Bird by Rita Murphy {Review}

Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Publish Date: October 14, 2008

Source: Library
Goodreads

A girl easily carried off by the wind.
An elderly widow whose husband died under strange circumstances.
An isolated dwelling that breeds fear.
Miranda has no recollection of where she came from -- only that years ago, a gust of wind deposited her outside Bourne Manor.The Manor's soul inhabitant, Wysteria Barrows, took Miranda in and promptly outfitted her with special boots -- boots weighted with steel bars to keep her anchored to the ground. But aside from shelter and clothing, Miranda receives little warmth from the aging widow. The Manor, too, is a cold place, full of drafts and locked doors. Full of menace. Full of secrets.
Then one day a boy named Farley appears. Farley helps Miranda embrace her destiny with the wind...and uncover the Manor's hidden past.

Bird was a whimsical read. I wouldn’t quite call it cute because at times it almost seemed tragically sad, but in a way that younger kids can still read and appreciate.

I would almost say that Bird would be better appreciated by an older audience than seems to be the target. Not older than myself, of course, but it seems to be marketed as middle grade and I don’t think a 12-year-old would really appreciate the story. Most would probably be bored by it, actually. I’m really not trying to talk down to people of that age, either. It was just a story that was more about the message than the actual story and I know I didn’t really appreciate that when I was younger.

Moving on, though.

Actually, I’m not really sure what else I can say since it was really short. So, straight into the Nutshell we go!

The Nutshell: Bird is a quick read with beautiful writing. It has a lovely story that is sort of melancholy, but ends on a nice positive note. It’s definitely a book that most could read in about an hour or two. I suggest it for an older audience only because I don’t even think I fully appreciated it.

Pages: 160

Series: No

Rating: 3.5 stars