfather who was withdrawn and silent. Jewel's grandfather seemed more than just detached. He even seemed a bit hostile. I wanted to puzzle that out and I had hope for some change. In addition to the family issues, Jewel and her new friend both seem to be dealing with how they fit in with their families, but also in the wider community. Jewel's father is Jamaican and her mother is Mexican which is pretty unusual in small town Iowa. Race isn't the central issue of the book, but does come up and I am glad to find a middle grade book happening in the mid-west with such a situation. There are young people here in the mid-west that need to see that they are not alone as a mixed-race child.
There is just enough mystery to keep the reader off-balance and interested in the solution and the relationships are what won me over. The word duppies might have been a factor too. I love learning fun new words. This would be a nice addition to an elementary library.
Review originally posted at http://readingtl.blogspot.com/2014/01/review-bird.html
thisisalexw's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
amysutton's review against another edition
2.0
I really wanted to like this more than I did. The characters were so unique and have such great representation for kids with different home lives and backgrounds. Yet as captivating as the characters were, the plot didn't captivate me as much and I felt like I was struggling to stay engaged.
corvus_corax's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
jasmyn9's review against another edition
5.0
Don't let the fact that the book summary really doesn't say much turn you off of this one. It was an amazing story about a family trying desperately to move on after a tragedy - and so far failing to do so. Their 12 year old daughter is feeling the brunt of this tragedy - the death of her brother on the day she was born. Her family has never come out from under this cloud, in fact her grandfather doesn't even speak anymore.
Jewel has learned to live life this way, until she meets a new boy in town. He helps her see herself as something valuable and smart. He shows her that she has something to contribute. It was beautiful to watch this family slowly begin to pull themselves back together and build their life all over again.
There was a surprising amount of culture in this story. An interesting mix of Jamaican and Mexican. I learned a lot about Jamaican superstitions and they play a role in how this family functions. They are also the cause of many arguments and long time hard feelings. Yet more things for Jewel to find herself stuck in the middle of.
Bird was a great coming of age story about a family that has hit rock bottom and the daughter that pulls them back up again.
*This book was received in exchange for an honest review*
- See more at: http://hotofftheshelves.blogspot.com/2014/10/review-bird-by-crystal-chan.html#sthash.h7Qwpfvd.dpuf
Jewel has learned to live life this way, until she meets a new boy in town. He helps her see herself as something valuable and smart. He shows her that she has something to contribute. It was beautiful to watch this family slowly begin to pull themselves back together and build their life all over again.
There was a surprising amount of culture in this story. An interesting mix of Jamaican and Mexican. I learned a lot about Jamaican superstitions and they play a role in how this family functions. They are also the cause of many arguments and long time hard feelings. Yet more things for Jewel to find herself stuck in the middle of.
Bird was a great coming of age story about a family that has hit rock bottom and the daughter that pulls them back up again.
*This book was received in exchange for an honest review*
- See more at: http://hotofftheshelves.blogspot.com/2014/10/review-bird-by-crystal-chan.html#sthash.h7Qwpfvd.dpuf
leah_reads's review against another edition
4.0
4.5*
*Received in exchange for an honest review*
*Thank you, Random House*
Awww this was such a beautifully written book. I was lucky enough to receive it in a goody bag at the Random House Blogger Brunch and wasted absolutely no time in opening it. The very first page gripped me and I was intrigued to discover how the trauma of the loss of a brother, son and grandchild has on a family. With many 5* reviews I was praying that I wouldn't be 'the odd one out' in this book. It goes without saying that I absolutely loved it. It's so poetical, intriguing and heart wrenching. An impossible novel to dislike.
I loved reading from the perspective of such a young narrator. Jewel is just 12 years old. Her age is made absolutely clear in her narrative - the variety of beliefs that are held by her family are influential and it had me questioning the truths of identities and events which unfold in the book. There is plenty of mystery surrounding Grandpa and I was really intrigued to discover whether he would ever talk to Jewel like he did with Bird. Bird shows the struggles of a family coming to terms with the loss of a child and member of the family. Worst of all, the blame falls on a member of the family - Grandpa - and the narrative shows the difficulty in forgiving someone for the loss of someone so precious.
The relationships in this book are explored beautifully, with the relationship between Jewel and John blossoming into something beautiful. These two young characters are incredibly bright and I loved reading their conversations about geology and astronomy. The little habits that they have picked up are so moving and I found myself yearning for Jewel to get the attention she deserves. Bird is such a tragic yet hopeful story and I can't recommend it enough. It's absolutely beautiful to read and guaranteed to give you all of the feels. It would make such a beautiful film - here's hoping!
*Received in exchange for an honest review*
*Thank you, Random House*
Awww this was such a beautifully written book. I was lucky enough to receive it in a goody bag at the Random House Blogger Brunch and wasted absolutely no time in opening it. The very first page gripped me and I was intrigued to discover how the trauma of the loss of a brother, son and grandchild has on a family. With many 5* reviews I was praying that I wouldn't be 'the odd one out' in this book. It goes without saying that I absolutely loved it. It's so poetical, intriguing and heart wrenching. An impossible novel to dislike.
I loved reading from the perspective of such a young narrator. Jewel is just 12 years old. Her age is made absolutely clear in her narrative - the variety of beliefs that are held by her family are influential and it had me questioning the truths of identities and events which unfold in the book. There is plenty of mystery surrounding Grandpa and I was really intrigued to discover whether he would ever talk to Jewel like he did with Bird. Bird shows the struggles of a family coming to terms with the loss of a child and member of the family. Worst of all, the blame falls on a member of the family - Grandpa - and the narrative shows the difficulty in forgiving someone for the loss of someone so precious.
The relationships in this book are explored beautifully, with the relationship between Jewel and John blossoming into something beautiful. These two young characters are incredibly bright and I loved reading their conversations about geology and astronomy. The little habits that they have picked up are so moving and I found myself yearning for Jewel to get the attention she deserves. Bird is such a tragic yet hopeful story and I can't recommend it enough. It's absolutely beautiful to read and guaranteed to give you all of the feels. It would make such a beautiful film - here's hoping!
thisisgabe's review against another edition
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5