Saturday, June 6, 2015

Review: Nightbird by Alice Hoffman

I don't often read middle-grade books, but I couldn't resist this one having been written by Alice Hoffman. She once again pens a terrific tale of magical realism. I found as the book progressed I read a little slower unconsciously trying to make the book last.

Twig is a young girl living in the small town of Sidwell, MA in the Berkshire mountains of Massachusetts. Her family is a bit unusual and they mostly keep to themselves. At least until this particular summer. A family moves into the house that was owned by Agnes Early, the witch. Agnes Early had placed a curse on Twig's family. Would her descendants have the same kind of animosity for her family? Can she break the curse?

And then there are the woods. Someone wants to sell them for development and someone else is trying to protect them by pretending there is a monster in the woods. The pretender leaves spray-painted designs all over the place asking for help and preservation of the woods and the home of the black sawhet owls.

In short, Nightbird is an enchanting story. There are fantasy or magical elements woven into the story in such a way that it's easy to suspend your disbelief. I consider this a tale of magical realism because most of it is about ordinary happenings with magical elements.

The story continuously propels you forward. You want to know what happens next. Will Twig succeed at what she is trying to do? Who is the monster of the Sidwell woods?

It's a good book basically for middle-grades and up. I give it 5 stars out of 5 stars because of the writing. It's a tale of magic, but it is also a tale of friendship and family.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

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