A review by ineffablebob
Chirp by Kate Messner

emotional lighthearted relaxing 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

4.75

Aimed at a middle-school audience, Chirp follows a tween girl through a summer adventure filled with new friends and a mystery to solve. Same general outline as the Encyclopedia Brown books I used to read as a kid. But it also goes deeper, with the protagonist Mia struggling mentally with abuse and trauma, and several women in the story alluding to abusive situations. (Nothing explicit, so still appropriate for the age group.) I thought it was very well done, if a bit heavy-handed with the morals at times - but then I'm well past tween years so maybe it's just not targeted at me. I picked it up to see if I thought it would be appropriate for my nieces and after-school tutoring students, and my answer to that is a definite yes.