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hidingzeus's review
2.75
Thank you to NetGalley and Katherine Tegen Books for providing a digital galley proof in exchange for an honest review.
The synopsis:
Chloe is a 12 year old girl who is grieving the loss of her beloved uncle. The beloved uncle who gave her his African Grey Parrot is his will. The African Grey Parrot who keeps talking about murder and cyanide. Did Chloe's uncle really die of a rare genetic disease? Or was he murdered? Chloe doesn't know, but she intends to find out.
This book feels like it is still in the process of being written, as though the author is still fleshing out the characters and is playing around with story elements to see what sticks and what she should toss. The grief parts are real and raw and authentic. The African Grey Parrot info feels very well researched, though clumsily dropped into the narrative.
The main problem is everything else: the fact that she jumps straight to murder as a cause for her uncle's death, the 'loan shark' angle, the unfeeling landlord, the ex girlfriend: all of these bits are a little ridiculous but with more room to grow they might have turned into something meaningful. As it is, the reader just gets whiplash from the odd juxtaposition of grief and screwball situations.
This book did not come together for me.
The synopsis:
Chloe is a 12 year old girl who is grieving the loss of her beloved uncle. The beloved uncle who gave her his African Grey Parrot is his will. The African Grey Parrot who keeps talking about murder and cyanide. Did Chloe's uncle really die of a rare genetic disease? Or was he murdered? Chloe doesn't know, but she intends to find out.
This book feels like it is still in the process of being written, as though the author is still fleshing out the characters and is playing around with story elements to see what sticks and what she should toss. The grief parts are real and raw and authentic. The African Grey Parrot info feels very well researched, though clumsily dropped into the narrative.
The main problem is everything else: the fact that she jumps straight to murder as a cause for her uncle's death, the 'loan shark' angle, the unfeeling landlord, the ex girlfriend: all of these bits are a little ridiculous but with more room to grow they might have turned into something meaningful. As it is, the reader just gets whiplash from the odd juxtaposition of grief and screwball situations.
This book did not come together for me.
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