Reviewer: Annie
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Wow! Read this book. Lisa Jewell is now on my “must-read and collect this authors novels” list. This is one story that I am not certain I can truly give a proper review without spoiling the book for anyone, so bear with me, please.
I read it without insight, and I feel everyone should do the same. If I had known certain aspects of the book before opening it, I would have missed out on some very exhilarating moments. A funny thing happens when you read a book you are enjoying….You Read Faster! This was a fast read…I was cruising along at very high speeds as I flipped pages.
There is a line in this novel that stuck with me long past reading it, as it really explains this family’s stor in a nutshell (no pun intended..the Birds are nuts): “We’re like a badly planned dinner party”. Very powerful statement, with no glossing over.
Lisa Jewell writes about the Bird Family. I loved that this stone house that they grew up in, had a plaque saying “the Bird House”..too cute. Perfect last name for this nest! A nest that has falls out of its tree, often.
Lorelei is the matriarch of the Bird family, with her husband Colin by her side. Together they have four children, Megan, Bethan, Rory and Rhys. The brothers are twins. This novel spans a lifetime, and references back and forth so much; I admit that I got a bit confused by dates. Not sure of the natural flow of events, but in taking notes; I was able to figure it out. Midway through the book, it felt as if it flowed easier.
But, with that being said ~ This book is a masterpiece!! It has one of the best covers, if you were to “judge a book by its cover”, this is it! Perfectly Cracked egg! Perfectly Cracked up family!
Lorelei is a hoarder, to say the least. She has deep seeded issues that do come to light by the end of the story. I did not realize how truly maddening hoarding could get. I can honestly say that reading the book was more powerful than watching the show “Hoarders” or “Buried Alive”. That is because Lisa Jewell depicts Lorelei’s compulsion so delicately. I was actually cringing whenever she entered a store, knowing she was going to come home with more stuff to pile on to her other piles. Lorelei states that she has a” home full of treasures, yet her children call it crap”. She states that they are both right! Lisa Jewell has a lot of very pivotal statements; like this, bringing this book to life in such a genuine way.
This story is about one of the most dysfunctional families I have ever read about. I was often reading the book only to have my jaw drop every time I flipped a page. If you think your family has problems, look to the Bird Family to realize, you don’t have it as bad as you initially believe.
