Birdy

I bought this book, it was not given to me in exchange for this or that. I liked the way the author interacted with the reader. Her style is unique, but refreshing. For this being her FIRST novel, I thought the effort and obvious talent was well deserving of five stars. I look forward to future works from this author.

The twist wasn't really that surprising but I liked the voice of the narrator and the various characters. The writing was good and kept me engaged.

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest reviewFind this review and other reviews like it on my blog Little Miss ReaderThe story in Birdy is told from Francis Bird aka Birdy's point of view, she is our narrator and our main character. Francis is not just telling the story or writing it, she is literally telling us, readers, the story. She says 'you' a bunch of times in the story and I enjoyed that, it's a bit terrifying as well though.Birdy is about Francis, the outsider. One day her teacher asks her to take care of Alberta Fitzroy-Black, the new girl, and Francis reluctantly says yes. Francis and 'Bert' slowly become friends and suddenly they're inseperable.So, going in to this I had no idea it was a thriller, I thought it was a basic contemporary about friendship but the ending definitely changed that! I wish I'd known it was a thriller beforehand, because I'd probably not reacted as I did when I read the ending but there's nothing I can do about that know. I have a feeling that I would've enjoyed it more if I'd known it was a thriller going into it. So bear that in mind when reading my review.Francis is an outsider, even though she isn't that different or stands out she's an outsider because she doesn't have any friends and she have never tried to make any. Being an outsider she is ignored by almost everyone and I kind of feel sad for her. In the beginning she was a bit boring and it felt like she wanted to be alone all the time since she didn't try to make any friends but that definitely changed when she met Alberta. I loved seeing her flourish and show her true colours with Alberta, it was so nice to see and I loved that side of her!Francis lives with her grandparents, she didn't have the best childhood since her mother committed suicide when Francis was only a couple of years old and then her grandparents took her in. Life with her grandparents isn't easy, her grandfather has alzheimers or something similar and they have to take care of him and her grandmother isn't exactly that loving - it feels like life in general was against her. Even money wise; they're not broke but their quite poor and Francis definitely feels that when she befriends rich Alberta.The thing I like the best about Francis is the fact that she's a reader! It's not an important part of the story but it definitely made me happy.I don't really know what to think about Alberta; she's the new girl, she's rich and she has a weird past - for lack of a better word. She doesn't come clean about her past to Francis before they've been friends for quite a while and I don't want to spoil you since it definitely made me like her less, but it definitely surprised me and I think it's quite a weird or rather different character trait.I really liked that she brought out a new side of Francis but there is definitely things I don't like about her! I hate when people lie, I hate when people leave you behind and I definitely don't like when they don't treat people nicely!I loved the friendship aspect of the story, it's such a vital element and I feel like some books don't acknowledge that fact, I love that the love aspect is almost non-existent and I really enjoyed the story in general - until the ending.This is a regular book about friendship until the last 50 pages or so and I think it was those pages which brought the rating down. I absolutely loved the first couple of chapters, I loved getting the basic plotline told from the narrator in the beginning and get a profile of the main character / narrator and then being plunged into the story but it went downhill from there! The first couple of chapters where probably my favorite thing about the entire book!I ended up giving Birdy 2 stars since I was quite disappointed but, as I previously mentioned, that probably has something to do with me going into this thinking it was a contemporary but I did enjoy it nonetheless!

Really predictable.

Fifteen-year-old Frances (Birdy) lives with her grandparents and has never had a friend, so when she is asked to help settle in the new girl, Alberta, she has the opportunity to make not just a friend, but a whole new life. But as their friendship grows, so do the questions. Why has Alberta never been at mainstream school before? Who is writing the anonymous threats, and what will happen to their friendship when boys come between them? I can't reveal much more about the plot without spoiling it for you, but what makes this book so fantastic is the narrative voice of Birdy. Despite her reclusive existence, Birdy is clever and funny, and her pitch perfect voice makes this book a page turner, and the character of Alberta, an eccentric and posh young girl who finds herself in an average English comprehensive, provides some genuine comic moments. But despite the laughs, the mood gradually darkens as their friendship grows more intense and the stakes swiftly rise. Jess Vallance manages to capture how intense and claustrophobic some friendships can be during the teenage years, with all the jealousies and fears and emotional vulnerability of first relationships. To be honest, I only ordered this book because the author's tweets made me laugh, and I am so glad that I did. This is a great read for anyone who enjoys clever, contemporary YA literature such as e. Lockhart and Meg Rosoff, with a strong teenage voice combining humour, darkness, and a truly shocking end. Having finished the book, I now realise just how clever the cover picture is, and what a talented writer Jess Vallance is. I hope this book finds the wider readership it deserves.

Great little book... read it in 3 short sittings... ideal for holiday read.. or if stuck in a train, plane or automobile! A little bit predictable to be honest, but who cares ? If you're just looking for an easy holiday read, this one's for you.

Easy to read and easy to enjoy. I could relate to birdy (was never a Berta or a Pippa). I recommend this book and think that jess vallance is talented in her field.

Not very inspired, ending seemed obvious from half way through, but an easy read and not one that needs any concentration

Wow! This is Jess Vallance's first novel. What a superb achievement. Anita Brookner or Muriel Spark would have been proud to publish this. It is marketed as Young Adult literature, but don't dismiss it because of this label. It is an expertly written study of a relationship between two friends who draw you into their world, so much so that you actually start to miss them when you have finished reading the book. The narrative flows so beautifully that you feel as if Birdy is in the room with you, telling you her story with witty observations and plenty of cynicism. I loved this so much I am struggling to read other books now, because they are nowhere near as good as Birdy. Also, although I am a notoriously slow reader, I read this book in one day because it is so well-written.