Flight of A Starling by Lisa Heathfield - Review

Where did I get it? I requested it on Netgalley because I love Lisa's writing so much, so thank you very much to Egmont Publishing!

What's it about? Lo and Rita are sisters, aged just eleven months apart, and are travellers. They travel with their parents and grandad, and other families that they have grown up with, and their circus, where they put on shows every night. Lo and Rita are trapeze artists and are both incredibly talented at what they do. Lo is sixteen and she meets a 'flattie' - a non traveller - called Dean, and quickly become infatuated with him, and starts to wonder what she wants from life. Meanwhile, her family is falling apart a bit and Lo is struggling to cope. 

What age range is it for? 15+, let's say

Are any main characters LGBTQ+? No

Are any main characters people of colour? I am going to say yes, as travellers are an ethnic minority even if they are white skinned, and are often discriminated against. There is an element of this in the novel. 

Are any main characters disabled either mentally or physically? No

Is there any sex stuff? No not at all

Are drugs mentioned or used? Yes, and I'm going to trigger warn for drug use too, but I don't want to say more as it's a major spoiler. 

Is there any talk of death? Yes 

Are there swear words? No

What criticisms do I have? I've decided to add this question to my reviews, because I always think of things that I would have done differently or that I just didn't like. As a writer I often think about how I would write things and get the same story across. It doesn't mean that I think the book is bad or that the author is a terrible person. I hope that makes sense. 

So, for this, as with Lisa's previous novels, I think there is a sparseness to Lisa's prose that somewhat frustrates me. This is partly because I would like more of a sense of setting and place - like, for instance, I would have liked more of a description of Lo and Rita's caravan to get my head round things. But, I understand that Lisa is a very different writer to me and I do think the scarcity of prose adds to the immediacy of the novel. I also really liked the bits set in the big top when the girls were performing as I felt they were almost poetic in their beauty. 

Would I recommend the book? Yes, absolutely. Like her previous novels, Lisa has the reader guessing until the very end of the book and totally emotionally hooks us in so that we care deeply about the main characters. I can't wait to see what she writes next. 

Why did I choose to read it at this point in life? I just wanted to be ahead of the game for once and get this reviewed before publication!

What other books is it like? It is a lot like Lisas's other books, I'm not really sure what else.

How many stars? Nine out of ten, a gorgeous book with the perfect ending. 

Seed by Lisa Heathfield - Review

Where did I get it? I bought it, I think it was on the Guardian YA shortlist earlier in the year? I'd seen it at YA Shot last year though, where my friend Sam bought it. 

What's it about? Pearl lives at Seed. Seed is a cult, run by Papa S, and where everyone is one big family and where everyone worships Mother Nature. Pearl doesn't know who her real mother is, because everyone just lives as one family, but she's close to Elizabeth, who is expecting another baby. She has siblings of her own age, Jack and Kate, and some younger ones, Bobby and Ruby. The elders, including Papa S, were, I think, the original founders of the cult.

At the beginning of the novel, Pearl gets her period for the first time, and is made to go into a dark hole in the ground as she becomes a woman. Later, she has to go to the Forgiveness Room for her impure thoughts, and she's also asked to become Papa S's Companion at one point too. 

Three newcomers arrive from the Outside - Linda, and her children Ellis and Sophie. Ellis and Pearl grow close and Ellis tells her the truth about some things at Seed, and begins to expose its dark heart.

Now, one thing you might not know about me is that my undergraduate degree is in Theology and Religious Studies, and that I am really fascinated with cults of all kinds. So a book like this is perfect for me. I actually wanted more background on Seed and its origins, but I understand that, from Pearl's point of view, there might not be much point in relaying that information, as she has lived her whole life in Seed and nothing about it is strange to her. I felt like putting Nature at the centre instead of God was a really good decision by Lisa as it seems a little bit less controversial. I believe Seed is going to have a sequel and I'd definitely be interested to read it. 

When I read Paper Butterflies it absolutely destroyed me. I finished it about 3am one morning and wanted to throw it out of the window! Last weekend, at YA Shot, I took Seed to get signed and said to Lisa that I hoped that Seed wouldn't break my heart the same way Paper Butterflies did. She promised me it wouldn't and, well, she lied! The ending absolutely did me in! I think there is a paucity to Lisa's writing which really adds to her work and which is in no way a criticism - it makes the reader work and makes the reader more invested in what happens to the characters. 

What age range is it for? 15+

Are any main characters LGBTQ+? No

Are any main characters people of colour? No

Are any main characters disabled either mentally or physically? Yes, I can't say more without giving away spoilers, but there's some violence and illness

Is there any sex stuff? No

Are drugs mentioned or used? No

Is there any talk of death? Yes, be aware

Are there swear words? No

Would I recommend the book? Yes, especially if the premise interests you

How many stars? Eight and a half out of ten, it's really good!

Where is the book going now? I'll keep it, because Lisa very nicely signed it for me!

Paper Butterflies by Lisa Heathfield - Review

Where did I get it? I bought it in Kindle format for £2.99, bargain! I bought Lisa's other novel, Seed, as part of the medal shortlist, but I haven't yet read it. My friend bought it at YA Shot last year though and she enjoyed it. I am now really looking forward to reading Seed. 

What's it about? June's mum died when she was six, and her dad quickly remarried to Kathleen, who has a daughter called Megan. When we first meet June, she's ten and being horrifically abused by Kathleen. Her dad doesn't see the abuse, and to everyone else she's a loving and doting stepmother. June is also bullied at school, and sometimes Megan joins in with the abuse. June is a very frightened and alone child. 

When she's a bit older, she meets Blister. He's homeschooled, from a big family, and he's made a den of a few old trailers out in the woods. The two spend plenty of time there, making paper butterflies, and plenty of time with Blister's family, where June feels safe and accepted. 

Scattered throughout the novel are scenes from "after" when June is talking to a Reverend about forgiveness and about the abuse. It becomes more clear about these as the novel goes on. 

I finished this novel last night and was absolutely shattered by it - I can definitely see it being a strong favourite for bext book released in 2016 for a lot of shortlists. I tweeted saying that it had absolutely broken me, and Lisa replied to me saying "Sorry... it broke me when I wrote it..." which is completely unsurprising. As a writer myself I know how awful it can be when terrible things happen to your beloved characters! 

What age range is it for? Gosh, it's a difficult one. June is so young at the beginning but the abuse detailed is really horrible to read. I would say take care with it, and yourself, and stop if it's too much

Are any main characters LGBTQ+? No

Are any main characters people of colour? Yes, June is mixed race - her dad is white and her mum was black. It contributes to the "otherness" she feels throughout, I think

Are any main characters disabled either mentally or physically? Yes, June is clearly traumatised, and one of Blister's siblings has cystic fibrosis which I thought was a good minor plot point.

Is there any sex stuff? Not much, but a little. It's very sweetly done. 

Are drugs mentioned or used? No

Is there any talk of death? Yes, I'll trigger warn for suicide and graphic death. 

Are there swear words? Not many

Would I recommend the book? Yes, absolutely. A fantastic example of contemporary YA.  

How many stars? Nine out of ten.