What do you think?
Rate this book
Summer and Bird
An enchanting—and twisted—tale of two sisters’ quest to find their parents
When their parents disappear in the middle of the night, young sisters Summer and Bird set off on a quest to find them. A cryptic picture message from their mother leads them to a familiar gate in the woods, but comfortable sights quickly give way to a new world entirely—Down—one inhabited by talking birds and the evil Puppeteer queen. Summer and Bird are quickly separated, and their divided hearts lead them each in a very different direction in the quest to find their parents, vanquish the Puppeteer, lead the birds back to their Green Home, and discover the identity of the true bird queen.
With breathtaking language and deliciously inventive details, Katherine Catmull has created a world unlike any other, skillfully blurring the lines between magic and reality and bringing to life a completely authentic cast of characters and creatures.
When their parents disappear in the middle of the night, young sisters Summer and Bird set off on a quest to find them. A cryptic picture message from their mother leads them to a familiar gate in the woods, but comfortable sights quickly give way to a new world entirely—Down—one inhabited by talking birds and the evil Puppeteer queen. Summer and Bird are quickly separated, and their divided hearts lead them each in a very different direction in the quest to find their parents, vanquish the Puppeteer, lead the birds back to their Green Home, and discover the identity of the true bird queen.
With breathtaking language and deliciously inventive details, Katherine Catmull has created a world unlike any other, skillfully blurring the lines between magic and reality and bringing to life a completely authentic cast of characters and creatures.
346 pages, Hardcover
First published October 2, 2012
51 people are currently reading
3946 people want to read
About the author
Katherine Catmull
4 books129 followersI'm a writer and actor in Austin, TX. I also sometimes write for the Austin Chronicle, act on stage in various Austin venues, and do voice work for games like DC Universe Online (Oracle) and Wizard 101 (Myrella Windspar).
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 309 reviews
July 8, 2015
[1.5 Stars] This was boring, flowery, and far too vague for my liking. I'm all for strange and prettily written books, but this one I just couldn't connect to at all. In part it was the writing and in part it was the ridiculously annoying and not relatable characters. The writing wasn't for me. I can see its merit and it is the only reason this got a 1.5 instead of a 1 star rating, but seriously everything felt just a little too alien for me. Would not recommend it no matter how pretty the cover is.
August 7, 2013
I spent ages looking for this book and I finally got it for my birthday, I was so happy! Well...
This is a very difficult book to rate. First of all, there is absolutely nothing wrong with the writing itself - it's beautiful and it manages to be both whimsical and serious, which is a feat unto itself. Those 2 stars? That's all the writing.
The thing is, the pretty writing was all that kept me reading. I couldn't connect with the characters at all, there was little to differentiate the way the sisters were written - oh, there were details, one looked like this, the other like that, one was ambitious and more bird-like, the other more human and worried about the family, but their voices? There wasn't much to tell one from the other. And what characterization there was ended up too odd, too alien to allow me to connect with them - granted, it serves the plot, but it does not serve the reader.
The plot had so much potential! An evil puppeteer who wastes herself away to become more bird-like and feasts on birds for the same purpose. An exiled bird queen. Two little girls with a mysterious heritage. But it was SO slow!! The pacing was terrible, it seemed like it was just writing for the sake of writing - very pretty writing, but the story went nowhere for ages. It took me 3 months to read this book. 3 months!!!
I hate the ending. I'm not one of those who has to have a HEA, though there's that expectation, especially in a children's book, but it was just unsatisfying and empty.
I don't know, maybe it was just me, maybe I personally couldn't connect with this book. So go ahead, give it a chance, the writing is worth it, I didn't care for the rest, but maybe others will.
May 25, 2016
This came so close to being a haunting, eerie little fable-tale. Prose that borders on lush describing fairytale twists, at times it's lovely and at others it misses the mark completely. So much potential that breaks through at unexpected and delightful moments, leaving the reader wanting oh so much more - a more that is never quite delivered.
October 8, 2012
Once upon a time, a young man fell in love with the beautiful Swan Queen. He stole and hid her swan robe and the Queen fell in love with him because he had part of her soul.
Once upon a time (and at around that same time) a dancer wished for nothing more than to be the Queen of the Birds. She found the hidden Swan Queen’s robe and took it away leaving the Swan Queen stranded as a human and her bird-courtiers bereft and lost. The dancer became the bird’s Regent and a Grand Master of Events.
Once upon a time (but only a few years after the aforementioned events) two young sisters – Summer and Bird – woke to find their parents gone. A cryptic message from their mother lead then to the forest and to Down, a fantastical world inhabited by talking birds and the string-pulling Puppeteer. There, they separated and each took a journey to find not only their parents but also their true souls.
Summer and Bird unfolds with the parallel stories of the two sisters, following their quest and coming of age arcs in a Fantasy setting with a fairytale atmosphere and patterns. Those elements are incorporated in the story mostly via its narrator – an omniscient, self-aware narrator who often foreshadows by using asides – in a way that makes Summer and Bird a book that is very much aware that it is a fairytale.
This proved to be a mixed bag for me. This self-awareness works beautifully when it comes to its themes. At its core, Summer and Bird is a raw and poignant tale of a family split apart by both external and internal events. Things are somewhat set in motion by its villain but there is a clear acknowledgement that what matters here are the actions and reactions of the main characters. The examination of Summer and Bird’s parents’ relationship for example and especially how it came to be, what brought the two together and what kept them together is incredibly thought-provoking. It is a relationship that follows a recurring motif in fairytales: the folkloric creature who is both human and animal and whose magical pelt is stolen by a lover. Two of the main emotional focal points of the novel are both this morally ambiguous relationship and the way it affects the lives of their children. Another one is the relationship between the two sisters and the way they feel about each other, about their parents and how they see the world. Theirs is a charged relationship, fraught with loyalty and devotion as well as rivalry and jealousy.
There is also a great exploration of themes like what happens to a kingdom when there is a complete reliance on a monarch to lead them – and what happens to the subjects when their Queen disappears. I loved to see the different possible ways that such an event can affect lives – there are those that despair and those who find a different way and so on and so forth.
That said, this self-awareness also kind of allows the writer a freedom to play with the characters and plot arbitrarily, in a way that didn’t quite feel natural. There is a very strong tendency to explain things via innate talent and hard-wired (rather than acquired) abilities that didn’t sit that well with me.
The lyrical prose often felt forced, especially when it involved frustratingly cryptic conversations:
‘It might mean just exactly that,’ said Ben. ‘But it might also mean more than that.’
Granted that in a way, those actually play really well with the fairytale motif and how one can read stories and clues in different ways but unfortunately those types of conversations were repeated many, many times. The meandering, overlong and repetitions nature of the story detracts from any sense of urgency. I am not exaggerating: when under extreme emotion characters would simply sit down to cry abundant tears and given the number of times this happens, those tears would be enough to fill an entire Ocean of Angst.
Despite all that, there is a lot here that is actually really, really good – the themes, the characters, the beautifully imagined world. I especially loved how this is a story that acknowledges the potential for darkness in fairytales without making this fable an entirely bleak one and this route is followed all the way through to its bittersweet conclusion. I’d really recommend it to those who love fairytales and who wouldn’t mind a slightly flawed (and perhaps a little bit boring, if I am being honest) execution.
Once upon a time (and at around that same time) a dancer wished for nothing more than to be the Queen of the Birds. She found the hidden Swan Queen’s robe and took it away leaving the Swan Queen stranded as a human and her bird-courtiers bereft and lost. The dancer became the bird’s Regent and a Grand Master of Events.
Once upon a time (but only a few years after the aforementioned events) two young sisters – Summer and Bird – woke to find their parents gone. A cryptic message from their mother lead then to the forest and to Down, a fantastical world inhabited by talking birds and the string-pulling Puppeteer. There, they separated and each took a journey to find not only their parents but also their true souls.
Summer and Bird unfolds with the parallel stories of the two sisters, following their quest and coming of age arcs in a Fantasy setting with a fairytale atmosphere and patterns. Those elements are incorporated in the story mostly via its narrator – an omniscient, self-aware narrator who often foreshadows by using asides – in a way that makes Summer and Bird a book that is very much aware that it is a fairytale.
This proved to be a mixed bag for me. This self-awareness works beautifully when it comes to its themes. At its core, Summer and Bird is a raw and poignant tale of a family split apart by both external and internal events. Things are somewhat set in motion by its villain but there is a clear acknowledgement that what matters here are the actions and reactions of the main characters. The examination of Summer and Bird’s parents’ relationship for example and especially how it came to be, what brought the two together and what kept them together is incredibly thought-provoking. It is a relationship that follows a recurring motif in fairytales: the folkloric creature who is both human and animal and whose magical pelt is stolen by a lover. Two of the main emotional focal points of the novel are both this morally ambiguous relationship and the way it affects the lives of their children. Another one is the relationship between the two sisters and the way they feel about each other, about their parents and how they see the world. Theirs is a charged relationship, fraught with loyalty and devotion as well as rivalry and jealousy.
There is also a great exploration of themes like what happens to a kingdom when there is a complete reliance on a monarch to lead them – and what happens to the subjects when their Queen disappears. I loved to see the different possible ways that such an event can affect lives – there are those that despair and those who find a different way and so on and so forth.
That said, this self-awareness also kind of allows the writer a freedom to play with the characters and plot arbitrarily, in a way that didn’t quite feel natural. There is a very strong tendency to explain things via innate talent and hard-wired (rather than acquired) abilities that didn’t sit that well with me.
The lyrical prose often felt forced, especially when it involved frustratingly cryptic conversations:
‘It might mean just exactly that,’ said Ben. ‘But it might also mean more than that.’
Granted that in a way, those actually play really well with the fairytale motif and how one can read stories and clues in different ways but unfortunately those types of conversations were repeated many, many times. The meandering, overlong and repetitions nature of the story detracts from any sense of urgency. I am not exaggerating: when under extreme emotion characters would simply sit down to cry abundant tears and given the number of times this happens, those tears would be enough to fill an entire Ocean of Angst.
Despite all that, there is a lot here that is actually really, really good – the themes, the characters, the beautifully imagined world. I especially loved how this is a story that acknowledges the potential for darkness in fairytales without making this fable an entirely bleak one and this route is followed all the way through to its bittersweet conclusion. I’d really recommend it to those who love fairytales and who wouldn’t mind a slightly flawed (and perhaps a little bit boring, if I am being honest) execution.
January 9, 2013
Characters:
Summer: One of two main characters, Summer is the older sister. Summer is responsible and big-sisterly... trying to take charge and control the situation when their parents disappear. I really enjoyed every chapter from Summer's perspective... and even though she could be annoying at times (in the "I'm older than you, so we'll do what I say" kind of way that big sisters have) ... it was character appropriate annoyingness, which only made her character stronger.
Bird: One of two main characters, Bird is the younger sister. She shares many characteristics with the creatures after which she was named. She's stubborn and sometimes acts dreadfully, but considering her age, it's all appropriate and she remains likeable, despite some of her actions.
Raven: Summer's Ally in the bird world, I enjoyed this character and would have liked to have found out more about her.
Ben: The mysterious old man who helps Summer out and gives her three gifts. I enjoyed him immensely... and was glad to see him return later in the book.
The Puppeteer: The villian of the story, I found her background to be really interesting, and her habits, especially her eating habits, to be horrifying. I thought she was an excellent villian.
Sarah: Summer and Bird's cat... another character that I *really* wanted to know more about.
Mother: Summer and Bird's mother, and a woman who is more than what she seemed.
Father: Summer and Bird's father, who was a very sad character in the book.
Owl: One more character who I really wished I'd known more about.
Writing: The book was a quick, easy read... but the language was rich and intriguing. Katherine Catmull has a very interesting way of writing where she reveals things that will be said in the future... but in such a way as to add to the present storyline without ruining what will happen in the story. It's something I really enjoyed, and haven't seen before in a YA novel. The characters were lovely and my only wish is that, when reaching the end of the book, I had known more about them. By the end of the book, you know Summer and Bird quite well, but all the supporting cast is still very, very lacking in background story. The world that Catmull created was rich and overflowing... so you know these side characters must have amazing stories themselves.
Ending: Bittersweet is the only real word for it. I'm hoping more books will be written in this world.
Plot: This plot is rich with the mythology of birds. It's a world where magic exists, and where elements from myths we've all heard (the World Tree and Serpent) are woven in beautifully. Like I've already mentioned, the only thing I wish is that there was more development of the side characters. I still am not sure who exactly Sarah and the Owl were when it came to their own personal motivations. The story itself flows nicely though... but I have to say, the main Villian issues were resolved about 3/4 of the way through the book, which was a great thing, because it left you wondering, "What's going to happen next?!"
Believability of World: Very believable, since it was made clear from almost the beginning, that magic is a part of this world.
Overall Grade: A ~ I really enjoyed reading this book, and my only gripe is that I wanted to know more about the side characters, which is just me being greedy, since the story was about Summer and Bird, and it developed and covered them wonderfully.
Summer: One of two main characters, Summer is the older sister. Summer is responsible and big-sisterly... trying to take charge and control the situation when their parents disappear. I really enjoyed every chapter from Summer's perspective... and even though she could be annoying at times (in the "I'm older than you, so we'll do what I say" kind of way that big sisters have) ... it was character appropriate annoyingness, which only made her character stronger.
Bird: One of two main characters, Bird is the younger sister. She shares many characteristics with the creatures after which she was named. She's stubborn and sometimes acts dreadfully, but considering her age, it's all appropriate and she remains likeable, despite some of her actions.
Raven: Summer's Ally in the bird world, I enjoyed this character and would have liked to have found out more about her.
Ben: The mysterious old man who helps Summer out and gives her three gifts. I enjoyed him immensely... and was glad to see him return later in the book.
The Puppeteer: The villian of the story, I found her background to be really interesting, and her habits, especially her eating habits, to be horrifying. I thought she was an excellent villian.
Sarah: Summer and Bird's cat... another character that I *really* wanted to know more about.
Mother: Summer and Bird's mother, and a woman who is more than what she seemed.
Father: Summer and Bird's father, who was a very sad character in the book.
Owl: One more character who I really wished I'd known more about.
Writing: The book was a quick, easy read... but the language was rich and intriguing. Katherine Catmull has a very interesting way of writing where she reveals things that will be said in the future... but in such a way as to add to the present storyline without ruining what will happen in the story. It's something I really enjoyed, and haven't seen before in a YA novel. The characters were lovely and my only wish is that, when reaching the end of the book, I had known more about them. By the end of the book, you know Summer and Bird quite well, but all the supporting cast is still very, very lacking in background story. The world that Catmull created was rich and overflowing... so you know these side characters must have amazing stories themselves.
Ending: Bittersweet is the only real word for it. I'm hoping more books will be written in this world.
Plot: This plot is rich with the mythology of birds. It's a world where magic exists, and where elements from myths we've all heard (the World Tree and Serpent) are woven in beautifully. Like I've already mentioned, the only thing I wish is that there was more development of the side characters. I still am not sure who exactly Sarah and the Owl were when it came to their own personal motivations. The story itself flows nicely though... but I have to say, the main Villian issues were resolved about 3/4 of the way through the book, which was a great thing, because it left you wondering, "What's going to happen next?!"
Believability of World: Very believable, since it was made clear from almost the beginning, that magic is a part of this world.
Overall Grade: A ~ I really enjoyed reading this book, and my only gripe is that I wanted to know more about the side characters, which is just me being greedy, since the story was about Summer and Bird, and it developed and covered them wonderfully.
November 17, 2012
This is one of those books I think everyone should read. Does it have some flaws? Yes, of course it does. The very, very end was unsatisfying but everything else was great.
I think, maybe, that this was one of those books that came around at just the right time for me. I identified with one of the main characters, Summer, so hard that it hurt some times: the big sister who is not-so-secretly jealous of her younger sister's untameable ways.
"All their lives, Bird had been the difficult one, the unmanageable child, and Summer the good girl who could always be relied on. But Summer could see that Bird had always found her own story and chosen to follow it, and Summer envied that. Most of all, she envied the magnetic bird-soul that had told Bird what to do."
I'm not sure what else to say besides "Go read this book. RIGHT. NOW." so I'll leave you with some mostly non-spoilery quotes*.
I think, maybe, that this was one of those books that came around at just the right time for me. I identified with one of the main characters, Summer, so hard that it hurt some times: the big sister who is not-so-secretly jealous of her younger sister's untameable ways.
"All their lives, Bird had been the difficult one, the unmanageable child, and Summer the good girl who could always be relied on. But Summer could see that Bird had always found her own story and chosen to follow it, and Summer envied that. Most of all, she envied the magnetic bird-soul that had told Bird what to do."
I'm not sure what else to say besides "Go read this book. RIGHT. NOW." so I'll leave you with some mostly non-spoilery quotes*.
May 1, 2017
Having glanced at a few reviews of this book previously, I wasn't entirely sure what to expect. However, the cover was captivating enough that I kept an eye out for it, and when a friend gifted me a hardcover copy for Christmas, I dove right on.
Having finished it yesterday at last, I decided it was time to write a review. What sort of a review, though, I wasn't sure--it's hard to put into words what I felt about this book. Overall, it was a compelling read that I enjoyed and will definitely present to my sister when I next see her--I think she would enjoy the read as well.
What didn't I like about the book? It's hard to say. There are definitely elements that don't quite add up to a five-star rating, but it's certainly a solid four-star read, at least for me. I think I would have liked to see the world explored even more in detail, but enough detail is there to read between the lines.
I especially liked the nods to mythology--the World Tree, the serpent, the phoenix... And the writing was lovely. The story itself had enough twists to keep it interesting (even if I knew what was going to happen--I'm good at guessing twists that way.)
Who would I recommend this book to? Sisters--because I think we all have a bit of Summer and Bird in us. Fantasy and fairy tale lovers--because that's definitely what this story is.
Having finished it yesterday at last, I decided it was time to write a review. What sort of a review, though, I wasn't sure--it's hard to put into words what I felt about this book. Overall, it was a compelling read that I enjoyed and will definitely present to my sister when I next see her--I think she would enjoy the read as well.
What didn't I like about the book? It's hard to say. There are definitely elements that don't quite add up to a five-star rating, but it's certainly a solid four-star read, at least for me. I think I would have liked to see the world explored even more in detail, but enough detail is there to read between the lines.
I especially liked the nods to mythology--the World Tree, the serpent, the phoenix... And the writing was lovely. The story itself had enough twists to keep it interesting (even if I knew what was going to happen--I'm good at guessing twists that way.)
Who would I recommend this book to? Sisters--because I think we all have a bit of Summer and Bird in us. Fantasy and fairy tale lovers--because that's definitely what this story is.
August 4, 2013
I thought this was beautiful written, evocative, well-imagined. I like that the problems posed weren't easily solved, that even once the characters were able to make their explanations to each other, the hurt and confusion still lingered and had to be worked through, just like in real life. I might have wished for a 'happier' ending, but I appreciate the reality of it, that it doesn't just tie up the character's lives in a neat bow- after all none of them are ninety, they still have a lot of life to live before they tie things up. For me to give a book five stars, it has to further my understanding of life and relationships and God in a meaningful way, and this book did that. I appreciated the recurring theme of finding your true self, discovering and remembering who you really are. I appreciated the lesson that even truths that come to us can mean more than one thing, or be misunderstood, but even when you misunderstand then they can eventually lead you the way you need to go. One of the best YA reads I've found in a long time.
February 16, 2023
3.5 stars 🌟
July 16, 2015
An enchanting—and twisted—tale of two sisters’ quest to find their parents
When their parents disappear in the middle of the night, young sisters Summer and Bird set off on a quest to find them. A cryptic picture message from their mother leads them to a familiar gate in the woods, but comfortable sights quickly give way to a new world entirely—Down—one inhabited by talking birds and the evil Puppeteer queen. Summer and Bird are quickly separated, and their divided hearts lead them each in a very different direction in the quest to find their parents, vanquish the Puppeteer, lead the birds back to their Green Home, and discover the identity of the true bird queen.
With breathtaking language and deliciously inventive details, Katherine Catmull has created a world unlike any other, skillfully blurring the lines between magic and reality and bringing to life a completely authentic cast of characters and creatures.
--My thoughts. What the heck. This is one of the weirdest books I have ever read. I couldn't get into it whatsoever. I read the whole thing, just because I am not a quitter but the whole time I was thinking to myself this is just so weird and who turns into birds? What? So weird and just odd.
I loved the cover, that is what drew me to the book. That is about all I liked about it. I received this book from Goodreads first read program in exchange for my honest opinion.
When their parents disappear in the middle of the night, young sisters Summer and Bird set off on a quest to find them. A cryptic picture message from their mother leads them to a familiar gate in the woods, but comfortable sights quickly give way to a new world entirely—Down—one inhabited by talking birds and the evil Puppeteer queen. Summer and Bird are quickly separated, and their divided hearts lead them each in a very different direction in the quest to find their parents, vanquish the Puppeteer, lead the birds back to their Green Home, and discover the identity of the true bird queen.
With breathtaking language and deliciously inventive details, Katherine Catmull has created a world unlike any other, skillfully blurring the lines between magic and reality and bringing to life a completely authentic cast of characters and creatures.
--My thoughts. What the heck. This is one of the weirdest books I have ever read. I couldn't get into it whatsoever. I read the whole thing, just because I am not a quitter but the whole time I was thinking to myself this is just so weird and who turns into birds? What? So weird and just odd.
I loved the cover, that is what drew me to the book. That is about all I liked about it. I received this book from Goodreads first read program in exchange for my honest opinion.
November 22, 2012
I just finished Summer & Bird. It’s brilliant. But not because it’s beautifully written (which it is), or a lovely story (which it becomes) – it’s great because somewhere along the line, no matter who you are or where you come from, you see your own hopes and fears and desires and dilemmas through the eyes of the two sisters who are trying to put their world back together.
Summer and Bird make their way through a landscape that is nothing like ours, and everything like ours. Who hasn’t found themselves in a deep nest almost too steep to climb out of, at the top of a tree too tall to climb down? Who hasn’t loved someone with a burning desire that destroys, and hated someone with all the fury of love?
I’ve been an adult for a long time, so it shocked me that a book written for middle grade readers would get under my skin like this one did. The 12-year-old who still lurks deep inside me wishes she’d read this book back when there were still a bewildering number of paths spread out before her, and precious few instruments to help her choose which ones would take her where she wanted to go.
If you know a 12-year-old, give her this book. She will thank you forever.
Summer and Bird make their way through a landscape that is nothing like ours, and everything like ours. Who hasn’t found themselves in a deep nest almost too steep to climb out of, at the top of a tree too tall to climb down? Who hasn’t loved someone with a burning desire that destroys, and hated someone with all the fury of love?
I’ve been an adult for a long time, so it shocked me that a book written for middle grade readers would get under my skin like this one did. The 12-year-old who still lurks deep inside me wishes she’d read this book back when there were still a bewildering number of paths spread out before her, and precious few instruments to help her choose which ones would take her where she wanted to go.
If you know a 12-year-old, give her this book. She will thank you forever.
July 23, 2015
This is possibly the best middle grade book I have ever read in my life. It is a book like a music box, old and dusty and you think it won't play, but when it does, the song is so bright and loud and clear, your mouth drops open and you feel a few tears in your eyes. That is how this book is.
This is a book about birds. About a mother and her daughters. About sisters, very different sisters. About how when you love someone, you oftentimes hurt them and you don't mean to, you want to take it back but you can't. But that's okay, because the love carries everyone through.
This is a book about birds. About a mother and her daughters. About sisters, very different sisters. About how when you love someone, you oftentimes hurt them and you don't mean to, you want to take it back but you can't. But that's okay, because the love carries everyone through.
July 25, 2013
I would rank this one no stars if possible. The book moved at such an excruciatingly slow pace that I gave up on it halfway through.
Two sisters wake up one morning to find their parents are missing, so they start out on a quest into the forest to find them. Apparently, the mother is really a swan who can change back and forth into human form and the younger daughter, Bird, just longs to be a bird. Yeah. Yuck.
Two sisters wake up one morning to find their parents are missing, so they start out on a quest into the forest to find them. Apparently, the mother is really a swan who can change back and forth into human form and the younger daughter, Bird, just longs to be a bird. Yeah. Yuck.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 28, 2018
Das Buch war... merkwürdig. Aber auch schön und liebevoll geschrieben. Wie ein modernes Märchen.
August 28, 2012
In Katherine Catmull's eloquent debut novel, Summer and Bird are two girls facing a time-honored fairy tale trial: their parents have run away to the Woods, and so they go on a quest to find them and to bring them back home. This story doesn't have a Disney style fairy tale's cheerful adventures, persistent cuteness, and the promise of a happy ending. Instead Summer and Bird uses an unsettling and grim magical realism that reminded me of del Toro's Pan's Labyrinth. Magical realism isn't a common voice for YA fairy tale retellings, but Catmull succeeds with it. For example, she makes talking birds creepy, rather than something we can take for granted as the common cute talking animal trope. According to The Witch Must Die: The Hidden Meaning Of Fairy Tales, fairy tales deal with the vital struggles of childhood - how children deal with parents' imperfections, and how children fight to control their own impulses and fears. Summer and Bird dives deeply into this territory. What emerges is a unique combination of raw psychology and soothing beauty. Recommended for fans of Malinda Lo, Brenna Yovanoff or Umberto Eco.
January 30, 2013
This story has crept under my skin. It invaded my heart and brought tears to my eyes. At times I was enthralled with it, and at times I was angry. My rating, that has gone up to five and down to three, is now resting calmly on a four.
I typically like to read Disney-like fairytales. The ones where the prince and princess fall in love and live happily ever after with the sweet forest animals to forever be their friends. But, like the book says, those scenes with Cinderella and her helpful bird companions were exactly how this book was not.
The story line can be horrible and painful, a lie and the truth. No matter who you are, I think it can speak to your basic instinct or desire to be special, to be appointed. The story deals with all the feelings of that desire: jealousy, longing, anger, and hope. It fleshes out those feelings through the journey and thoughts of two young girls. With the help of some animal "friends", each girl finds the way to their destiny and their own sense of being.
You can read from other reviews what else is included in this book, but the message of it is so deeply written that you can't just sum it up and slap it into only so many words. You can only read it for yourself and listen to what your heart-song tells you.
I typically like to read Disney-like fairytales. The ones where the prince and princess fall in love and live happily ever after with the sweet forest animals to forever be their friends. But, like the book says, those scenes with Cinderella and her helpful bird companions were exactly how this book was not.
The story line can be horrible and painful, a lie and the truth. No matter who you are, I think it can speak to your basic instinct or desire to be special, to be appointed. The story deals with all the feelings of that desire: jealousy, longing, anger, and hope. It fleshes out those feelings through the journey and thoughts of two young girls. With the help of some animal "friends", each girl finds the way to their destiny and their own sense of being.
You can read from other reviews what else is included in this book, but the message of it is so deeply written that you can't just sum it up and slap it into only so many words. You can only read it for yourself and listen to what your heart-song tells you.
March 4, 2013
This is more like a 3.5/5 or a 7/10 for me. After reading the first couple of chapters I was sold on the mystery and on my emotional attachment to these girls. I also was enjoying the lyrical writing. It reminded me in the beginning of Cat Valente's writing style in the Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland, and that is one of my favorite books EVER. So I fully expected to be totally invested in the rest of the book. Except I wasn't. There was a lot of repetitiveness and lyrical writing seemed gratuitous and forced in some moments, like the author was trying too hard. After having such high hopes from reading the first couple of chapters, I felt kind of let down by the end. Still, this book would make a beautiful animated movie. I can see something anime, in the vein of Howl's Moving Castle or Spirited Away.
3/3/2013: after some thought and time to examine my feelings, I am lowering my grade to a 6/10, or a 3/5. The book was good.....it just wasn't great.
3/3/2013: after some thought and time to examine my feelings, I am lowering my grade to a 6/10, or a 3/5. The book was good.....it just wasn't great.
June 29, 2017
This book was pure magic. I started it expecting great things, and I was not disappointed. From the beginning I was drawn in, ensnared by the lovely web of the story, and I didn't want to break free. If you love tales of sisters, of magic, of fairy tales, of longing and myth and birds, this book is for you.
Favorite quote:
"But when you find your soul, you have to go. When you find your true shape, when the wind lifts you up, when you remember who you are, you have to go."
Favorite quote:
"But when you find your soul, you have to go. When you find your true shape, when the wind lifts you up, when you remember who you are, you have to go."
July 5, 2012
Unbelievable. Extraordinary characters, wonderful writing, it just filled up my bones. Absolutely incredible. An all-ages book, written in a way that actually appeals to all ages, with an honesty that is only found in the best of the genre. Please read this.
October 10, 2022
Ich muss zugeben, dass dieses eines der wenigen Bücher ist, die ich nicht zu Ende gelesen habe, weil ich es einfach nicht konnte. Beginnen wir das Ganze mal so: Stellenweise enthält der Roman interessante Erklärungsmuster, etwa zur Bedeutung von Kinderliedern in Kapitel 7, die in Anbetracht der Geschichte einen erweiterten Sinn bekommen – ein bisschen, als würde man hinter eine Fassade blicken, die auch in der Realität Bestand haben könnte. Die Figuren sind leider weniger interessant, die ältere Schwester definiert sich beispielsweise primär über ihre genervte und (anstrengend) kindliche Art, während die jüngere ziemlich altklug wirkt.
Hinzu kommt, dass der Text mit verschiedenen Formalitäten spielt – die kursiven Passagen für Gedankengänge sind legitim, aber nahezu auf jeder Seite ergänzende Klammern bzgl. der Handlung und Charaktere nehmen doch etwas überhand. Für mich haben sie die Lektüre immens gestört, zumal man sich von der Erzählstimme gelegentlich für dumm verkauft fühlen muss.
Zum Vorlesen eignet sich das Buch durch diese Bruchstellen überhaupt nicht, obwohl die Anlehnung an eine Märchenerzählung eigentlich die passenden Weichen legt und so eine entsprechende Erwartungshaltung bedingt. Schade, wobei die visuelle Gestaltung (auch intern) sehr ansprechend ist.
Hinzu kommt, dass der Text mit verschiedenen Formalitäten spielt – die kursiven Passagen für Gedankengänge sind legitim, aber nahezu auf jeder Seite ergänzende Klammern bzgl. der Handlung und Charaktere nehmen doch etwas überhand. Für mich haben sie die Lektüre immens gestört, zumal man sich von der Erzählstimme gelegentlich für dumm verkauft fühlen muss.
Zum Vorlesen eignet sich das Buch durch diese Bruchstellen überhaupt nicht, obwohl die Anlehnung an eine Märchenerzählung eigentlich die passenden Weichen legt und so eine entsprechende Erwartungshaltung bedingt. Schade, wobei die visuelle Gestaltung (auch intern) sehr ansprechend ist.
October 30, 2017
I've come to the end of my reading journey with this book. Page 205. I want to like it, but it's a bit of a trudge with the feeling of being made up as it goes along. If I liked the characters, then I might press on, but Summer and Bird's personalities aren't defined. They are like the heroes of ancient lore where ordeal after ordeal befalls them as they persevere, but the journey they are on is the author's, not theirs. As such, they are blanks to project the author's message, delivered via metaphor and exposition.
Catmull's writing is wonderful in parts. She has a charming talent for describing settings. I love the layout of the book as well. The chapter header illustrations and drop caps are beautiful. In fact, I see that many people here enjoy this book, so I am going to assume that it simply isn't hitting the mark for me at this moment in time. This review will serve as a bookmark. Perhaps I will return one day, but for now I need to move on.
Catmull's writing is wonderful in parts. She has a charming talent for describing settings. I love the layout of the book as well. The chapter header illustrations and drop caps are beautiful. In fact, I see that many people here enjoy this book, so I am going to assume that it simply isn't hitting the mark for me at this moment in time. This review will serve as a bookmark. Perhaps I will return one day, but for now I need to move on.
March 22, 2017
You read a lot of good stories in children's books, but reading good writing, let alone EXCELLENT writing can be a rarity. This book is like a faery tale is the oldest sense of the word--full of danger, and sacrifice, and nobility, and magic, and quests, and love, and revenge, and evil, and triumph--I couldn't put it down. Even now, I can't stop thinking about it and bits and pieces of it keep coming back to me (there's so much deeper in it). Truly amazing. This is not a light read. This has some tough things that happen; it is not a book for every reader. But if this book should find you, you might find yourself changed.
March 5, 2022
Sama historia była przedziwina i czasami nie mogłam się na niej skupić, jednak nie mogłam przestać jej czytać, bo chciałam wiedzieć jak się ona skończy. Przez większą część książki nie lubiłam głównych bohaterek, bo były strasznie denerwujące, jednak zdarzały się momenty, że faktycznie je lubiłam i było mi ich szkoda.
February 1, 2024
DNF around page 60
This is a weird one. Too grown-up to be a children's book, yet not complex enough to be an adult one. The characters are very lack-luster and the writing vacillates between overblown and pretty. Reviews tell me that it has a poor ending so I'm going to stop it now and move on to a better read.
This is a weird one. Too grown-up to be a children's book, yet not complex enough to be an adult one. The characters are very lack-luster and the writing vacillates between overblown and pretty. Reviews tell me that it has a poor ending so I'm going to stop it now and move on to a better read.
postponed-reading
November 5, 2024I borrowed this from the library a long time ago, but didn't finish reading it. I found it at the library discard shop. Will I finish reading this time?
October 11, 2025
"There once were two sisters who hated each other......."
October 15, 2023
I love this book with all my heart. It is past, present and future for me, someone who is fully human and does live in all three of those. It is Love, it is pain, it is healing and learning. <3
November 5, 2012
One morning Summer and Bird wake up to find their parents gone. Following a picture message their mother has left, Summer and Bird find themselves in and underground world of birds, where their Queen, a swan, has been missing for 13 years. In her place is the Puppeteer, who has plotted to take over, if only she can have the swan queen's robe. Separated, Summer and Bird go on very different journeys, each seeking her heart's desire.
The story is loosely based on a number of fairy tales where swans can take human form - The Wild Swans by Hans Christian Anderson, or perhaps Swan Lake. As is typical, a man sees a beautiful woman emerge from the body of a swan (or a seal or whatever) and because of his love for her hides her swan robe so she cannot transform. Quite out of character, the man realizes this was a cruel move and not one of love and tries to return the robe to his now wife, but the robe is gone, stolen by someone who wants to be the swan queen. The couple has two children, one who is more bird than the other and wants to be a bird more than anything. But the children do not know about their mother's secret identity, and that although she loves them she also longs to return to her birds.
My biggest struggle when reading this was the question, "Who is this book for?" and I don't know if it's for a YA audience. Yes, it focuses on two young girls, but the fact that the girls are so young (8 and 12) and it's not written for middle school students causes me to think even more that this is not a children's book. It's coming from Penguin Young Readers Group, and it's marketed toward YA, but...it's just not. Yes, the characters are children, but it's not about the children.
We are looking at the very adult journeys of two very young people. And the way that their journeys are reflected on is very adult, not the children themselves examining themselves and understanding what's happening. There is a removal of the childishness, a reflection that is outside of the child's experience. We are looking back on these things that happened to these children and understanding them in an adult way. There is no actual connection to young people, even though the characters are young.
Summer and Bird is very lyrical. It's other worldly and the language is quite lovely. Summer and Bird travel through strange and mysterious places that are richly described. They face inner demons and struggle with the feeling of betrayal from their parents. But again, we don't actually get to experience their realistic child-like emotions. We get a distant understanding and analysis of what they are experiencing.
One thing bothered me in particular. Summer and the ravens come to rescue Bird and their mother, who is in the form of a swan. Bird, in her anger and confusion won't come, so Summer and the swan are carried away by the ravens, leaving Bird with the evil Puppeteer. The swan is calling out in horrible distress, because her baby is being left behind. And then they don't go back for her. Oh, there are reasons. The swan has a hurt foot so she cannot fly. Their father is too sick and weak. But seriously, they're their parents. If the swan could get a bunch of birds to carry her a few chapters later, you'd think she'd get them to do it to go back for her child. Or that their father, not matter how sick and weak he might have been, would have tried to go back for bird. I did not buy that they'd leave her there for weeks longer.
It was a lovely read, but not a YA book. That doesn't mean a teenager wouldn't read it and love it, they might, but I do not think the target audience of Summer and Bird should be teens.
The story is loosely based on a number of fairy tales where swans can take human form - The Wild Swans by Hans Christian Anderson, or perhaps Swan Lake. As is typical, a man sees a beautiful woman emerge from the body of a swan (or a seal or whatever) and because of his love for her hides her swan robe so she cannot transform. Quite out of character, the man realizes this was a cruel move and not one of love and tries to return the robe to his now wife, but the robe is gone, stolen by someone who wants to be the swan queen. The couple has two children, one who is more bird than the other and wants to be a bird more than anything. But the children do not know about their mother's secret identity, and that although she loves them she also longs to return to her birds.
My biggest struggle when reading this was the question, "Who is this book for?" and I don't know if it's for a YA audience. Yes, it focuses on two young girls, but the fact that the girls are so young (8 and 12) and it's not written for middle school students causes me to think even more that this is not a children's book. It's coming from Penguin Young Readers Group, and it's marketed toward YA, but...it's just not. Yes, the characters are children, but it's not about the children.
We are looking at the very adult journeys of two very young people. And the way that their journeys are reflected on is very adult, not the children themselves examining themselves and understanding what's happening. There is a removal of the childishness, a reflection that is outside of the child's experience. We are looking back on these things that happened to these children and understanding them in an adult way. There is no actual connection to young people, even though the characters are young.
Summer and Bird is very lyrical. It's other worldly and the language is quite lovely. Summer and Bird travel through strange and mysterious places that are richly described. They face inner demons and struggle with the feeling of betrayal from their parents. But again, we don't actually get to experience their realistic child-like emotions. We get a distant understanding and analysis of what they are experiencing.
One thing bothered me in particular. Summer and the ravens come to rescue Bird and their mother, who is in the form of a swan. Bird, in her anger and confusion won't come, so Summer and the swan are carried away by the ravens, leaving Bird with the evil Puppeteer. The swan is calling out in horrible distress, because her baby is being left behind. And then they don't go back for her. Oh, there are reasons. The swan has a hurt foot so she cannot fly. Their father is too sick and weak. But seriously, they're their parents. If the swan could get a bunch of birds to carry her a few chapters later, you'd think she'd get them to do it to go back for her child. Or that their father, not matter how sick and weak he might have been, would have tried to go back for bird. I did not buy that they'd leave her there for weeks longer.
It was a lovely read, but not a YA book. That doesn't mean a teenager wouldn't read it and love it, they might, but I do not think the target audience of Summer and Bird should be teens.
June 17, 2013
Ugh, this book. It started off so well! Very lyrical, fairytale-esque, and somewhere along the lines, it just kind of lost the plot. Literally. Long about the part with the magic house, the rooms with the gifts, and the seemingly never-ending interlude in the World Tree, I checked way out. And this was somewhere around page 150 or so, and it never ever got me back. Finishing the rest was a chore after that, but by that time I was too invested not to finish. I get that those things ended up being relevant, but they seemed like a waste of time (I still maintain they pretty much were), and really side-tracked the plot. It went way off the the rails after that. Not only did I not care, but it all seemed really weird and forced, like the author had gotten herself into a mess she couldn't sensically get out of, and it showed.
Also, the ending, just...no. Especially for a kid's book, I found it bizarre.
Honestly, by the end of it, this book just seemed like a waste of time.
Also, the ending, just...no. Especially for a kid's book, I found it bizarre.
Honestly, by the end of it, this book just seemed like a waste of time.
January 7, 2014
I'm not going to be able to write a quick, short review or summary of this book. It is not a simple plot or character-driven story. It weaves many characters, conflicts, and ideas together through multiple interconnected and dreamlike settings (Up and Down, forest, plain, river, swan castle, attainable border of the birds, the Green Home) in language that is arrestingly beautiful, highly figurative, and descriptive. The story combines mythology, fairy-tales, childhood rhymes, a few diary entries, dreams, and relatively straightforward, third person narration. It follows the adventures of sisters Summer (12, blond, blue-eyed, scientific observer and journal recorder) and Bird (9, brown coloration, grey eyes, birdlike, instinctual, communicating through music of her recorder) as they search for their parents, for each other, and for their purpose. Summer and Bird's mother is the Swan Queen, who can shed her coat of feathers to appear human - though her daughters do not initially know this - and their father is a normal human ornithologist. Additional significant characters include an owl who seems to befriend Bird; a raven who is Summer's animal teacher and is like a spirit guide; Ben, who comes from a burning tree and who knows that "nothing important means only one thing;" Sarah, the family's cat; and the bird-eating, dancing Puppeteer, who wants to be Queen. Among the many themes are sibling rivalry; the destructiveness of guilt; truth and interpretation; courage; kindness; selfishness; needs vs. desires; and leadership. It is also a book that deals with disintegration of traditional family roles and bonds. This is marketed as a children's book, but I think it is one best shared with an adult for guidance, since it is not an easy read. Although it is an adventure, it isn't a fast-paced one. Rather, the book requires patience and focused attention. I think it might best be enjoyed as a bedtime or classroom read aloud, a little bit at a time.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 309 reviews