Crow Girl

Crow Girl #1

by Kate Cann

Bullied at school, Lily takes refuge in the woods, where she meets the crows. With their help, she exacts revenge on her tormentors in a spectacular way. This is a powerful read. Barrington Stoke specialises in books for reluctant, struggling and dyslexic readers.

Genres: Young Adult, Psychology, Gothic, Childrens, School, Fiction, Paranormal

96 pages, Paperback

First published September 29, 2005

About the author

When I was a child, I wanted to be a witch. My first foray into writing was a series of nasty spells full of rats’ tails and bats’ wings. Then, when I turned thirteen, I began keeping a lurid diary, full of adoration or loathing, depending on who I was writing about. I used my later diaries for the Diving In trilogy.

I never thought ‘I want to be a writer’, but I loved books and writing. At school, I was rubbish at just about everything but English, so I went on to Kent University where I did two degrees in English and American Literature. At Kent, I fell dramatically in love with the man I'm still married to. We had loads of fights and adventures, but we kept coming back together. He's still the person I most want to spend time with. Awww!

My first proper job was in a publishing house, Time Life Books, as a copy-editor. I felt very glamorous. I used to go to the huge YMCA on Tottenham Court Road at lunchtime and do aerobics classes (very big in the 1980s and yes - I wore legwarmers). Then I'd fall asleep over my desk in the afternoon.

When my two kids came along, I set up as a freelance copy-editor and worked from home. By chance I got given some teenage books to edit, and I hated the way they treated sexual relationships: they were either full of gloom and doom, or were gushy, unrealistic candyfloss. So I got bitten by the ‘I can do better than this’ bug, and started writing. I remember the first day I started to write - it took me over. I forgot to eat (unthinkable for me) and I nearly forgot to collect the kids from school. About a year after that, Diving In was accepted for publication.

When I ran out of material from my diaries and memories, I realized my daughter and son were teenagers, and started eavesdropping on them. They were extremely tolerant about this although they did sometimes demand money from me.

Big changes have been afoot recently. My kids have left home - really left home, not just gap-year-travelling/university left home, and my old man is doing the sort of work that means he can work from home a lot of the time. So we've sold up and moved into the wilds of Wiltshire and so far I am absolutely loving it. The space, the silence, seeing the stars at night in the pitch black, the owls, the trees, the walks, the great food in the local pubs - everything! I'd started to bring nature into my books - it all started with Crow Girl - and now I'm working on two books about a city girl who gets plunged into the wilds. So the move is very much linked to and helping my writing. I think the sheer beauty and power of nature and how it can get right inside you is something a lot of kids are cut off from today.

I still love London though - the plan is to come up every couple of weeks, catch up with all my old mates, possibly do something seriously cultured like go to the theatre. And I want to travel a bit more, too - offsetting my increased carbon footprint with an enormous compost heap.

I love long conversations, running, reading, gardening, walking and white wine (in moderation of course) and I’m the first to admit I have the life of Reilly (who apparently had a pretty cushy life). I start the day with a run or walk with my dog, when I think about what’s going to happen next in the book I’m writing. Then I have a huge breakfast, and get down to work. I write on (or if it’s cold, in) the spare bed with a laptop, my dog at the bottom of the bed. If it’s sunny, I write in the garden, on a sun-lounger. Tough, ay? I also have this theory that you can’t be truly creative for more than about three or four hours a day, so in the mid afternoon, I knock off, and do my emails and stuff. Told you it was cushy.

Reviews

[Cora Tea Party Princess · Rating 3 out of 5]

5 Words: Short but sweet with crows.

This was a very quick read.

It annoyed me at first, and it was pretty predictable, but Crow Girl was overall an enjoyable read. It was simply written and I liked the ideas behind it.

I wish I were as creative at Lily, able to make those wings. And I could really empathise with her character feeling fate and lumpy and low.

[Hannah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Something I didn't find out until I scrolled down the reviews page was that this book was actually aimed at reluctant readers, hence how short it is. I just thought it was a short story, and I picked it up because Halloween was mentioned in the blurb. (Also, the title appealed to my little witch heart.)

Unfortunately, being written for reluctant readers is not enough to excuse my issues with this book. It starts with the school saying that Lily isn't being bullied - she's just sensitive. This is not treated as an injustice. This is treated as an acceptable attitude for an educator to have, fact even. As someone who was bullied at school without anyone ever laying a hand on me, I think that's a terrible message to send to teenagers. By the time most of us report non-physical bullying, it's been going on for months. It wears you down. Once, someone was stealing and hiding my things (I feel the need to point out that that did not go on for months, just until I could prove who it was). But sure. It's not "proper" bullying unless it involves violence, which is basically what you're saying if you dismiss certain types of bullying as someone being sensitive. Sometimes, yes, a situation is miscommunication rather than deliberate malice. Not everyone who has ever upset someone is a bully - no one's a mind reader - but it is made very clear that these girls are deliberately trying to upset Lily. Hell, it seems like they took it as an achievement when she stopped coming to school over it!

Then there's Lily's whole transformation. There's nothing wrong with a character losing weight healthily (there are no crash diets, and Lily doesn't even set out to do anything different - it's just a change in routine), or liking their figure, and, of course, being comfortable in your body makes you more confident. However, my issue is what it does to her personality. This is a girl who is shy, supposedly, yet she plots to get everyone to look at her at the Halloween party. That's a massive leap. For Lily, just going to the party and trying to talk to a couple of people would be a big deal. And then there's everyone's reactions, which I'm not going to spoil. I really should leave the book with an air of mystery for those who might want to read it.

The two stars are for the sheer awesomeness of a girl training a bunch of crows and Lily's ingenuity in making the Halloween costume. I've made dragon wings before, but out of black netting and black ribbon so they weren't half as cool as Lily's crow wings sound.

[Rose · Rating 1 out of 5]

I can't really begin to convey my disappointment for "Crow Girl." Let me start off by saying, yes, I understand this is a book oriented towards reluctant readers, and given the reading level of the book, I was actually fine with that. I was also fine in that ultimately, this is a story about a young lady named Lily who isn't very confident in herself and faces against a group of girl bullies who pick, prod, and tease her to no end. Her only comfort lies in keeping company with a group of crows that she feeds and trains. Ultimately, for Halloween (her favorite holiday) she gets an idea to establish herself in a new light as "Crow Girl", and the story, from there on is how she overcomes her fears and bullies with her respective identity.

This is quite firmly a young adult novel considering the language and content themes. I was surprised at the blunt use of language and drinking here. While the character is a teenager, she seems much younger in voice than even I think would be noted for a reluctant reader. Sure, I could identify with the themes of self-worth and standing up in the face of fear, but Lily's story feels very fabricated and unrealistic, even to the point where it feels more silly than resonant. The story's static tone prevents it from being more than what it could've been, I think.

Overall, I can't really recommend "Crow Girl" as a memorable read for reluctant readers of young adult - there are far better titles out there that not only provide better narrative, but also more resonating focus in an overarching story.

Overall score: 1/5

Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley from the publisher Stoke Books/Lerner.

[Annika Samuelsson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lily syns inte i skolan, hon vill inte synas heller för när hon syns får hon bara höra massa gliringar om hur dum hon är och hur fett hon ser ut.

Vändningen heter faktiskt KitKat. En stor bit KitKat är det som är början till förändringen för Lily. Hon går och äter på den och går djupare in i skogen än vad hon gjort innan. Där träffar hon på en kråka, hon delar med sig av sin KitKat till den. Lily återvänder till skogen och har med sig mer munsbitar till sin kråka Vitstrimma men det är fler kråkor också. De får henne att må bra och hon börjar gå till dem varje dag med något ätbart.
När hon hör att det ska bli Halloweenfest kan hon inte låta bli. Hon får en idé och kråkorna ska hjälpa henne att genomföra den. Detta årets Halloweenfest ska bli starten på hennes nya liv.

Boken har en stämning av goth som tilltalar mig som gammal gothare. Däremot är det vissa inslag som drar ner boken något även om jag kan köpa det i sitt sammanhang. Alla långa promenader som inte går via godisbutiken får Lilys utseende att förändras, hon blir smalare. Det är bra inarbetat i berättelsen och fullt naturligt....jag tycker bara inte om det. Tanken på att smalhet gör saker bättre gör mig tyvärr irriterad hur naturlig förklaringen till det än är.

[Alanna · Rating 2 out of 5]

clearing out my books and found this stashed away on my shelf. I must have read it in school because its from my old schools library. thought it would be fun to reread it and whilst its not really a good book its also not the worst thing I've read either.

[Ryan Fisher · Rating 1 out of 5]

edgar allen poe has nothing on this

[Emma Hoppes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good, but too short for me.

[Geli · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasnt expecting this book be about gaining self confidence in yourself. From the title was expecting something a little more fairy tale like. But being a big Kate Cann fan I read it anyway. It was very up lifting and heart warming. Its mostly about just learning to love yourself and once you can accept who you are good things will start to happen. If you like Kate Cann's other books you'll most likely like this on as well.

[Michelle Boyer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Something you must know before beginning this book:
Barrington Stoke Books is a publisher that targets reluctant readers. A reluctant reader, as a simple definition, is someone that just isn't interested in reading. They *can* read, but for many different reasons just don't want to curl up with a book. That plays a large part in this particular short story.

Interesting points in this book:As cliche as it actually is, I enjoy books that discuss bullying and being a teenager. A lot of us have been there and understand that bullying is more common than most want to admit. It is nice to be able to pick up a book and realize it isn't only happening to you. Or it may be good to pick up a book and realize you're the bully and need to quit being an asshole. Either way, there are some cliche but much needed themes here: body shaming, girl cliques, changing bodies, popularity, parties, and so on and so forth.

I'm a sucker for birds. I love birds. Crows are amazing creatures and so I was actually wandering through the public library and saw "crow girl" as a title and decided I had to read it. The cover also helped in my selection--it is a very appealing cover.

Problems I have with this book:
For better or for worse, this is really cliche and predictable.

I do understand that this is aimed at reluctant readers. But reluctant readers don't need to be "spoon fed" and do have taste. For those that liked this book and are reluctant readers---I'm so glad you enjoyed this! For reluctant readers that felt like perhaps this book knocked them down to a second grade level---I actually felt like that as well.

Full disclosure: I am not a reluctant reader. I'm an avid reader and picked this up randomly. Yet I also have a background in education and teaching and feel that, in some ways, this short story *lessens* the goals of getting reluctant readers interested in literature.

Based on my experiences as an educator...
The length of the story is really good (approx. 70 pages in a larger type) because it can be quickly read and makes a reluctant reader feel they've accomplished/finished a book.

The wording and phrasing is not something that I would consider "teen" in that it is written at closer to a second or third grade level. For some reluctant readers, this is a necessary format. For others, it makes them feel like they're being 'talked down to' or 'demeaned' as a reader---remember, they know how to read, but may just not be interested in a lot of traditional texts you assign in classrooms.

The themes are somewhat cliche, and again, read more like a younger children's book. Some readers may enjoy this but others that are older teens will likely not find this appealing. To unique aspect is the "Crow girl" mythology that is kind of peppered in, perhaps others will find the Gothic themes interesting as well, but the rest of the 'moral' of the story is cliche.

Thus my rating is a solid 2.5 -- while there are some unique moments/ideas within the story, I find for the most part there are too many cliches and feel like the reading level is skewed (even for reluctant readers). I honestly feel like some reluctant readers will feel like this book further lessens their interest in reading. But, I'll point out, that this is indeed a book that I'm sure many reluctant readers can use to build up their library and interests in reading.

[Libraryofreviews · Rating 1 out of 5]

Crow Girl by Katie Cann- 0/5

Lilly is the loner in school picked on by bullies and with serious confidence issues. However, during a unplanned visit in the wakeless woods she stumbles on some feathered friends. Dark, unpredictable and eerie. They help her create the perfect gothic persona to raise her school status to spooky new heights.

**************************🪶*****************************

A boring and repetitive story of a unattractive, lonely, under-appreciated girl in school who becomes popular through a “personality makeover”. “Crow girl” tries to hopelessly cater to a young and bullied audience by emphasising a negative and unrealistic ideas of acceptance and identity.

Lilly is bullied by students and resents her classmates shallow views on appearance. However, as “crow girl” she is shown to have changed her appearance and demeanour to Impress the same class mates. This makes her just as shallow and ignorant as them.

Lilly’s “gothic” transformation and development makes for incredibly cringeworthy reading. Katie seems to persist that a girl making bird noises and making crows attack people is “attractive” and “cool”. This is made more nonsensical when Kyle’s party guests are unwittingly enamoured.

The only scene I found interesting was Lilly seeing the moving wings in the razzle dazzle shop and then recreating them. Would have been better if Lilly purchased the wings for the Halloween party. However, the wings are cursed and permanently become attached to her . Lilly starts to learn how to fly and as result she befriends the birds and crows. She then slowly starts to become ��crow girl” and plan her entrance to the Halloween party.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was about a girl gaining self-confidence. However I thought it was more of a Halloween spooky tale to do with crows. It was a good quick read which is why I gave it 3 stars, I just knocked some off because it wasn't fairy-tale like, or spooky in the slightest.

[Neon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute story of coming of age and raising your head up and fighting your bullies straight on. I'm quite fond of Crows and enjoyed this.

[Amber Elgee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reread. Read this book when I was younger and I was obsessed with it. Sadly, did not hold up for my as an adult but great if I you are younger.

[Christine H · Rating 4 out of 5]

Crow Girl is a nice story about finding one’s place in the jungle that is high school. Cann creates fills a void that has been sorely lacking in the YA genre—a story that deals with challenging issues that is both enticing to and digestible for struggling readers. From the get-go, readers will empathize with the main character, Lily, as she is taunted by the cool girls in school. She’d like nothing more than to fit in, but she is so paralyzed by fear at the thought of becoming an even bigger target for ostracism that she doesn’t dare open her mouth in school. When she finally finds something that gives her a sense of purpose, Lily discovers that a little bit of self-confidence and determination, while difficult, at first, to develop, can go a long way. Some adult readers may not accept the believability of Lily’s actions or the reactions of her peers, but Cann writes to promote hope regardless of how unrealistic her story might seem. All readers will appreciate the story’s quick pace and action-packed chapters.

Story & Pacing: 9
The plot is easy to grasp, but is very relatable to teenagers. Each chapter is short, focused, and serves to further the plot. This point will certainly serve students who suffer from dyslexia or ADHD.

Characters: 8
Lily is strong and realistic. Her troubles evoke empathy in the reader, and she you can’t help but root for her the whole way. That being said, because of the length of this novella, there isn’t much opportunity to develop other characters, too.

Setting: 7
I could see this story/plot line as one in a long series. As such, it would have been nice if Cann had chosen a specific location in which to set her story. It might add cohesion and an overall sense of returning to a well-loved story if more books do come about.

Style & Writing: 9
Cann’s style is targeted towards developing readers, and she succeeds in using simple but varied syntax. Anybody who has worked with struggling or dyslexic readers will appreciate how easily digestible each well-formulated sentence is. It may seem choppy or undeveloped to “regular” readers, but it’s great for those who find reading a chore.

Learnability & Teachability: 8
I know a handful of students who would definitely enjoy this book. Cann’s high-school-level themes written at a middle-school level is perfect to encourage my reluctant readers. I would have liked to have seen a polysyllabic word every now and then—not enough to discourage the reader, but enough to pose a challenge and to develop vocabulary. A glossary at the end and/or discussion questions created by the author would be another great way to further their experience and our discussions.

POTENTIAL TEACHABLES
The Mórrigan and other Celtic mythological creatures; crows and their characteristics; crows as symbols; complexities of building one’s own Halloween costumes.

For teacher-education classes: This would be a good book to discuss in classes about reluctant/struggling readers about how a writer can balance mature themes with lower reading levels.

[Lili · Rating 1 out of 5]

I received an e-book version of this via netgalley.com. I really wanted to like this book, but from the first few sentences I knew it wasn't going to happen. Firstly, the writing was very poor. The description stated that it was targeted for reluctant or struggling readers, so I was willing to give the simplistic writing a pass, but once into the story, the poor writing was the least of this book's problems.

The story starts off with a girl, Lily, being teased at school by "popular" girls. When the principal of the school is alerted to this, she simply informs Lily that she is being too sensitive, and Lily's mother agrees. This is the first poor message this book sends.

So, after spending her days being bullied at school, she wanders into the forest and discovers some crows who follow her around to eat the scraps of candy bar she throws at them (at this point I should probably point out that the most vivid description in this book is about how delicious this candy bar is to Lily because she's overweight and apparently all overweight people only find joy in the magical deliciousness of junk food. Second bad message).

Feeding junk food to wildlife somehow builds up her confidence, because when she visits her grandmother a few weeks later, who apparently is another bully who always used to tell her she was fat (third poor message), she learns that she now has a "figure" because throwing chunks of chocolate at birds instead of in her mouth everyday has gotten her into shape. So because her grandmother doesn't find her hideous anymore, she takes Lily out to buy her some new bras.

Wearing a properly fitting undergarment seems to suddenly cure her self-esteem problems because she decides she's going to attend one of her fellow student's Halloween party dressed like a "crow girl" and wow everyone with her new look. She wears a sexy black dress, her "uplifting" new black bra, makes some crow wings, and does her face up in hooker make-up. She also trains her forest crows to follow her to the party where she makes a freakish spectacle of herself by appearing out of the darkness cawing like a psychotic crow while the crows flap all over the place freaking out the party guests. In real life, she'd be ripped to shreds by the popular kids for acting like a crazy person, but in this book, everyone thinks she is totally cool...so cool that one of the popular boys at the party even exclaims "look at her tits!" Thanks magical new black bra!(fourth poor message).

So thanks to the wonder of a 36D and the exploitation of a group of crows, Lily's life is suddenly now the best...especially when she manages to get her crows to "attack" the girls who were initially teasing her...is that the seventeenth poor message? I've lost track. Clearly, I'd recommend taking a pass on this one.

[Kar Achondo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book through Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

This is a short story, you can read it in half an hour, and it has a beautiful message behind it. Especially these days where bullying is out in the public light and we have a name for this kind of abuse. Crow girl is a natural fit to all the anti-bullying campaigns.

In this book our protagonist has suffered bullying from the popular girls in her school. And after a horrible year, she has to fight for her place in her world, fight against her own insecurities and learn to love herself and to see herself as someone who deserve the same respect as anyone else.

It is a good story and it leaves a message, although it has several aspects that a grown-up could find a little hard to believe. For example, the sudden change of attitude from Lily or the thing with the crows. I think is a good book for middle school age, even if it has a couple bad words, because it is a great message that every kid should receive at one age when it can pass through them and stay with them and it's a good way for the kids to have fun while learning a good lesson for the present and the future.


______________________________



Es una historia corta, que se lee en una media hora, que tiene un lindo mensaje de tras fondo. Sobre todo en estos tiempos en que el bullying ha salido a la luz pública y que tenemos un nombre para este tipo de maltrato, Crow Girl viene como anillo al dedo a todas las campañas anti-bulling.

Se trata de un libro en que la protagonista ha sufrido bulling por parte de las chicas más populares de su escuela y luego de un año terrible, tiene que luchar por su lugar en su mundo, luchar contra sus propias inseguridades y aprender a quererse a sí misma y hacerse respetar.

La historia es buena y deja un mensaje, aunque tiene varios aspectos que un lector adulto podría encontrar poco creíble, como por ejemplo, el cambio tan repentino en la actitud de Lily o el asunto de los cuervos. Creo que es un buen libro para que los chicos de middle school lean, a pesar de tener un par de malas palabras, porque es un gran mensaje que todos los niños deberían recibir en una etapa en que pueda quedarse en sus mentes y que puedan aprender de forma entretenida una lección de vida que podrá acompañarlos en el futuro.

[Mikaela Olsson · Rating 2 out of 5]

[Book read in 2008; review written in 2008]

I like the idea of Crow Girl, because I can relate to it. All about being misunderstood, finding yourself, get better self-confidence, showing them all the real you and say “Hey, you can’t bring me down!”. The Crows were the icing on the cake, because they give the story its mysterious touch.

I didn’t like the author way to write at all, just the idea of the book. She doesn’t describe Lily’s feelings enough, instead she describe unnecessary things – like trees.

I liked the ending, when she gets her revenge at The Parkway Girls and realizes that she really is Crow Girl. But you could tell that it was going to end that way just by reading a few pages. (But I liked it anyway; because I love stories were the main character gets her revenge.)

And one more thing:
It’s kind of lame that she finds herself and become beautiful – and just because she’s beautiful everyone starts to like her. Some part of me is saying “It’s such a cliché”. It the same with all movies, ugly girl gets beautiful and the people that where mean to her before starts to love her blablabla. But we live in a world where the way you look means a lot and that’s why this story could be true.

[Polly Todd · Rating 1 out of 5]

Barrington Stoke produce excellent books geared towards reluctant readers. With the material currently being produced for the teenage market, I was looking forward to an interesting plot. However, this book came across as preachy and patronising. The cover and blurb lead the reader to believe this will be a book about the supernatural. In fact the plot can be summarised as if you are unhappy, being bullied, overweight with bad skin, try going for walks, hold your head up, shoulders back and eat less - then things will improve and you might make some friends. Didn't match up to the blurb, I'm afraid.

[Lynn · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the tale of a bullied girl, Lily, who finds are strength through training crows for revenge against her tormeters.
The story here is classic -- bullied person finds strength and achieves vengeance. Here it is Lily who finds crows to be the perfect tool for payback. As such, this book is nothing special but as a short book with limited vocabulary, utilizing an attractive, large font, will be appealing to reluctant readers. Just because a book is short does not mean that it can't have substance, and this is lacking.

[Michelle Moloney · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was written for older kids/teens who are reluctant readers or who may have dyslexia or learning difficulties. The font is perfectly spaced which makes for easy reading and the words are accessible. The plot has conflict, want, and resolution.

The book cover is cool, the story is about a teenage girl with problems at school and the only thing that can really help her are crows.

It's a simply story but it incorporates the appropriate age group and issues that they can relate to.

Well done Barrington Stokes for the initiative and to Kate Cann for the story.

[Patrí · Rating 1 out of 5]

I received a copy of this from netgalley.com. This book is easy to read. I didn't like it though. First, it wasn't written well. I don't have problems with simple sentences, it was the reason why the book was easy to read. The lack of descriptions made it poorly written. Sometimes I pause and reread the sentences just to understand how it ended up like that.

[Katie ♡ · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was drawn to this book because of the beautiful illustration. I assumed it was a fantasy novel, but after reading it I am not so sure of that. The book is too short, and has swearing, violence and sexual feelings. I did feel i could relate to the crow girl however.

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a great story for anyone facing with bullying. I really hope that school libraries carry this book. Obviously, this is not a guide because things aren't always this easily solved. Other than that it is also a good story about finding yourself and accepting yourself as you are.

[Bookkitten (collector of nice things) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meep!
Not that what I hoped for. Giving up on that book, read in May 2012... Teenage story, bit too unbelievable main character behaviour change.

2 stars for the beautiful blue chrome cover with the shadows on it (simillar to Crow girl rises)...
on the "to sell pile with it"

[Sammie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was actually boring, thought it would have been better but oh well..

[Sarah Sammis · Rating 2 out of 5]

So a teased girl trains crows for a revenge fantasy.

[Emelie Johansson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little weird but still ok.

[Megan ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

A slightly predictable but pretty decent read that I enjoyed to some extent.

[Ada · Rating 5 out of 5]

sweet and short

[Louise · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a good quick read. I enjoyed it.