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A review by katykelly
Bird by Crystal Chan
4.0
A very good study of a grieving family.
On the day of her birth, Jewel's five year old brother John (known as Bird) jumps from a cliff to his death. Jewel has grown up with the knowledge that her parents and grandfather all feel guilty and sad, that her grandfather hasn't spoken a word since that day. She herself feels guilty as well as hurt by their preoccupation.
Now 12, Jewel has started to follow some of her Jamaican father's superstitious leanings, believing in spirits and back luck. When a boy her own age arrives in the nieghbourhood, she and her family are horrified and fascinated to discover his name is also John. Things are about to come to a head for Jewel and her family. Long-suppressed feelings have to come to the surface eventually.
It's a rather long book for the subject matter, which is the only reason I haven't given it five stars. I felt it could have been a little tighter and shorter without losing anything. That said, it's a very well-written debut and I loved Jewel's voice and view of the world.
It's sad, moving and a sensitive portrait of how every member of a family deals with the death of a child.
On the day of her birth, Jewel's five year old brother John (known as Bird) jumps from a cliff to his death. Jewel has grown up with the knowledge that her parents and grandfather all feel guilty and sad, that her grandfather hasn't spoken a word since that day. She herself feels guilty as well as hurt by their preoccupation.
Now 12, Jewel has started to follow some of her Jamaican father's superstitious leanings, believing in spirits and back luck. When a boy her own age arrives in the nieghbourhood, she and her family are horrified and fascinated to discover his name is also John. Things are about to come to a head for Jewel and her family. Long-suppressed feelings have to come to the surface eventually.
It's a rather long book for the subject matter, which is the only reason I haven't given it five stars. I felt it could have been a little tighter and shorter without losing anything. That said, it's a very well-written debut and I loved Jewel's voice and view of the world.
It's sad, moving and a sensitive portrait of how every member of a family deals with the death of a child.