Summer and Bird

Twelve-year-old Summer and nine-year-old Bird are sisters, at once very alike and very dissimilar, as sisters tend to be: at one point in their story, Summer is said to be “the head” and Bird “the heart,” which sums it up nicely. When one day they wake up to find their parents and cat both missing, Summer deciphers a clue leading to the woods, and Bird finds a way Down into a land full of birds and winter, left bereft when the swan-queen failed to return from an excursion Up and now ruled by a twisted, bird-eating Puppeteer. Once Down, Bird embarks on her own quest for her heart’s desire, while Summer seeks for all her missing family members and finds a mysterious friend. On their separate paths, both girls encounter show more challenges from without and within, giving them the chance to save the bird kingdom and to know themselves.

As might be suggested from such a brief synopsis, Summer and Bird follows some familiar children’s fantasy tropes, interwoven with mythology, allusion, and folklore. For the most part, the novel does not feel derivative, however, and the various elements mesh together more often than not, despite the very disparate sources (some of which are acknowledged at the end of the book). The poetic writing style is also mostly successful, boasting some very unique and apt metaphors (most of which work much better in context and thus will be left there). The main characters, at least, are full fleshed out and have very highly detailed emotional and psychological lives, explained in sufficient detail to enable the reader to empathize and sympathize.

Overall, then, this is a very nicely written fantasy story. On the other hand, something felt off about it. The fantasy land is nebulous in description and scarcely populated (at least, there are very few characters with whom Summer and Bird interact); the external challenges faced by the girls are either seemingly insurmountable or surprisingly easy to overcome. The emotional challenges, by contrast, are keenly described and deeply felt, but feel perhaps unsuited to the ages of the children involved and somewhat disjointed from the vague setting and action.

Really, for much of the story, I was trying to determine who the ideal reader of the novel was supposed to be: it’s published as a children’s book, but I’m not sure how many children are looking for this sort of book. A rather serious minded, literary middle school student maybe? I was that sort, admittedly, but I don’t think I would have liked the ending or would have picked it up in the first place, as I refused to read anything published for children or teens after I turned eleven… Perhaps, rather than as children’s fantasy, this story might better be read as an adult fable? I don’t know. In any case, it is worth reading for the lovelier metaphors and interweaving of myths, though probably not if you’re looking for a fun story or extensive worldbuilding. show less

I usually love a Children's fantasy novel, but I found this one darker and more melancholy than most. When Summer and Bird's parents go missing, they follow them into Down to try and find them. Summer and Bird are separated early and must go throw their own adventures. Summer is helped by an old man named Ben, while Bird makes her way to the Swan's castle, where she is taken captive (though willingly) by the Puppeteer who promises her that she can be Queen of the Birds. By the end, I was glad I read it, but it took me a long time to get through, and I probably would have given it up, if I hadn't received it as an Early Reviewer book. I think this is a case of Ranganathan's "Every book it's reader" law. I was not this book's reader. I show more saw it described elsewhere as being similar to Neil Gaiman's work, and that makes sense to me. If you like that sort of darker fantasy, this book will likely appeal to you. show less

I loved this book. It is a beautifully written fantasy novel that combines the selkie legend and an alternate fantasy world of talking birds. It will definitely be a slow-burn kind of book as the concept may seem too "babyish" for older tweens and teens, talking animals and all, but conceptually it will require a more mature reader. It is a darker read, taking on tween/teen things like sibling rivalry but also much harsher things like the stealing of souls and a mother's choice between the family she was forced to remain with but still loves and her true form and kingdom. It is slow, but the beautiful writing and relationship between Summer and Bird make this book totally worth it.

Summer and Bird, Katherine Catmull's first novel (2012) tells the story of two sisters who search for their missing parents, along the way learning about their own true "heart-songs." I appreciate the poetic voice this story is told in, and at times was transfixed with the beautiful language about the strange bird-world, called "Down" in this book. I didn't always understand exactly what was happening, but I loved imagining what the author had in mind when she described characters like the Puppeteer, who desired so much to be a bird herself that she ate birds and learned bird dances, or the world of the "Green Home" where as long as you spoke your true heart, beautiful things around you would be created, right before your eyes. This was show more also a dark book and challenged the reader to battle some difficult questions, like what it would be like to lose your mother, or be responsible for the death of a sibling.

I would recommend this for older readers, middle and high schoolers, especially people who like to read dark fantasy stories about nature and birds. show less

This novel is a story about two young sisters who are named Summer and Bird. One day their parents disappear, and their mother leaves behind a letter written in pictures. Summer and Bird interpret the pictures as a message to mean that they should follow quickly after her, and so they set out into the wilderness alone.

Summer is the elder of the sisters, and tries to be the practical and responsible one, bringing along food and matches for their journey. Bird, though younger, has a better sense of where to go in the forest because of her unique connection to nature and her ability to understand bird song. Soon Bird leads them to a portal to another world – a path that goes “Down.”

From this point on in the book the story is very show more much like old fables and fairy tales in that it has magical creatures, fantastical events, and quests full of danger. An evil woman has found her way to this world and is trying to steal the throne away from the bird queen. Summer and Bird must use their knowledge of birdsong and keep their wits about them as not all of the birds are trustworthy.

There is a lot of symbolism in the story and the girls have to learn many times that everything that they encounter can have different meanings (maps, songs, eggs, stories, etc.) It is a magical tale that I think will appeal to those who appreciate the whimsical.

Sometimes the story seems to meander a little bit, and there were a couple of times where I was mystified as to what was going on, but it did all make sense in the end. I thought that the story was charming on the whole, and it reminded me strongly of fables that I read as a child. Although the ending was not one of perfect happiness, it did make sense logically for all of the characters. I might have wished for a more warm-fuzzy ending, but that would not have been true to the nature of the story and characters. Instead it was a mostly-happy ending with a touch of melancholy and the promise that the characters would continue to grow in goodness in the future.

The story is appropriate for children, and I am considering reading it to my sons (once we finish with the Rick Riordan books). It will be a different type of book for them, a little bit slower and a lot more symbolism and layered themes to dig through, but at its heart it really is a children’s fable. show less

Summer and Bird was something. I loved it and hated it at the same time. That's right. It was one of THOSE books. There was an equal amount of like and dislike, and I guess I should start with the positive qualities first.

I really liked the writing style. For a first book, you would never be able to tell. I am usually a fan of books where the writing has a dreamy/whimsical style. This book had that and I really enjoyed the way the narrator told the story. Yes, Summer and Bird is written in third person omniscient point of view. And I LIKED it. I don't read a lot of books with this POV--it's not that common anyway--but the ones I have read I felt were executed well. This one is no different. The only thing I wish is that we found out show more some information about the narrator. Had no idea who it was.

But make no mistake. This is a very serious book that has a lot to say, and it includes some mature themes about family, divorce, being estranged and other things like it. It's not really a happy book at all despite its writing style. The tone is a bit heavy and depressing which I have no problem with at all, I just want you to be prepared if you decide to read it. If you are looking for fun and mindless, you will not find it here. None of the material is inappropriate though, it's just a much more serious book than I expected it to be.

So there is this Bird Queen. And the other birds call her the puppeteer because she makes paper birds out of many different colors and controls them with magic, dance, and strings. She's actually an extremely talented woman, but she has wanted to be a bird and fly for so long that her heart has become corrupted. And the thing is she's not actually the Bird Queen, she just took over the position when the real queen disappeared. And now she is the dictator of birdland and all the other birds are afraid of her. She eats them so they fly inside her body and give her bird-strength until they die. This can be a very morbid book at times.

You'll also travel along with Summer and Bird--sisters--as they try to find their parents in birdland which in the book is called "Down." You see Summer and Bird's parents disappear one night and the girls receive a picture message from their mother which they solve and somehow end up in "Down." They meet some special characters and some pretty terrifying ones, but most of all, this is about a journey of the heart and a coming of age story for both girls.

So what didn't I like about the book? Well, there were times when it was pretty damn boring. There, I said it. I put it down enough times to the point where I realized the book was not holding my attention as it should have been. It just took so long to get from one plot point to the next. I felt like taking naps in between. I may have actually done that. I nap a lot. ;) It just wasn't an exciting book. The setting was kind of boring as well. It was this barren, snow-covered landscape and the only thing interesting in "Down" was a giant tree and the birds themselves (and there aren't that many of them that play a pivotal role). The rest of the time the characters were trudging through a field or a forest. It was just all very blah.

Lastly, I was unsatisfied with the ending AND the character development. I just didn't care about these characters as much as I should have. When they talked they all sounded the same. The only thing differentiating Summer from her sister was their physical description. Otherwise you would never know. Every character had a similar voice. They didn't get much of a backstory either. And anyone who is any kind of writer knows that characters need a backstory, flaws, and a personality to make the reader care. And in my opinion, most of that was absent. The ending was completely bittersweet and I guess it sort of had to end that way, but I still found it very frustrating and unsatisfying. I can say it does teach some useful lessons about different family dynamics though.

Still, if you are looking for a book that is beautifully written and are wanting to be presented with some fairly original and unique ideas, I think you might enjoy this one. As long as you go in expecting it not to be perfect or expecting to finish it in one sitting, you should be good. I will leave you with my favorite quote from the book.

"Winter never altogether vanishes, even in the warmest summer. You can always find it lingering, if you look." ~Quote taken from ARC copy and may have been changed. show less

Originally I wrote a long review explaining everything I didn't like about this book, but I'm sure nobody else cares. The poetic style isn't for me, and I was annoyed by the magical world, which wasn't described enough to feel real. It also doesn't seem to have clear rules that the sisters must obey on their quest to find their parents. For me, learning the rules, being thwarted by them, and working with them is what gives magical stories (Oz, Edward Eager, E. Nesbit, Harry Potter) their tension. In this book, things just happen to the girls. They have some agency but are passive in many ways.

Some of the emotional things felt true and moving, like each sister's concern for and resentment of the other. The depiction of how someone can be show more made to distrust and hate a loved one, and learn to have contempt for the weak really worked. Other things didn't - the abandonment issues, like the Swan Queen's abandoning her people and the mother abandoning her children, didn't feel worked out. The ending was unsatisfying, especially the father's role.

Also, could she have chosen a clunkier term than "the attainable border" for one of the major plot points? show less