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tayking 's review for:
Like a Bird
by Fariha Róisín
I'm torn on how to rate this — I found the first half of this book compelling, but unfortunately did not resonate with the way it concluded. That's more of a personal feeling than anything else.
Fariha's writing is beautiful and evocative, following Taliyah, a complex and oftentimes unlikable early 20s girl. I enjoyed the reflection on family and belonging and mental health, and I found myself pausing while reading to engage with and dissect my own reactions to what was happening.
That said, I feel like many of the questions I took away from this novel aren't necessarily ones that were intended by the author?
Fariha's writing is beautiful and evocative, following Taliyah, a complex and oftentimes unlikable early 20s girl. I enjoyed the reflection on family and belonging and mental health, and I found myself pausing while reading to engage with and dissect my own reactions to what was happening.
That said, I feel like many of the questions I took away from this novel aren't necessarily ones that were intended by the author?
- Should I expect this privileged girl to go through working class hardship to feel like she has 'deserved' her growth, or should we not want everyone to enjoy the comfort of unconditional support from affluent communities?
- Is
unplanned single motherhood something that should be venerated for a girl who is still deep in her struggles with trauma, with relationships, and with herself and her future?
Anyway, I can understand how many found this a meaningful story to follow. It personally didn't quite hit the mark for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Rape, Self harm, Suicide, Grief, Pregnancy