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Book Review: Birdy Flynn by Helen Donohoe

* I have received this book for review from the publisher but this in no way affects my review *

Birdy FlynnTitle: Birdy Flynn
Authors: Helen Donohoe
Source: From Publisher
Publisher: Rock The Boat
Rating: 4/5 stars













Book Review Summary:

It is the summer and a group of children are playing down by a stream when they do a terrible thing. Something that Birdy tries unsuccessfully to avert. While the other children in the gang find it easy to forget what they have done, Birdy is trapped in the moment and feels bound to do something to make amends. But how does a child face up to responsibility and find the courage to do the right thing?

An uncompromising and uniquely powerful novel about growing up, making friends and being true to yourself. 

 Book Review:

 So when I heard about Birdy Flynn I was definitely interested in the premise of the book. It was something that I had not read about before and I was intrigued to read it. Birdy Flynn is a very unique story that goes places other YA books wouldn't dare and makes it a story well worth reading.

Before going into the actual review, I think that it is important to note that this book does deal with triggering topics such as child sexual abuse and the first scene is quite unsettling so warnings should be taken before reading it. 

 When I first starting reading the book I was quite shocked at the scene that opens is quite unsettling and hard to get through but I do feel like this is so important for the story itself. So while feeling unsettled by what was happening this was definitely worth being in the book. 

 One of the things that I definitely liked about the book was its honesty, especially regarding the teenage experience. Donohoe definitely does this well, especially through Birdy. Birdy as a character is by no means perfect, they make mistakes and they are learning from them and at the end of the day, this is what every teenager does. She often does learn from it though. 

 This book often deals with sensitive topics like gender identity and child sexual abuse which I do think that it deals with well. With their gender identity, Birdy is confused and I think this is represented by the time period that it is set in as I can imagine that this would be a hard period for anyone struggling with their gender. I also do understand the way that child sexual abuse is dealt with in this book and all the characters can be understood for the actions that they do. 

 I also really liked the setting of the book as it is set in the 1970s and 1980s which is a turbulent time in British history and the book does dive into this. This was one of my favourite elements of the book and I really liked how it fit in. It definitely made for a more interesting reading experience.  

 The Verdict:
Birdy Flynn was an interesting YA book that highlights issues that rarely are tackled in this age range and definitely make it worth the read.

 Have you read Birdy Flynn? Do you want to? 

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