A review by cherubpunque
The Birds by Daphne du Maurier

dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

Spooky! The only thing I would really change is just that I wish it were longer. I listened to the BBC's rendition and they did an excellent job at portraying the atmosphere, the tense family discussions, and the general confusion and distress the situation at hand caused. Excellent story all around, the subtle things and the foreshadowing were all wonderful and despair inducing. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death

Moderate: Blood, Animal death, and Animal cruelty

Minor: Gun violence, Excrement, Medical content, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Okay, I wanted to be in depth for the more sensitive readers (because I'm often one of them) and so I was, but the most upsetting part really is just the part where the daughter resists her parents trying to shield her psyche by telling her that what she was seeing (birds eating a person) was just a farm animal of some sort, but she states that this couldn't be the case because the animal was wearing clothes-- which invokes a harsh pang of dread and for me, vivid imagery. That And how vague yet obvious the main character is about the death of their neighbors when he takes items the family needs for their survival. He just implies it but it snowballs very quickly into a "nah they dead asf" situation and your left there to COPE like damn aight tell it like it is ig. Only Real criticism is although I understand the man Liked birds, and outside of plot convenience reasons, I don't understand How or why he just seemed to Know, Notice, and Pick Up on things regarding this very unnatural situation and I wish that was touched up on a bit more. Like the very end when he has that man killed-- what a scene!!-- but how'd he know that the light attracted them? Did I forget some important detail or is he just a secret hardcore birder? Okay bye now lol thanks for reading my first review!