Thursday 5 March 2015

Nightbird by Alice Hoffman

 
You can’t believe everything you hear, not even in Sidwell, Massachusetts, where every person is said to tell the truth and the apples are so sweet people come from as far as New York City during the apple festival. There are rumours that a mysterious creature lives in town. Some people insist it’s a bird bigger than an eagle; others say it’s a dragon, or an oversized bat that resembles a person.
Published by Simon and Schuster in March 2015
Pages - 208
Twig lives in Sidwell, where people whisper that fairy tales are real. After all, her town is rumoured to hide a monster. And two hundred years ago, a witch placed a curse on Twig’s family that was meant to last forever. But this summer, everything will change when the red moon rises. It’s time to break the spell.
*****
I love the thought of an Alice Hoffman book, even if I don’t always enjoy the actual product. My love for Alice Hoffman began back in the days of Practical Magic, which is one of my favourite films/ books EVER. So I always approach each Alice Hoffman book nervously yet hopeful. Nightbird didn’t disappoint me at all. In fact, I thought it was every bit as magical as Practical Magic.
This is the author’s first book for Middle Grader readers and I was completely bowled over by the warmth and hopefulness that spills off the page. I felt like I was transported to Sidwell and could easily walk along the street, breathing in the scents that wafted from the apple trees and the freshly baked apple pies.
Twig is adorable. She may be young but she is extremely mature for her age. She has carried a big secret for the whole of her life. The friendships she makes have a Anne of Green Gables feel to them, which I loved.
The story has lots of elements to it that reminded me of Practical Magical, which is probably one of the reasons I enjoyed it so much. Magical realism is one of my favourite genres, purely because there is always the hope that elements of the story might actually ring true.
This book would appeal to any child who hovers between reality and fantasy. Even though this book is published for Middle Grade readers, I’m certain adults would enjoy it too. All you need to do,  is to believe in a little magic…

3 comments:

  1. Vivienne, this YA book sounds charming--I like the idea of the magic realism in this book. I'm glad you enjoyed the warmth and hopefulness of this story.

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  2. Ooh! This sounds like such a wonderful book - and I love a bit of magical realism and in MG too! :)

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  3. This was just a delightful read. Very uplifting, a bit of a mystery, with focus on family, friendship and the power of believing that doing the right thing will win out in the end. A great story for young and old alike.

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