This was an amazing book that captured the process of loss and grieving so well. The main character Rumi isn’t perfect and she doesn’t have all the answers. At times it’s difficult to like her or sympathise with her but she is unbelievably real and that makes the story thoroughly engaging. Highly recommend this book, especially if you know a young adult or teenager struggling with loss or who they are.

I knew I’d have to read everything Akemi Dawn Bowman ever writes when I fell in love with ‘Starfish’. With ‘Summer Bird Blue’ Akemi has confirmed her place as one of my favourite authors.

Rumi is one of the most acerbic characters I’ve loved in a long time. She’s angry, she’s confused, she’s mean, she feels guilty as hell. Lea, the good sister, daughter, friend, human being, died in an accident and Rumi is left to try to figure out how to do life without her best friend. Her mother has abandoned her, shipped her off to Hawaii for the summer to live with Aunty Ani, who’s practically a stranger, and Rumi is furious.

Rumi’s grief is so palpable that I needed to take a few breaks from reading just so I could breathe for a while without inhaling pain. The portrayal of grief in this book was brilliant - visceral, uncomfortable, painful and so real. Normally I would be annoyed if a character’s thoughts were as repetitive as Rumi’s were at times but it added to the authenticity of her character.

People were shown to be grieving differently in this book; there wasn’t a one size fits all portrayal. I hope this book makes its way into the hands of young people who need to know that they’re not alone, that their feelings are valid and that it’s okay to need help.

‘Sometimes I’m not sure if there is anywhere left in the world I can look where I won’t see the empty spaces she left behind.’

Some of my favourite conversations in this book included Rumi’s “sandwich method”, where she wraps what she really feels inside two compliments, including, “I like your eyeshadow today. I feel like I’m eating neon-colored mucus. Thanks for cooking.”

As I read I kept finding ways to use sandwiches as an analogy. Aunt Ani’s house is sandwiched between the homes of Kai and Mr. Watanabe who, while they’re polar opposites in many respects, befriend Rumi and support her while she’s grieving. Then, if you want to take it even further, Rumi is sandwiched between the memories of her sister and the fear of having a future without her.

My favourite character was Aunty Ani’s lonely neighbour, Mr. Watanabe, who has a yappy dog called Poi and is hiding a beautiful heart beneath his grumpy exterior. While he’s comfortable with silence, when he speaks he’s certainly worth listening to.

“Grief is only a visitor, but it goin’ stay mo’ longer when it sees you hiding from it.”

I loved the way music is woven into this book and the lives of its characters. Rumi’s unique way of describing different songs helped me ‘hear’ and feel them in a way that I don’t remember experiencing in a book before.

‘The piano music is like vanilla lattes and sugar cookies. Cozy. Homely.’

I cannot tell you how thrilled I was when I learned one of the characters in this book was asexual. I was overjoyed that this wasn’t just casually mentioned and then set aside. The representation was realistic and the reactions of other characters when they discussed it was everything I hoped it would be. It was never portrayed as a weakness or something to be ashamed of and I loved that kissing an attractive person didn’t magically change this person’s sexuality. I definitely want to read more books featuring asexual and aromantic characters.

I promised myself I wouldn’t cry before Rumi did and with some strategic reading breaks I almost made it. When I finally did cry it was definitely the ugly kind; I essentially sobbed through most of the final 10%, obliterating about half a dozen tissues along the way. I’m now nursing a fairly spectacular ugly cry hangover headache but it was entirely worth it.

Before I finish I have to mention the amazing cover! It was Sarah Creech’s gorgeous cover of ‘Starfish’ that drew me to Akemi’s debut and once again Sarah’s cover design and illustration complement the story perfectly.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Ink Road, an imprint of Black & White Publishing, for the opportunity to read this book. I want to recommend it to everyone!

This was such a wonderful YA contemporary that deals with such important topics such as grief and sexuality.

What I loved about this book was that it was set in Hawaii. The descriptions in this book were beautiful. This would be a perfect book to read in the summer on a beach chilling out or in your back garden with a pimms.

When I saw that the synopsis says "boy next door" I was really concerned that this was going to be a heavily romance centered book but it definitely wasn't.

I loved the commentary around sexuality and labels, and not knowing which labels or groups you belong to or any. I really related to what Rumi says in this book about not knowing what you should or be expected to know that certain ages and how everyone else seems to know what's going on all the time

This is such a beautiful, moving story. I loved how it incorporated music, I loved that element.

Overall, it was just a really lovely YA contemporary set in amazing place with wonderful characters and important themes. I could really see this being turned into a film

This book is one to read, so emotional , have your tissues ready with this one. Touching , with humour too and heart breaking raw emotion. Very real characters and plot. It really captures the chaotic nature of life, the highs, the lows , it’s not an easy read but well worth it. A book that changes how you view things

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

4.5 stars

I'm pretty sure there are still remnants of mascara tears on my face from finishing this book. This is a beautiful, heart-wrenching story about a teenager struggling to navigate the loss of her sister, being abandoned by her mother, and the absence of music in her life.

Rumi spends her summer in idyllic Hawaii with her aunt and is trying to make sense of the world now that her sister and best friend, Lea, has been taken from it. The writing style was light and lyrical and I found Rumi's pain so tangible.

Summer Bird Blow is a profound exploration of grief and loss. Feeling lost and abandoned, Rumi’s angry. Bowman conveys her conflicting emotions and watching her lash out on others and struggle to deal with her feelings makes her feel all the more realistic. She can't fathom a life without her sister; what does she eat, who should she love, how can she possibly go on now that the only person who truly understood her is gone? Healing is no linear journey, yet watching her progress over the entire summer was incredible. Although it was an arduous effort, she learns to manage and understand her emotions. She learns to rekindle her passion for music. It's the answer she was so desperately searching for.

What’s more, Summer Bird Blue highlights the importance of seeking help and letting others in. Rumi is stubborn in her determination to remain isolated in the dark and initially vilifies those who are trying to support her. However, eventually, she learns to accept support. Two relationships I enjoyed watching blossom were that with the boy next door, Kai, and the grumpy old man Mr. Watanabe. These friendships don’t ‘cure’ Rumi, but the impact they have on her makes her realise that there is still a life out there for her. She’s might never be completely okay. And that’s fine.

Overall, this was a tear-jerking, hard-hitting, but ultimately, awe-inspiring read. Rather than her misery being quickly rectified, Bowman's depiction of the grieving process is raw and realistic. There's diversity, complex familial relationships, friendships, hurting and healing. I know I'll always be recommending this book to anyone who loves hard-hitting contemporary.

I was graciously sent this book for review by the publisher through Netgalley and was so pleased that I got a chance to read it. I had heard of Bowman's other novel Starfish all throughout last year, however I never got round to picking it up. That's what happened when your usual go to read is 700 page fantasy novels. However, I'm so glad I had this to pick up as it proved to be just the break in pace I needed.

Summer Bird Blue follows Rumi as she deals with the death of her younger sister, Lea, who was also the person she was closest to in the world. Rumi suddenly finds herself abandoned by her mother in Hawaii while they both try to come to terms with their grief, learn how to live again, and how to carrying on the memory of Lea. I haven't read a Young Adult novel in quite a while, especially not one that doesn't include some kind of fantasy and I had forgotten how well written, heart-wrenching and compelling these novels can be. Bowman's novel deals with grief in a way that I hadn't read about before, it forms in Rumi like constant bubbling anger instead of sweeping sadness and though I found it frustrating at times. It was interesting to get a different point of view on grief, because we all react differently but novels that I have read don't often show this angry side of loss.

For such a heavy topic - one that sweeps so often into emotionally dark places that I sometimes had to put the book down - it was a compelling read. Bowman's skill at creating interesting and relatable characters is shown in this novel because even though Rumi can be difficult to get along with at times, I still wanted her to be okay. I was still rooting for her to work through her grief and begin to repair the relationships that are so damaged at the beginning of the book.

She also manages to include another complex topic in the book without it feeling like too much - Rumi sexuality. This is often tied in with the fact Lea was the only person she felt she could talk to about it and now she has to figure out what she wants alone. If this is what YA is doing at the moment I'm so pleased that the genre is beginning to talk about these topics which bring a much needed level of diversity to literature. It proves that YA can handle these topics, and handle it well.

The only things that stopped this book being a 5 star read was that the grief was sometimes overwhelming and painful to read, and Rumi didn't seem to be growing. Also because it has been so long since I have read YA, never mind one that wasn't fantasy, that the simpler plot line felt empty. However, this is a reflection on my reading tastes, rather than the book itself. Bowman's narrative definitely made me feel a lot of emotions, and I'd definitely recommend it to fans of the genre.

I read Akemi Dawn Bowman’s beautiful debut Starfish last year and completely fell in love with her writing style and thoughtful perspectives about life. Not long after I finished it, I discovered her second book, Summer Bird Blue, would be released later in the year and I was ecstatic because I needed more of her stories, more of her writing in my life. Despite feeling pretty desperate to read Summer Bird Blue, I could never find a copy of it anywhere so you can imagine my surprise when the ARC turned up on Netgalley one day. When my request was accepted, I was so thrilled! And now that I’ve read this amazing book, I honestly can’t wait to buy a hard copy of it and read it again and again when it’s released in a couple of months.

Summer Bird Blue is about Rumi, a girl who worries she’s running out of time to make the decisions everyone else she knows is already making for themselves. Decisions about their futures and who they love and what they want to do with their whole lives. She’s confused about a lot of things and has no idea why she doesn’t know herself as well she thinks she should at this time in her teenage life. All she really knows is that she just wants to spend all of her time making music with her sister and best friend, Lea. To live her dream of songwriting and creating music with the one person who accepts and knows her for everything she is. But, when Lea dies in a car accident and her Mum sends her away to Hawaii with her aunt for the summer so she can deal with her own grief, Rumi is overtaken by anger and the loss of everything she knows and loves. She spends the summer struggling through her thoughts and feelings. With the guidance of her aunt and her neighbours, a carefree teenager named Kai and eighty-year old Mr. Watanabe, Rumi tries to find her way and to honour her sister’s last wish: to finish the song they started and never got to finish.

I really have no idea how to talk about how incredible this book is. It’s heartbreaking and intricate. An engaging, honest portrayal of dealing with loss in death and finding a new path in the life that remains. It’s angry and sorrowful, but also hopeful and bright with the beauty of the world. There’s so much darkness and light and the balance of both is dealt with in a way that is so realistic to the ups and downs of life. The writing is simply beautiful and inspiring, capturing so many struggles in life with a thoughtfulness that amazed me.

Besides Akemi Dawn Bowman’s exquisite writing, this book is most alive with its characters. Following Rumi throughout the whole book, I felt her anger and sadness and her moments of happiness like they could’ve been my own. She was painted with so many different shades and every step of her journey was so complicated by her dark tunnels of thoughts about Lea’s death, feeling abandoned by her mum, her desire to find music again, her feeling like she didn’t deserve to be alive. Sometimes her thoughts were a little repetitive, but I thought that worked as part of the story as it represented how we all can go over the same things many times before we ever reach any kind of understanding. Some of Rumi’s feelings, especially in relation to making the most of life and feeling anxious about choices for the future, were things I could really relate to. Her struggles with Lea’s death and her mum were absolutely heartbreaking and made me really remind myself to love the life I have and not take anyone I love for granted. Rumi is a wonderfully intricate and unique character. I loved the journey she went on throughout the book and I loved her personality, too. There were times she made my heart hurt but there were other times she made me laugh out loud. Seriously, she has some incredibly funny lines at times.

Rumi’s relationships with the other characters is most definitely the highlight of this book, so much so that I have no idea which set of relationships I loved the most. Lea and Rumi are most definitely one of the best sister/best friend relationships I’ve ever read. There are many beautiful snippets in the book of memories between them, and they really gave an incredible insight into how they’d been together when Lea was alive and how Rumi got through everything with Lea’s spirit in her heart. The relationship between Rumi and her mum is very different, as Rumi spends most of the novel only feeling anger towards her mum, but the way it develops was perfect and a realistic depiction of a family trying do deal with the loss of one of their own. I loved Aunt Ani and her constant presence in Rumi’s life for the summer, even when Rumi wanted to be left alone or was hitting her with so much anger. She was strength and wisdom and one of the people Rumi needed by her side to get through everything.

I absolutely loved Kai, and in connection, his other friends that Rumi eventually connects with, too. Kai and Rumi’s friendship was complicated at times, but Kai was such a forgiving and understanding soul, so kind to Rumi and there was something in him that she really needed to find her way again. I loved every single scene with them together and how they ended up being so important to the other. It really was a delight to read. Rumi’s friendship with Mr. Watanabe, and also his dog Poi, was another incredible part of the story. Honestly, Mr. Watanabe’s dialogue might just be my favourite thing about this novel. He was a funny, angry old man who sometimes said things with a lot of feeling that gave Rumi the perspective she needed. I loved how they connected and helped each other. I’d read a side-story about Mr. Watanabe today if I could. Also one about Kai. They were both such great characters and it warmed my heart to see how they connected with Rumi and put some light in her life again.

I really can’t say enough how much I loved this book. I wanted to keep living in it forever. I can’t wait to own it and put it on my shelf next to my other favourites. In fact, my fiance just pre-ordered me a copy so in April I will have it! I absolutely recommend it to every reader out there, it’s a book you shouldn’t miss.

This is a crucial look at loss and grief, written in a beautiful way. I was so happy for the great aro-ace representation in Rumi, which is something not seen enough. This is a raw, real and deeply hopeful book.

This was a devastatingly beautiful book with such real characters that I couldn't help but fall in love with.
It dealt with grief in a refreshingly honest way which definitely doesn't make it a happy book but an important one none the less.
I really enjoyed that one of the main focuses of this book was family relationships like the bond between the main character Rumi and her sister Lea. There was also so many great friendships scattered throughout the book which I loved getting to read about.
Lastly, I adored that music was such a big part of the main character. it made the story all the more special.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publishers at Black & White Publishing, and Ink Road, for the opportunity to read and review this novel in advance of its publication!

There are so many things I want to talk about here!

Book summary:
Rumi has just lost her sister Lea in a car accident. Their mum, struggling to cope with the loss of Lea, sends Rumi to Hawaii to stay with Aunty Ani, on a street of interesting characters, leaving Rumi to navigate her grief alone,

In life, Lea shared with her sister a love of music and song writing. Just before the accident they had begun their new song, Summer Bird Blue. Now Rumi knows she must finish it, even though music now hurts her.

Cover:
This is what drew me to the book on Net Galley. Blue is my favourite colour, and the curling wave, the colours and the birds… it’s adorable and I love it. In a book shop I would totally be directed to this book by the cover.

Characters:
Rumi is the main character in Summer Bird Blue. My first thought = she’s an angry soul! But that’s part of what makes her real. Because she is incredibly real. Not everyone is likeable all the time, particularly at such a harrowing, awful time when they lose somebody close to them. I respected the grief process she went through. True, I didn’t always enjoy her as a character, but I respected her, and sometimes that’s just as vital.

Though Lea isn’t alive during the course of the novel, she does feature in the flashbacks, and is, after Rumi, the primary character. Lea is loveable straight away, through Rumi’s perspective. She is kind and generous to a fault, always putting her sister first, always ensuring her happiness over her own. The more memories we see, the more I liked her.

Kai and his friends are like balls of sunshine tumbling around, making things brighter and happier for Rumi. I loved them all. Yet it is Mr Watanabe, the grouchy neighbour, whom I liked the most. His simple acceptance of Rumi and her darkness, and his understanding of her explosive emotions is worth so much.

Themes:
The primary theme is grief, as already mentioned above. Grief doesn’t effect us in the same ways. It can be ugly and dark, and consequently sometimes so is Rumi. The author isn’t kind to us in this sense – she doesn’t hold out on the grieving process to be make the reading easier. She throws us in head first, so that experience all the emotions that Rumi does. At the end, I finally shed some tears, and I appreciate the journey we are taken on through Summer Bird Blue.

Another theme is sexuality. It is impressive that there was space for this in such a full novel, and I like that it’s there. It adds yet another layer to the book, and it’s great that the author shows us this often confusing side of being a teenager, and then normalising it. Incredible.

Music is a huge theme to Summer Bird Blue. It is displayed using imagery, and beautiful imagery at that. Through metaphor and colour, smells and touch, Rumi shows us what music means to her, and it is wonderful.

Language:
This is an interesting part to the book. It is set in Hawaii, and true to the region depicts their native tongue and accent. I love books that do this – it’s immersive and gives the characters real voices.

“ “If you no like talk to me, den stop making kine humbug fo’ everybody.”” (Ch.4, loc.354)

I admit it made it a little hard to read at first, then I got used to it and loved that the author did this.

To conclude :
Rumi got to me. I loved her journey through her grief, her fight to find herself again without losing Lea along the way. The setting was beautiful, the music was stunning, and the characters and language were phenomenal. Summer Bird Blue is one of those books that makes you angry, that makes you cry, gives you hope, and ultimately brings you joy. A highly recommended novel for anyone who wants to feel all the feels possible.

Rumi and Lea were sisters who loved to sing and write and perform their songs together, best friends.



Until a tragic car crash...



As Rumi gets sent away to her aunt's by her mother she has to cope with losing her beloved sister and her mum too.



Whilst away her neighbour Kai and his friends hang out with Rumi but its an elderly neighbour who truly gives her friendship and no messing guidance as she grieves and struggles to accept all that has changed and she has lost.



There's also the fact of finishing the final song they began together, Summer Bird Blue.



Ann emotional story of how to adapt and accept a close death and the Many ways people deal with the turmoil it can lead their lives to be affected by. I really liked that Rumi also touches on the fact of not being sure if her sexuality and it made her realistic as a teenager in today's times. A fast flowing hard hitting read.



Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!

This would be a perfect read for anyone who has a strong bond with their sibling or is looking to read about that. Rumi has always been there for Lea when their mother was working hard to provide for them and as a result they have a really close relationship. We get to see glimpses of this through Rumi's memories of the good and bad. The format of these flashbacks are also done in an interesting manner as they pop up in the middle of chapters, headered as "a memory". At first I found it slightly jarring but in the end I actually I think I liked the clarity.

I also highly recommend Summer Bird Blue to anyone who is musically inclined. Rumi and Lea wrote songs together and played music together so music is a huge part of who she is. She sometimes finds comfort in it but she also can find it very painful. Personally, I enjoy listening to music but I cannot play any instruments and I don't have the connection she does. As a result, some of the descriptions of music and feelings Rumi had didn't fully resonate with me but I'm sure others would appreciate them.

It was also refreshing to read about a YA protagonist that isn't happy go lucky. I realise YA is moving forward and dealing with a lot darker and more serious topics that can affect teens so I am pleased to read a book contributing to that movement. Consequently, this book left me welling up and angry right along with Rumi.

This book also delves into Rumi's sexuality and how she is still working it out and doesn't really want to put a label on it. There are wonderful discussions about sexuality and primarily asexuality which is something I haven't seen a lot of in YA books and I really appreciated the addition and I think it will help young readers.

My one criticism of this book is that for the first 50% Rumi is really angry and struggling to come to terms with her grief. She is unwilling to be around people or to make any effort with them. Then it seemed to switch and she was suddenly a lot more open. Obviously it didn't seem like she was all fixed and there was a good progression from that mark. It just felt a bit like one chapter she is yelling at everyone and then the next she is happy to be around people again. Although, I realise there is no right way for anyone to grieve so it is only a small criticism for me, that I can barely put into words properly anyway!

Overall this was a touching look at teenage grief and family bonds that I highly recommend. I am looking forward to finally picking up Starfish even more now!

Bowman's writing has such an ease and flow that her books are easily on sitting reads; Summer Blue Bird is no exception. I started reading it because I forgot to take my current read out with me; I couldn't put it down. I fell in love with the characters, the situations and how much I related.
The plot develops around a core thread of grief. It's not simple, it's' not clean but rest assured Bowman is there to guide you through Rumi's turbulent summer of anger. The story deals with grief, loss and abandonment in such a way that the book is a cathartic read. It's a must read for anyone who has experienced loss and for those who haven't and wants to empathise.