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3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
Diane Connell’s The Improbable Life of Ricky Bird is about twelve-year-old Ricky Bird, whose life is slowly but surely falling apart during the summer that she becomes a teenager. Her parents have separated and her mother is moving Ricky and her six-year-old brother Ollie from Brixton to Camden to be closer to their mum’s boyfriend, Dan. Ricky is losing her friends, the allotment garden she works on with her father, and her father himself.
Everything she knows has been upended and life in Camden is looking like it will be pretty grim. She starts a creative writing workshop at the local community centre, makes some frenemies on their new estate, and even finds a new allotment garden to work in.
But not long after their move Ollie becomes ill and within a few days he’s having to stay in hospital for tests and treatment. Things gradually get worse as Ollie gets sicker; their mother sleeps most nights at the hospital, their father rarely visits, and Dan is spending more and more time looking after Ricky – and she hates it.
Connell has created a rich, complex, multi-layered character in Ricky Bird. She is on the verge of puberty, everything joyful and comforting from her childhood has changed; and she is struggling to find anything to hold onto in this new version of her life. She’s growing up, her body is changing, she is experiencing disassociation and gender dysphoria, and in an attempt to gain control of her body she stops eating and starts working out regularly.
But she does continue telling wonderful, imaginative stories; sometimes to make her brother laugh, sometimes to impress the kids on the estate who only want to tear her down, and sometimes as a way of making sense of what’s happening to her. These tall tales, however, also mean that the distracted adults are less likely to listen to or believe her, isolating her even further.
Scene after scene in this book depicts distressing things happening to Ricky, from teenage boys chasing her across the estate, to the vivid and terrible dreams that she has every night, to the tense power imbalance she has with Dan; and to Ollie’s slow but certain deterioration every time she sees him in the hospital. There is an intense feeling of menace that permeates every chapter of this book; everything Ricky experiences, every interaction with the people around her, every action she takes to try and have some control in her life, all end up making things worse and driving her further into herself. She flinches when people call her ‘princess’ or ‘sweetheart’, she loses hours at a time and remembers nothing, and others are constantly taking advantage of her powerlessness to their own ends.
This is not a light read and should come with multiple trigger and content warnings, many of which would give away aspects of the plot, but they are so present throughout the work that it could be deeply triggering to many people. Ricky’s resilience throughout the story, and the spark of hope she finds in the end, leaves the book on a positive note. But there are many very difficult and awful scenes before that is achieved.
This review was first published here: https://www.theaureview.com/books/book-review-diane-connell-the-improbable-life-of-ricky-bird/
Everything she knows has been upended and life in Camden is looking like it will be pretty grim. She starts a creative writing workshop at the local community centre, makes some frenemies on their new estate, and even finds a new allotment garden to work in.
But not long after their move Ollie becomes ill and within a few days he’s having to stay in hospital for tests and treatment. Things gradually get worse as Ollie gets sicker; their mother sleeps most nights at the hospital, their father rarely visits, and Dan is spending more and more time looking after Ricky – and she hates it.
Connell has created a rich, complex, multi-layered character in Ricky Bird. She is on the verge of puberty, everything joyful and comforting from her childhood has changed; and she is struggling to find anything to hold onto in this new version of her life. She’s growing up, her body is changing, she is experiencing disassociation and gender dysphoria, and in an attempt to gain control of her body she stops eating and starts working out regularly.
But she does continue telling wonderful, imaginative stories; sometimes to make her brother laugh, sometimes to impress the kids on the estate who only want to tear her down, and sometimes as a way of making sense of what’s happening to her. These tall tales, however, also mean that the distracted adults are less likely to listen to or believe her, isolating her even further.
Scene after scene in this book depicts distressing things happening to Ricky, from teenage boys chasing her across the estate, to the vivid and terrible dreams that she has every night, to the tense power imbalance she has with Dan; and to Ollie’s slow but certain deterioration every time she sees him in the hospital. There is an intense feeling of menace that permeates every chapter of this book; everything Ricky experiences, every interaction with the people around her, every action she takes to try and have some control in her life, all end up making things worse and driving her further into herself. She flinches when people call her ‘princess’ or ‘sweetheart’, she loses hours at a time and remembers nothing, and others are constantly taking advantage of her powerlessness to their own ends.
This is not a light read and should come with multiple trigger and content warnings, many of which would give away aspects of the plot, but they are so present throughout the work that it could be deeply triggering to many people. Ricky’s resilience throughout the story, and the spark of hope she finds in the end, leaves the book on a positive note. But there are many very difficult and awful scenes before that is achieved.
This review was first published here: https://www.theaureview.com/books/book-review-diane-connell-the-improbable-life-of-ricky-bird/
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Ricky Bird is 12, but nearly 13. Her parents are separated and thanks to her mums new boyfriend they’re moving across London to Camden live closer to him. It’s the summer before going back to school and in a bid for something to do, Ricky applies to a community writing course. Finally! A chance for Ricky to put her storytelling skills to good use! Although if you ask her 6 year old brother Ollie, she’s pretty great at telling stories already! If you ask adults however, they just tell her to stop making up stories and lying.
Wow! I read someone suggest this has a flavour of Eleanor Oliphant Is Perfectly Fine and they were right! Our protagonist Ricky is great at creating all kinds of stories to make a preferred sense of the world around her and man I wish I had the imagination she does for story telling! It’s so creative and inspiring! This story does have some heavy themes so look into them if need be but I don’t want to share too much here just in case! 🙊
A lovely coming of age story that got me crying in two parts. Amazing character development!!
I’m sorry, but this was really boring.
This follows Victoria (Ricky) Bird who is struggling with the nuisances of puberty, peer pressure, family drama, and… every boy/man being completely pervy over a 12 year old…
While Ricky was portrayed as a good storyteller, the book she was in wasn’t.
As much as i liked Ollie, I found the day in-day out of Ricky’s life to be really boring. This could have spanned several years to see how things got worse or better for her.
DNF’d at roughly 70%. Because nothing much really happened.
This follows Victoria (Ricky) Bird who is struggling with the nuisances of puberty, peer pressure, family drama, and… every boy/man being completely pervy over a 12 year old…
While Ricky was portrayed as a good storyteller, the book she was in wasn’t.
As much as i liked Ollie, I found the day in-day out of Ricky’s life to be really boring. This could have spanned several years to see how things got worse or better for her.
DNF’d at roughly 70%. Because nothing much really happened.
The Improbable Life of Ricky Bird
by Diane Connell, Hannah Monson (narrator)
Twelve year old Ricky Bird felt like she mostly fit in before her parents split up. Then her mom moved her away from the home and school she knew, to a questionable apartment complex that seems to come with Dan, her mom's new boyfriend of just weeks. The boyfriend says things that make Ricky uncomfortable, touches her inappropriately, like it's an accident, and Ricky wants nothing to do with this man. When Ricky's little brother, Ollie, becomes critically ill, Dan is the one watching over Ricky.
Ollie is a adorable, a wise old man in a little boy body. I could spend all day listening to Ollie. But Ricky is a wonder, too, creative, smart, imaginative, and has a future as a writer. She loves to write and her facilitator, Nicole, encourages her to do so during a summer workshop. A favorite thing that Ricky and Ollie like to do is have story time, with Ricky making up stories to help Ollie through his bouts of sickness and to help him fall asleep.
It didn't take long for me to realize this wasn't a lighthearted story and it became difficult for me to listen to it once I was aware of how much Ricky needed her mom (crushed by exhaustion, grief, and living at the hospital with sick Ollie) and dad (living with his pregnant girlfriend). As much as I wanted to scream at Ricky's mom, to notice her daughter, to be there for her daughter, I could see how she was swept up in something that left her empty of what was needed to spread herself even thinner. So much was happening to Ricky and she was trapped in so many ways, with no escape but that which her mind could invent for her. I'm glad I stuck it out with this story because I needed to be there to see how things came together. Be aware that this story deals with very troubling subject matters. For me, the bullying, of young and old, was just one of the many situations that were so well expressed but also so painful to watch. The narration of the story is fabulous.
Pub April 25, 2022
Thank you to Simon & Schuster Audio (Australia) and NetGalley for this ARC.
by Diane Connell, Hannah Monson (narrator)
Twelve year old Ricky Bird felt like she mostly fit in before her parents split up. Then her mom moved her away from the home and school she knew, to a questionable apartment complex that seems to come with Dan, her mom's new boyfriend of just weeks. The boyfriend says things that make Ricky uncomfortable, touches her inappropriately, like it's an accident, and Ricky wants nothing to do with this man. When Ricky's little brother, Ollie, becomes critically ill, Dan is the one watching over Ricky.
Ollie is a adorable, a wise old man in a little boy body. I could spend all day listening to Ollie. But Ricky is a wonder, too, creative, smart, imaginative, and has a future as a writer. She loves to write and her facilitator, Nicole, encourages her to do so during a summer workshop. A favorite thing that Ricky and Ollie like to do is have story time, with Ricky making up stories to help Ollie through his bouts of sickness and to help him fall asleep.
It didn't take long for me to realize this wasn't a lighthearted story and it became difficult for me to listen to it once I was aware of how much Ricky needed her mom (crushed by exhaustion, grief, and living at the hospital with sick Ollie) and dad (living with his pregnant girlfriend). As much as I wanted to scream at Ricky's mom, to notice her daughter, to be there for her daughter, I could see how she was swept up in something that left her empty of what was needed to spread herself even thinner. So much was happening to Ricky and she was trapped in so many ways, with no escape but that which her mind could invent for her. I'm glad I stuck it out with this story because I needed to be there to see how things came together. Be aware that this story deals with very troubling subject matters. For me, the bullying, of young and old, was just one of the many situations that were so well expressed but also so painful to watch. The narration of the story is fabulous.
Pub April 25, 2022
Thank you to Simon & Schuster Audio (Australia) and NetGalley for this ARC.
The Improbable Life of Ricky Bird was one of those contemporary novels that I thought would be a fairly light-hearted read focussed on a young girl with just a touch of tragedy thrown in. Fellow reader I was wrong about the level of tragedy. This is at times quite a devastating book.
Vicky (aka Ricky) Bird is twelve, about to hit puberty which she finds horrifying, but worse her parents are separating, Her mum is moving her and her brother Ollie to a new housing estate in London far away from her father and their beloved allotment where they used to spend their time gardening. Her mum also has a new boyfriend Dan who Ricky hates and Ollie gets sick as soon as they arrive. Ollie’s illness is a catalyst for a series of events that have terrible consequences for Ricky and her family.
The story is told in Ricky’s voice and her thoughts and emotions as she battles through some serious situations have both a childlike innocence and a maturity beyond her years. I won’t sugar coat it, what Ricky goes through is at times just awful but the things that happen occur “off the page” so while you can sense the trouble around every corner the story doesn’t confront you with it in graphic detail.
Ricky’s love for her brother is what keeps her going and the stories she makes up to amuse him demonstrate her incredible imagination. The other joy in her life is the writing workshops she attend every morning of the summer holidays at the local community centre. Here her writing skills are nurtured by a lovely teacher.
This book gave me similar vibes to Lenny’s Book of Everything which I absolutely adored several years ago. The way the book is told from the child’s point of view and the deep affection between siblings was a big plus. And yet this book is a much harder read and so I wouldn’t recommend it to every reader.
I chose to listen to this one on audiobook and I thought it was an easy listening experience. Overall this was a lovely book if you can handle the heartbreak.
Vicky (aka Ricky) Bird is twelve, about to hit puberty which she finds horrifying, but worse her parents are separating, Her mum is moving her and her brother Ollie to a new housing estate in London far away from her father and their beloved allotment where they used to spend their time gardening. Her mum also has a new boyfriend Dan who Ricky hates and Ollie gets sick as soon as they arrive. Ollie’s illness is a catalyst for a series of events that have terrible consequences for Ricky and her family.
The story is told in Ricky’s voice and her thoughts and emotions as she battles through some serious situations have both a childlike innocence and a maturity beyond her years. I won’t sugar coat it, what Ricky goes through is at times just awful but the things that happen occur “off the page” so while you can sense the trouble around every corner the story doesn’t confront you with it in graphic detail.
Ricky’s love for her brother is what keeps her going and the stories she makes up to amuse him demonstrate her incredible imagination. The other joy in her life is the writing workshops she attend every morning of the summer holidays at the local community centre. Here her writing skills are nurtured by a lovely teacher.
This book gave me similar vibes to Lenny’s Book of Everything which I absolutely adored several years ago. The way the book is told from the child’s point of view and the deep affection between siblings was a big plus. And yet this book is a much harder read and so I wouldn’t recommend it to every reader.
I chose to listen to this one on audiobook and I thought it was an easy listening experience. Overall this was a lovely book if you can handle the heartbreak.
challenging
dark
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:
Complicated
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
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:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
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:
Yes
I loved this book. Powerful messages of family strength; separation; death; vulnerability, and more. Was fabulous and would recommend.