Kite Spirit

by Sita Brahmachari

During the summer of her GCSEs Kite's world falls apart. Her best friend, Dawn, commits suicide after a long struggle with feeling under pressure to achieve. Kite's dad takes her to the Lake District, to give her time and space to grieve. In London Kite is a confident girl, at home in the noisy, bustling city, but in the countryside she feels vulnerable and disorientated. Kite senses Dawn's spirit around her and is consumed by powerful, confusing emotions - anger, guilt, sadness and frustration, all of which are locked inside. It's not until she meets local boy, Garth, that Kite begins to open up - talking to a stranger is easier somehow. Kite deeply misses her friend and would do anything to speak to Dawn just once more, to understand why . . . Otherwise how can she ever say goodbye? A potent story about grief, friendship, acceptance and making your heart whole again.

Genres: Mental Health, Young Adult, Fiction, Middle Grade, Audiobook, Grief

309 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Sita was born in Derby in 1966, to an Indian doctor from Kolkata and an English nurse from the Lake District. She has a BA in English Literature and an MA in Arts Education. Her many projects and writing commissions have been produced in theatres, universities, schools and community groups throughout Britain and America. ARTICHOKE HEARTS is her first novel for young people. Sita lives and works in North London with her husband, three children and a temperamental cat.

Reviews

[Hessa_n_140a513]

Writing about "suicide" is not that easy, but I think that Sita Brahmachari did it very well!
The story is about Kite and her best friend Dawn. It starts with Kite worrying about Dawn because she did not show up to her first final exam. After that Kita founds out that her best friend committed suicide and her world falls apart. Her dad takes her to the country side to help her recover. Kite always feels Dawn's soul around her. She started blaming herself for her death and questions everything that happened between them before her death. Kite meets a boy named Garth, and to her opening up to a stinger helped her recover and made everything easier somehow.
What I didn't like about the story is that there was no certain explanation for Dawn death, only that she was under pressure of her GCSE's.
This book taught me to care and love everyone around me and to support them through everything.
I recommend this book to everyone who lost someone close!

[LucyKate Newland · Rating 5 out of 5]

you can keep 13 Reasons Why. This is a beautiful book about teenage suicide that everybody needs to read.

[Michelle Schlichter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot emphasise how beautifully written this book is. I read it when I was 16 and finished it in 3 days in the summer sun in my garden in Cornwall when I was there for the holidays. Suicide is not an easy subject to write about but it is one we must all try to understand. Kite Spirit does that, it takes a 13 years old girl who is trying to understand the death of her best friend and ends up going to the Lake District with her dad where she meets a boy named Garth who helps her through her pain and confusion. Alongside the villagers are there for Kite as well which symbolises a support network. Honestly I cried in the end only because I was sad I had finished the book but also because Kite gets the happy ending she deserves and it has now become my all time summer read.

[Ellie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I did not like this book at all!
To be perfectly honest, there was no real storyline. Yes, a girls best friend commits suicide. Wow that could make a really great book! Yeah, it could, unfortunately it did not.
We never find out how or why (which was the ONLY thing I wanted to know from the beginning!) Kite's friend takes her life, which really disappointed me. Instead, the book takes the root of how Kite gets over it. Oh no. This, too, could probably have made a half-decent book, however nothing much happens at all. There were pages and pages filled with pointless writing which was unnecessary and anything that did happen wasn't particularly interesting. The entire story could have probably been summed up in one chapter or maybe less, which quite frankly would have made it a lot less boring. I felt like much of the book was just writing to fill up pages which did not move the story along at all. There was no connection I felt with any of the characters and when I got half way through I was seriously considering not finishing the book. I would not recommend this book at all.

[EdenB15 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book literally made me cry. I mean im a pretty emotional person at the best of times. It is so powerful as it tells the story of 16 year old Kite’s whos best friend Dawn has recently commied suciide. The journey as Kite trys to come to terms with it does keep you hooked. I read this book in 1 night. It particualrly struck a chord with me due to an upcoming anniversary. Would recommend defiently one of the best books ive read in ages

[Lula Lina · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 ✰'s
ׂ╰┈➤ slight spoilers!

It was quite a triggering book. So much so that it put me in a sort of slump, but I eventually got back to it and finished it. It was good after that. It was a very sad, touching book with a lot of beautiful descriptions. All the characters were good, well developed characters. Even Dawn and she wasn't even in it. Not properly.
Some of the dialogue did feel a little cringe and AI generated at times.
Kite did annoy me a little, but she was traumatised and grieving, and she made up for in the end.
SLIGHT SPOILERS
I liked the subtle romance between Kite and Garth at the end.
My main complaint, though, is that we never truly find out what drove Dawn to commit suicide and exactly how she did it. It's implied that she overdosed on sleeping pills, and she was depressed and under so much pressure to do well.
SPOILERS OVER
Dawn reminded me of Sadie Wen.
Garth and the old man Jack were probably my favourite characters.

mini playlist ▶︎ •၊၊||၊|။||||။‌‌‌‌‌၊|• 0:10
in the stars - benson boone
bigger than the whole sky - taylor swift
heart of gold - shawn mendes
remember - liam payne
ghost - justin beiber
falling - harry styles
memories - maroon 5

Would recommend but I wouldn't re-read it.

3 stars ⭐️✨️

[Salome Voláková · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pro mě hodnocení téhle knihy je velmi problematické.
Kniha se zabývá dost vážným tématem, a to samo o sobě se dost špatně hodnotí.
Příběh místy pokulhává. Je to ale záměr, neboť celý příběh je vlastně postaven na popisu pocitů viny a smíření hlavní hrdinky Kite. Tudíž závratnou akci prostě v téhle knize nenajdete.

Co tu ale je, je nádherný jazyk a popis krajin, pocitů, s kterými si autorka dokonale hraje.

Hlavní postavy jsou sympatické a vy s nimi prožíváte těžké období.

Co se v knize nedozvíme, je vlastně onen důvod, proč se Dawn zabila. Protože to taky není záměrem knížky. Když se to stane v životě, tak taky se nedozvíte, proč to dotyčný vlastně udělal.

Kniha je pro mě hodnocením špatně uchopitelná, ale vlastně je logické, že dávám průměr. některé myšlenky byly geniální, jinde jsem se zase kousala nudou.

Celkově ale knihu hodnotím kladně, a pokud vás to zaujme, jděte do toho.

[Kirsty · Rating 1 out of 5]

Didn't draw me in enough to want to finish it

[Daramegan · Rating 4 out of 5]

http://daramegan.cz/recenze/uz-zase-l...

[Lorraine Gill · Rating 4 out of 5]

When her best friend takes her own life Kite is devastated and her heart and soul is filled with a deep loss that she struggles to fill or understand. Her father takes her on a break to the Lake District, in the hope she may start to heel and also for him to discover more about his past.
The story has a deep vein of self discovery as Kite befriends Garth, the grandson of the owner of the rented house, allowing herself to open up her feelings and sharing her grief whilst her dad delves deeper into his roots. Kite relives her memories of Dawn as she feels her spirit has followed her in the form of an owl in the dramatic landscape and struggles with her anger, loss and loneliness that she now feels.
Whilst the story evolves around suicide it is written with compassion and sympathy with an uplifting message of friendship, family and nature. We do not need to know why Dawn chose to take her own life, only that by keeping communication channels open and being honest with our feelings and sharing these someone we can find solace and hope.
Beautifully written with the dramatic Lake District setting this story is told with sensitivity.

[Amarpreet Kaur · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sita Brahmachari is an absolute genius.

After Kite's childhood friend commits suicide, Kite is overwhelmed with grief. To offer a chance to take the time to grieve for Dawn, Kite and her father Seth go to the lake District for the Summer. Throughout her emotional journey she is confronted with death (whether is be the sheep's skull by the waterfall, or the unexpected demise of Jack), family, and memories of Dawn through both dreams and Dawn's own belongings.

What Brahmachari did really well was keeping the novel as close to reality as possible by denying Kite (and the readers) the knowledge of what caused Dawn to take her life, leading Kite on a path of double-guessing the past and just how well she knew her friend. Although it kept the book close to reality, it was super cruel to burden Kite with guilt after exhausting herself with grief.

Not only is this book about the struggles of grief but the liberation found in letting go. It was only when Kite began to let go of her friend that she was able to find happiness (despite the regret afterwards for being happy without Dawn). Eventually Kite does move on. It was painful and borderline impossible at first but the moment she knew how to let go of Dawn, she had hope. She managed to let Dawn go by giving her her proper funeral, burying her voice, her soul in the flooded village in the Lake District.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

16 year-old Kite's best friend Dawn commits suicide and Kite has no idea why. Kite's mum is from the Caribbean, her Dad from the Lakes and they are a dancer and musician respectively. Dawn was a perfectionist, an excellent oboeist; she was a listener and Kite gradually realises she listened a lot to Kite rather than saying what she was feeling herself. Kite is, understandably, devastated and can't imagine life without Dawn. On a trip to the Lakes with her Dad to find out about his mother's past (she was adopted and brought up in Sheffield) she learns that she has to let Dawn go, that her death was not Kite's fault and that the fog of depression can be lifted if help is given.
A strong message, well-written if rather idyllic in some of its descriptions.

[Jana · Rating 1 out of 5]

Die Idee des Buches hatte mich fasziniert, weshalb ich es mir direkt kaufte. Als ich es dann aber letztendlich las muss ich sagen, dass ich meine Schwierigkeiten damit hatte. Die Figuren hatten meiner Meinung nach nicht genug Tiefe. Kite, die Protagonistin, war schwer durchschaubar und die ganze Geschichte schien keine wirkliche Richtung zu haben. Es war also meiner nach ein nettes Buch für Zwischendurch, dass nicht die Tiefe besitzt, die man erwartet. Trotz allem habe ich das Buch zu Ende gelesen, auch wenn es teils sehr langwierig war. Jüngere Leser könnten durch dieses Buch aber sicherlich einen ersten Einblick in die Trauer um eine Suizid gefährdete Freundin bekommen.

[Asha Chandran · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listened to the audio book and I found the story very interesting. A heartbroken teen grappling with the devastating suicide of her dearest friend, and the journey of self-discovery and overcoming of her grief and guilt through a change of scene, a supporting family, new friendships and her healing brought in by soothing Nature - form the essence of the book. An extremely sensitive topic like suicide has been dealt with empathy and compassion by Sita Brahmachari. Juliet Stevenson has done justice through her fine reading of the book. Highly recommend this book to young readers, educators and parents.

[Anne Tucker · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book though it was a fairly difficult subject - a young girl coming to terms with her best friend's suicide at 13. The characters were well drawn, and the connection with Yorkshire was intriguing (specifically Haweswater, the village that was 'drowned' to make a reservoir to provide the water for Manchester in Victorian times) and the nature and folklore sections on owls that is a symbol that reappears several times in the book.

Teen fiction - I wonder if young people would find it helpful ...

[Rebecca Stonehill · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

There is so much to love about this book. The writing was beautiful and I thought the author did a fabulous job of sensitively handling the fall out from teenage suicide from the perspective of those left behind. I was frustrated though by her not delving into the reasons why Dawn DID finish her life. Obviously this was alluded to - pressure on herself to perform etc etc - but I felt this was glossed over and I finished the book feeling unsatisfied, as though I didn't have a well-rounded story on this very difficult subject.

[Tam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really great and endearing journey of overcoming trauma and grief due to the loss of someone close to you. A variety of really good characters with depth and detailed personalities. The story and descriptions felt enticing, finding Kite struggling to making peace with Dawn’s loss. Overall, it was a heartwarming and satisfying read that helped me to appreciate relationships, difficulties with death and travelling more.

A standout quote for me:
“Never mistake a quiet mouth for a quiet mind.” — Dawn

[Karyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I heard this YA novel on Libby.
Its about a teenager Kite, whose world and thoughts go haywire after her bestie Dawn commits suicide.
The story gives a glimpse of the friendship the share, the guilt and sadness when Kite learns of her death.
Her dad takes her to the Lake District to recover from this.
There she befriends Garth, whom she finds easy to talk to.
Its a very sad book to read or listen, as Kite searches for answers. Its her journey and how she comes out of it.
If you like an emotional read do pick it up.

[Theresa Uphill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was excited to read as another book in the series had been really good, however the theme of this was just a little too dark and sad for me to read. So I was unable to finish the book. The big theme for at least the beginning is suicide so if your able to read about that then you will like it if not maybe skip this book.

[Miriam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Prvá polka knihy ma absolútne nebavila, uvažovala som o tom, že knihu nemá zmysel dočítať. Ale nakoniec som rada, že som ju dočítala. V polovici sa to zlomilo, kniha sa mi zapáčila, príbeh má nakoniec veľmi silnú hlavnú myšlienku, preto dávam o hviezdičku viac ako by som dala normálne.

[Aniek · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was just not the book for me. I had this book for ages and I'm not sure why I had it to begin with. I think the subjects were handled really well and respectfully. I just don't really like these types of books.

[Izzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. It's very emotional i loved the bit of romance at the end and its just perfect. i almost wanted to scream. the point that kite was trying to make because no one was understanding her feelings was well put i loved it!❤️

[Bethany · Rating 4 out of 5]

The was sadder than I expected. It dealt with the loss of Kite's best friend in a gentle way that showed her grief in a believable way, and her journey through the hardest part when she first lost her through to moving on and starting to live but still feeling that grief.

[Deekshana · Rating 4 out of 5]

heart- wrenching.

[Marilyn Docherty · Rating 5 out of 5]

A difficult subject to tackle. It was an emotional story, sensitively written.

[Natalia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall the beginning was very emotional and moving, nearer to the end I found it hard to read but the ending was beautiful and bittersweer.

[Elsa Leuty · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is definitely for secondary age kids, but it's really very excellent.

[Andulka · Rating 5 out of 5]

top miluju moc

[Felinka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Musím říct, že tahle kniha mě fakt chytla. 👌🏻🥰 Mám ráda tematiku sebevražd a melancholii, která je s tím spjatá... A tato kniha to skvěle vystihla. 😌 Objevuje se zde nádherná symbolika a velmi silné procítění. ❤️💔
Doporučuji 👌🏻

[Dagmar Garciová · Rating 3 out of 5]

Autorčin styl psaní není složitý, je založený na popisu emocí a vnitřních pochodů hlavní postavy. Převládající emoční složka příběhu tak nedává příliš mnoho prostoru pro akční pasáže. V knize je opakovaně využíváno barvitých popisů, jež nastavují celkovou atmosféru. Autorka se mezi řádky jednotlivých slov snaží předat svým čtenářům poselství, jak se postavit smrti čelem, jak bojovat s pocity, když ztratíte někoho velmi blízkého.