Lark

by Tracey Porter

When sixteen-year-old Lark Austin is kidnapped from her Virginia hometown and left to die in a snowy forest, she leaves behind two friends who are stunned by the loss. As Lark's former best friend, Eve can't shake the guilt that this tragedy was somehow her fault. Meanwhile, Nyetta is haunted each night by Lark's ghost, who comes through the bedroom window and begs Nyetta to set her soul free. Eve and Nyetta realize that Lark is trapped in limbo, and only by coming together to heal themselves will they discover why.

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Fiction, Ghosts, Paranormal, Realistic Fiction, Death

195 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Tracey Porter is the author of Treasures in the Dust and A Dance of Sisters. Her most recent novel, Billy Creekmore, was named to Oprah.com's Kids' Reading List, compiled by the American Library Association. For the past twenty years she has taught middle school at Crossroads School in Santa Monica, California. She lives with her family in Los Angeles.

Reviews

[Sesana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a small book, and I read it very quickly, but I think it's going to stay with me for awhile. It's risky, especially in such a short book, to use three POVs. Porter was able to juggle them quite well, enough to make each of the three voices distinct. The fantasy elements are quietly integrated into the book, without entirely taking over until the end.

But what made this book most effective for me was the way that Porter confronts rape culture, using thoughts that make sense for a teen girl to have, especially when using Eve's POV. When she wonders why nobody seems to be trying to keep girls from getting murdered, when she gets angry that all she and her friends are being told is what they should do to avoid being victims, when she notes (sadly? bitterly? both) that girls getting raped and murdered is normal... They're honest, painful reactions to the reality that Eve is being confronted with. I wouldn't call this a Message book, but it definitely has something to say.

But there is a certain flatness to the book, mostly in the peripheral characters. This is probably a side effect of how short the book is, and how internal all three POVs are. I got absorbed enough in the three girls' interlocking stories that I hardly noticed until I was thinking about the book later. But I did read this very quickly, in one sitting without major interruption, which probably helped the flow.

Lark is beautifully written, which makes it bearable to read. Because otherwise it's painful, without solutions or answers to the larger issues. Which is, I'm sorry to say, terribly realistic. Maybe what Porter is saying is that, unless evil is confronted, nothing can be done to stop it. The answer isn't telling girls to wear modest clothing and take self defense, it's creating a world where wearing a leotard after gymnastics class isn't a justification.

[Nicole · Rating 1 out of 5]

What? I did not get the point of this book. It was very scattered, and I found myself wondering why I was reading it. Oh ya! Because it somehow ended up on my to-read list! I REALLY need to clean that shelf... Anyway, this story was about three girls. Oh yes, no matter that the story was super-short and I finished it in like thirty minutes, the author decided to use THREE main characters that I had to CARE about enough to go on with the story.

Epic. FAIL.

Okay, I DID go on with the story. Doesn't mean I wasn't begging for the book to be over. This book failed at failing. (Cool expression, btw, right?). So, this girl named Lark was kidnapped, then hurt with a knife, sexually abused, then tied to a tree naked, which led to her death by exposure. This is all literally written in one sentence. Well, DUH. The book was so short.
I would usually never write a bad review about something like this. I mean, this is a serious subject. This actually happens to girls. Well, I don't know what the author was thinking. This book was also about Nyetta, a girl who used to be a friend of Lark's. Wait - or was she the girl Lark babysat? I don't know - I honestly don't remember. What I DO remember is that this book was very focused upon the fact that Lark was getting stuck in a tree, (excuse me, not HER, per se, but her ghost, which is veeeeery real and only certain people she chooses to come to can see), because that's what happens to girls like her. If no one can find out who murdered her or something, or see WHERE she was hurt, she basically turns into a tree.
And I thought this book would be serious.
This book was also about Eva. And I think THIS was the girl that Lark babysat. Just don't take my word for it. Anyway, this book just goes on to tell how Eva was pissed at Lark for choosing everything they did, being better than her. Also, we follow her love life. Wait! What love life? You mean that guy Ian who used to like Lark and then when she died started hanging out with Eva? And then he told her he didn't REALLY like Lark, so it s ok? Yep, that love life!
My point. I didn't know anything about these people, and I didn't care. The author didn't bother getting us acquainted, but instead jumped right into a mess and expected us to care. No. I WILL NOT! I thought this book. Would be serious for a change. It wasn't. It was about ghosts and three random girls.

[Mery · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lark, namanya diambil dari nama burung mungil lark. Gadis 16 tahun yang cantik ini senang sekali dengan olahraga senam. Suatu hari Lark menghilang. Terakhir kali dia terlihat keluar dari Virginia Gymnastic Academy menunggu ayahnya.


Nyette sangat mengagumi Lark. Dulu Lark mengasuh Nyette saat orangtuanya tidak di rumah. Mereka berbagi masa-masa yang menyenangkan. Dan Nyette ingin jadi seperti Lark.

Terakhir kali Eve melihat Lark adalah seminggu sebelum Lark menghilang. Dulu mereka teman dekat. Sama-sama berlatih di Virginia Gymnastic Academy. Namun satu kejadian membuat mereka tak lagi saling bicara.


Dua hari kemudian, Lark ditemukan tak bernyawa. Tubuhnya diikat di sebuah pohon di hutan, dalam keadaan tanpa pakaian dan berlumuran darah. Menurut tim penyidik, yang membuat Lark meninggal adalah udara dingin yang menyengat.

Cerita ini dibuat dari tiga sudur pandang: Lark, Nyette, Eve.
Lark menceritakan tentang bagaimana dia diculik. Nyette bercerita bagaimana dia melihat hantu Lark mendatanginya dan memohon pertolongannya agar dia tak menjadi satu dengan pohon. Eve bercerita tentang pertemanannya dengan Lark dan bagaimana semuanya berubah setelah mereka tak saling bicara, serta masa-masa setelah Lark ditemukan meninggal.


Buku ini mengingatkanku dengan Lovely Bones, di mana sang tokoh adalah arwah yang gentayangan. Bedanya dari Suze Salmon, Lark tidak meminta orang menemukan jasad/pelakunya. Lark hanya ingin orang-orang tahu bagaimana dia meninggal hingga arwahnya bisa tenang dan tak terikat dengan batang pohon.

Setiap bab buku ini dituturkan dengan bab pendek. Makanya agak kurang emosi yang didapat. Hanya sepenggal-sepenggal cerita dari tiap-tiap tokoh.
Tapi apa yang membuatku memberinya 4 bintang adalah konseling yang diadakan sekolah Eve untuk menghindari kejadian serupa dialami gadis lainnya. Seperti contohnya: berpakaian yang sopan. Kasus Lark hanyalah satu dari jutaan kasus yang dialami gadis-gadis belia di seluruh dunia.

Masih ingat Ma di Room yang juga mengalami hal yang sama, bedanya Lark memberontak hingga sang penculik terpaksa membunuhnya, lalu memerkosanya.

[Rachael Smits · Rating 3 out of 5]

Imagine you are being held against your will, tied up against a tree, in the freezing blizzard weather. No one’s there to hear your cries. What would you do? How would you deal with that? The sadness you would feel. How terrified you would be. It would change a person’s life forever. Lark by Tracey Porter is a kind of realistic fiction book that teaches us about true friendship and how these characters deal with the trouble of losing a friend.
Lark, a teenage girl brutally murdered in the woods, her spirit wants someone to find her body but she has lost all of her friends close to her. So, she doesn’t have many people to help her out, or listen to her. An excerpt from the book that illustrates friendship, is, “Larks . . . , I realize, and I go back to the day when we were very little and she showed me a picture of a lark in a book of birds. We were in the study, which always felt like a grandfather’s room because it was filled with comfy old furniture. A granny-square afghan was spread over the back of the sofa. It felt so safe to be surrounded by oak walls and book, the sound of the dryer in the background, shafts of sunlight falling through the window.”Eve still remembers all the feelings from larks house and when they used to be best friends. Eve misses lark and takes a moment to remember her and a memory they shared.
If you like this book, you may also like Miles from Ordinary written by Carol Lynch Williams because this book is also about putting a spirit at people trying to put a spirit at rest. I rate this book 3 out of 5 stars because it was very good with description, but at times went to fast and the book was short. The ending was not that good and left me with questions about the characters future lives. The author just summed it up real quick and didn’t explain it very well.

[Mel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nice cover tho.

[nhi · Rating 3 out of 5]

*3.5
Interesting concept and execution. Unfortunately, the whole story just didn't excite me enough to want to pick up the book.

[Angelina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Time Duration: 2 days (3 days)

Finish Date: Oct.26th.2015

Author: Tracy Porter

From Greater Victoria Public Library

$17.99 in Canada

www.epicreads.com

Stars: 4*/5*

Page numbers: 180 pages

Praise for LARK:

“Haunting, poetic, and tender, this tragic story is filled with insights into the plight of young women trying to grow up in a dangerous, painful world, and with the hope and healing that connection and love can be provided.”

n Francesca Lia Block, author of the Weetzie Bat series

TRIAL BEGINS FOR

FAIRFAX MAN ACCUSED OF

MURDERING ARLINGTON GIRL

April 10: Opening statements begin tomorrow in the trial of a Fairfax man accused of murdering Lark Austin, a 16-year-old Jefferson High School student.

Stephen Blaire, 29, is charged with kidnapping, assault, and first-degree murder. The girl was last seen the evening of January 23 in the lobby of the Virginia Gymnastics Academy, where she was waiting to be picked up by her father. She died in the early hours of January 24 of exposure, during the area’s first major snowstorm. Two days later her body was found tied to a tree in Potomac Overlook Park.

Arlington police say Blaire abducted the girl at knifepoint after luring her into his car at approximately 7:30 p.m. on January 23. He then drove her to Potomac Overlook Park, where he beat, stabbed, and sexually assaulted her. Prosecutors claim strong forensic evidence proves Blaire’s guilt.

The trial is expected to last three or four days.

First-degree murder and sexual assault carry a mandatory life sentence in the state of Virginia.

This is an excerpt from the book Lark on page 159, which illustrate the whole event happened to one of our character, Lark. She was very famous in the school. She was very athletic (especially diving), and good at study (but her parents care about that too much). The book was about her and her best two friends: Eve and Nyetta.

There was also some description about each character including their background and struggles in their life: Eve was hoped to be a lawyer from her mother, but she loved to draw and was a big fan of Van Gogh. There was a person called Trevor, and he was the son of Eve father’s partner. He was eve’s swim coach, and at sixteen, he set a country record for the 100-meter butterfly. Lark was on the diving team, and she envies Eve. At first, Eve thought he was a good coach, too. As she said: “Trevor’s the best.” She loved swimming, but there was the summer between sixth grade and seventh, and her breasts had grown overnight, and she didn’t always notice when they feel out the side of her swimming suits until Lark mentioned that to her. As she said, something weird happened then. Trevor’s eyes were on Eve when she turned away. Until once, when he was congratulating the team, he squeezed Eve tightly with one arm. “His hand started out between my ribs and my arm. Then it slipped under my suit and cupped the curve of my breast. At first, I didn’t know what was happening. I thought his stopwatch must be digging into me, but it lasted too long. Then it started feeling more like what it was. I stiffened my upper arm against him to push him away.” After that, there was something more. Eve was uncomfortable about the action Trevor just did; therefore she stayed in the water until she thought everyone was gone. She went into the change room, but then she saw Trevor when she was patting herself dry, twisting the towel around her hair. Then she met a guy (who Lark had a crush on) called Ian, who became her boyfriend. However, in my mind, this teenager was not a good man. After taking Eve to Sky Crush (a concert), “he pulls the belt of my coat so I fall into him, then he pressed his lips against mine.” They get physical with her the next time they met, “That Trevor guy is an asshole. He’s a child molester and a pervert. You’re with me now, and nothing like that can ever happen to you again.” This was what Ian said.

Lark was a ghost trapped in the tree after she died because this is what happened to people when they died around the tree. She needed someone to look at her wound, and where the knife went in, because if no one knows what it was like for her, then her spirit will be trapped in that tree. However, it seems like the adults could not see the ghost. After that, she asked Nyetta for help, because she used to babysit her and they were a good friend. However, Nyetta was too scared to do all this, and Lark was turning to wood more and more quickly. Lark and eve broke up after Eve quit the swimming team because of Trevor, and Lark felt like Eve would not help her. Lark felt lonely and helpless. At last, with Ian, Eve went to the forest where Lark was been killed and looked at her wound for so long and so careful and she finally could go.

Nyetta was homeschooled, because she could not have much sleep, and she needed to see a therapist called April every Thursday (Or Wednesday if I remembered it wrong) She was the one who saw Lark’s ghost, and her mother was divorced her husband (because her husband married a widow called Hallie, and she had two little boys with her) and screamed at the phone almost every day. She was told to drink chamomile tea and have her listen to a relaxation CD she can buy at the bookstore. As April said, she has been through so much. “Your father’s departure, your parent’s divorce, your mother’s anger, the violent death of the person you most looked up to… these are all very difficult experiences, very draining, exhausting events for anyone, but especially for someone your age.

They were having a painful feeling, all of them. However, they conquered their struggles, and stand up again. They were smiling, and facing their life. They chose what they wanted to do and what they are going to do even though the other wanted to decide for them. They heal themselves, and this is magic that most of the people even adults could not handle. In Chapter 30, Lark’s perspective, she was going to be free because of eve and her boyfriend, Ian.

“’She loves you,’ said the dead girls. ‘You didn’t know.’

And I didn’t, but now she puts her palms on my face, looks long at the wound in my side. She and Ian offer their hands. I reach through growth rings. My hand breaks through the bark to grasp theirs, holding on tight while they pull me back into the world. The earth is soft, almost warm. Birds sing and scatter across the tin sky.

‘Remember,’ asks Eve, ‘our footprints in the mud?’

Words overlap, clutter my mouth. I can’t speak, but if I could I would say, ‘Eve, my friend.”

This chapter was bright, smooth, and moving. I felt so proud of Eve, Ian and Lark. They did something I could not tell, but I was certainly proud of. They shined through the pages, and I almost tear down.

They used their own way to tell the people, how you could surpass yourself, and go pass whatever lied in front of you, even your death. You are the symbol of infinity, and this is your world.

After reading this book, I was stunned. I stared at the last page, and I could see those three characters. At first, Nyetta was so afraid of the ghost that she even didn’t want to help—just go and look at a wound. Then, she went to kayaking with Ian and Eve to go and see the tree Lark has been trapped; I see Eve, who calm herself down, and find a true love she wanted to spend her lifetime with; I see Lark, who spent her last several hours in the snowstorm and die in naked, but then find a solution that can help her to get out of the tree. They are brave, and they are the girls who should do something great in the real world. Thank you, Tracey Porter, for sharing such a good story with me.

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

When sixteen-year-old Lark Austin is kidnapped from her Virginia hometown and left to die in a snowy forest, she leaves behind two friends who are stunned by the loss. As Lark's former best friend, Eve can't shake the guilt that this tragedy was somehow her fault. Meanwhile, Nyetta is haunted each night by Lark's ghost, who comes through the bedroom window and begs Nyetta to set her soul free. Eve and Nyetta realize that Lark is trapped in limbo, and only by coming together to heal themselves will they discover why.

Tracey Porter's stunning narrative about love and loss demonstrates that forgiveness can never come too late.

What can I say about this book? Well for starters, it was very unique. I don't think I've come across a book like it so far. It's a tragic story about a 16 year old girl in Virginia who gets kidnapped and murdered. I won't go too far into how she died, but I will say this: It's a horrible way to die. If you think about it, it may sound a bit like the Lovely Bones, but it's not. If anything, it's probably a more censored version of the Lovely Bones, but still not suitable for younger readers.

What made this book so unique was not the way Lark died, but what happened after she dies. Ever heard of murdered girls turning into trees? Well, that's what her younger friend Nyetta is convinced happened to her. Now, of course, it's hard to determine whether or not this is true, or just coming from the mind of an extremely grief-stricken twelve year old, but thankfully, you find out the truth at the end.

Lark captures your attention from the first page and keeps you reading until you get to the end. It stirs up a bunch of different questions and feeling throughout the novel that you feel you just HAVE to have answered. Porter wrote this novel brilliantly and will have you hooked as you switch back and forth between the present and past with Lark and her two friends Nyetta and Eve.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lark:
Author: Tracey Porter
My rating: 3 1/2 out of 5 stars.
A girl is taken,stolen. A gymnast, diver, ballerina, best friend and baby sitter is kidnapped from curbside out side her gym. She's tied to a tree and left to die, having already been beaten, stabbed and bruised. Lark never thought she'd be one of THOSE girls from the news. The ones making sadistic headlines, Missing Girl Found Dead; but she did, she made headlines and the entire town skipped a beat, only a beat.
When Lark finds that her soul cannot move on from the tree she'd died tied to, she reaches out to her old best friend Eve and Nyetta a little girl Lark would babysit. She needs only for them to look. If they see what happened and understand her death Lark will be free.
Potentate in its realism, stark in its ferocity, and somehow mangled with rigid lyricism. I absolutely devoured the entire short read. I felt at one point that my heart had frozen, been brittled over with littering cracks running the entire length of it, for surely not more could hurt after this novel. The descriptive nature of which Porter portrays three separate yet interwoven lives is awe-inspiring and at points left me breathless. I was so thoroughly stunned to the point at one interval that I glared down at the book silently cursing its existence then tossed it onto my bed determined to no longer read it anymore.
Porter writing style is something of a unique quality, it is fluid and richly descriptive, while complex and unnerving. At some point I thought it might hold a bit of prose in it for the rhythm of the novel seem to pulse with the beat of a good freelance poem.

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lark came to Nyetta one night, because no one else would listen, no one else would look. Nyetta doesn't want to look either, even if it will set Lark free. Eve used to be friends with Lark, before things happened, and she can't help but feel like if they were still friends Lark would be alive. Nyetta and Eve are the only ones who can help Lark, the only ones who can set her free after her vicious murder.

This was a fast read. A beautifully written story about a girl who was murdered, and needs someone to acknowledge the evil done to her before she may pass on. The book alternates between the three girls. Lark's story starts before she is murdered, Nyetta's tale starts when Lark visits her and Eve's story jumps between memories and the present. Each girl had a haunted presence surrounding their voice. This whole story had a creepy dense air about it, even though the writing itself was free and floating. I appreciated that this tale was about grieving, in different ways, but it wasn't wholly depressing. Each girl reflects on how this could have happened, and why they weren't there for Lark. This was a lyrical and heartbreaking tale, that you would do well do pick up.

First Line:
"First he hit her, then he stabbed her with a small knife, but Lark didn't die from this."

Favorite Line:
"heartwood sap beat pulse taproot crown beat pulse leaf bark beat pulse root sapwood beat pulse heartwood sap beat pulse taproot crown beat"


Read more: http://www.areadingnook.com/#ixzz1Q1Y...

[Angela Fristoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let me start off by saying I hate sad books, and if I'd read the blurb before reading the book, I probably wouldn't have picked Lark up. As it was, the cover reminded me of Maggie Steifvater's The Wolves of Mercy Falls series. That said I am so glad I did. This was my first read of 2012 and I managed to finish it in under three hours. The chapters are short, and it is an extremely fast read.

Part of the fast read is that the characters are engaging. The three points of view made everything even sadder by how close they were to what was happening. There is very little in the way of extras. We learn about Lark's relationships with Eve and Nyetta, what they were like together, what drove them apart and ultimately how they really felt about each other. Nyetta's perspective was especially moving because she is younger and struggling with something that the adults in her life can't even begin to comprehend.

Listening to Lark relive her death and her relentless efforts to get Nyetta to help her move on was heartbreaking. The idea Porter builds around what happens to girls who die in the woods was really interesting. I don't want to say more for fear of giving away too much, but this is definitely worth a read.

You can check out more of my reviews on my blog Turning the Pages

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautifully written story of three girls.

Lark is a gymnastics obsessed teen who disappears and is found murdered. Nyetta is a young girl who looked up to Lark and was often babysat by her. Eve used to be a good friend of Lark until they had a falling out.

Each chapter in this book alternates between each of the girls’ points of view. We see Lark as a ghost, annoyed and upset at what happened to her, and trying to find someone who will “see” her so she can move on. We see Nyetta, who is forced into therapy and who is frightened because she knows Lark visits her but she is too scared to “see” her and save her from something worse than death. And we see Eve, trying to cope with her own issues as well as working out how she feels about Lark’s tragic death. The story follows all three girls in how they each deal with Lark’s death and how they try to heal and move on.

This story is written with depth and feeling, and is almost lyrical in its writing. A very poignant story that is quite compelling. It’s sad at times, but there is also hope. The ending was beautiful. It’s a quick, easy read, only taking a few hours. This is the second time I have read this book, and I loved it just as much as the first time, maybe even more. Highly recommended.

[Emily Benoit · Rating 3 out of 5]

Concept/Ideas: 3/5
Characters: 3.5/5
Storyline/Plot: 3/5
Writing Style: 4/5
Overall Rating: 3/5


Mixed feelings about Lark. First of all, let's start off by saying I LOVE THE COVER. So beautiful, and definitely has a lot of signifigance to the book.

I knew this was going to be a fast read. Which I love. But... I feel like it really lacked a storyline plot. I don't know how to exactly expain it. I feel like the author just kind of threw you from Point A to Point B. Example: "Lark is alive... BOOM. Dead.... Lark is a ghost... BOOM. Her friends save her... BOOM. End of story." I feel like she lacked a really good plot line, and everything was rushed. I think if she would have made this book in a longer one, and had more plot.. it would have been much, much better.

The writing was beautiful though. I can't deny it. The way Tracey Porter wrote this, it really makes you feel. She wrote so deeply and in a moving way. Hence why I say that, once again, she should have made it longer and developed it more.

The characters were alright, but had no real depth to them in my opinion.

Overall, it was a good book and I still reccommend it. It's quick and to the point.

[Bunny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don’t let this book’s small size deter you. It packs a pretty mean punch, straight to the heart. I flew through this within two or three hours.

Admittedly, I stayed far away from this until I felt like I had plucked up the courage to finally read it. I needed every ounce of that courage for the story that was waiting for me within these pages. Lark is a very real and heartbreaking account of a young girl who is abducted, raped, and left for dead in the woods of her small hometown in northern Virginia.

Each girl has her own distinct voice. Eve is recovering from sexual harassment, while Nyetta is recovering from her parent’s tumultuous divorce coupled with the fact that Lark’s ghost is visiting her from the grave. I thought that the alternate narrations between Lark, Eve and Nyetta were handled seamlessly and flowed easily.

Would I recommend this? Absolutely. However, there is some violent and graphic imagery that might not be suitable for more sensitive readers.

[Elizabeth · Rating 1 out of 5]

It's rare when I actually hate a book, but it's safe to say that I actually hate this one. It's so freaking stupid. There is barely any story and no character development whatsoever. And if you actually could somehow say there is a story to this, it's not like the story hasn't been used before. It's just a stupid, short version of a book that could actually be good. There isn't even anything I can say in my review besides that, because there was barely anything to write about. The book is crap. Don't read it.

The only good thing I can say about this book is that the cover is gorgeous, and whenever I was reading it, which I'm pretty sure was only one day, people would tell me how beautiful the cover was. Okay, I'm now done with this review for this horrible book.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoughtful and short realistic fiction YA novel about three girls, Lark, Nyetta, and Eve. Lark was kidnapped and killed by a psychopath, and the other girls are trying to deal with this in their own way.

Nyetta keeps seeing Lark's ghost, as Lark needs someone to physically see where she was stabbed before she can move on into the next life. Eve and Lark were best friends at one time, so Eve tries to help Nyetta as well with getting Lark to accept her fate and not be trapped in the tree where she was killed.

I enjoyed this quick and easy read about friendship, moving on, and accepting our fate.

[Noelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

that was not an awesome book. im not sure which aspect of this novel i found more uncomfortable; the fact that the dead girls turned into trees or the fact that someone felt the need to write a fictonal story about teenage rape.

to be honest, this is just not my kind of book and i would not have ever picked it up on my own. my highschool book club decided they wanted read it. im pretty sure they'll realize their mistake when we are having an awkward group conversation about rape.

yeah.

[Thanh Tho · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up the book because the title was simple and that caught my attention. I also wanted to know how these two girls would overcome their conflicts and be able to help Lark. However, I felt like the book was lacking something, maybe some "real" emotions because I felt like the book wasn't realistic enough to reflect a real situation. The author did not make the story about girls in trees believable enough for me so I felt like I was reading a fantasy novel instead of an emotional story.

[Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Umm, I'm all for sparse, but...there really ought to be SOMETHING that's of remote interest.

[Yanet · Rating 3 out of 5]

my favorite part was towards the end when she was turning into a tree and the whole chapter was just words in different sizes. that was really smart

[Irene · Rating 1 out of 5]

I kept hoping that things would start making sense as I red further but the whole 'if you don't look at my stab wound I will turn into a tree' was just a little too weird for my tastes.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A dark, distinctive, haunting work of magical realism.

[elisabeth ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5ish?
On one hand, I actually really did enjoy this book while I was reading it. I cared about all of our main characters, and I really enjoyed the atmosphere of it. It felt kind of like a 2010s ABC Family movie, and while I am guessing that wasn’t intentional (as it came out in 2011) I still FELT that. The super angsty, sad backstory teen vibe was definitely present, and on top of that, we got an interesting tragedy to kick everything into motion that still fits within the “tv movie directors are trying to teach us hooligan teens to be more careful” vibe of said 2010 ABC family movies.

Now I’m not saying this to make the subject matter light, because it certainly was not, but I’m just being honest about the tone that I felt. This does not mean that the moral and message for stranger danger being sent out by this book was wrong. It was most definitely right. I just found the execution somewhat… meme-ably dated.

The real issue that I had with this book is that I think it did a poor job wrapping everything up. We could have gotten so much more. I think that possibly exploring the psychological terror of a predator on the loose could have been interesting, and also the author didn’t really sell me on her whole tree… metaphor… or whatever it was. The main message I got out of that whole plot line was that the living are MEANT to feel guilty. And I know that was unintended. I think the metaphor was more supposed to be accepting the death of a loved one and how hard that can be when you have your own survivors guilt or whatever, and dealing with that in a healthy way. I just don’t think the tree metaphor was healthy at all, and its not good that everything turned out good in the end since the author went that route. Character arcs were severely lacking for the most part.

Ps. Ian made up for a lot of the drawback of this book. I really like him and that whole relationship… though he scared me for a second when he gave her the alcohol and didn’t take any for himself on that date… I thought we were doomed to repeat events, but good ole boy pulled through as an upstanding citizen!

[Brenda Rave · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book Lark is about a young girl who was murdered. Lark is stuck in limbo and is trying to get her friends to see what really happened to her but none of them want to see because they are afraid. But one friends steps up to the plate and helps Lark get out of Limbo. Obviously the book is about Lark but Lark is not my favorite character. Eve (who was Larks best friend) is mine personal favorite, she knew she did wrong to Lark but no one would listen to what happened to Eve so she was upset. So she redeemed herself by listening to her dead friend Lark. The book didn't feel real to me, but I found myself connecting the book to the Lovely Bones, I kept picturing Lark's facial features to the main character in the movie Lovely Bones. But in all the book was short and sweet. I wished the book wasnt so short so I could enjoy it more. There was sad scenes in the book, a lot of the sad scenes were connecting with the death of Lark, more or less HOW she died. The book made me a little upset sometimes because the reaction people had towards Lark's death was mixed, most of it was fake. People who kind of knew Lark were acting like took a lot out of them. They pretended that they cared but within a week they were back to normal. The book also made me have sick to my stomach feelings, when Lark's death was brought up. It gave me that creepy vibe. I didnt like how short the book was, I really wish she wrote more. There was a lot of unanswered questions in the book, but I guess it keeps you thinking. I also didnt really like how the chapters were labeled. They were named after the person who was talking, and it had me confused at sometimes because I didnt know who was who. But all together the book was really good, I think the audience should be younger one, like middle schoolers the book was short and the letters were fairly large. I give it a 6 out of 10

[Stay Fetters · Rating 3 out of 5]

"First he hit her, then he stabbed her with a small knife, but Lark didn’t die from this. She died from the cold."

Lark was found tied to a tree in the woods a few days after she went missing. She went missing after gymnastics practice as she was walking home. Someone picked her up and did the unthinkable.

Two old friends of Larks are haunted by her death, but Nyetta gets the worst of it. She is haunted by Lark at night. Lark wants her to go into the woods and set her soul free. Nyetta can’t even look at what Lark wants her to see without wanting to faint. Eve blames herself for what happens to Lark. She thinks she’s to blame in some way and she lets it eat away at her.

They both soon realize that Lark is trapped between this world and the next. They must come together to set their friend free.

This was a good book even though it was a little morbid. The story was interesting and it never slowed down. The characters were well thought out and had strong personalities. Plus it was good to see how differently people cope with death. I was looking for more closure at the end but that ever happened and that’s why I rated this the way I did.

Lark was a look at the aftermath of a death and how people cope and come to terms with something so horrible. There was a lot going on with the characters but it didn’t distract you from the story. This was a tender and eye-opening read that will make you think twice before you judge someone.

Forgiveness is something that is never too late to have. You have to open your heart and your mind to find it.

[Kali · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a work of art! I want to cover this more in a monthly wrap up video (see update below) so I won't go into to much detail, but holly cow! 'LARK' by Tracey Porter took on many different topics, and I feel as though it covered them all perfectly. This stories main purpose was to show us the healing process of two girls who lost a dear friend due to a brutal murder. It did that perfectly. Tracey Porter did not stop there though - oh no - she also covered topics such as; divorce, sexual assault, mild parental abuse and more! Personally I feel like these were represented very honestly and respectfully, showing the bad but also giving us the healing process the characters went through after their trauma took place.

That is the end of the review, the rest is just a update*

Now, I mentioned that I wanted to cover this book in a video! I'm sure you all can guess what I'm about to say, but I'll go ahead and speak a little about it anyways. Basically I will be starting a YouTube channel soon where I will post a bunch of bookish content, and some other things as well! I will keep you guys updated on where I go with this all as it is still in the making, but I'm hoping to post my first video sometime next month!

[Anaya Collins · Rating 2 out of 5]

these are my thoughts on the book so far its mainly about 2 girls that are dealing with the guilt of the death of their friend lark. and supposedly larks ghost is going to see one of the girls from time to time so that she can be free and for her spirit not to be stuck in the tree she died at. some parts i liked about the book was how descriptive and all the imagery that was used in the book . I'm the type of person to see everything I'm reading and this book made it really easy. some things i didn't like very much about the book was how off topic it was and how it took forever to get to the parts you really wanted to read like how like died what time and why the girls were feeling guilty about something they didn't do or have no control over basically the book is dragged theres only so much you could say about her death.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lark was kidnapped, raped, then tied to a tree and left to die. Nyetta, a young girl Lark used to babysit, sees Lark's ghost most nights. Lark has to show Nyetta her wounds in order to be free. Otherwise, Lark will become part of the tree she died against. Eve is also haunted but by her own guilt. She and Lark were best friends, until Eve couldn't stand to be on the swim team anymore and couldn't make Lark understand why. Now the three o them are all lost and not sure where to turn. Lark doesn't have much time before she becomes part of the tree. Can Nyetta and Eve set her free?

Short and sweet but with a serious tone. The story is told in alternative voice and very well-done. A lot of emotion but not overkill.

[Brenda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although this book was quite small and cute cover wise the story untold behind this cover makes many rethink their daily lives, and the dangers of being alone.
Sixteen-year-old Lark, a young high school student was kidnapped, raped and left to die in the snowy woods after her gymnastics class on a cold winter's day. Little did Lark know that it would be the last time she would ever step outside of her class with freedom. Lark was a young strong girl who had so much ahead of her, and it was evident that she would go really far in life, if only she was given the chance. Not only was she an athlete she was also very intelligent, having various friends, it would seem as though they would all grieve for her, but that isn't quite the case.
The story of Lark, is told in alternating chapters between Lark and two of her friends. The only friends that had true contact with her when she was still alive. Here we have Eve, a girl who used to be Lark’s best friend up until a single argument destroyed their friendship; for what seemed to be the rest of Lark's days. Eve was also a gymnastics athlete, but much preferred swimming. However, the star that Lark was is every sport she tackled, Eve began to feel less of herself and decided to quit sports entirely. That was not the ultimate reason Eve left her sporting career, it included a new coach Trevor. A young athlete himself, Champion in the Dolphin Team when he was Lark and Eve's age, he takes a liking in Eve and it creates tension between Eve and Lark. Lark who sees Trevor as a perfect candidate for Eve (not considering the fact that he is much older than they are), Eve becomes upset with Lark for not seeing the danger that comes with being with an older man, Eve becomes upset with Lark for her carelessness with the subject and leaves Lark for her idiotic thoughts.
Later in the week, Eve stays a while longer in the swimming gymnasium thinking that no one else is still there. Eve walks into the girls' locker room and discovers that she in fact is not alone after-all. Eve realizes that Trevor, the young swimming coach, has stayed behind to keen on Eve without anyone else in the premises. Naked, with only a towel covering her body Trevor walks straight towards her unaware of the serious consequences he'll face if he is discovered of his perverted actions. Luckily for Eve, someone comes in and draws the action of Trevor. Another one of his friends looking for where he was, not noticing Eve, Eve sneaks out of the girls' locker room as quickly as she can before anything else happens. Eve tries to tell Lark of her altercation with Trevor but Lark wants nothing of it. Lark switches the topic to one of her own stories, which boils something in Eve. Eve is fed up with Lark only caring about her own problems and not listening to anything she has to say, Eve decides to break the friendship with Lark and it being the last time the either of them ever spoken.
Things don't stop there with Larks' "friends". Finally, there is Nyetta, who struggles with being able to see and hear the ghost of Lark. A young girl whom Lark used to babysit, is tasked by Lark to save her from being bound into a tree, the same tree in which she was tied to and left for dead by the cruel, and vile man that kidnapped her. It is a saying that children (mostly female) who died by a tree is later on trapped inside the tree and become one with the tree if and only someone who loves you can set you free. The only catch is the person the dead selects (in this case Lark) has to convince their loved one to see where the wound is where they were killed. Nyetta is put into therapy because of this. Nyetta, cannot bear to see Lark's wound because it only brings her more nightmares and more people thinking that Nyetta is nothing more than a crazy young girl who is grieving the death of her friend.
While the book is mainly encompassed around the tragedy of Lark’s murder, it is also about the two living girls who were really the only ones that cared about Lark, but Lark unfortunately left behind while she was still living. Their needs to be believed, cherished and understood is only a few more obstacles they encounter on the path to save Lark from being bound to a tree for the rest of her eternity.
I greatly appreciate Porter’s writing, because it truly is art. Porter has not only has created a book that has only 192 pages, but is a book that also requires delicate reading from the reader and the empathy that comes out when you read about Lark's unfortunate death. Porter has not only focused on speaking of real-life issues, but she is imbuing them into a certain symbolism that reaches beyond the actual. This ultimately creates a true depth to the story, creating a book that is worthy of discussion and thought. Issue that are woven into the story is ultimately sexuality, molestation, and rape amongst young girls, but a topic that can relate to anyone. For it is such a broad topic it can transpire to anyone and everyone in whatever time period. It is well written story, that clear and reassuring all together.
The three leading characters are differentiated well with such contrasting essences. Each of these girls hold solid qualities with their own personality and problems.

[Jenna Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

For such a small book, it’s incredibly packed with emotion and feeling. Lark, Eve and Nyetta’s feeling are palpable and evocative. The description of Lark’s kidnapping made me feel rage-y. This book is full of the Feels.