(Review) Sparrow

Sparrow by Sarah Moon

Publication Date: October 10th, 2017

Pages: 272 (hardcover)

Genre: Middle Grade

My Goodreads Rating: 4 stars

Goodreads Synopsis:
Sparrow has always had a difficult time making friends. She would always rather stay home on the weekends with her mother, an affluent IT executive at a Manhattan bank, reading, or watching the birds, than play with other kids. And that's made school a lonely experience for her. It's made LIFE a lonely experience.

But when the one teacher who really understood her -- Mrs. Wexler, the school librarian, a woman who let her eat her lunch in the library office rather than hide in a bathroom stall, a woman who shared her passion for novels and knew just the ones she'd love -- is killed in a freak car accident, Sparrow's world unravels and she's found on the roof of her school in an apparent suicide attempt.

With the help of an insightful therapist, Sparrow finally reveals the truth of her inner life. And it's here that she discovers an outlet in rock & roll music...

My Review:

I've been in abit of a reading rut lately, but this little story definitely broke through it. I immediately liked Sparrow and all her quirks. It's easy to see her as rude or disrespectful until you kind of think of yourself when you were in eighth grade. 

Sparrow is shy to the point that it's crippling for her. She hasn't had a real, true friend since kindergarten, unless you count Mrs. Wexler. Sparrow also has a secret that no one knows about. The inner girl desperately wants to be a bird. I know that sounds crazy, but Moon does a great job writing Sparrow's inner workings and it makes you feel like you're right there with her. 

You get to see how Sparrow changes through her therapy sessions, the music she falls in love with, and her relationship with her mother. It's heartbreaking and hopeful at the same time. I loved Sparrow's sessions with Dr. Katz. They are funny and real. Her interactions with her mother hurt as does every conversation she has with other humans. It's nice to see strong, supportive parents, doctors, and teachers, too. 

I loved Sparrow's story. Watching her come back to life between the pages was heartwarming. 

I hope I stay out of this slump.