Wednesday, October 17, 2012

The Bluebird Effect

The Bluebird Effect, by Julie Zickefoose

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing, 2012

Reviewed by Lori Lisowski

This book is a feast for the eyes and the heart. The Bluebird Effect is beautiful enough to be on your coffeetable, but don't let it collect dust. The stories about birds we see everyday will warm  your heart and give you a realistic view of what it is like to be a wildlife rehabilitator. The sketches and watercolors are a treat. I'm curious to know how author Zickefoose was able to raise a family and keep her husband amist all the chaos, feeding and poop! I also enjoyed (for the most part) John Grisham's Calico Joe, a  novel about baseball that offered lots of nostalgia. There was a time when I was an avid baseball fan and card collector--the narrator is 11 in 1973; I was 10. I remember all the players Grisham mentions. As drawn as I was to the storyline, I felt the book lacked depth and character motivation. I had little empathy for the present-day characters, since their actions seemed somewhat hollow. I read the book in one day--not much "meat" here. Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake by Anna Quindlen grabbed my attention, since I enjoy Quindlen's columns about writing. Sadly, I found this book relatively boring. I think you need to be a wife and mother to really appreciate this book.

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