Pages: 264
Intended Audience: Mature Teens
Genre: Contemporary
Notes for Parents: Contains mildly coarse language and mature scenes.
The Back Cover
They
find her on the edge of the roof of her school. No one believes that se wasn’t
about to jump.
But
then again, no one knows Sparrow very well.
She
keeps good grades. She keeps to herself. Though she wishes she could find a
friend, she has no idea how that might happen.
So
sometimes she goes where the birds gather, and she waits, waits for them to
come get her, gather her up, take her with them, take her high above the
school, above the city, above the crowds. For those few moments she’s not
alone, closed in.
But
Sparrow begins to discover something else inside her—a music, a song that grows
in power, if only she can let it be bridge.
What the cover doesn’t tell
you:
The
author, Sarah Moon, created a Spotify soundtrack for this book, and you can
find the link to it in her Instagram profile (sarahmoonbooks).
What’s good?
Sparrow
is a lonely girl, who finds solace in books and in being invisible. She’d love
to make a friend but doesn’t know how and instead imagines herself flying with
the birds. After a traumatic loss sends her to the edge, people take notice. Fear
of being labelled or judged keeps Sparrow from asking for help. The story
follows her through conversations with her mother and therapist that eventually
leads her to music as an alternative source of comfort, and to a rock camp that
opens up a whole new world for her. The plot is straight forward, the pace is
steady, and the tone is hopeful.
Best Part: Dr. Katz and her fun and funky retro clothing and cool music.
What isn’t good?
The first half of the book is mostly
conversations between Sparrow and her mother, and Sparrow and her therapist
where she (eventually) reveals that she’s shy, lonely, and sad. The story
starts to perk up when music enters the conversation. When Sparrow goes to rock
camp, things genuinely get good.
Worst part: Nothing is terrible, but Sparrow’s coping mechanism is very poetic,
making it perhaps a little too romantic for comfort.
Recommendation ☺☺☺
(3.5/5)
Sparrow’s
story will resonate with many young people who are feeling lonely, sad, or out
of place. It is ultimately a positive story about growth with the help of
therapy, music, and effort. While the subject of mental health is an important
one, the premise has been overdone in the past few years, but the inclusion of
music and her focus on birds sets it apart just enough. Recommended.
Moon, Sarah. Sparrow. New York: Scholastic, 2017.
