I really didn't like this as much as I thought I would. The premise was good but the writing just wasn't for me.

This was my first book by this author, It was pretty enjoyable. I would give this book a 3.5 star rating! It was a pretty Quick and easy read!

If your favoured reading material is a novel with a good sprinkling of self-discovery, identity, love, friendship, depression and abandonment, then feel free to read this great book by Rebekah Crane - Postcards for a Songbird.

The book was really big surprise, but as this was my first novel by Rebekah, I had no particular expectations, either great or otherwise.

The writing style was absolutely unique and I found myself enjoying the story immensely, loving the colourful metaphors and figures of speech, even the moments where it felt just a little too flowery. I did find that the timeline wasn't working too well for me and I suffered some confusion with this. Whilst I generally enjoy books that switch between the past and the present, there were occasions when memories were not denoted well enough to differentiate them from others. Those occurrences took me out of the book for long enough making this a little less of an enjoyable reading experience than it could have been.

The story was about finding out who you really are and who, or what you want to be. The characters felt so deeply and were certainly both funny and unique. They were well portrayed and the pacing of the book was spot on. Though this story didn’t instantly stir my soul, as I read, the more intrigued I became and Postcards for a Songbird was well worth the time invested. Overall, this was a really interesting story with some unexpected turns and there were a lot of things to enjoy about it.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel, at my own request, from Skyscape via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

I wouldn’t say my favourite YA is Contemporary. If I had to make a list and rank all the genres it would be at the bottom. Only reason being is that a Contemporary YA read really has to captivate me. This one did an amazing job since I read the entire thing in a day! When I saw that it was 40+ chapters I thought it would’ve taken a few days but nope!

Everyone eventually leaves Wren Plumley. First it was her mother, then her best friend, and then her sister. Now living with only her cop father and her upended dreams, Wren feels stranded, like a songbird falling in a storm.

When Wilder, a sickly housebound teen, moves in next door, Wren finally finds what she’s always wanted—a person who can’t leave. But a chance meeting with Luca, the talkative, crush-worthy boy in her driver’s ed class, has Wren wondering if maybe she’s too quick to push people away. Soon, Wren finds herself caught between the safety of a friendship and a love worth fighting for.

Wren starts to dream again. But when postcards begin arriving from her sister, Wren must ultimately confront why her mother left fourteen years before and why her sister followed in her footsteps. For her new life to take flight, Wren will have to reconcile the heartbreaking beauty of lost dreams and the beautiful heartbreak of her new reality.

Thank you to NetGalley who approved my request and to the publishers, Skyscrape who provided an ebook copy of this beautiful book! I adore the bright cover!

One thing that I loved the most about this book was that it took place over an entire summer. At the start, I admit, it took me a few chapters to really get into but once I was in…I couldn’t stop. You’d think forty plus chapters, that it’ll drag or something but I flew through the story. It was well-paced for a Contemporary. The little mysteries that it held with Wilder (the boy next door), her mother and sister as well as dad too! He’s underappreciated, I don’t know why but I loved yet pitied the dad. It’s rare to find understanding parents in YA books who get along with their kids.

The father is a huge contribution to the story. Even though Wren doesn’t see her dad a lot since he takes the graveyard shift and sleeps in the day, there’s a lot of monologue and blame put on him when her mother and sister leaves. Wren is a perculiar main character. Her ‘thing’ is seeing people’s aura from first impressions. At first I thought it was just a plot device but it made her see light in Luca and the similarities he held with her sister, Lily.

Luca and Wren bond over summer with meeting at the grocery store and driving lessons. Their relationship is adorable and unproblematic. I have to give it to the author, she focused on the family. Yes, Wren’s friends were there most of the time but the author kept the story on track. Luca was a skater boy who at first seemed weird but he becomes so likable that I frowned whenever he wasn’t in a chapter.

The side characters like Baby Girl and Leai were great subplots. Baby Girl was close to Lily and eventually filled the space of becoming Wren’s older sister. Leai was unusual but quirky which made all these characters unique!

I can’t say much about Lily and their mother without giving spoilers. The title of this book really comes into play when Lily sends Songbird a.k.a Wren postcards. The mystery among all the usuallness that’s happening over summer. While Wren is slowly moving on, there’s still a reminder of her life. Not just from the postcards but from her dad not being around, plenty of flashbacks of her sister and little things about her mother mentioned.

I really enjoyed this book. The writing was deep and instantly drew me in where I couldn’t even sleep! This has to be my Contemporary read of the year. I’m proud to give it five stars for originality, pacing and writing style.

I read this book in two sittings only because I had to leave my house and go to the library. From the very beginning of the book I was sucked into the story and became very invested really quick. I felt so bad for the main character and found it odd that she referred to her dad as Chief, but after getting further into the book we find out truly why she refers to him that way instead of dad. My heart was breaking every time the main character got a postcard from Songbird because I felt as if she was longing for her mother but, she was just out of reach. When her so called best friend’s true colors came out I was rooting for the main character to come out on top and she definitely did! One of my favorite books of the year and everyone needs to read this book.

One thing I hate in books is overly flowery language and purple prose. It is pretentious, overdramatic and often doesn’t work because authors don’t know how to do it without their work sounding like an English creative writing assignment. Unfortunately, this book was no different. It was trying to be something it wasn’t and ended up just sounding confusing and unnecessarily wordy. The actual story was alright but nothing much happened and all it seemed to have going for it was the purple prose, which didn’t end up working for me. While I did like the characters of Wren and Wilder, I didn’t really see why I was being told their story.

I don't feel especially strongly about this book. There were a few plot twists that I predicted. There were things I feared might happen, directions that Crane didn't take much to my relief. But I get annoyed by romance being the impetus for change, love being the only thing that can convince this girl to make changes in her life.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This was a lovely book. Wren was a character you could easily connect with. I loved the interactions/banter between her and Luca. I loved that she eventually found she had this little group of friends to rely on. This was a thoroughly enjoyable book that I would recommend to anyone who likes the sound of the blurb.

Postcards for a Songbird by Rebekah Crane is an adorable YA contemporary with a very smooth moving narrative. Crane's writing is genuine and flows easily, making the read seem to just fly by. Having read one of her novels prior to this one, it's easy to tell that this is not a fluke. She has real writing talent and YA/New Adult style fiction is just perfect for her. I look forward to reading more.

The narrative isn't overly convoluted and remains focused on Wren, but it does reach out into speculation on other characters. The characters are medium in depth, still lacking a little definition at the edges without seeming overly thin. This does detract from the impact of the narrative, but does not make the story overly flawed. If anything, I could definitely have used more of the story, but what is given is well-written. There is certainly room for future literature utilizing these characters, but Postcards does just fine as a standalone.

I read Postcards for a Songbird in one day's time. It was just that easy to fall into. I didn't want to put it down, but it wasn't because it was overly gripping...it was because I enjoyed Crane's writing style and I liked the development of Wren's character. Don't get me wrong, it was a good story, but it was the writing that drew me in rather that purely the narrative itself. That being said, I could have done with more of the Wilder story line, but overall this was a good comfortable read and I enjoyed it. As stated earlier, I will definitely be on the lookout for more Rebekah Crane reads in the future.

Postcards for a Songbird by Rebekah Crane is a very unique and interesting book, and I really enjoyed it. I loved Ms. Crane's book, The Upside of Falling Down, so I was excited to read this book too. I did not like it as much as The Upside of Falling Down, but it was enjoyable. Wren Plumly lives with her father, a police officer. People Wren has loved seem to leave her. Her mother, best friend, and sister. This beautiful book follows the coming of age for Wren, and we are right there with her. This book kept me reading page after page, and it had more twists and turns as we figured things out along with Wren. I recommend this book, I plan on reading other books by Ms. Crane.

I reviewed a digital arc provided by NetGalley and the publisher. Thank you.

While the story is engaging enough, Crane's overdone writing style is a pain to read. The pretentiousness of these "teens" is beyond believable, to the point where I found myself rolling my eyes at every other line. Also, Luca's attitude towards Wren is really problematic. It basically encourages boys to not take a girl's 'no' at no, and instead pursue her even after she's shown disinterest. Is that really the message we should be spreading in 2019, the year of #MeToo? It seems tone-deaf at best.

The reason I'm giving this a 2-star review instead of a 1 is because despite the pretentiousness of it all, there are a few lines here and there that are truly gorgeous. If Crane toned down the purple prose, I feel like I would've enjoyed this, but as is, I find it almost unreadable.

Postcards for a Songbird was a pretty decent read. I actually can’t thing if one negative point about it so I guess that’s better than decent.



Postcards for a Songbird is a coming of age book that broaches the subjects of abandonment, mental health and first loves. It’s poignant and sweet. I found it very easy to read and blazed through it as fast as life let me.





All her life people have left. Now it was just Wren and her dad and the sickly boy next door who can’t leave his house fo fear of getting sick. The first to leave was her mother and now her sister. Wren tried to appease her sister in hopes that she would stay but she was too much a free spirit.



After the threat of her father sending her to live with her Aunt in Utah she is forced out of her self imposed bubble and what she finds over the summer is new friends, love and truth. She’s afraid of love because she’s afraid if being left again by someone she loves but in the end she realizes that live is worth it even if for a little while.



This book was a solid read and I would recommend it. I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.



Thank you to NetGalley for supplying this book to me for a fair and honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of Postcards for a Songbird by Rebekah Crane. I’ve voluntarily read and reviewed this copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Postcards for a Songbird is a story about Wren, who feels like everbody in her life has left her. First her mother and then her sister. When Wren meets Luca she doesn’t want to get close to him because he will probably just leave her. Over time Wren grows more secure of herself and makes a few friends. And discovers the true reasons for why people have left.

I have to admit that Postcards for a Songbird was a very confusing read for me. Even though the pacing was slow, a bit too slow, I didn’t understand the situation of certain characters. So Lizzie is actually real and not a figment of Wren’s imagination like Wilder? But even the ending is confusing to me. I felt like the reason why Lizzie left wasn’t explained fully. Or perhaps I just didn’t get it.

I do enjoy Rebekah Crane’s writing. It’s very poetic with hidden meaning and captures your attention immediately.

But unfortunately this story didn’t capture my enthusiasm and because of the confusion I didn’t feel satisfied with the ending.

A really interesting story to read with some unexpected turns. The book gives you some thoughts to think about and shows you different ways of living and finding yourself as a teenager. Besides it includes some interesting facts about Monet and his paintings. The included postcards made the reading so divsified and entertaining. A really good book for teenage girls that are reflecting themselves and think about living in different ways.

I received an eARC from Skyskape via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Sadly, this book wasn’t for me. My full review can be read by clicking the accompanying link.

The book is nothing like I expected it to be. About Wren, a girl who is left behind by everyone and eventually she just believes she is worth leaving. She believes that she isn't worth loving or living for. But then she meets Luca, (who is total fictional crush material), an outspoken and exciting boy who doesn't accept that she is unlovable. This book is about one girls journey to find strength and love within herself. It is a cute story about self-empowerment and imagination. I do think there were too many metaphors happening. It was a little cliche. I also was confused about who Wilder was and didn't get that he was a figment of her imagination until it the book was almost finished. I think his character was unnecessary and honestly could have been left out completely.

I wasn't a huge fan of this book. I love the premise of it and the idea of the story, which is why I requested it, but I had a hard time getting into the writing and getting really hooked into the story like I need to to fall in love with a book.

I wanted to love this book. Rebekah's writing style was lovely. But there were several problematic issues for me, including the vilification of depression medication. I enjoyed the characters, but I never quite felt like the romantic relationship was believable. Mostly, my enjoyment of the story was dampened by the ending. Too many things were confusing, and I wanted a better explanation of everything and a more satisfying conclusion. Though I didn't love this book, I will likely pick up other books by Rebekah Crane in the future.

The second book I read from this writer and with high expectations, but unfortunately, almost nothing worked for me. At first, it took me a long time to understand what had really happened to Wren and to get into the story. I spent most of my reading confused and discouraged with the scenes in which her sister appears. Then came the dismay of Wilder's entry and exit of the plot without much explanation and no major emotion. The only detail that made me not give up on everything was cute Luca and yet he couldn't make up for the bad parts. The writer had everything to create a wonderful story and unfortunately ruined everything for me.

Right out of the gate, I give this book a 3.5. You could probably make a push for a 4 star rating with the final, corrected and polished text, but I’m not a re-reader and this is what I was given. While I love the prose – even the moments where it felt just this side of too flowery – and this book was full of lines that left me with a happy sigh, ultimately the suffered some due to the confusion of the timeline. While I do enjoy books that switch between the past and the present, the moments when we find ourselves in Wren’s memories of Lizzie are not denoted well enough to differentiate them from Wren’s present state as she’s going through those memories. They could have been separated by use of italics to indicate that we’re in a memory, or section breaks to signal a switch between past and present. Those moments – as well as spending the whole book wondering what Wilder’s purpose was as a character – took me out of the book enough that it made it a little less of an enjoyable reading experience. Having said that, this is my first foray into the writing of Rebekah Crane, and I don’t think it will be my last.

I like that this book deals with a number of issues, primarily those of abandonment, depression, teenage love, memory, and identity. When we first meet Wren, she’s clearly depressed, having been abandoned by a second family member, this time her sister, Lizzie. We learn as we read through the novel that Wren has basically lived her life for Lizzie, in service of Lizzie’s happiness and, though Wren may not see it, at the expense of her own, not because Lizzie asked her to, but because Wren is afraid that Lizzie will leave like their mom did when they were young if she doesn’t give Lizzie a reason to stay. When Lizzie ultimately does leave, Wren is left without a purpose, and wallows in the white blankness of her room when she’s not making sure that Chief, her father, has his six nightly beers.

Though Lizzie and their mother physically abandoned Wren, you could argue that Chief has also abandoned her. While he is at least somewhat physically present in her life, he’s not actually there for her. In some ways she actually lives in service of him, too, fetching him his nightly (daily?) beers and following his exact grocery list when she goes to the store, never deviating from the routine. He knows so little about her, and she about him, that there’s a gaping chasm between them that leaves them little more than acquaintances at times. Theirs is a deeply flawed relationship, one whose distance relied on what we later find out are lies her father has told her since she was little. The effort they put into healing their relationship by the end of the novel was lovely.

When Wren meets Luca, Leia’s brother, things start to change. Resistant at first, she becomes more and more open to the freedom that new experiences provide her, and she starts to realize that so far she hasn’t lived her life for herself, and has instead let the past dictate her present and her lack of expectations for a future. As they get to know each other while stuck in the same driver’s education class, she and Luca discover that they have more in common than they ever could have thought, and she’s immediately taken in by him. Luca is the first person to see her for who she is in so long, to see her potential and help her out of the pit she’s fallen into as she reconciles with the loss of her sister’s presence. Theirs is a very sweet relationship grounded in a shared fear of the unknown, a newfound desire to discover who they are as people, and the experience of learning to share even the darkest shades of yourself with another person in the hope that they may bring you into their light.

The theme I enjoyed the most, however, was that of identity. So many of these characters have defined themselves by their circumstances or their past actions. As I said earlier, much of Wren’s life has been defined by the loss of her mother and her efforts to prevent the loss of her sister. Baby Girl, who was never truly given a name after she was born, tries on identities as though she’s shopping for them. At one point, she’s quite literally doing just that. Luca very much buys into the idea that he’s a disappointment, even a failure, which becomes evident when he reveals to Wren why he left their date in a panic. Chloe is a genuinely terrible person and I hate her. I still don’t understand the point of Wilder, especially when his circumstances are revealed toward the end of the book. Leia, however, acts as the perfect foil for these characters, as she is fairly certain of who she is as a person, and is more than happy to dispense advice while assuring those around her that it’s okay to not have it all figured out right now. While it seems like she has it together, there are still a number of aspects of her own life that she’s yet to explore and allow to shape her.

I also loved the discussion around memory as a thing that both keeps people or places or events alive to the person trying to remember them, but also as a roadblock to the future. Wren becomes so deeply mired in her memories that, in many ways, they become her present. As is evident in this book, it is far too easy to become beholden to what we used to be instead of moving forward and accepting the future. We all have to move forward. Some of us, like Wren, are just a little behind the curve.

In sum, there were a lot of things to enjoy about Postcards for a Songbird, and I look forward to exploring Crane’s other works.