Book Review; Bird by Crystal Chan

Summary:
Twelve-year-old Jewel never knew her brother, but all her life she has lived in his shadow. Then one night, on her birthday, she finds a mysterious boy sitting in her oak tree. His name is John. And he changes everything.

---

There Are

I was first told about Bird at the Random House Children’s Blogger Brunch and I was instantly intrigued by this book. The synopsis captured me, the cover swayed me, and the publicists persuaded me. Now that I have read this book, I am so incredibly grateful for all three of these things because they allowed me the chance to read a story that well and truly blew me away. It was such an inspiring read that I am worried that my measly words will fail to do it justice. But I’m certainly going to try.

Times When

This book moved me. There is no other way to really describe it. It caused me to feel an abundance of emotions, and simply left me feeling like my heart will forever be changed by this story. I ached for the characters and their journey’s and was just so encapsulated by the story. One of the reasons for this was the stunning plot. There are so many things that happen that pull at your heartstrings and really make this book so powerful. There is not a single moment where it feels slow or boring or wrong. It all just fits so well together and truly makes this book come alive.

We Just Have

Jewel stole my heart. She stole it and still hasn’t given it back. She is an incredible character who goes through so much building in this story. She is nowhere near the same person she was at the beginning; she is so much better. Jewel has her faults, but she’s also a small twelve year old just trying to grasp the big wide world as best she can. A truly amazing character. The rest of the characters were also written exceptionally well. They all felt so real, and I just found myself attached to them all. John was such an inspiring character and I loved his friendship with Jewel so much. I seriously wanted to just read more and more about them. Grandpa was also a favourite character of mine, and someone who also went on an incredible journey. All these characters just got under my skin in the best possible way.

To Open Our

There are not enough words in the dictionary to describe how much I loved the writing style of this book. Crystal has really found the voice of Jewel and allowed it to come across spectacularly well. There was no doubt in my mind that Jewel wasn’t a twelve year old girl. The writing is so lyrical and beautiful and mesmerizing. I worry that I may be overselling or over-hyping this book but trust me when I tell you that it is a truly magnificent read with a writing style that will have you begging for more. Furthermore, the themes and messages that come across in this book are so good and really bring that something extra to the book. Crystal has truly captured the essence of friendship, family, and that horrifying coming-of-age part of our lives. She looks at how so many things affect who we are and who become and just does so in the most subtle way ever.

Wings And Fly

If you’ve gotten to here and haven’t quite worked it out yet, I completely and utterly loved this book. It is, by far, my favourite read of 2014 and a book that I have been shouting about for the last few days. I really don’t want to say too much and ruin it for you but just know that you will be missing out on a truly powerful and inspiring read if you don’t give this book a go. It may be a middle grade book but I am one hundred percent confident that this book will be loved by children and adults alike. I just honestly admired this book so much and really, really hope that you do too because it deserves all the love and a thousand awards too. Seriously, please go and read this book!