sunshinestark's Reviews (376)

To me, Little Bird felt something like a love letter to grief and depression. It's so easy to get lost in the all consuming darkness that comes with those things, and Josie was just that - lost. Then enters seemingly sentient vines and a skeleton who can communicate with her telepathically and Josie doesn't know how to cope. Her interactions with Skelly, the skeleton, mimic the stages of grief and with these interactions Josie is forced to confront the reality of how she's not coping with things that have happened in her own life. In the end, the message is hopeful. Or at least, it was to me as someone who has suffered with depression and had people I love also suffer from it. This is a hard read. There were times it made me cry and want to put the book away because it made me feel things that were a little too much, but I kept reading and I am so grateful I did. Little Bird is a beautiful story that's a little weird - okay, maybe a lot weird - and very real in a way that will stick with you after you've read the last page.

 *I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review* 

Anyone who liked The Bold Type will enjoy this look at four friends (one of whom will be president of the United States) that explores friendship, family, love, privilege, and self discovery. I saw facets of myself in each of the girls and genuinely enjoyed following their journeys while trying to guess which girl would become president - I thought I had it figured out and was wrong! 

Much like the first volume, Hearstopper: Volume 2 is an adorable exploration of two boys falling in love. Every page made my heart feel more and more full. Some scenes even made me tear up! It's exactly the right kind of feel good story we need during the hard time we're currently living in. 

This is a beautifully written story that explores the complicated progression from enemies to something more for Red and Blue during the midst of a war that spans across time and into other worlds. The imagery on every page makes it easy to imagine being there with them, especially when paired with the wonderful performances of the voice actors, letting you fall into their world in a way that will make you not want to leave it at the end.

One of the best parts of listening to this audiobook was getting to hear Jason Reynolds breathe further life into the heartbreaking words he wrote. I don't doubt the emotion would have been evident in the text, but as he said in the interview at the end of the audio, only he knew the right beats in order to make sure his message wasn't lost. I highly recommend listening if you get a chance. If not, definitely read it.