Member Reviews

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* different for a kids book i suppose, weirdly romantic at times but not bad, thought it would be more, adventurous tho i suppose

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Hi, I lost the eARC of this book so I won't be able to review this book. I hope you understand. I really wanted to read it but unfortunately my phone got formatted and I lost the copy.

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Since her father died, 12-year-old Paige has been taking care of the family farm. When her mother and grandfather threaten to sell the farm, Paige and her younger brother, Scotty, try to sabotage the sale of the farm and prove that she can take care of it. Meanwhile, an injured peacock shows up on the farm and Paige and Scotty begin nursing it back to health. Soon, the strain of everything begins to take its toll on Paige. Will she be able to save her family’s farm? A heartwarming story with a spunky, strong heroine, this is an engaging, delightful read. The plot is well-written and keeps a good pace to the story. Readers who like realistic fiction, strong heroines, and other books by Wendy Swore will enjoy reading this book.

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Beautiful book for children and teens. Even as an adult, I loved it and cried in parts. This book had a great message, I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a book about a spunky and determined 12 year old girl. I loved the setting of Southeastern Idaho and the wonderful supporting characters of Scotty, Mateo, and Kimana. This was a clean read, I'd rate it PG for themes of death and loss.

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I was not sure what to expect from this book, but what I found was beautiful., It was funny, it was sad, there was tension, there was hope, and there was love, I was so touched by this story, I laughed and I cried.

This book is a story of life. It is about loss, and healing, and rebirth, The peacock represents eternal life and rebirth. The metaphors are rich and the story is raw.

I love the friendships and the forgiveness offered,

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Great middle grade story! The storyline kept us captivated throughout the entire story. My children and I loved this story.

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I really wanted to like this book, but I found the pace to slow and it didn't keep me interested in the plot. Although I liked the style, there's something in the development that didn't work for me.

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This book was a miss for me. Whilst I felt for the main character and her family in their grief I didn’t feel like I was really invested in her. I found her to do some stupid things and some things that I found unbelievable from a 12year old. Granted not all 12 year old girls are the same and this might well happen.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

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This is a middle grade book about a family in financial difficulty. Their mother believes the only way to salvage their lives is to sell the family farm but when their father died, Paige made a promise to look after the farm and she can't understand how selling it could be the answer.

Overall, a positive story full of striving and realisation. Change doesn't always have to be a bad thing.

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If you think that this is a simple book, geared towards younger kids, you will be wrong. Yes, this is probably geared towards a younger audience, but it is a perfect read for adults as well. I was immediately caught up in Paige's story, and honestly, was kind of in awe of how much she knew how to do. I did not grow up on a farm, and I am extremely lacking in most of the skills she has mastered at 12 years of age.

My heart ached for her whole family, but especially for Paige. When her dad died, she came to the conclusion that it was completely her responsibility to keep the farm running and pretty much gave up the rest of her life to do so. I admired her grit, but just wanted to give her childhood back to her.

The storyline has a pretty heavy theme, but it's written in such a way that it's not too much of a downer - although in some parts tissues are highly recommended. I hope that I can get my kids to read this book, because it is such a great story.

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I requested and received an advanced reading copy of this book from NetGalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

The Wish and the Peacock is a story about Paige; Paige lives on a farm in Idaho and is doing everything she can to keep the farm running after the death of her father. This story does a great job of demonstrating the different ways we deal with grief. Mom pulls away from the family, Paige exhausts herself running the farm, Scotty learns as much as he can about anything and everything to keep him busy, and Grandpa helps where he can.

This book managed to make me cry a few times, I really felt the author did a great job of conveying the emotions the characters were feeling. I also laughed a few times when Paige, Scotty and Paige’s friends tried to execute their crazy attempts at saving the farm.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book and I would read it again.

#TheWishAndThePeacock #NetGalley

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There were some really great elements of this book and some not so great.

Swore did an excellent job talking in the voice of a 12-year-old. She captured the tone and wording very well. Her details about farming surpassed anything I've ever read. She knows farming well and conveyed it well in her book. I felt like I was on the farm with the family. I liked how she tied the peacock and the life lessons together.

On the other hand, I expected a fantasy book dealing with wishes brought by a peacock. It took a while for me to adjust. I thought the first part of the book moved rather slowly, too. Perhaps it's because I kept expecting more adventure and action.

But the main problems I had dealt how she handled the grief of the 12-year-old. The emotions were raw and genuine, which was good. But they were too much. Having had experience with children and grief, I know that children grieve vastly different than adults. They grieve in fits and spurts. Paige grieved more like an adult--always, always grieving.

In addition, I was bothered by the fact that none of the adults seemed to help her process her grief. She was alone. That's not realistic. A teacher or mentor would be there even if a parent/grandparent couldn't help.

If you can ignore aspects of the book, it was a fantastic book.

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What a fun book! I loved that the kids felt empowered enough to take matters into their own hands. A great motivator for anyone who reads this book. Perfect for the whole family.

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2.5 stars

This book was really cute and sweet. It is about Paige who is a twelve year old girl whose world is about to be turned upside down. Her family is losing their farm and she is doing everything to stop it.

My problems with this book stemmed from the writing style and character development. The pacing was so fast in the beginning and then it seemed like it dragged in the middle. 80% of what is talked about the synopsis happens in the first 20% of the book.
I also had a hard time believing the actions of the main character, Paige. While reading it, I thought that Paige was much younger, more like an 8 year old. The way she talks and how she thinks she is going to save the farm, she seems very immature and childish. But she is actually 12. I just don't think that 12 year olds would act the way that Paige did. I know that as a 12 year old, I understood a lot more than what Paige was comprehending. So that took me out of the story quite a bit.

Thank you Netgalley for the copy for review .

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Wonderful story about Idaho farm girl Paige, who struggles with the death of her dad. Paige feels she has to do everything possible to keep the farm going, but when her mom and granddad decide to sell, she is aghast and schemes to scare the real estate agent and potential buyers away. Not only that, but a mysterious reporter shows up looking for a peacock that Paige and her little brother Scotty have been caring for since it showed up on the farm. Paige finds that she has to juggle a lot at once - her chores. caring for the peacock, her schoolwork, caring for a friend's plant, struggling with her mom's seeming indifference to the farm. Trying to do everything herself becomes overwhelming, as Paige has a single-minded focus on not letting her dad down. She feels like her life is a puzzle where pieces have gone missing, but when she is able to get a wider perspective she arranges the pieces just right to save the farm.

Paige is a wonderfully complex character - part girl who plays childish pranks and part young woman who tackles the responsibility of maintaining the farm. Her maturing and the plan she comes up with to save the farm are a delight to read. Swore cleverly incorporates a lot of facts about peacocks through Paige's bookworm younger brother Scotty, who is also a delightful character. Paige's neighbors include Latino and Native American characters, and backmatter includes information about Idaho's Shoshone-Bannock tribe. Just a beautiful story!

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#TheWishAndThePeacock #NetGalley
My aunt used to own some peacocks, I have seen their tails fan out, they are beautiful birds.Because of those memories, I looked forward to reading this book. Paige and her brother Scotty, know what it's like to lose things. After the death of their father, they are scared to also lose the only home they have ever known, but not only their home, but the farm that has been in their family for over a hundred years. When a hurt peacock takes refuge on their farm, they feel it might just be the good luck charm, for their family. A book full of family, friendship, trust and learning from grief. I really enjoyed this book, The writing style is one that kept me reading. The author, Wendy Swore's, second book was ever bit as good as her last book A Monster Like Me.

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