I was so lucky to receive an ARC of Sparrow. For a couple of days I was transported into Sparrow's world of dance and friends, then horror and pain. The dialog is amazing, the descriptions - dead on. Sparrow is a gifted ballet dancer attending the Conservatory. She literally runs into Tristan - the gorgeous, most popular guy at the Conservatory. The meet-cute blossoms into a full on romance and all should be well, but Sparrow's friends don't approve. Tristan has always been a bully and was nasty to their circle of dance and theater friends since middle school. Tristan stays true to form and when Sparrow tries to break off the relationship, he beats her mercilessly and leaves her for dead. Lucas is Sparrow's best friend and dance partner. He's in love with her and can't stand by and watch this bully rule Sparrow's life. Unfortunately he didn't act quickly enough and now must deal with guilt and rage as well as the uncertainy that Sparrow will recover and be able to dance again.
This book was incredible. The characters are so well developed I had to stop myself from picking up the phone to text them. What sets Sparrow apart from books like 13 Reasons Why and Looking for Alaska is that these kids have a good support system (instead of trying to solve everything in their teen-aged lives themselves). The parents or guardians are well-developed characters as well and are caring, wise to a point, yet very human . Lucas, Sparrow, Delaney and the rest of their group are accepted into any household and they treat eachother's families as their own. Parents and grandparents are suffering themselves, but are able to step in and offer advice and comfort, even if its not exactly what the teens are looking for. This story of Sparrow's journey back to herself, of Lucas's final acceptance of his feelings about Sparrow and his father's recent death makes for thought provoking, moving reading. This is one I will recommend to my students and my family and friends and read again, and probably again!! and more. Thanks so much for the opportunity to read this most excellent book!
This book was incredible. The characters are so well developed I had to stop myself from picking up the phone to text them. What sets Sparrow apart from books like 13 Reasons Why and Looking for Alaska is that these kids have a good support system (instead of trying to solve everything in their teen-aged lives themselves). The parents or guardians are well-developed characters as well and are caring, wise to a point, yet very human . Lucas, Sparrow, Delaney and the rest of their group are accepted into any household and they treat eachother's families as their own. Parents and grandparents are suffering themselves, but are able to step in and offer advice and comfort, even if its not exactly what the teens are looking for. This story of Sparrow's journey back to herself, of Lucas's final acceptance of his feelings about Sparrow and his father's recent death makes for thought provoking, moving reading. This is one I will recommend to my students and my family and friends and read again, and probably again!! and more. Thanks so much for the opportunity to read this most excellent book!