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A review by katy_irene
Nightingale's Nest by Nikki Loftin
4.0
Little John Fischer is helping his father cut down trees when he hears a beautiful song. The sound leads him to a young girl sitting in Sycamore tree. Gayle's singing has the power to heal. Turns out the most powerful man in town admires Gayle's music to the point of obsession. Nightengale's Nest is a retelling of a Hans Christian Andersen tale.
Hovering somewhere between a 3.5 and a 4. I was so engrossed in the story I could hardly put it down. I loved the way magical realism easily blended with the southern small town setting. I really enjoyed the strong writing and characterization. I wouldn't be surprised if this was honored with an award. What didn't work? The themes are dark and emotionally difficult. Little John lives in poverty with a mentally ill mother and alcoholic father. Gayle is a foster child living with a bully. There's a lot of ambiguity about what happens to Gayle when she visits the Emperor. Does he simply record Gayle's voice? Or does something more sinister happen? This isn't a book I'm going to automatically recommend to young readers (my library only goes up to 5th grade). While Little John is always hopeful, I'm not sure the gloom would be appealing.
Hovering somewhere between a 3.5 and a 4. I was so engrossed in the story I could hardly put it down. I loved the way magical realism easily blended with the southern small town setting. I really enjoyed the strong writing and characterization. I wouldn't be surprised if this was honored with an award. What didn't work? The themes are dark and emotionally difficult. Little John lives in poverty with a mentally ill mother and alcoholic father. Gayle is a foster child living with a bully. There's a lot of ambiguity about what happens to Gayle when she visits the Emperor. Does he simply record Gayle's voice? Or does something more sinister happen? This isn't a book I'm going to automatically recommend to young readers (my library only goes up to 5th grade). While Little John is always hopeful, I'm not sure the gloom would be appealing.