A ballerina must always wear a careful mask as she dances out life's triumphs and tragedies.


With every step and pirouette, the realities of the world falls behind her, like a dark shadow that mirrors her journey across the broad stage. All her hours of work and effort enable her to become an extension of grace and beauty that transfixes the audience into her world of dance and elegance.


Still, the shadows of the world continue to grow with the dimming light that marks the end of the scene. Before long, all that's left is her bright light against the growing curtain of horrors she's experienced in her life.


The shadow is patient and ever so ready for the moment she flickers.


I have always been drawn to stories about ballerinas and their connection to the nimble world of ballet. Reading about what brings an extra step to their rhythm or what memory allows them to become an extension of the dance is something that mesmerizes me because of how their methods allow them to become a living art form.


Sparrow by Mary Cecilia Jackson is a piece of art in its own right. Jackson follows the steps of Savannah "Sparrow" Darcy Rose who is haunted by her past and tries to channel her pain through the world of ballet with her best friends Lucas and Delaney. However much Sparrow wants to put her past behind her, it is a beat that will always follow us and so, history repeats itself when Sparrow finds herself in an abusive relationship that threatens her life and future dreams.


This work was a truly heartfelt journey that Jackson put an immense amount of heart and soul into. The manner in which she conveys Sparrow's journey and slowly unravels the traumas of her past is both harrowing and hopeful because oftentimes in life, hope and despair can wear the same face. Jackson was able to channel an immense amount of realism that makes Sparrow's pain transcend to the readers who are then healed by Sparrow's hopeful nature that allows her to take brave steps for her own wellbeing.


The dual narrative with her best friend and dance partner, Lucas, is a work of love. It is clear from the beginning that he has affections for Sparrow, yet rather than pursuing a solely romanic narrative, Lucas's observations about Sparrow and how he hurts seeing her in pain allows readers to open their heart to everything Jackson is trying to convey in her story. Lucas beautifully shows how when we truly care and love someone, we always wish the best for them and it hurts so much when you see them going through something that's not good for them. However, that doesn't by any means make an unflawed personality; as Lucas shows, despite his pure intentions towards Sparrow, he has his own painful past, and present moments, to overcome in order to move forward in life.


When I say that Sparrow is a journey, I mean that in many ways. It was a journey of the self, a walk into the hearts of two individuals who you feel that you've known all your life, and a passage of healing that allows us to come to terms with the people that haunt our past. At the end of the work, you can imagine all the sparrows of the world who must fight against the bracing storms around them. Yet, by continuing their struggle, their voices are louder than any storm blowing around them.


Instead, they become a storm.


May all sparrows find their life's dance and have the courage to continue forward on their journey, for, like Sparrow, they will make the music soar.

My Thoughts:

Sparrow was a riveting read, that I found myself fully immersed in. What an emotional reading experience! This story hurt my heart, made me cry, and had me rooting for Sparrow. I loved her character, and desperately wanted her to find her strength, and courage; as well as the road to healing.

Savannah "Sparrow" Rose endured abuse at the hands of her mother as a young girl, and nightmares continue to plague her. As a talented and aspiring professional ballerina, she has the life of a typical teenager. Her good friends Lucas and Delaney, as well as her father and doting aunt offer her an abundance of love, caring, nurturing, and support.

Sparrow is swept away by Tristan, a charming, rich, good looking, and popular athlete at her school. When he starts abusing her, she makes excuses for him, because she loves him, and thinks he loves her. However, what happens when you stay in an abusive relationship? Could it eventually be a matter of life and death?

What an intense and profound story! With Sparrow, we learn about the cycle of abuse, and how it effects everyone, not just the person being abused. In this story we get two points of view; Sparrow, and her best friend Lucas. Serious topics are addressed, such as abuse, death of a loved one, and how to heal; along with all of the emotions that come with these experiences.

I loved how much this story sucked me in, and how it consumed my emotions. It had a spectacular cast of characters that were real and relatable. Sparrow was a vulnerable, sweet, caring, and loving character. I loved reading about her dancing, and could picture her in the studio with Lucas. These two were very passionate about ballet, and as a reader, I was front and center as they performed.

Lucas was the type of friend that would give you the shirt off his back. He was loyal, kind, and always there for Sparrow. He was going through his own pain, but always made time for Sparrow and his family. I appreciated his persistence and perseverance in trying to make Sparrow realize that she deserved better, and needed to get out of her relationship. He was in love with his best friend, and I wanted her to see what was right in front of her face. His Grandma Deidre was a favorite character of mine. I loved spending time with her. She was wise, funny, and so caring.

If you are looking to get swept away in a story, check out Sparrow! This book delivered so many emotions, strong and loving friendships and familial relationships, as well as messages about life, hope and healing.

*I WAS PROVIDED A PHYSICAL ARC FOR THE PURPOSES OF A BLOG/BOOK TOUR. THIS DOES NOT AFFECT MY OPINION*

I was really hoping to like this book. I love it when authors want to bring up big issues our society currently faces, but I feel that that was not achieved within this book.

For one, the dialogue was just weird. Everything that was spoken by the characters was done so through a very off-style, poetic way. No one talks that way in real life, so why was it done in this novel? It was off-putting and threw me for a loop while reading.

Secondly, the story was here and there. In one chapter, an event would appear out of NOWHERE and then continue to drag on for multiple pages. It felt like I was reading a poorly written Wattpad book.

Lastly, the book itself was just very cut and dry. Some scenes would move very quickly but others would move at the pace of a non-teenage mutant ninja turtle.

I was really disappointed, altogether. I'd gone into this book hoping for a good outcome after reading and came out with just another big sigh. For that, I rate it 1 star.

“Affliction is enamored of thy parts, and thou art wedded to calamity”

-William Shakespeare, Romero and Juliet

...

“‘What is the haunted name, the secret name of your deepest self?’

And I answer, ‘Sorrow.’”

Sparrow lives and breathes ballet. Working with her ballet company and training for their rendition of Swan Lake for the Winter Gala has been a dream come true, and she couldn’t ask for a better partner than her childhood friend Lucas. And when she literally runs into a beautiful boy from her class, Tristan King, a heated romance sparks between the two that is both addicting and fierce. But sometimes Tristan isn’t always the boy she fell in love with, sometimes he changes. A quick flash of eyes like black holes and soft features that sharpen into granite have become Sparrow’s waking nightmare. But Tristan isn’t the only darkness that surrounds her in pirouettes. The death of her mother consumes her, wakes her in the night and follows her like an entity feeding from her soul. Sparrow is drowning.

“The earth tilts beneath me. My hand falls into the rushing water, blood spooling out from my fingers, dark ribbons in the moonlight stream. The stars flare and disappear. I float away on a sea of mercies.”

“I try hard to breathe, and then I remember.

Dead girls can’t breathe.”

Wow.

This was a heavy hitter.

I haven’t highlighted sentences and paragraphs like this in a book since…well, maybe ever. Practically my entire kindle edition of Sparrow is yellow. And if that doesn’t express the immense haunting beauty that this book is, well, allow me to elaborate.

Sparrow is the story of a girl falling into darkness.

A swan princess becoming the Black Swan.

Sparrow is dedicated, charming, spirited and loving. She pours every ounce of hurt and emotion into her dancing, and it is the only time she can breathe and speak with her heart without screaming. When we first meet her, her infectious and fun personality shines through immediately. She is a typical teenage girl who laughs, acts silly, goes to school and gossips with friends. She is living out her dreams of dancing as Odette in the Swan Lake, and she is thriving. But when she begins her relationship with Tristan, everything shifts.

“Count the houses. Count the streetlights.

Count the minutes until Tristan turns back into the boy I love.”

The beginning of their relationship begins and goes by fast, skipping ahead to three months before I even realized what was happening. It started out like an insta-love relationship and I was a little put off, but as the story progresses you realize there is a reason for why it was written like this. It is told in some chapters by Sparrow, and some by Lucas. Through each of their eyes you see different versions of each scenario, how Sparrow sees things, and how Lucas is viewing the reality.

“It’s almost a relief when he hits me.

Everything comes back to me, all of it. I remember to tighten my body so I won’t fall, how to pull up, just like in ballet, every muscle taut and prepared. I know how to protect my face, where to hold my arms to keep the first, the strongest blows from reaching the softest parts of my body.”

To say that it was easy to read Sparrow’s journey would be an outright lie. It was so painful witnessing the abuse that Tristan rained down on her. The mood swings, his possessive nature, and how he would so ruthlessly talk down to Sparrow as if she didn’t matter. His cruelty and darkness towards her was frightening. He would scream hateful comments at her, demeaning her and calling her worthless or a slut. His anger was volatile and sudden, a tsunami engulfing a peaceful beach.

“If only he’d look at me, give me a smile, tell me with his eyes that I’m forgiven, that he loves me, that we are okay.

If only I could forget his hand on my throat, the pressure of his fingers, the fury of his eyes.”

But what was worse, was Sparrow’s unflinching love and loyalty for this monster. She was enamored with him when he was sweet, when he treated her with affection and promised her love and the world. She so easily brushed aside his temper and rage, and refused to admit that his hitting her and abusing her was actually his choice. And even when her friends questioned his treatment of her, she was adamant about defending him and refusing to open up. Sparrow is like a steel door, chained and bolted. Everything stays hidden and locked away, and she deals with everything alone.

“This is my fault, my fault, my fault. He loves me. He loves me so much. He tells me all the time. This will pass. We’ll be fine. He’ll feel terrible in a few minutes, and there will be apologies and tears and promises and kisses.

I will forgive him, because I love him.”

It was heartbreaking to have to sit and watch her fall away into nothing, until it was too late.

“The Swan Queen is dead.”

What I love about this story is how seamlessly everything connects. Throughout the story Sparrow has dreams and memories of her mother that come up, more and more often as her relationship with Tristan builds and she begins to fade away. With her mother dying when she was a young girl, the unresolved emotions from her passing has now found it’s way into Sparrow’s every day life. Her mother begins to consume her thoughts, emotions and reactions. She quickly finds herself in a dark space that she can’t find her way out of, and the past that they shared begins to shed light on who she has become.

“I promise, Mama. I’ll be quiet. I’ll be good.

I am not the kind of girl who tells.”

There is a turning point in this story when Tristan goes too far, and it is…devastating. The aftermath of what Sparrow becomes, a shell of herself now filled with anger and rage, was one of the hardest things I’ve read. My heart broke a thousand times over as I witnessed the pain and betrayal that this poor girl suffered, and the atrocities of how Tristan is dealt with. Sparrow becomes unrecognizable and defeated. It was like every ounce of light was sucked out of her soul, and all that was left was pitch black nothingness.

“I’m the Black Swan.

Curses swirl in my blood. Wickedness is buried in my bones, bound to make everyone who loves me suffer. I’m a black hole, a night without stars, drawing pain and grief and heartbreak to me like a magnet. Destined to make no one happy ever.

I am my mother’s daughter.”

“He told me once that he could hear what people were thinking in the silent spaces between their spoken words. That he could tell what someone was feeling just by looking into their eyes. So I wonder, as I have so many times since I was small, why he couldn’t see the terror in my eyes.”

Though Lucas plays a big part in giving us an important outside look and perspective on Sparrow, I think his side story was a tad unnecessary and I found myself slightly skipping through them. I think the story would have benefited if it went into less detail about what he was doing at his grandmother’s house, and really dove deeper into Sparrow and the aftermath of Tristan. It felt like some parts of her story were rushed over, while Lucas was given a lot more development and focus. Which was confusing to me.

But what was important about his book apart from Sparrow’s experience, was how her abuse affected those around her. So many times the friends and loved ones are forgotten in traumatic experiences. They also go through the hurt and pain alongside the victim, so I was glad to see this story gave them a voice as well. Overall, this story was beyond beautiful. It was a poetic tale of abuse and trauma that got extremely dark and raw. I highly recommend this to anyone that enjoys getting their heart shredded, or just wants to read a book that will actually make you feel something.

“All will be well, all will be well, and all manner of things shall be well.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

“At the end of everything, a fish dive.”

Wrenching!

Domestic violence and children. Violence and boyfriends. A harrowing read! The story of Sparrow, a young woman, a gifted ballerina, and a victim of violence is a story of anguish, of darkness, and ultimately of hope and taking charge, after a long, long road to the start. More a goat track than a road really.
I must admit to not really liking the subject matter. I cannot deny though that I found Jackson's treatment of the topic empathetic, tight, tense and really well written.
Told in the voice of Sparrow, alternated with that of one of her best friend's, Marcus her dancing partner in Swan Lake, the read was a roller coaster of emotions and imaginings!
There is a side story about Marcus which was really well integrated. I loved his Irish grandmother (wise woman in the hills analogy), her acceptance and her wisdom, and Marcus' maturing.
I felt that their friend Delaney was a marvellous character who needs her own story.
In many ways Sparrow is still a mystery, but perhaps that's what new beginnings are about.

A Macmillan-Tor/Forge. ARC via NetGalley

This is a book I hope others read, especially teenagers. The message of this type of abuse really needs to be made public more. I found the book to be very moving. I loved the characters.

I love books about ballet and will always read them. But ballet isn't the main focus of Sparrow, instead tackling the important subject of abusive teen relationships. This is something that needs more exposure and socialization and I am glad there are books like Sparrow that are getting this message out.

From a readers' perspective, I found the book a bit disjointed. The first half and second half did not flow well together for me and timelines were confusing at points. I definitely enjoyed the reading experience of the first part of the book best. I really enjoyed Lucas' perspective and felt like he was the most flushed out character.

Overall, a really important topic, but the execution wasn't a fit for my reading style. This is geared to a YA audience and I think it will resonate with them and is a worthwhile read for that group.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

"Give sorrow words; the grief that does not speak knits up the o'er wrought heart and bids it break."
--William Shakespeare (Macbeth)
Sparrow's story broke my heart, but did not leave me without hope. I was enthralled by this book. The cover image speaks volumes. The first part of the book is filled with the banter Sparrow shares with her dance friends -- especially Lucas and Delaney. We are given an intimate look behind the scenes of their preparation for dancing Swan Lake. We also see Sparrow's relationship developing with Tristan King, her first serious boyfriend. When red flags arise, Sparrow plows past -- not wanting to listen to friends and family who raise concerns. This story will drag you down into the pit of despair, but it will not leave you there. I loved the character development of Sparrow and Lucas; the Psalms that Sparrow finds comfort in; the choices Jackson made in depicting and defining the relationships; and the honest depiction of the hard work it takes to come back from abuse. This is one of the best YA books I have read in a long time.
"Hereafter, in a better world than this, I shall desire more love and knowledge of you."
--William Shakespeare (As You Like It)
Thank you to St. Martins Press and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed the book, but I didn’t like certain parts of it. I enjoyed the ballet aspects of it. Ballet always intrigues me. The idea of a normal teenage girl trying to balance the demands of ballet with everything else she has to do was very interesting. However there was som melodrama. It makes sense given the abuse, but at times just felt way too over the top for me. Also bearing in mind our narrator is a teenage girl, some parts didn’t feel too authentic. Still a very interesting read. Saying too much gives the plot away.

This was a quick read. Because of the synopsis I was really intrigued and had high hopes for this book.

Sparrow is a gifted ballerina but she's keeping a lot of secrets. But when she suffers a brutal assault from her boyfriend, she finally has to confront the ghosts of her past.

I really expected a story like this was one to had more depth and to be more powerful.
It certainly was an okay read and I really liked how the author dealt with the topic of abuse. But I felt like it was a bit dramatic at times.

I liked Sparrow and how her character was portraited and I enjoyed the writing style, it kept me reading. There were just some things bothering, that didn't make all the dots in the story connect. Overall I liked it but I was not especially fascinated by it.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

I feel conflicted on this book. I respect what it does and the subject matter is close to my heart.

I feel like the subject matter, a toxic teenage relationship and its aftermath, is a very important one and in that regard I think this is one of those books that I feel is worth reading for every teenager. In large parts of the books this was handled well. I liked both main characters, though sometimes the change of POV jarred a bit, mainly because they did not run smoothly into each other.

The pacing of this novel and the way the storyline was plotted out, felt a little uneven to me. Some things were not explained well enough and others a bit too much. I feel like some important events in the narrative were glossed over.

I did like the friendship between our main characters, Sparrow and Lucas, and their friend Delaney, but at the same time I wanted a bit more from it and I felt some of their friends could have been fleshed out a bit to make it an altogether stronger friendgroup.

Despite the issues I had with the above, I enjoyed this read and I am glad I read this novel. I would still happily recommend it. I think with a bit of fleshing out in the right places it could have been an excellent read.

I am just so glad I was reading an ebook, because any other book would have been soaked by my tears. This story will stay with me for some time. I hope I never make any assumptions or judge why someone may not be able to talk about the violent abuse done to them. Sparrow is just seventeen, a promising ballerina. She is plagued by nightmares of her mother who died years before. Sparrow has never talked about the physical abuse her mother heaped on her. She meets Tristan, and she falls in love. Tristan is a monster, abusive beyond belief. But Sparrow never tells, she was taught to never tell. I loved the characters, especially Dr Gray, who has compassion, understanding and endless patience. This is another book for my ‘best ever books’ list.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book follows Sparrow and her best friend. After Sparrow’s boyfriend Tristan assaults her, leaving her with horrific injuries, she must find the strength to confront the abuse she suffered, past and present. 

Sparrow is a beautifully told story about such a difficult and sensitive topic. The writing was incredible, stunning and lyrical. It was heart-breaking to watch the evolution of Sparrow and Tristan’s relationship from when they first get together, all the way until the end. Alarm bells rang early on and it was hard to bear but also illuminating to understand what was going on behind closed doors. 

I hated Tristan with a searing, burning passion. I found it hard to sympathise with him and the reasons behind his obsessive and controlling behaviour. 

I loved reading from Lucas’s POV. It was interesting to read about Tristan’s and Sparrow’s relationship from a different perspective. I also loved his passion for his friendship with Sparrow and how determined her was to save her from Tristan’s clutches. 

My only criticism was that some of the book felt disjointed. The constant switching from Sparrow to Lucas’s POV was hard work at points. Sometimes it felt like I was reading 2 different stories. 

Overall, a beautifully written book with well-developed characters. I recommend this book and I can’t wait to read more of this author’s work.

I desperately wanted to love this book. The writing was beautiful, but the characters were bland. The way it jumped around made me feel disjointed and disconnected. There was no real plot or character drive.

Watching an extremely gifted, hard-working, driven teen girl fall into the grips of a controlling, anger-filled boy made me feel helpless and frustrated.

Savannah--Sparrow to her friends--narrates the story. She can't believe it when handsome, popular, well-off Tristan begins to have feelings for her. He is so kind and gives her gifts and wants to be with Sparrow all of the time.

Sparrow's best friend and dance partner, Lucas, has never liked Tristan. He's been bullied by Tristan since childhood, and Lucas does not believe that Tristan has changed, no matter what Sparrow says. Delaney, Sparrow's best friend, and Lucas watch Sparrow become more and more frightened of her supposed peach of a boyfriend as he controls her every move. Tristan becomes very jealous of Lucas, which makes things even more difficult. Delaney and Lucas repeatedly try desperately to help Sparrow see what Tristan has become. She refuses to acknowledge anything and sticks up for Tristan over and over. Eventually, after Sparrow suggests some time apart, Tristan blows up and beats Sparrow until she is almost dead.

This happens at about the halfway point, and the rest of the story is about Sparrow's difficult path back from potentially losing herself. She must confront not only her relationship with Tristan but other secrets about her childhood relationship with her mother, who died when Sparrow was young. Her friends and family all feel helpless as well as guilty. Her father never allowed her to talk about her mother and the abuse Sparrow suffered. Lucas feels responsible and can't hold his temper. He almost loses everything he has worked for.

After slogging through the torturous first half of the story--part of it being described by both Sparrow and Lucas--they slowly and painfully begin to heal. Thankfully her family is supportive, and Sparrow builds a therapeutic relationship with a counselor. Lucas spends time away with his grandmother. Their eventual recovery isn't portrayed as being easy or complete. One thing that I must caution--I wouldn't want teens to think that this type of toxic relationship only happens to girls (or boys) who are abused as children. That is what happens in Sparrow's case, but I'm sure these abusive relationships happen to all kinds of "normal" teens as well. And sadly to plenty of adults.

I was put off when the POV first switched to Lucas, and he begins to relate the same events as Sparrow had. I really don't like dual POVs that repeat the same events. I feel like I can imagine the other character's perspective well enough without reading a retelling of the same story. But, this only happened the first time. After that, the switches in POVs continued the story, rather than repeating the same episodes.

Teens who are attracted to edgy, dramatic, issues books will enjoy this one. While somewhat disturbing, it may be enlightening. Give this to your Speak and Dreamland fans. I think Sparrow is going to be popular.

Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone book. I got an eGalley from NetGalley.com to review.

Story (3/5): I have mixed feelings about this one. Some parts were a bit confusing; for example I didn't realize Sophie was Sparrow's aunt until well into the book; for some reason I thought she was Sparrow's stepmom at first. I also wasn't a huge fan of switching between Sparrow and Lucas's POV; they just seemed to be separate stories with separate issues the characters were facing and didn't merge together well.

Aside from those issues this was an emotional read about a young woman who's been programmed to accept abuse and her struggle back to life from a brutal attack. It's hard to read at points, but also feels a bit contrived. The ballet is more of a backdrop to the story than a really integral part of the story.

Characters (3/5): The characters were...okay. I again had mixed feelings about Sparrow...I get that her background played a part here but I was very frustrated with how she kept letting her boyfriend treat her and how she pushed her friends away. I get that she’s supposed to be “prey” but I really struggle with protagonists like her. I didn't like her but I think that's the point in the beginning of this book. I also thought Lucas came off as really immature at points and didn’t really enjoy him much as a character either.

Setting (3/5): The setting is contemporary. Brief portions of the story take place in a ballet studio which was interesting.

Writing Style (3/5): The writing style was readable with no big technical flaws. I didn’t enjoy the switching of POV and found some things confusing because they weren’t explained well. However, it was okay.

Summary (3/5): Overall this was okay but not great. I am always a sucker for ballerina stories for some reason. This is less of a story about ballet and more of a story about a teenage girl battling her demons and overcoming abusive relationships. If you are into that sort of thing you might like this, otherwise I would skip it.

***TRIGGER WARNING***
assault, death

If you've been here for awhile, you know my love for all things dance, especially ballet. I will read any dance book—good, bad, whatever. And this was just whatever. 

Savannah Rose—Sparrow— is a talented ballerina starring as Odette in Swan Lake with her best friend, Lucas. Soon she starts dating the popular boy, Tristan King, at school who thinks he can solve all his problems with money. After dating for awhile, things start to go wrong.  It's told in dual perspective: multiple chapters from Sparrow's point-of-view, followed by chapters from Lucas.

This is centered around two abusive relationships: Savannah's mother and her boyfriend Tristan. She had learned from her mother to keep quiet and obedient, that everything was her fault. She took those lessons into her relationship with Tristan. Lucas is constantly pushing Sparrow about her relationship knowing something is wrong, going so far as to confronting Tristan and getting into a fight. 

We know nothing about any of these characters when the book begins. There's one thing getting dropped right into the action, but it's another when I'm halfway through the book and I don't understand the backgrounds of any characters. for most of the book I thought the character of Sophie was Sparrow's stepmother, not her aunt.      

I had trouble believing Sparrow and Tristan's relationship. We get one scene of their first date, skips forward a month or two and he's already treating her like shit. Usually you see a character like that be very apologetic and show some sort of remorse, but this guy was just the worse, all the time. Then on the flip side, Lucas talks about being in love with Sparrow, but his actions don't reflect that whatsoever. 

The reason I gave this a 3-star, was because of the dance scenes and because it made me cry a lot. I also think Sparrow's trips to the therapist with her dad and aunt felt very realistic and optimistic.  

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

In this book we meet Sparrow who is friends with Delany and Lucas we follow her on her ballerina journey and as she discovers how her past changed her specifically her mother's involvement in her life and how it helps her accept she was abused.



As she doesn't see how Lucas feels about her as he copes with his father's death nor understand the warnings from her friends and family about Tristan her boyfriend, she's putting her stunning expected ballerina future in jeopardy, can she realise what she needs to do before it's too late?



I loved Sparrow being a broken Many bird who had to break and grow into a stronger beautiful girl rising above all the abuse and pain in her life. A challenging awakening novel about the dangers of hiding abuse.



Many thanks to the publisher's for allowing me to review this book for them!

Sparrow's life is all about school, friends, and ballet. This is until she gets hit by Tristan King's car and falls for him. Soon she finds herself in a controlling relationship.

Sparrow is a confronting, but very important tale of a young up-and-coming ballerina being abused and assaulted by her boyfriend. The tale is told in two perspectives- from Sparrow herself, and Lucas- her best friend who tries to stop her from getting hurt. This book deals with themes such as domestic violence, abuse, and a controlling relationship. I do not recommend this book for those who are extremely sensitive to such themes and events.

The boyfriend, Tristan King is gorgeous, dashing, and used to be a big bully to Sparrow and her friends. Sparrow thinks that he's changed over time, but none of her friends think so, and she is hellbent on proving them wrong. The speed of the development of this relationship went from 0 to 100 very fast, and was starting to worry her friends. Unfortunately, it turns out that not only is he a bully, he is also abusive and controlling. Yikes.

The way the book is written, Sparrow talks about events and brushes them off as they happened, as if she's too afraid to speak ill of what is happening. This is comparison to Lucas's perspective, where he describes the same events with a lot more detail. This is analogous to the characters themselves- Sparrow is quiet and withdrawn, whereas Lucas attempts to be loud and vocal.

In the book, as Tristan became more and more abusive and controlling, Sparrow tried her darnedest to not say anything and act like everything is fine, just like how her mother told her in the past when she was also abusive. This in hand breaks Lucas's heart, seeing that Sparrow has blocked him and Delaney (Sparrow's other best friend) out her life as Tristan sinks his claws into Sparrow.

I found that at times, events were out of order- where Sparrow would brush on something that has happened, often with little detail, and then the same event was described by Lucas later on in the book, instead of around the time Sparrow herself mentioned it. This lead me to be confused a bit at times, but Lucas as an insightful character clears things up as the novel went on.

I did however appreciate the way the author tackled this book in a way that felt raw and heartbreaking, especially given several circumstances within the book. It felt well researched and the events that conspire between Sparrow and Tristan feel as though that they could happen in real life- even if we don't ever wish that.

Overall, this Young Adult contemporary is a heartfelt, heartbreaking tale of a young lady who is just trying to learn to deal with the ghost of her mother haunting her, whilst trying to keep quiet from the abuse she cannot see (when others can and try to help but get turned away) for herself. Whilst the timeline of events can feel jagged at times, the themes within this book are well written and will pull on heartstrings of those who pick up this book. I recommend this book to anyone who has read I Hold Your Heart by Karen Gregory.

Rating: 4/5
(Review will be live on my blog on March 3!)

This book was REALLY intense (CW for depictions of child abuse and serious intimate partner/dating violence) I was drawn to it as a former ballet dancer, and I was pretty impressed with how well Jackson captured aspects of the ballet training of serious high school dancers, with only the occasional inaccuracy or implausibility. As a feminist sociologist who has done some reading on sexual violence and IPV, I felt like Jackson also captured some important aspects of IPV well, including how difficult it can be to get out of a dating violence situation, even when the partners don't live together, the danger of the escalation that can occur when someone tries to leave, and the fear and helplessness that loved ones experience when they want to help but feel like nothing works. That said, the depiction of the violence in this book is REALLY intense and graphic, so I would hesitate to recommend it to people if I wasn't sure of whether or not they had any history with such violence.