Description
A heartwarming contemporary young adult novel that features a grieving girl trying to make sense of her loss, an injured, highly endangered bird and a delicate love triangle. From the author of the Text Prize-shortlisted novel, Sadie Starr's Guide to Starting Over.
When a rare and highly endangered bird flies into Lucy's bedroom window, she feels it's a sign. Of what, she's not exactly sure, but maybe it means she'll get her life back on track after the sudden death of her brother a year ago.
Maybe she'll find some meaning in the randomness of existence and work out her place in it all. Maybe she'll find a way to stop the wild stunts she's been pulling with Jacinta just to keep her thoughts from spiralling for a few moments.
She takes the injured bird to a local wildlife sanctuary, and there she meets Ben. He's cute, a tiny bit flirty, and he cares as much about the bird's survival as Lucy does. He could be the distraction she needs. But when unrelated events collide, Lucy realises things are not going to be that simple.
Miranda Luby's second novel is a heartfelt portrayal of grief, a tender romance, and a tribute to a very special Australian bird. A celebration of life in all its randomness and wonder.
Review
Lucy has insulated herself from the world since a freakish accident took her brother Charlie’s life earlier in the year. She’s losing friends, including a budding romance with her brother’s best friend, and is left wondering what the purpose of life is. We will only be here for such a short time in the vastness of the universe, so what are we really trying to accomplish?
Then a rare bird crashes into her window. When she takes it to the local wildlife sanctuary she meets Ben, and something sparks. He lost his Mum too and they find themselves with a real connection.
She also starts to hang out with Jacinta and together they do random things to prove that they exist. But there must be more to life...
Her parents seem to seriously dislike each other and always skirt around talking about Charlie, or helping Lucy deal with her loss. Can Lucy get her life back on track, maybe start a serious thing with Ben, and possibly make up with any of her old friends?
This is a wonderful novel that tackles the issue of endangered wildlife, but especially deals with handling grief in your own way, navigating romance, the importance of friends, and looking for meaning in your life. These topics are handled incredibly well, the characters are engrossing, and I highly recommend this book to readers aged from 14 to 18 years.
