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The Improbable Life of Ricky Bird
If you were charmed by The Curious Incident, laughed with Eleanor Oliphant and cried over A Man Called Ove, you will love Ricky Bird.
‘No one loved making forts more than Ricky. A fort was a place of safety and possibility. It shut out the world and enclosed her and Ollie within any story she wanted to tell …’
Ricky Bird loves making up stories for her little brother Ollie almost as much as she loves him. The imaginary worlds she creates are wild and whimsical places full of unlimited possibilities.
Real life is another story. Ricky’s father has abandoned them and the family has moved to a bleak new neighbourhood. Worse still, her mother’s new boyfriend, Dan, has come with the furniture.
But Ricky Bird is a force to be reckoned with. As the mastermind of so many outlandish plots, imagination is her best weapon to restore her world to rights. As her father used to say, if you can spin a good yarn you can get on in life.
Ricky knows that better than anyone but despite her best efforts everything in her world starts to spiral out of control. Until a gypsy prediction that someone will come along – a he or a she who is like a gift – comes true.
But no one, not even Ricky, could imagine the consequences.
Beautifully written, heartbreakingly funny and deeply moving, this book has already been compared to The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, Lost and Found, Shuggie Bain, Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine and A Monster Calls. But Ricky’s story is all her own – and it will stay with you long after the last page.
‘No one loved making forts more than Ricky. A fort was a place of safety and possibility. It shut out the world and enclosed her and Ollie within any story she wanted to tell …’
Ricky Bird loves making up stories for her little brother Ollie almost as much as she loves him. The imaginary worlds she creates are wild and whimsical places full of unlimited possibilities.
Real life is another story. Ricky’s father has abandoned them and the family has moved to a bleak new neighbourhood. Worse still, her mother’s new boyfriend, Dan, has come with the furniture.
But Ricky Bird is a force to be reckoned with. As the mastermind of so many outlandish plots, imagination is her best weapon to restore her world to rights. As her father used to say, if you can spin a good yarn you can get on in life.
Ricky knows that better than anyone but despite her best efforts everything in her world starts to spiral out of control. Until a gypsy prediction that someone will come along – a he or a she who is like a gift – comes true.
But no one, not even Ricky, could imagine the consequences.
Beautifully written, heartbreakingly funny and deeply moving, this book has already been compared to The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, Lost and Found, Shuggie Bain, Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine and A Monster Calls. But Ricky’s story is all her own – and it will stay with you long after the last page.
351 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2022
66 people are currently reading
1200 people want to read
About the author
Diane Connell
1 book16 followersDIANE CONNELL was born and educated in New Zealand and has lived and worked in Japan, France and the UK. She began her writing career in a newspaper office in Tokyo before becoming an advertising copywriter and writing for the international non-profit sector. For many years she lived in Paris, where she began writing as a novelist. She later moved to London, where her first two books, Julian Corkle is a Filthy Liar and Sherry Cracker Gets Normal, were published under the name of D.J. Connell. She now lives in Sydney.
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June 26, 2022
The Improbable Life of Ricky Bird
by Diane Connell, Hannah Monson (narrator)
Twelve year old Ricky Bird felt like she mostly fit in before her parents split up. Then her mom moved her away from the home and school she knew, to a questionable apartment complex that seems to come with Dan, her mom's new boyfriend of just weeks. The boyfriend says things that make Ricky uncomfortable, touches her inappropriately, like it's an accident, and Ricky wants nothing to do with this man. When Ricky's little brother, Ollie, becomes critically ill, Dan is the one watching over Ricky.
Ollie is a adorable, a wise old man in a little boy body. I could spend all day listening to Ollie. But Ricky is a wonder, too, creative, smart, imaginative, and has a future as a writer. She loves to write and her facilitator, Nicole, encourages her to do so during a summer workshop. A favorite thing that Ricky and Ollie like to do is have story time, with Ricky making up stories to help Ollie through his bouts of sickness and to help him fall asleep.
It didn't take long for me to realize this wasn't a lighthearted story and it became difficult for me to listen to it once I was aware of how much Ricky needed her mom (crushed by exhaustion, grief, and living at the hospital with sick Ollie) and dad (living with his pregnant girlfriend). As much as I wanted to scream at Ricky's mom, to notice her daughter, to be there for her daughter, I could see how she was swept up in something that left her empty of what was needed to spread herself even thinner. So much was happening to Ricky and she was trapped in so many ways, with no escape but that which her mind could invent for her. I'm glad I stuck it out with this story because I needed to be there to see how things came together. Be aware that this story deals with very troubling subject matters. For me, the bullying, of young and old, was just one of the many situations that were so well expressed but also so painful to watch. The narration of the story is fabulous.
Pub April 25, 2022
Thank you to Simon & Schuster Audio (Australia) and NetGalley for this ARC.
by Diane Connell, Hannah Monson (narrator)
Twelve year old Ricky Bird felt like she mostly fit in before her parents split up. Then her mom moved her away from the home and school she knew, to a questionable apartment complex that seems to come with Dan, her mom's new boyfriend of just weeks. The boyfriend says things that make Ricky uncomfortable, touches her inappropriately, like it's an accident, and Ricky wants nothing to do with this man. When Ricky's little brother, Ollie, becomes critically ill, Dan is the one watching over Ricky.
Ollie is a adorable, a wise old man in a little boy body. I could spend all day listening to Ollie. But Ricky is a wonder, too, creative, smart, imaginative, and has a future as a writer. She loves to write and her facilitator, Nicole, encourages her to do so during a summer workshop. A favorite thing that Ricky and Ollie like to do is have story time, with Ricky making up stories to help Ollie through his bouts of sickness and to help him fall asleep.
It didn't take long for me to realize this wasn't a lighthearted story and it became difficult for me to listen to it once I was aware of how much Ricky needed her mom (crushed by exhaustion, grief, and living at the hospital with sick Ollie) and dad (living with his pregnant girlfriend). As much as I wanted to scream at Ricky's mom, to notice her daughter, to be there for her daughter, I could see how she was swept up in something that left her empty of what was needed to spread herself even thinner. So much was happening to Ricky and she was trapped in so many ways, with no escape but that which her mind could invent for her. I'm glad I stuck it out with this story because I needed to be there to see how things came together. Be aware that this story deals with very troubling subject matters. For me, the bullying, of young and old, was just one of the many situations that were so well expressed but also so painful to watch. The narration of the story is fabulous.
Pub April 25, 2022
Thank you to Simon & Schuster Audio (Australia) and NetGalley for this ARC.
October 8, 2022
Ricky was 12 years old & was struggling with a family separation, her father had walked out on them, now living with his girlfriend who was pregnant.
Her mother was moving them from Brixton to an unsavoury area CamdenKings Crescent Estate where it wasn’t safe to be out at night, her mother had a boyfriend Dan who both Ricky & her younger brother Ollie didn’t like whatsoever. Ricky didn’t like her body & didn’t understand what was going on she was tough but loved working at the allotment in Brixton.
The flat they moved into was run down but it was near to Dan that’s all she cared about, until Ollie got really sick & was in the hospital with her mother at his bedside night after night this made Ricky very lonely she only had Dan to look after her but he had a criminal record she hated being around him & started acting up she had one friend in the new estate Samia who both Ricky & Ollie met when they moved there the dog she had brought them closer day by day as Ollie always wanted one. I won’t go into this any further but to say this was a gem of a book I found it in my library went in blind & what I thought was going to be a light read turned into something more powerful, I loved every minute the love between Ollie & Ricky was priceless Ricky wouldn’t leave his side Ollie’s character I adored he was so wise for a six year old & he was in an old man’s body he was my favourite character.
I thought the author handled the delicate subjects in this book with aplomb it was very delicately done I can’t praise this more highly a beautiful 5tae read.
Her mother was moving them from Brixton to an unsavoury area CamdenKings Crescent Estate where it wasn’t safe to be out at night, her mother had a boyfriend Dan who both Ricky & her younger brother Ollie didn’t like whatsoever. Ricky didn’t like her body & didn’t understand what was going on she was tough but loved working at the allotment in Brixton.
The flat they moved into was run down but it was near to Dan that’s all she cared about, until Ollie got really sick & was in the hospital with her mother at his bedside night after night this made Ricky very lonely she only had Dan to look after her but he had a criminal record she hated being around him & started acting up she had one friend in the new estate Samia who both Ricky & Ollie met when they moved there the dog she had brought them closer day by day as Ollie always wanted one. I won’t go into this any further but to say this was a gem of a book I found it in my library went in blind & what I thought was going to be a light read turned into something more powerful, I loved every minute the love between Ollie & Ricky was priceless Ricky wouldn’t leave his side Ollie’s character I adored he was so wise for a six year old & he was in an old man’s body he was my favourite character.
I thought the author handled the delicate subjects in this book with aplomb it was very delicately done I can’t praise this more highly a beautiful 5tae read.
November 15, 2023
I listened to this book in the car on my work commute, as well as the hard copy. Unfortunately, the audio had many technical gaffs such as repeated phrases, and the wait between chapters was too great, I was left thinking there was a technical error. But the voice read beautifully! Especially the voices of the youth of the town.
Audio issues aside, this was a special book. Again, this book contained hefty themes (as so many of my recent reads have been) and I thought this was a touch misleading as I was led to believe it may have been more like all the comparisons in the blurb - Eleanor Oliphant and A Man Called Ove. These issues are mine, of course. This book is not light, it is full of important and topical content.
Ricky Bird is 12 and fighting an uphill battle. She’s a quirky young girl at the cusp of womanhood. We sense she’s in trouble at every turn, physically and emotionally, even though she shows a strength of will and awareness larger than her age. Rarely does she try and pass blame when she clearly has not been in the wrong, she takes her lot and keeps her head up. She is beginning to feel unheard, unnoticed, and disregarded.
She has moved into a new housing estate in England, with her mother and beloved younger brother, Ollie. Her mum has a new partner, Dan, who is quickly entrusted by her mother to take on a lot of the caring responsibilities of Ricky as Ollie becomes terribly sick as soon as they move in. Ricky’s mother straight away is pulled out of the home spending most of her time at the hospital with Ollie, and Ricky is left to fend for herself, roaming the streets, trying to form friendships with the troubled youth of the area.
She mostly holds her own, but the scrapes she finds herself are getting more serious. Dan lets her get away with these, so she will behave for him as he seems to have his own set of rules. He likes to think he’s charming, but this man bun-wearing guy doesn’t completely have it over Ricky.
The lovely thing about Ricky is her love for Ollie. They have a bond; they have the most wonderful banter, and he gobbles up her stories. Taking on the monikers of small fry and big fry. Love it! These stories make their way outside of the home where Ricky struggles to find strong footing. Her imagination is vivid and full of colour and verve, and of course she’s a writer, too. Her writing has become her salvation, and the summer mornings at the community centre become her refuge where the female facilitator sees her potential and guides her to reach it.
There are many characters to love and despise, Mrs Mitra the neighbour notices but doesn’t push, and her daughter is a salvation, also. It’s hard to see Ricky struggle when she has so much good, and a mother with a fierce love for her children which is hard to be seen given a very ill child. Ollie, too, is wise for his years and loves his sister fiercely. Ricky adores her father, but Ollie’s observations of this absent man are acutely keen.
Fiercely observant and quietly unassuming, Diane Connell has created an important story told to us by a remarkable young person in the voice of Ricky Bird who does not need to run to the beat of anyone’s drum but her own.
Many thanks to Simon & Schuster for my physical copy to read and review. This one’s a keeper.
Audio issues aside, this was a special book. Again, this book contained hefty themes (as so many of my recent reads have been) and I thought this was a touch misleading as I was led to believe it may have been more like all the comparisons in the blurb - Eleanor Oliphant and A Man Called Ove. These issues are mine, of course. This book is not light, it is full of important and topical content.
Ricky Bird is 12 and fighting an uphill battle. She’s a quirky young girl at the cusp of womanhood. We sense she’s in trouble at every turn, physically and emotionally, even though she shows a strength of will and awareness larger than her age. Rarely does she try and pass blame when she clearly has not been in the wrong, she takes her lot and keeps her head up. She is beginning to feel unheard, unnoticed, and disregarded.
She has moved into a new housing estate in England, with her mother and beloved younger brother, Ollie. Her mum has a new partner, Dan, who is quickly entrusted by her mother to take on a lot of the caring responsibilities of Ricky as Ollie becomes terribly sick as soon as they move in. Ricky’s mother straight away is pulled out of the home spending most of her time at the hospital with Ollie, and Ricky is left to fend for herself, roaming the streets, trying to form friendships with the troubled youth of the area.
She mostly holds her own, but the scrapes she finds herself are getting more serious. Dan lets her get away with these, so she will behave for him as he seems to have his own set of rules. He likes to think he’s charming, but this man bun-wearing guy doesn’t completely have it over Ricky.
The lovely thing about Ricky is her love for Ollie. They have a bond; they have the most wonderful banter, and he gobbles up her stories. Taking on the monikers of small fry and big fry. Love it! These stories make their way outside of the home where Ricky struggles to find strong footing. Her imagination is vivid and full of colour and verve, and of course she’s a writer, too. Her writing has become her salvation, and the summer mornings at the community centre become her refuge where the female facilitator sees her potential and guides her to reach it.
There are many characters to love and despise, Mrs Mitra the neighbour notices but doesn’t push, and her daughter is a salvation, also. It’s hard to see Ricky struggle when she has so much good, and a mother with a fierce love for her children which is hard to be seen given a very ill child. Ollie, too, is wise for his years and loves his sister fiercely. Ricky adores her father, but Ollie’s observations of this absent man are acutely keen.
Fiercely observant and quietly unassuming, Diane Connell has created an important story told to us by a remarkable young person in the voice of Ricky Bird who does not need to run to the beat of anyone’s drum but her own.
Many thanks to Simon & Schuster for my physical copy to read and review. This one’s a keeper.
April 29, 2022
When twelve-year-old Ricky Bird, her mother and little brother Ollie, moved to Camden from Brixton, it was without her father. Ricky’s parents had separated, with both of them having new partners. Ricky was devastated because she had a special bond with her father. The flat in Camden was filthy and Ricky and her mother worked hard to clean it up. Her mother’s partner Dan was there now and then, but Ricky was closest to Ollie. She told him stories to make him laugh – their love for each other was deep.
When Ollie became sick and spent time in hospital, their mother was there with him. Dan looked after Ricky but she spent most of her time wandering the estate, working in the nearby garden, and avoiding the vindictive people who lived there. But as Ricky was developing the ability to lie, her life was spiralling out of control. Samia was a shy girl, but she was the closest Ricky came to having a friend. But when they went to the fair and Ricky saw the gypsy fortune teller, something was seen in her future – a new friend. What would happen to Ricky, now thirteen and lonely, sad and filled with emptiness?
The Improbable Life of Ricky Bird is an amazing, poignant, heartbreaking novel by Aussie author Diane Connell which had me smiling, laughing and in tears. The heartbreak of first, the broken family, then the sick child made me wonder how anyone would cope with that situation, let alone a young girl, taken from her friends and everything she’d known, into a situation she had no control over. A fabulous read, The Improbable Life of Ricky Bird is one I recommend highly.
With thanks to Simon & Schuster AU for my uncorrected proof ARC (which I won) to read in exchange for an honest review.
When Ollie became sick and spent time in hospital, their mother was there with him. Dan looked after Ricky but she spent most of her time wandering the estate, working in the nearby garden, and avoiding the vindictive people who lived there. But as Ricky was developing the ability to lie, her life was spiralling out of control. Samia was a shy girl, but she was the closest Ricky came to having a friend. But when they went to the fair and Ricky saw the gypsy fortune teller, something was seen in her future – a new friend. What would happen to Ricky, now thirteen and lonely, sad and filled with emptiness?
The Improbable Life of Ricky Bird is an amazing, poignant, heartbreaking novel by Aussie author Diane Connell which had me smiling, laughing and in tears. The heartbreak of first, the broken family, then the sick child made me wonder how anyone would cope with that situation, let alone a young girl, taken from her friends and everything she’d known, into a situation she had no control over. A fabulous read, The Improbable Life of Ricky Bird is one I recommend highly.
With thanks to Simon & Schuster AU for my uncorrected proof ARC (which I won) to read in exchange for an honest review.
September 20, 2022
3★
“ ‘You are personally invited to a séance. We are going to ask the spirits for guidance and need many hands. Meet us tonight at the playground at 11 pm. Come alone.’
Despite everything that had happened, all the recent trouble and misunderstandings, Ricky felt her spirits lift. Someone wanted her.”
Ricky Bird is almost thirteen, as she insists on answering when asked her age. She also insists that she be called Ricky, not Vicky (Victoria), and she wants short hair. Mum has moved her and little brother Ollie to a different town where Mum has a new boyfriend, Dan, whom Ricky hates. She adores her dad and doesn’t seem to mind that he has a new girlfriend, which is what caused the separation.
Ollie is only a little fellow, six years old, and not very well. Ricky adores him, and it’s easy to see why. She loves making up stories to entertain him, and he has a wry sense of humour for a kid. He’s a perfect audience for her increasingly wild imagination. When he is ill, she tells him he has a parasitic twin inside that is angry because it wasn’t born, so it’s trying to get out.
She goes for a wander around the tower blocks, sorry to see no gardens, because she used to love working with her dad on the allotment. Digging her hands in the soil was soothing, and being with Dad was where she loved to be.
“She paused as something familiar beside a bin caught her eye. It was a ‘baggy’ like the ones she often saw discarded around her old estate. The small plastic bags were what dealers used to package their drugs.
‘Hey!’
She looked up and saw that she was not alone. Halfway down the lane were four teenage boys. They had seen her first and were already moving toward her, jostling in the way youths did with elbows and shoulders, out to prove something. One of the boys shouted again and they started running.
In an instant, Ricky was in flight. She was blood and adrenaline, an animal fleeing predators. She could hear the pounding of their trainers behind her as she sprinted back the way she’d come. The boys were yelping, voices high with excitement. They were no longer individuals with their own thoughts but a pack of dogs caught up in the chase, bound together by a single, dangerous purpose.”
Welcome to the neighbourhood. Oh to be back in Brixton with Dad. It’s the summer holidays, so there’s no school yet where she can meet friends. She talks to three girls about her age in the playground. One lives next door, one is the sister of one of the mob of boys, and one is an already-developed pretty girl who is desperate to seem glamorous.
The local community centre is running a summer writing workshop during the mornings, but her mother thinks it’s an all-day activity, which suits Ricky fine. That gives her afternoons free. She is becoming an accomplished liar. She is also writing some inventive stories and filling the notebooks teacher Katie gives her. Ricky finds it a good outlet.
As Ollie needs more medical tests and hospital trips, her mother gets her boyfriend, Dan, to look after Ricky, which Ricky loathes. He insists they come to some sort of truce, or he will tell her mother that she’s been lying about things. Mum, meanwhile, is totally absorbed in taking care of Ollie, which is understandable, but impossible for Ricky to deal with.
She has a wild imagination, wild dreams and nightmares, and keeps getting into trouble. For me, the explanations at the very end didn’t ring true. If Ricky had been narrating her own story, I might have accepted it. I’ve looked back through the book, and I’m still not convinced. I thought the ending was abrupt and awkward.
I was also disappointed to find no real connection to the books to which it is claimed to be similar. Ricky and her story are nothing like Christopher in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, which is one of my favourite books. Nor is she remotely like A Man Called Ove, whose story is also one of my all-time favourites. The similarity between Ricky and Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine is slight, at best.
Thanks to Simon and Schuster for the preview copy which I didn’t even know I had. I only just discovered it buried under some old mail, for which I apologise, (not that S&S will be happy with my review, anyway).
This seems to have a lot of fans, and I’m sure there will be plenty more. I imagine it will appeal to Young Adult readers, too.
The books mentioned above:
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
My review
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
My review
Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
My review
“ ‘You are personally invited to a séance. We are going to ask the spirits for guidance and need many hands. Meet us tonight at the playground at 11 pm. Come alone.’
Despite everything that had happened, all the recent trouble and misunderstandings, Ricky felt her spirits lift. Someone wanted her.”
Ricky Bird is almost thirteen, as she insists on answering when asked her age. She also insists that she be called Ricky, not Vicky (Victoria), and she wants short hair. Mum has moved her and little brother Ollie to a different town where Mum has a new boyfriend, Dan, whom Ricky hates. She adores her dad and doesn’t seem to mind that he has a new girlfriend, which is what caused the separation.
Ollie is only a little fellow, six years old, and not very well. Ricky adores him, and it’s easy to see why. She loves making up stories to entertain him, and he has a wry sense of humour for a kid. He’s a perfect audience for her increasingly wild imagination. When he is ill, she tells him he has a parasitic twin inside that is angry because it wasn’t born, so it’s trying to get out.
She goes for a wander around the tower blocks, sorry to see no gardens, because she used to love working with her dad on the allotment. Digging her hands in the soil was soothing, and being with Dad was where she loved to be.
“She paused as something familiar beside a bin caught her eye. It was a ‘baggy’ like the ones she often saw discarded around her old estate. The small plastic bags were what dealers used to package their drugs.
‘Hey!’
She looked up and saw that she was not alone. Halfway down the lane were four teenage boys. They had seen her first and were already moving toward her, jostling in the way youths did with elbows and shoulders, out to prove something. One of the boys shouted again and they started running.
In an instant, Ricky was in flight. She was blood and adrenaline, an animal fleeing predators. She could hear the pounding of their trainers behind her as she sprinted back the way she’d come. The boys were yelping, voices high with excitement. They were no longer individuals with their own thoughts but a pack of dogs caught up in the chase, bound together by a single, dangerous purpose.”
Welcome to the neighbourhood. Oh to be back in Brixton with Dad. It’s the summer holidays, so there’s no school yet where she can meet friends. She talks to three girls about her age in the playground. One lives next door, one is the sister of one of the mob of boys, and one is an already-developed pretty girl who is desperate to seem glamorous.
The local community centre is running a summer writing workshop during the mornings, but her mother thinks it’s an all-day activity, which suits Ricky fine. That gives her afternoons free. She is becoming an accomplished liar. She is also writing some inventive stories and filling the notebooks teacher Katie gives her. Ricky finds it a good outlet.
As Ollie needs more medical tests and hospital trips, her mother gets her boyfriend, Dan, to look after Ricky, which Ricky loathes. He insists they come to some sort of truce, or he will tell her mother that she’s been lying about things. Mum, meanwhile, is totally absorbed in taking care of Ollie, which is understandable, but impossible for Ricky to deal with.
She has a wild imagination, wild dreams and nightmares, and keeps getting into trouble. For me, the explanations at the very end didn’t ring true. If Ricky had been narrating her own story, I might have accepted it. I’ve looked back through the book, and I’m still not convinced. I thought the ending was abrupt and awkward.
I was also disappointed to find no real connection to the books to which it is claimed to be similar. Ricky and her story are nothing like Christopher in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, which is one of my favourite books. Nor is she remotely like A Man Called Ove, whose story is also one of my all-time favourites. The similarity between Ricky and Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine is slight, at best.
Thanks to Simon and Schuster for the preview copy which I didn’t even know I had. I only just discovered it buried under some old mail, for which I apologise, (not that S&S will be happy with my review, anyway).
This seems to have a lot of fans, and I’m sure there will be plenty more. I imagine it will appeal to Young Adult readers, too.
The books mentioned above:
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
My review
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
My review
Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
My review
September 2, 2022
This was an unexpected, powerful gem. Ricky Bird is doing it tough, her father left them for another woman and she is pregnant, her beloved younger brother is seriously ill and they have just moved to a new housing estate that is not the best place in town.
This is Ricky's journey. She's tough, hates her body and gender, misses her dad and mum, who is spending all her time and energy with her beloved brother. I loved Ollie, a wise old man in a sick young body. Snowy couldn't be the friend she needed and some bad people were in her life.
This book took me by surprise, with it's intensity, the wisdom of what was happening to a 12/13 year old girl and the sudden and full on events taking place. 4.5 stars for me. I will read more by Ms Connell, a Kiwi now living in Sydney, yet this takes place in London. Good one.
This is Ricky's journey. She's tough, hates her body and gender, misses her dad and mum, who is spending all her time and energy with her beloved brother. I loved Ollie, a wise old man in a sick young body. Snowy couldn't be the friend she needed and some bad people were in her life.
This book took me by surprise, with it's intensity, the wisdom of what was happening to a 12/13 year old girl and the sudden and full on events taking place. 4.5 stars for me. I will read more by Ms Connell, a Kiwi now living in Sydney, yet this takes place in London. Good one.
April 19, 2022
4.5★s
The Improbable Life of Ricky Bird is the third novel by New Zealand-born Australian author, Diane Connell. Moving from Brixton to Camden, just as the summer holidays begin, is absolutely the last thing that twelve-year-old Ricky Bird wants, but she has no choice. Her mum is moving her and her little brother Ollie to King’s Crescent Estate to be near her boyfriend, sleazy Dan, which means Ricky and Ollie will be a long way from their dad.
On their arrival, they meet a neighbour girl, Samia who seems shy but sweet. Their flat is a smelly tip, so Ricky takes Ollie to the tiny, ugly playground nearby while mum cleans up. They encounter a local tough girl whose fat old white Staffie instantly falls for Ollie, as all dogs do, but Caitlin Cloney isn’t won over.
The only glimmer of hope in this depressing place is what seems to be a community garden in which an elderly man digs and weeds and plants. Ricky and Ollie loved gardening with their dad at the allotment: maybe they could help out here?
Another positive is the Summer Creative Workshop at the Community Centre, where the facilitator, Katie encourages attendees to write stories, but also to keep their own personal book, to write candidly for themselves. Ricky’s talent for imaginative story-telling is lauded here. While Samia is there, quietly participating, Caitlin isn’t, but Caitlin’s snobby, pretty best friend, Abbie is: it seems Ricky will find herself in the company of these girls whether or not she wants to.
In encounters with estate youths, including Caitlin’s older brother, Ricky clearly sees the danger; being in Dan’s company, she finds distasteful; with old Mr Snow in the garden she feels safe, it’s her refuge from the world: “The garden was the only place where she could drop the burden of her disintegrating life and connect with the bustle and hum of all that grew there” But is danger where she perceives it to be?
Moving away from friends is already major, but Dad’s visits are few and far between, and then comes the unwelcome news that his girlfriend is expecting a daughter, a child Ricky is sure will replace her in dad’s attention and affections. When Ollie becomes genuinely unwell, their mother is thoroughly distracted by never-ending hospital visits, leaving Ricky in Dan’s care, something she escapes whenever possible.
So Ricky isn’t always where her mother thinks: time spent at the Creative workshop is positive; that spent in Caitlin’s company further undermines her shaky self-esteem and poot body image. A chance encounter with a fortune teller predicts a good friend in her near future, who turns out to be Jack, a local boy with similar family problems of his own. And the less her mother is around, the more trouble Ricky seems to attract, even while trying to be good and kind and thoughtful.
Connell’s depiction of her naïve young protagonist feels authentic and credible: a pre-teen facing several life challenges, needing support that is absent due to unfortunate circumstances. Ricky is disturbed about the changes puberty brings. It gradually becomes apparent that she is an unreliable narrator, engaging in wishful thinking around various aspects of her life.
The stories Ricky creates for Ollie about his illness are clever but demonstrate her denial of a reality she doesn’t want to face. In this story of a fractured family, Connell explores complex themes, including gender issues, paedophilia, anorexia, vigilante action, mental illness and premature end of life: a thought-provoking, moving and ultimately uplifting read.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Australia.
The Improbable Life of Ricky Bird is the third novel by New Zealand-born Australian author, Diane Connell. Moving from Brixton to Camden, just as the summer holidays begin, is absolutely the last thing that twelve-year-old Ricky Bird wants, but she has no choice. Her mum is moving her and her little brother Ollie to King’s Crescent Estate to be near her boyfriend, sleazy Dan, which means Ricky and Ollie will be a long way from their dad.
On their arrival, they meet a neighbour girl, Samia who seems shy but sweet. Their flat is a smelly tip, so Ricky takes Ollie to the tiny, ugly playground nearby while mum cleans up. They encounter a local tough girl whose fat old white Staffie instantly falls for Ollie, as all dogs do, but Caitlin Cloney isn’t won over.
The only glimmer of hope in this depressing place is what seems to be a community garden in which an elderly man digs and weeds and plants. Ricky and Ollie loved gardening with their dad at the allotment: maybe they could help out here?
Another positive is the Summer Creative Workshop at the Community Centre, where the facilitator, Katie encourages attendees to write stories, but also to keep their own personal book, to write candidly for themselves. Ricky’s talent for imaginative story-telling is lauded here. While Samia is there, quietly participating, Caitlin isn’t, but Caitlin’s snobby, pretty best friend, Abbie is: it seems Ricky will find herself in the company of these girls whether or not she wants to.
In encounters with estate youths, including Caitlin’s older brother, Ricky clearly sees the danger; being in Dan’s company, she finds distasteful; with old Mr Snow in the garden she feels safe, it’s her refuge from the world: “The garden was the only place where she could drop the burden of her disintegrating life and connect with the bustle and hum of all that grew there” But is danger where she perceives it to be?
Moving away from friends is already major, but Dad’s visits are few and far between, and then comes the unwelcome news that his girlfriend is expecting a daughter, a child Ricky is sure will replace her in dad’s attention and affections. When Ollie becomes genuinely unwell, their mother is thoroughly distracted by never-ending hospital visits, leaving Ricky in Dan’s care, something she escapes whenever possible.
So Ricky isn’t always where her mother thinks: time spent at the Creative workshop is positive; that spent in Caitlin’s company further undermines her shaky self-esteem and poot body image. A chance encounter with a fortune teller predicts a good friend in her near future, who turns out to be Jack, a local boy with similar family problems of his own. And the less her mother is around, the more trouble Ricky seems to attract, even while trying to be good and kind and thoughtful.
Connell’s depiction of her naïve young protagonist feels authentic and credible: a pre-teen facing several life challenges, needing support that is absent due to unfortunate circumstances. Ricky is disturbed about the changes puberty brings. It gradually becomes apparent that she is an unreliable narrator, engaging in wishful thinking around various aspects of her life.
The stories Ricky creates for Ollie about his illness are clever but demonstrate her denial of a reality she doesn’t want to face. In this story of a fractured family, Connell explores complex themes, including gender issues, paedophilia, anorexia, vigilante action, mental illness and premature end of life: a thought-provoking, moving and ultimately uplifting read.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Australia.
August 17, 2022
The Improbable Life of Ricky Bird by Diane Connell
Synopsis /
Ricky Bird loves making up stories for her little brother Ollie almost as much as she loves him. The imaginary worlds she creates are wild and whimsical places full of unlimited possibilities.
Real life is another story. Ricky’s father has abandoned them and the family has moved to a bleak new neighbourhood. Worse still, her mother’s new boyfriend, Dan, has come with the furniture.
But Ricky Bird is a force to be reckoned with. As the mastermind of so many outlandish plots, imagination is her best weapon to restore her world to rights. As her father used to say, if you can spin a good yarn you can get on in life.
Ricky knows that better than anyone but despite her best efforts everything in her world starts to spiral out of control. Until a gypsy prediction that someone will come along – a he or a she who is like a gift – comes true.
But no one, not even Ricky, could imagine the consequences.
My Thoughts /
The realities of this world seldom measure up to the sublime designs of human imagination.
This. Book. This book has left me adrift. Thrown. Discombobulated.
Up until now, twelve year old Ricky Bird has had a pretty good life. But lately, it seems to Ricky that wherever she turns, life just does not go to plan.
Her parents have separated.
Her mother has a new boyfriend. Ugh. Dan.
Not only that, but now they are moving from their comfortable home in Brixton, to a much smaller place in Camden so that mum can be closer to (Ugh), Dan.
Ricky will have to leave her school…..leave her friends…..leave the beautiful allotment garden that she and her father work on together……and worst of all, leave her father.
Her life, it seems, during this first summer of her teenage years, is slowly but surely falling apart at the seams.
The good news is that she still has Ollie, her six year old brother, and, her imagination.
If only our real life could be as good as the life we’ve imagined for ourselves.
On the “outside”, Ricky is tough; defiant. But, on a deeper more intimate level, Ricky is struggling. She’s turning thirteen; her body is changing; her hormones are knocking on the door of puberty; her body is conspiring against her, and she is not comfortable with the impending change. In an attempt to arrest back the control of her body Ricky stops eating and starts repeatedly working out.
She may not have a “reality” that is to her liking, but Ricky can escape into an imagined reality. She creates a place full of wonderful imaginative stories. Sometimes she creates stories which make her little brother laugh. Other times it’s impress the kids on the new estate who only want to tear her down and make fun of her. And sometimes, she creates stories as a way for her to make sense of what’s happening to her; to calm her. In these stories, Ricky’s world is not constrained by illness or bullies, or absent fathers or overwhelmed mothers. Instead, they are about pieces of time; where people and places captivate our attention by their beauty, their inclusion, and infinite unblemished possibilities.
A rock pile ceases to be a rock pile the moment a single man contemplates it, bearing within him the image of a Cathedral.
For the first time in days, Ricky allowed herself to relax. It felt wonderful to have Katie’s approval. She loved the way everyone was laughing. It was like the old days in Brixton. Light and friendly. When she glanced across the table, however, she saw that Abbie was crumpling up her piece of paper and immediately felt sorry for her. Not everyone knew how to assemble words into a story. ‘It’s a gift,’ her father told her. ‘A handy gift to have if push comes to shove.'
Connell’s writing style certainly resonated with this reader. Full of raw, honest emotion Connell manages to combine both the celebration of hope together with some of the grimmer truths of life – all wrapped up in the imaginative brain of Ricky Bird. My heart ached for this girl; I just wanted to hug her and tell her things will get better.
This is one of those stories that, if you read it (and I hope you do) it will remind you to remember that we don’t always know what is going on in someone else’s life – so – please just let us be kind.
Synopsis /
Ricky Bird loves making up stories for her little brother Ollie almost as much as she loves him. The imaginary worlds she creates are wild and whimsical places full of unlimited possibilities.
Real life is another story. Ricky’s father has abandoned them and the family has moved to a bleak new neighbourhood. Worse still, her mother’s new boyfriend, Dan, has come with the furniture.
But Ricky Bird is a force to be reckoned with. As the mastermind of so many outlandish plots, imagination is her best weapon to restore her world to rights. As her father used to say, if you can spin a good yarn you can get on in life.
Ricky knows that better than anyone but despite her best efforts everything in her world starts to spiral out of control. Until a gypsy prediction that someone will come along – a he or a she who is like a gift – comes true.
But no one, not even Ricky, could imagine the consequences.
My Thoughts /
The realities of this world seldom measure up to the sublime designs of human imagination.
This. Book. This book has left me adrift. Thrown. Discombobulated.
Up until now, twelve year old Ricky Bird has had a pretty good life. But lately, it seems to Ricky that wherever she turns, life just does not go to plan.
Her parents have separated.
Her mother has a new boyfriend. Ugh. Dan.
Not only that, but now they are moving from their comfortable home in Brixton, to a much smaller place in Camden so that mum can be closer to (Ugh), Dan.
Ricky will have to leave her school…..leave her friends…..leave the beautiful allotment garden that she and her father work on together……and worst of all, leave her father.
Her life, it seems, during this first summer of her teenage years, is slowly but surely falling apart at the seams.
The good news is that she still has Ollie, her six year old brother, and, her imagination.
If only our real life could be as good as the life we’ve imagined for ourselves.
On the “outside”, Ricky is tough; defiant. But, on a deeper more intimate level, Ricky is struggling. She’s turning thirteen; her body is changing; her hormones are knocking on the door of puberty; her body is conspiring against her, and she is not comfortable with the impending change. In an attempt to arrest back the control of her body Ricky stops eating and starts repeatedly working out.
She may not have a “reality” that is to her liking, but Ricky can escape into an imagined reality. She creates a place full of wonderful imaginative stories. Sometimes she creates stories which make her little brother laugh. Other times it’s impress the kids on the new estate who only want to tear her down and make fun of her. And sometimes, she creates stories as a way for her to make sense of what’s happening to her; to calm her. In these stories, Ricky’s world is not constrained by illness or bullies, or absent fathers or overwhelmed mothers. Instead, they are about pieces of time; where people and places captivate our attention by their beauty, their inclusion, and infinite unblemished possibilities.
A rock pile ceases to be a rock pile the moment a single man contemplates it, bearing within him the image of a Cathedral.
For the first time in days, Ricky allowed herself to relax. It felt wonderful to have Katie’s approval. She loved the way everyone was laughing. It was like the old days in Brixton. Light and friendly. When she glanced across the table, however, she saw that Abbie was crumpling up her piece of paper and immediately felt sorry for her. Not everyone knew how to assemble words into a story. ‘It’s a gift,’ her father told her. ‘A handy gift to have if push comes to shove.'
Connell’s writing style certainly resonated with this reader. Full of raw, honest emotion Connell manages to combine both the celebration of hope together with some of the grimmer truths of life – all wrapped up in the imaginative brain of Ricky Bird. My heart ached for this girl; I just wanted to hug her and tell her things will get better.
This is one of those stories that, if you read it (and I hope you do) it will remind you to remember that we don’t always know what is going on in someone else’s life – so – please just let us be kind.
April 28, 2022
The summer holidays have just started and 12 year old Ricky Bird is desperately missing her gardener father after the family move to a Camden housing estate to be closer to her Mum’s man-bunned, smarmy boyfriend Dan. She’s left behind friends and favourite hangouts, but has her charismatic little brother Ollie, the dog whisperer, to help establish their new lives in Brixton. Ricky is an imaginative storyteller, creating richly vivid worlds, the better to augment the miserable playground, unfriendly locals, parental separation and the impending calamity of puberty. Ollie’s sudden illness and her mum’s distraction with medical tests and hospital visits sees Dan step up to be the responsible adult in her life.
To avoid the man Ricky signs up for the community centre’s creative writing and dream diaries activity in the mornings, and furtively connects with elderly Mr Snow and a feral cat and her kittens in the unobtrusive community garden some afternoons. Other afternoons see Ricky caught up in less honourable exploits, led by the deceitful Caitlin Cloney and her gal pals. The estate is home to drug dealers, thieves, fences, and worse and trouble eventually finds Ricky needing Dan to keep secrets from her mum.
During a visit to Ollie’s hospital bedside Ricky meets wild and carefree Jack, whose mum is a cancer patient. As foretold by a gypsy, Jack is the person with whom she shares a birthday and will be a gift in her life. Together they embolden each other to deal with concerns the way only beleaguered, abandoned and fearful teens know how. But what is Ricky not facing up to? When the police are called in Ricky’s traumas are ultimately revealed.
Author Dianne Connell perceptively and compassionately deals with many issues, including gender identity, eating disorders, mental illness and death. ‘The Improbable Life of Ricky Bird’ is a must read for anyone who cares about young people. Keep the tissues handy!
Thanks to Simon & Schuster for an advanced reading copy.
To avoid the man Ricky signs up for the community centre’s creative writing and dream diaries activity in the mornings, and furtively connects with elderly Mr Snow and a feral cat and her kittens in the unobtrusive community garden some afternoons. Other afternoons see Ricky caught up in less honourable exploits, led by the deceitful Caitlin Cloney and her gal pals. The estate is home to drug dealers, thieves, fences, and worse and trouble eventually finds Ricky needing Dan to keep secrets from her mum.
During a visit to Ollie’s hospital bedside Ricky meets wild and carefree Jack, whose mum is a cancer patient. As foretold by a gypsy, Jack is the person with whom she shares a birthday and will be a gift in her life. Together they embolden each other to deal with concerns the way only beleaguered, abandoned and fearful teens know how. But what is Ricky not facing up to? When the police are called in Ricky’s traumas are ultimately revealed.
Author Dianne Connell perceptively and compassionately deals with many issues, including gender identity, eating disorders, mental illness and death. ‘The Improbable Life of Ricky Bird’ is a must read for anyone who cares about young people. Keep the tissues handy!
Thanks to Simon & Schuster for an advanced reading copy.
April 20, 2022
4.5★s
The Improbable Life of Ricky Bird is the third novel by New Zealand-born Australian author, Diane Connell. The audio version is narrated by Hannah Monson. Moving from Brixton to Camden, just as the summer holidays begin, is absolutely the last thing that twelve-year-old Ricky Bird wants, but she has no choice. Her mum is moving her and her little brother Ollie to King’s Crescent Estate to be near her boyfriend, sleazy Dan, which means Ricky and Ollie will be a long way from their dad.
On their arrival, they meet a neighbour girl, Samia who seems shy but sweet. Their flat is a smelly tip, so Ricky takes Ollie to the tiny, ugly playground nearby while mum cleans up. They encounter a local tough girl whose fat old white Staffie instantly falls for Ollie, as all dogs do, but Caitlin Cloney isn’t won over.
The only glimmer of hope in this depressing place is what seems to be a community garden in which an elderly man digs and weeds and plants. Ricky and Ollie loved gardening with their dad at the allotment: maybe they could help out here?
Another positive is the Summer Creative Workshop at the Community Centre, where the facilitator, Katie encourages attendees to write stories, but also to keep their own personal book, to write candidly for themselves. Ricky’s talent for imaginative story-telling is lauded here. While Samia is there, quietly participating, Caitlin isn’t, but Caitlin’s snobby, pretty best friend, Abbie is: it seems Ricky will find herself in the company of these girls whether or not she wants to.
In encounters with estate youths, including Caitlin’s older brother, Ricky clearly sees the danger; being in Dan’s company, she finds distasteful; with old Mr Snow in the garden she feels safe, it’s her refuge from the world: “The garden was the only place where she could drop the burden of her disintegrating life and connect with the bustle and hum of all that grew there” But is danger where she perceives it to be?
Moving away from friends is already major, but Dad’s visits are few and far between, and then comes the unwelcome news that his girlfriend is expecting a daughter, a child Ricky is sure will replace her in dad’s attention and affections. When Ollie becomes genuinely unwell, their mother is thoroughly distracted by never-ending hospital visits, leaving Ricky in Dan’s care, something she escapes whenever possible.
So Ricky isn’t always where her mother thinks: time spent at the Creative workshop is positive; that spent in Caitlin’s company further undermines her shaky self-esteem and poot body image. A chance encounter with a fortune teller predicts a good friend in her near future, who turns out to be Jack, a local boy with similar family problems of his own. And the less her mother is around, the more trouble Ricky seems to attract, even while trying to be good and kind and thoughtful.
Connell’s depiction of her naïve young protagonist feels authentic and credible: a pre-teen facing several life challenges, needing support that is absent due to unfortunate circumstances. Ricky is disturbed about the changes puberty brings. It gradually becomes apparent that she is an unreliable narrator, engaging in wishful thinking around various aspects of her life.
The stories Ricky creates for Ollie about his illness are clever but demonstrate her denial of a reality she doesn’t want to face. In this story of a fractured family, Connell explores complex themes, including gender issues, paedophilia, anorexia, vigilante action, mental illness and premature end of life: a thought-provoking, moving and ultimately uplifting read.
This unbiased review is from an audio copy provided by NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Australia.
The Improbable Life of Ricky Bird is the third novel by New Zealand-born Australian author, Diane Connell. The audio version is narrated by Hannah Monson. Moving from Brixton to Camden, just as the summer holidays begin, is absolutely the last thing that twelve-year-old Ricky Bird wants, but she has no choice. Her mum is moving her and her little brother Ollie to King’s Crescent Estate to be near her boyfriend, sleazy Dan, which means Ricky and Ollie will be a long way from their dad.
On their arrival, they meet a neighbour girl, Samia who seems shy but sweet. Their flat is a smelly tip, so Ricky takes Ollie to the tiny, ugly playground nearby while mum cleans up. They encounter a local tough girl whose fat old white Staffie instantly falls for Ollie, as all dogs do, but Caitlin Cloney isn’t won over.
The only glimmer of hope in this depressing place is what seems to be a community garden in which an elderly man digs and weeds and plants. Ricky and Ollie loved gardening with their dad at the allotment: maybe they could help out here?
Another positive is the Summer Creative Workshop at the Community Centre, where the facilitator, Katie encourages attendees to write stories, but also to keep their own personal book, to write candidly for themselves. Ricky’s talent for imaginative story-telling is lauded here. While Samia is there, quietly participating, Caitlin isn’t, but Caitlin’s snobby, pretty best friend, Abbie is: it seems Ricky will find herself in the company of these girls whether or not she wants to.
In encounters with estate youths, including Caitlin’s older brother, Ricky clearly sees the danger; being in Dan’s company, she finds distasteful; with old Mr Snow in the garden she feels safe, it’s her refuge from the world: “The garden was the only place where she could drop the burden of her disintegrating life and connect with the bustle and hum of all that grew there” But is danger where she perceives it to be?
Moving away from friends is already major, but Dad’s visits are few and far between, and then comes the unwelcome news that his girlfriend is expecting a daughter, a child Ricky is sure will replace her in dad’s attention and affections. When Ollie becomes genuinely unwell, their mother is thoroughly distracted by never-ending hospital visits, leaving Ricky in Dan’s care, something she escapes whenever possible.
So Ricky isn’t always where her mother thinks: time spent at the Creative workshop is positive; that spent in Caitlin’s company further undermines her shaky self-esteem and poot body image. A chance encounter with a fortune teller predicts a good friend in her near future, who turns out to be Jack, a local boy with similar family problems of his own. And the less her mother is around, the more trouble Ricky seems to attract, even while trying to be good and kind and thoughtful.
Connell’s depiction of her naïve young protagonist feels authentic and credible: a pre-teen facing several life challenges, needing support that is absent due to unfortunate circumstances. Ricky is disturbed about the changes puberty brings. It gradually becomes apparent that she is an unreliable narrator, engaging in wishful thinking around various aspects of her life.
The stories Ricky creates for Ollie about his illness are clever but demonstrate her denial of a reality she doesn’t want to face. In this story of a fractured family, Connell explores complex themes, including gender issues, paedophilia, anorexia, vigilante action, mental illness and premature end of life: a thought-provoking, moving and ultimately uplifting read.
This unbiased review is from an audio copy provided by NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Australia.
May 14, 2022
This book is heart-warming, life-affirming, happy and sad. It will make you laugh and cry. The Improbable Life of Ricky Bird (Simon and Schuster 2022) by Diane Connell will appeal to anyone who loved Eleanor Oliphant, or the characters in Ove or The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time. This is the kind of book that transports the reader immediately, from the first page, to a place of deep immersion in the life of a young protagonist and the tricky navigations of their life. The voice in this book is unique, distinct and so completely identifiable right from the start. Ricky Bird is a name you will not forget.
The book opens with the words: ‘She believed there were two types of disaster.’ Ricky Bird is no stranger to both types. She is completely devoted to her younger brother Ollie and loves making up stories and imaginary worlds for him, building him forts and protecting him from the world. But their father has moved away to start a new life and both children feel abandoned. Ollie begins to have ominous hospital visits and Ricky doesn’t quite know what is wrong. Their mother is so overwhelmed with their circumstances that she barely notices that Ricky is having problems too.
And then there’s Dan, their mother’s new partner, who has insinuated himself into their lives and who annoys the heck out of Ricky from the very start. He is certainly no replacement for their father.
This story features excellent characterisation and a great plot. There are two very special aspects to the novel. One is the very distinct voice of Ricky Bird, who will stay with you long after the last page. Her quirky sense of humour, her imagination and the way in which she views the world are delivered with wit, grace and unforgettable language. We get right inside Ricky’s head. Or do we? Ricky’s imagination is certainly evolved from the very beginning, but is she an entirely reliable narrator, or is there more going on than we are privy to? The novel reveals the subtle and complex state of her mind and personality with each chapter, and the ending is surprising, shocking, painful and sad, yet somehow also inevitable and hopeful and comprehensible and satisfying.
Ricky’s life might be unpredictable and even seem to be spiralling out of control, but her character remains dependable, thoughtful, insightful and playful. She is wise beyond her years, even if she doesn’t know it.
There is a large cast of supporting characters who all have a part to play. Connell explores everything from the social angst of adolescence to nosy neighbours, from distracted parents to smarmy hangers-on, from new friendships to the familiarity of sibling attachment. Ricky’s imagination, pluck, courage and determination shine. What she lacks, she creates.
I absolutely loved Ricky Bird and her witty, insouciant, funny, critical, quick and loving personality. She had me laughing out loud in the first few pages with her irrepressible humour and deprecating depictions of those in her orbit. This is a book to pass to friends and loved ones.
The book opens with the words: ‘She believed there were two types of disaster.’ Ricky Bird is no stranger to both types. She is completely devoted to her younger brother Ollie and loves making up stories and imaginary worlds for him, building him forts and protecting him from the world. But their father has moved away to start a new life and both children feel abandoned. Ollie begins to have ominous hospital visits and Ricky doesn’t quite know what is wrong. Their mother is so overwhelmed with their circumstances that she barely notices that Ricky is having problems too.
And then there’s Dan, their mother’s new partner, who has insinuated himself into their lives and who annoys the heck out of Ricky from the very start. He is certainly no replacement for their father.
This story features excellent characterisation and a great plot. There are two very special aspects to the novel. One is the very distinct voice of Ricky Bird, who will stay with you long after the last page. Her quirky sense of humour, her imagination and the way in which she views the world are delivered with wit, grace and unforgettable language. We get right inside Ricky’s head. Or do we? Ricky’s imagination is certainly evolved from the very beginning, but is she an entirely reliable narrator, or is there more going on than we are privy to? The novel reveals the subtle and complex state of her mind and personality with each chapter, and the ending is surprising, shocking, painful and sad, yet somehow also inevitable and hopeful and comprehensible and satisfying.
Ricky’s life might be unpredictable and even seem to be spiralling out of control, but her character remains dependable, thoughtful, insightful and playful. She is wise beyond her years, even if she doesn’t know it.
There is a large cast of supporting characters who all have a part to play. Connell explores everything from the social angst of adolescence to nosy neighbours, from distracted parents to smarmy hangers-on, from new friendships to the familiarity of sibling attachment. Ricky’s imagination, pluck, courage and determination shine. What she lacks, she creates.
I absolutely loved Ricky Bird and her witty, insouciant, funny, critical, quick and loving personality. She had me laughing out loud in the first few pages with her irrepressible humour and deprecating depictions of those in her orbit. This is a book to pass to friends and loved ones.
January 28, 2022
My heart!!!
June 11, 2022
The title promised a dollop of whimsy
And then the comparisons with Ove, Eleanor and The Curious Incident made me pick it up the very same night it arrived, but as Teddy Roosevelt said, “comparison is the thief of joy”
The Improbable Life of Ricky Bird is about almost thirteen year old Ricky. Her parents have separated, her beloved Dad is disinterested, her younger brother Ollie is sick and Dan, her Mum’s new creep of a boyfriend, seems to be an increasing presence in their Camden flat. Meanwhile, changes are happening to Ricky’s body that she doesn’t want and food is becoming an enemy or at least something that she can control
There was significant trauma in this book (I’ve put trigger warnings in the comments) that perhaps I wasn’t expecting to such a degree from the title or the marketing. It’s written from Ricky’s point of view, so read a little like YA which worked well for me and Ollie is an absolute star of a character, but I found myself struggling to hold on to the tendrils of hope that started to emerge in the final few chapters
A worthy read, but perhaps one to go into with your eyes open
And then the comparisons with Ove, Eleanor and The Curious Incident made me pick it up the very same night it arrived, but as Teddy Roosevelt said, “comparison is the thief of joy”
The Improbable Life of Ricky Bird is about almost thirteen year old Ricky. Her parents have separated, her beloved Dad is disinterested, her younger brother Ollie is sick and Dan, her Mum’s new creep of a boyfriend, seems to be an increasing presence in their Camden flat. Meanwhile, changes are happening to Ricky’s body that she doesn’t want and food is becoming an enemy or at least something that she can control
There was significant trauma in this book (I’ve put trigger warnings in the comments) that perhaps I wasn’t expecting to such a degree from the title or the marketing. It’s written from Ricky’s point of view, so read a little like YA which worked well for me and Ollie is an absolute star of a character, but I found myself struggling to hold on to the tendrils of hope that started to emerge in the final few chapters
A worthy read, but perhaps one to go into with your eyes open
July 27, 2022
Ok - don't be fooled by the bright and cheerful cover - this book is great but not what it seems. The blurb gives nothing away to the themes and issues which come through strongly in the book. I can't say a lot without giving things away in the book but be prepared with some tissues. It was well written, I felt connected to the characters and am still feeling the feels from this one.
May 7, 2022
I’ll be honest: the books that this one is compared to in its blurb are the kind I could either love or hate, so I knew this one was a risk. But the good news is that I was a big fan of The Improbable Life of Ricky Bird (even if I’m really sick of books being titled like this).
For a while I didn’t know what to make or this book or Ricky as a character—she’s a prickly almost-13-year-old whose parents have just divorced, causing her to move with her mom and brother and mom’s sketchy boyfriend into a less desirable area of London.
I was afraid things might be too cutesy or whimsical, but that definitely isn’t the case. This book deals with plenty of heavy stuff (the kinds of things that require trigger warnings) with grace and in a way that feels appropriate for Ricky’s age. In particular, I think Ricky’s gender identity, which was never a plot point (apart from wanting to be called Ricky rather than Vicky) but just as part of her development was really lovely.
A very (bitter)sweet book! And one I’m glad I didn’t hate. 🙂
For a while I didn’t know what to make or this book or Ricky as a character—she’s a prickly almost-13-year-old whose parents have just divorced, causing her to move with her mom and brother and mom’s sketchy boyfriend into a less desirable area of London.
I was afraid things might be too cutesy or whimsical, but that definitely isn’t the case. This book deals with plenty of heavy stuff (the kinds of things that require trigger warnings) with grace and in a way that feels appropriate for Ricky’s age. In particular, I think Ricky’s gender identity, which was never a plot point (apart from wanting to be called Ricky rather than Vicky) but just as part of her development was really lovely.
A very (bitter)sweet book! And one I’m glad I didn’t hate. 🙂
May 5, 2022
I devoured this book - I couldn't and wouldn't put it down! The book deals with a number of very sensitive issues that young people may face. Ricky Bird is a wonderfully sketched-out, feisty character and her brother Ollie is so lovable. It is a wild ride and I was there for every moment. This book is a must read for young adults and their parents. I loved it!
May 15, 2022
Narrator 5 stars
Fantastic voice though the Aussie accent confused me at first as this book is set in the UK.
Story 4 stars
This book was very heavy with its subject matter. There was soo much going on but it was beautifully written.
Fantastic voice though the Aussie accent confused me at first as this book is set in the UK.
Story 4 stars
This book was very heavy with its subject matter. There was soo much going on but it was beautifully written.
August 7, 2022
There’s plenty going on here - lots of heavy stuff but it also has a warmth to it. Great characters.
I only realised once I’d finished and read the bit about the author, that she is the author of one of my favourite reads ‘Julian Corkle is a filthy liar’. I’d recommend both of these.
I only realised once I’d finished and read the bit about the author, that she is the author of one of my favourite reads ‘Julian Corkle is a filthy liar’. I’d recommend both of these.
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April 5, 2022I really enjoyed this story and connected easily with the ‘realness’ of Ricky, the main character. This is the story of Victoria Bird but she prefers to be known as Ricky; much to the dismay of her mother. Ricky is just about to turn 13 when her life goes through quite a few changes. Her parents separate, with her father moving in with his new girlfriend. Ricky and her younger brother Ollie have moved from Brixton when they lived as a family to a flat in a housing estate in Camden, where Dan, Ricky’s mum’s new boyfriend, lives.
Ricky absolutely adores her younger brother Ollie. She has a miraculously good imagination and makes up the most wonderful stories for him. Sadly, Ollie becomes gravely ill and it seems no one has time for Ricky. Ricky’s mum spends so much time at the hospital with Ollie and poor Ricky is left at home to be looked after by Dan, who she despises. No one seems to notice the severe changes in Ricky while Ollie is in the hospital. She had suffered dramatic weight loss and is not her usual happy go lucky self. Why is this happening and what’s going on with Ricky? Luckily Ricky enrols in a course at the community centre, a course on creative writing. This course, and it’s facilitator, Kate seem to be her saviour.
The housing estate is not the nicest, nor safest place to live, and it’s not until a fire breaks out, that Ricky’s real issues make their way out into the open.
Ricky absolutely adores her younger brother Ollie. She has a miraculously good imagination and makes up the most wonderful stories for him. Sadly, Ollie becomes gravely ill and it seems no one has time for Ricky. Ricky’s mum spends so much time at the hospital with Ollie and poor Ricky is left at home to be looked after by Dan, who she despises. No one seems to notice the severe changes in Ricky while Ollie is in the hospital. She had suffered dramatic weight loss and is not her usual happy go lucky self. Why is this happening and what’s going on with Ricky? Luckily Ricky enrols in a course at the community centre, a course on creative writing. This course, and it’s facilitator, Kate seem to be her saviour.
The housing estate is not the nicest, nor safest place to live, and it’s not until a fire breaks out, that Ricky’s real issues make their way out into the open.
May 18, 2022
I cannot understand the comparison between this book and Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime and especially A Man Called Ove (which is one of my all time favourite books). Perhaps part of my negativity about this book is that I found using the aforementioned books as a comparison was an unjustifiable marketing tool. I read and enjoyed all three of those books and not only would I have not compared them to each other, I would certainly not have compared them to this book. I found this book simplistic in its style. Perhaps best suited as YA. It tried to cover a multitude of issues but seemed to brush over them to fit them all into the story. The dialogue, not only between the children but between the adults too, seemed contrived and silly. The blurb describes Ricky as “a force to be reckoned with”. On the contrary Ricky was a desperate character in a desperate situation who was a victim of circumstances and survived because she was “rescued”. (2 and 1/2 stars)
July 28, 2022
What a story! I really thought this would just be a quirky little tale going in but it was so much more than that!
Ricky Bird a 12 year old and her brother Ollie has moved to a bleak neighborhood following a divorce. Ricky's mom is dating Dan and Ollie is having health issues. Ricky's power is to harness stories to protect herself as she makes allies and enemies in the new neighborhood. This book has reminded me how much puberty sucks and how little sense everything makes. How much you actually need your parents while it gets easier and easier to push them away. My heart broke for Ricky and I shuddered remembering how vicious pre-teens and teenagers can be. While there are some darker themes in the book, I think this book can be a valuable asset to start a conversation with a struggling pre-teen.
The narrator, Hannah Monson, does an excellent work for this book.
Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Australia for the advanced listening copy for this one.
Ricky Bird a 12 year old and her brother Ollie has moved to a bleak neighborhood following a divorce. Ricky's mom is dating Dan and Ollie is having health issues. Ricky's power is to harness stories to protect herself as she makes allies and enemies in the new neighborhood. This book has reminded me how much puberty sucks and how little sense everything makes. How much you actually need your parents while it gets easier and easier to push them away. My heart broke for Ricky and I shuddered remembering how vicious pre-teens and teenagers can be. While there are some darker themes in the book, I think this book can be a valuable asset to start a conversation with a struggling pre-teen.
The narrator, Hannah Monson, does an excellent work for this book.
Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Australia for the advanced listening copy for this one.
April 26, 2022
Thank you to @simonschusterau @netgalley for the ALC in return for my honest review.
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My thoughts…
Heartbreaking but, real. I haven’t stopped thinking about this. If you work with kids, read this book. Connell did a fine job in allowing the characters to express themselves. Ricky was a girl who went from being a precocious tween to a desperate teenager. Her vivid imagination helped her cope with divorce parents, brother’s illness, unsavoury friends and puberty. Ricky’s character of naïve turned uncontrollable and unreliable girl was authentic. Connell did such an incredible job in depicting Ricky’s experiences. As someone who works in child welfare, this was a credible and true-to-life story. Both Connell and the narrator did well in exploring serious themes, such as anorexia, death and others, without being blatant. A highly recommended and thought provoking read.
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My thoughts…
Heartbreaking but, real. I haven’t stopped thinking about this. If you work with kids, read this book. Connell did a fine job in allowing the characters to express themselves. Ricky was a girl who went from being a precocious tween to a desperate teenager. Her vivid imagination helped her cope with divorce parents, brother’s illness, unsavoury friends and puberty. Ricky’s character of naïve turned uncontrollable and unreliable girl was authentic. Connell did such an incredible job in depicting Ricky’s experiences. As someone who works in child welfare, this was a credible and true-to-life story. Both Connell and the narrator did well in exploring serious themes, such as anorexia, death and others, without being blatant. A highly recommended and thought provoking read.
May 15, 2022
I loved this book. The author has created a character that really resonated for me. Although I didn’t have the early life experience that Ricky is experiencing, she really reminded me of what it was like to be a young pre-teen girl. Of what it was like to not being able to control the world around me. And what it was like to be misunderstood. But what I love about Ricky is that despite everything going on around her, and to her, she remains mentally strong and resilient. This book is as much about abandonment as it is about the power of imagination and story telling. Although the story is very sad in places, it didn’t leave me feeling super stressed or deflated. There is lightness and humour woven into the story that made me laugh despite all that is happening in Ricky's life.
May 5, 2022
This is a book about love. I love little Ollie and the relationship between him and his big sister Ricky. The characters are solid, real people with real problems and heartbreak. I had tears in my eyes a few times as I was reading. The story unfolds very well. Each character plays their part in Ricky's life. Each has importance to the plot. We see playground politics and tenderness too. Covering the various subjects it does I think this book will help people to heal and to ask for help if needed. Highly recommended. Buy it or we'll send Caitlin round!
May 16, 2022
Fantastic. What a complex and interesting character is young Ricky Bird. Her relationships in her family are strong, especially that with her little brother Ollie. Ricky struggles with the breakdown of her family, moving house, Ollie getting sick and her own body's treacherous venture into puberty. All the time Ricky has the ability to turn these thoughts into stories to amuse Ollie.
You'll laugh, you'll cry and you will be outraged
You'll laugh, you'll cry and you will be outraged
February 28, 2022
At first I thought this book was a good but predictable general fiction, but I found myself really drawn in towards the last third of the book. There are some complex themes which the young character Ricky is facing, some of which I wish were explored further.
June 29, 2023
2.5 stars
June 4, 2022
Twelve year old Ricky Bird's whole world has been upended. With her parents seperation, she's been forced to move to a different part of London, away from her father, home and friends. Her Mum also has a new boyfriend, whom Ricky is somewhat afraid and hesitant towards.
The new estate where she has moved to isn't very welcoming either. There's some really nasty girls that's been bullying poor Ricky. So, there's little wonder that Ricky is feeling some really big emotions that's she unable to talk to anyone about, especially her mother, who's busy with her terminally ill little brother, Ollie.
Sweet, innocent Ricky is being totally neglected by the ones whom should be caring for her. She spends her days by attending a creative writing class in the morning, and too scared to go home, wanders around the estate finding herself in all kinds of trouble. It's heavily implied that Ricky is the victim of sexual, emotional and physical abuse as well.
Ricky's only joy is her little brother. Ollie is such a sweet little boy, funny and wise beyond his years. It's totally not fair that he has cancer. Ricky and Ollie's sibling bond is just so beautiful, and their fiercely protective of one another. I'm still mad at her parents though, not letting Ricky spend time with Ollie whilst he was undergoing treatment, and keeping her in the dark for the most part about his condition.
This is certainly one tough read. It's impossible not to become concerned about Ricky and just begging for someone, anyone to step up and do something to help her! It's really disconcerting to read how one young girl can become so depressed, distressed and heavily implied, much rather die than live.
TW: Child abuse, cancer, drug use, manipulation, bullying, eating disorders, violence and acts of vandalism.
🌟🌟🌟🌟✨/5
The new estate where she has moved to isn't very welcoming either. There's some really nasty girls that's been bullying poor Ricky. So, there's little wonder that Ricky is feeling some really big emotions that's she unable to talk to anyone about, especially her mother, who's busy with her terminally ill little brother, Ollie.
Sweet, innocent Ricky is being totally neglected by the ones whom should be caring for her. She spends her days by attending a creative writing class in the morning, and too scared to go home, wanders around the estate finding herself in all kinds of trouble. It's heavily implied that Ricky is the victim of sexual, emotional and physical abuse as well.
Ricky's only joy is her little brother. Ollie is such a sweet little boy, funny and wise beyond his years. It's totally not fair that he has cancer. Ricky and Ollie's sibling bond is just so beautiful, and their fiercely protective of one another. I'm still mad at her parents though, not letting Ricky spend time with Ollie whilst he was undergoing treatment, and keeping her in the dark for the most part about his condition.
This is certainly one tough read. It's impossible not to become concerned about Ricky and just begging for someone, anyone to step up and do something to help her! It's really disconcerting to read how one young girl can become so depressed, distressed and heavily implied, much rather die than live.
TW: Child abuse, cancer, drug use, manipulation, bullying, eating disorders, violence and acts of vandalism.
🌟🌟🌟🌟✨/5
May 7, 2022
There are few books that make you want to stop everything to keep reading. Fewer still that make you resent anything and everything that takes you away from its pages. This is a beautifully-told story about a beautiful storyteller, and one that has rewritten my DNA in the way that only the best of books can.
From the first sentence, Ricky (née Vicky, 12-going-on-13) pulled me into her world. Her life begins with transitions - an unwanted move, a divorce, separation from her beloved father - while she herself is transitioning from childhood to adulthood. It's rare to find a voice that captures these transitions so authentically, but this is only a light dusting compared to the journey, and heart, that unfolds.
Diane Connell is an exquisite writer, and while the story goes quite deep, it's never once heavy-handed or eye-rolling. In fact, Ricky may be the most fully-realized pre-teen I've ever read, I loved her imagination. She made me laugh, and cry, and ache. I loved her. I loved this book. I am a fan.
From the first sentence, Ricky (née Vicky, 12-going-on-13) pulled me into her world. Her life begins with transitions - an unwanted move, a divorce, separation from her beloved father - while she herself is transitioning from childhood to adulthood. It's rare to find a voice that captures these transitions so authentically, but this is only a light dusting compared to the journey, and heart, that unfolds.
Diane Connell is an exquisite writer, and while the story goes quite deep, it's never once heavy-handed or eye-rolling. In fact, Ricky may be the most fully-realized pre-teen I've ever read, I loved her imagination. She made me laugh, and cry, and ache. I loved her. I loved this book. I am a fan.
November 1, 2025
Don’t be fooled by the whimsical front cover, this story packs a punch.
And covers some pretty traumatic material so check trigger warnings!
Ricky Bird has moved with her brother and mother to a bleak new housing estate, far from her Dad and her old life.
Ricky is a vibrant storyteller; her tales are wild and her imagination is boundless.
When her brother becomes sick, Ricky has to learn to negotiate her new life solo.
This places her in an incredibly vulnerable position
This was heartbreaking reading.
You can see what’s happening and she is so innocent and fragile.
I wanted to reach into the pages and wrap my arms around Ricky and tell her how extraordinary and worthwhile she is.
This is just a story.
But there are so many Ricky’s out there.
It’s so fortunate that people like Katie and Mrs Mitra exist in the world.
Sometimes an avid imagination just isn’t enough. 😢😢
Tough reading but completely captivating.
And covers some pretty traumatic material so check trigger warnings!
Ricky Bird has moved with her brother and mother to a bleak new housing estate, far from her Dad and her old life.
Ricky is a vibrant storyteller; her tales are wild and her imagination is boundless.
When her brother becomes sick, Ricky has to learn to negotiate her new life solo.
This places her in an incredibly vulnerable position
This was heartbreaking reading.
You can see what’s happening and she is so innocent and fragile.
I wanted to reach into the pages and wrap my arms around Ricky and tell her how extraordinary and worthwhile she is.
This is just a story.
But there are so many Ricky’s out there.
It’s so fortunate that people like Katie and Mrs Mitra exist in the world.
Sometimes an avid imagination just isn’t enough. 😢😢
Tough reading but completely captivating.
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