Review: Be Light Like a Bird

Title: Be Light Like a Bird
Author: Monika Schröder
Publisher: Capstone Young Readers
Year published: 2016
How I got this book: I got this as an arc through NetGalley
My rating: 4 stars

Goodreads synopsis:
After the death of her father, twelve-year-old Wren finds her life thrown into upheaval. And when her mother decides to pack up the car and forces Wren to leave the only home she's ever known, the family grows even more fractured. As she and her mother struggle to build a new life, Wren must confront issues with the environment, peer pressure, bullying, and most of all, the difficulty of forgiving those who don't deserve it. 

A quirky, emotional middle grade novel set in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, Be Light Like a Bird features well-drawn, unconventional characters and explores what it means to be a family and the secrets and lies that can tear one apart.

My thoughts:
Before I start my review, I want to point out that I got this book as an e-arc for free through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

I went into this book fully aware that it was written for a younger audience, but I still greatly enjoyed it. It's a fast read, and it brings up some issues.

Though this book touches a lot on grief, it's not a sad book. You feel for the characters, especially Wren, the main character, but it does that without making the entire book sad. There are happy moments throughout the entire book. 

We follow Wren, our main character. She's 12-years-old and her father has just died, so she and her mom moves from place to place. Through Wren we learn how different characters deal with grief, but mostly Wren. I can't imagine what it must feel like to lose a parent when you're 12, but I still really felt for Wren. She's a likeable character that's easy to get attached to, and though she's only 12, a lot of her feelings and thoughts are quite mature.

I read this book in one sitting, it's so easy to read and you'll just fly through it. This is definitely a book I'd recommend to people. I think this is a book that would be even better for the intended audience, but that's really no surprise. If this book sounds interesting to you, I would advice you to give it a try, it will most likely be worth it! 

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