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agrippinaes 's review for:
Little Bird
by Tiffany Meuret
Josie is in a rough spot - she’s divorced, still reeling from the loss of her father, has a complicated relationship with her mother, a job she finds little satisfaction in, and her only companion is her pet chihuahua. Then, one day, she gets a new neighbour, Sue. Josie doesn’t think much of Sue - until strange things start to happen not long after she moves in. Huge vines start growing in Josie’s usually-barren garden, and then a skeleton shows up, telling odd little stories and making Josie think about things she’s spent a long time trying to bury. A bargain is made between Josie and the skeleton, but Josie doesn’t know if she is prepared for what the skeleton has planned.
I don’t really know what I was expecting going in to reading this, but it wasn’t what I got. This was a far more introspective book than I thought it would be, I suppose; it’s listed as a horror, but I’m not entirely sure I agree with that. There was certainly content that was horrifying, but to me, this book was almost entirely about grief and the damage it can cause, the impact it can leave behind. The supernatural elements worked well, to me, as a way of exploring this concept. It sort of reminded me of A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness, although obviously far more adult, and more unsettling and odd.
‘Unsettling’ is perhaps the best way I would describe this book. It didn’t frighten me as I expect to be frightened when I read a horror novel, but it feels claustrophobic. I really felt like I was right there, experiencing Josie’s pain and horror. Josie was a really interesting character: her pragmatism and attitude was entertaining, and whilst she had some personality traits that should have made her hard to like, ultimately I empathised with her a great deal. Her story is desperately sad; there were parts of the book, especially towards the end, as Josie came to terms with what was happening, that I felt very emotional.
The biggest strength of this book was definitely the writing. It’s amusing - Meuret has a lovely turn of phrase - but is also very atmospheric. The passages about grief and loss were truly heartbreaking and insightful, and as I have already said, Josie’s pain felt very real to me. There were parts of this book that were truly beautiful, and there was also some very clever bits. The switch of language - referring through most of it to ‘losing’ someone, to them being ‘sick’, before changing to the blunt reality of ‘dead’, was very effective, and there were other examples too.
My only gripe was I found some of the book a bit confusing, a bit muddled. It is undoubtedly a good book in that it is well-written, and the characters are well-drawn and complex, but I did finish it not entirely sure what was happening. But then again - I’m not entirely sure it matters. Little Bird made me feel a lot of things as I was reading it, and I thoroughly enjoyed it for what it was. Parts of the content are tough, but it has some very beautiful and atmospheric writing, and whilst I’m not sure I would ever reread it, I’m very glad that I have read it. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a free copy of this book.
Content Notes: Warnings:
Other:.
I don’t really know what I was expecting going in to reading this, but it wasn’t what I got. This was a far more introspective book than I thought it would be, I suppose; it’s listed as a horror, but I’m not entirely sure I agree with that. There was certainly content that was horrifying, but to me, this book was almost entirely about grief and the damage it can cause, the impact it can leave behind. The supernatural elements worked well, to me, as a way of exploring this concept. It sort of reminded me of A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness, although obviously far more adult, and more unsettling and odd.
‘Unsettling’ is perhaps the best way I would describe this book. It didn’t frighten me as I expect to be frightened when I read a horror novel, but it feels claustrophobic. I really felt like I was right there, experiencing Josie’s pain and horror. Josie was a really interesting character: her pragmatism and attitude was entertaining, and whilst she had some personality traits that should have made her hard to like, ultimately I empathised with her a great deal. Her story is desperately sad; there were parts of the book, especially towards the end, as Josie came to terms with what was happening, that I felt very emotional.
The biggest strength of this book was definitely the writing. It’s amusing - Meuret has a lovely turn of phrase - but is also very atmospheric. The passages about grief and loss were truly heartbreaking and insightful, and as I have already said, Josie’s pain felt very real to me. There were parts of this book that were truly beautiful, and there was also some very clever bits. The switch of language - referring through most of it to ‘losing’ someone, to them being ‘sick’, before changing to the blunt reality of ‘dead’, was very effective, and there were other examples too.
My only gripe was I found some of the book a bit confusing, a bit muddled. It is undoubtedly a good book in that it is well-written, and the characters are well-drawn and complex, but I did finish it not entirely sure what was happening. But then again - I’m not entirely sure it matters. Little Bird made me feel a lot of things as I was reading it, and I thoroughly enjoyed it for what it was. Parts of the content are tough, but it has some very beautiful and atmospheric writing, and whilst I’m not sure I would ever reread it, I’m very glad that I have read it. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a free copy of this book.
Content Notes: Warnings:
Spoiler
Death of a parent (in past), grief, alcoholism.Other: