Thursday, February 25, 2016

Cathy Reviews: Nightbird

I'm so pleased today to welcome my mother-in-law Cathy back to the blog! She was nice enough to help me out since I've gotten a little behind on my reading lately:)

NIGHTBIRD
Alice Hoffman
Middle Grade/Fantasy
208 pages
Wendy Lamb Books/Penguin Random House
Available now
Source: BEA

THE STORY(from Goodreads)
An enchanting novel from bestselling author Alice Hoffman: a charmed New England village, a family secret, and a friendship destined to defeat a witch.

"Some things could only be found in Sidwell it seemed: pink apples, black owls, and my brother, James."

Twelve-year-old Twig's town in the Berkshires is said to hide a winged beast, the Monster of Sidwell, and the rumors draw as many tourists as the town's famed pink apple orchards. Twig lives in the orchard with her mysterious brother James and her reclusive mother, a baker of irresistible apple pies. Because of a family secret, an ancient curse,Twig has had to isolate herself from other kids. Then a family with two girls, Julia and Agate, moves into the cottage next door. They are descendants of the witch who put the spell on Twig's family. But Julia turns out to be Twig's first true friend, and her ally in trying to undo the curse and smooth the path to true love for Agate and James.


CATHY'S THOUGHTS
Alice Hoffman is most known to me for her adult fiction novels. She always manages to write interesting characters with a twist, a notable example of which is her novel Practical Magic. When I spotted Nightbird, a Middle Grade book, in my stack I was intrigued and was not disappointed after I read it.
 

Ms. Hoffman's story of Twig, a young girl in a magical town with no friends thanks to a certain secret, piqued my interest. We easily slip into Twig's skin and experience all her emotions and want desperately to be her friend. When Julia and Agate move to town, Twig begins to know what having friends is really about. The three of them try to uncover a mystery that directly affects all their lives and reveals Twig's secret.
 

Ms. Hoffman's storytelling is both entertaining and engaging with an easy flow to the story. Nightbird has all the "magical" touches you would expect from an Alice Hoffman novel. It's a wonderful way to lose yourself for an afternoon.

Rating: 4/5


Find Alice:

18 comments:

  1. Happy to read you Cathy. I don't think I know about the author because the name doesn't ring a bell but it's great to see she is good in another genre like that!

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    1. I agree! I love it when an author I fangirl over spans genres:)

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  2. Hi Cathy! I'm glad that you enjoyed this MG book! I haven't read anything by Alice Hoffman, but this one sounds adorable and I'm interested, especially since it is entertaining!
    Lovely review! :)

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    1. I haven't either Nick! Maybe she's someone we need to buddy read at some point:)

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  3. Hmmm, I haven't read too many Alice Hoffman's books but the ones I've read I've loved, so I think I need to give her MG a try! Thank you for the recommendation Cathy!

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    1. YAY! Glad Cathy could put it on your radar Pili:)

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  4. Wonderful review Cathy! I love the movie Practical Magic but I have yet to actually read this author. This sounds like a fun read both I and my girls would love.

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    1. PRACTICAL MAGIC IS MY FAVORITE ALI! That movie makes me happy. Except for the VERY creepy ghost. Yikes.

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  5. I haven't read a book by Alice Hoffman. Fantastic review!

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    1. Seems like we all need to form an Alice Hoffman book club and try at least one:)

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  6. Oh I somehow missed that she had a middle grade coming out! It sounds quite good!

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    1. This wasn't on my radar either Candace, but Cathy scored it at BEA and it was clearly a good find:)

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  7. I have seen some very positive reviews for this one. I am adding it to my list for my seven year old daughter. I love the sound of the magic.

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  8. I've seen good things about this author! Great review. :)

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