This somewhat dark middle-grade fiction with imagery that is absolutely astounding, characters that develop WELL and themes that are intriguing along the way, is a book that will absolutely entice you to keep reading until the very ending.

I love how quick the read is, along with the themes that one starts to understand at a young/middle-grade age.

The timeline is very back and forth, and the ending is so abrupt that it left me wanting way more!
However, for an indie work, I did thoroughly enjoy it.

“Legends have to get their start somewhere.”

A truly beautiful read with whimsical prose and a strong message. Something I believe everyone should read!! However, I believe the story kinda felt repeatative at times and seemed to get dragged on a lot. I don't think it would've hurt the story if the book had say 50 pages less :)

I loved this story. Tim is such a wonderful little boy. He made a simple wish and it changed the course of his whole community. You felt all his emotions and wanted him to succeed. I will be reading more books by Brian Kindall. The writing is beautiful.

The universe has hiccups. Candela has been buried in snow and it is all Tim's fault. With a little hope, faith and help from the shadows, can Sparrow save them all?

I couldn't get past the first chapter. I found it pretty dull. Mostly my fault for requesting it although I wasn't particularly intrigued by the synopsis.

I received this is a Netgalley ebook arc from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I really don't like giving low star ratings, but this just did not hit the marks for me. The first chapter was good and I had high hopes for it to continue drawing me in. I completely lost interest halfway through.

Sparrow is a boy who is living with his anti-social uncle. One night, he makes a wish for snow. His wish comes true, but the snow doesn't stop. I originally thought this would be more magical than it was. There's less than a handful of tiny magical moments in the first half of the book.

Sparrow (or Tim) is very quiet and reserved, but he has very little inner dialog on top of that. He felt like a very distant character that the reader is observing from afar. I wish he'd have more of a voice.

The atmosphere was a little confusing for me, too. I originally imagined an almost historical town, but then certain wording would come up that just wouldn't fit with that. By the time I stopped reading, I just decided is was some combination like the towns in Howl's Moving Castle, which might have been what the author intended, but it just wasn't clear to me.

The whole plot point of the snow begins to feel like some back burning plot point while all these other things are coming into play: some family secret, where his mother is, and...

Why does he live in an attic? There's really no explanation for that. It explains that his uncle hit it big financially and the house is large, but it's just him and his uncle and Sparrow sleeps in the attic with no real heat? Why is singing such a thing for him? Why is his uncle so...distant and unfeeling? Why doesn't he believe Sparrow when he told him it was snowing? Were there no windows? Add on the lack of feeling his loneliness despite being told numerous times that he's feeling that way and I became a very detached reader.

For me, it just seemed like a bunch of pieces of a puzzle and they weren't fitting together at all. It didn't mesh.

What I enjoyed about Sparrow

Characters

The characters in this story were part of the reason I wanted to finish the story. I enjoyed the family relationships and how the characters interacted with each other. There were also supporting characters with interesting interactions that I wanted to read more about. Each character had a story, and this story was revealed as the novel progressed, which I loved, because, by the end of the novel, they answered all the questions I had.

Writing

The writing in this story was also well done. This is a story that was a mixture of fantasy and a family saga, so Kindall needed to divide the writing between both of these elements in the story. Sparrow was filled with light-hearted scenes, in which the writing was lighter in tone and a break from the heavy elements in the story. Heavy scenes make the reader feel for the characters and become curious about where the story is going to go. The writing was also one of my favorite elements in the story.

Enjoyment and recommend for

Despite not being a real hit for me, I still enjoyed reading this book. I enjoyed the characters, writing, plot elements that worked for me, and the family elements of the story. I recommend this for fans of Middle-Grade, especially Middle-Grade Fantasy.

What didn’t work for me?

Plot

Honestly, I didn’t think this book would be just an average book based on the way the story started. I was enjoying the story and became curious as to where the story was going to go. As the story moved, I was not as interested in the story as much, but I didn’t know if the book would get better. I believe those who don’t mind the combination of Fantasy and a Contemporary story will enjoy this more than I did.

Pacing

Some of the pacing in this story was just so slow. I was expecting some slow scenes because we needed to find out about the family, and some of the other elements in the story, but I had problems with how slow the story was in places.

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. I originally thought that this book was a picture book and was disappointed to find out that it was not but otherwise it was a great story. Well-written and a good fit for middle school-aged.

In a Nutshell: A pretty dark middle-grade fiction with brilliant imagery, well-developed characters, and intriguing themes. The ending left me a bit disappointed.

Story:
Timothy Sperling, fondly called ‘Sparrow’ by his mother, lives in the fictional town of Candela with his uncle “Morris the Morose”. His parents are away on some secret mission, and all he wants is for them to return. When he sees a shooting star, he tries to make this wish but knowing its futility, ends up wishing for snow instead. Never did he imagine that his wish would come true. Candela, which never sees snow, is now showered with snowflakes. This starts off as a delightful flurry but soon turns dangerous as the blizzard shows no signs of stopping. Timothy realises that it is all because of his wish. Will he able to take back his wish and undo the damage?

Where the book worked for me:
😍 I loved the writing style of the author. The prose is so lyrical that I could picture every scene in front of my eyes, though there were no illustrations. In fact, this would have made a wonderful graphic novel because every scene has a brilliant vividness to it. The imagery is the best part of the book.

😍 Sperling is a German/Jewish surname, meaning "sparrow" in English. The ‘sparrow’ motif is woven nicely into the story. Little Timothy Sperling is a sparrow in his name and his appearance, and he is also friends with sparrows and can understand some of their chirps as well. There is also an exotic variant of sparrow who have an important role to play in the story. Thus, though the title sounds simple and staid, it suits the book aptly.

😍 The use of language is impeccable. Every scene has the precise words. The author balances between two approaches: he uses tough words wherever necessary without trying to dumb them down for children, and he uses make-believe words at times, to show the ineptitude of the character in question. This second approach is somewhat risky, as children may not understand which words are genuine and which aren’t. But hey, Roald Dahl got away with it. And such words add a lot of fun to the story. To be perfectly honest with you, I don't know how this book will work for younger tweens as the language is quite difficult at times. But I treasured the array of vocabulary used and found it rich and apt and humorous, just as children's fiction should be.

😍 There are a lot of magical realism elements in the story, and these add a lot to the charm of the narrative. I enjoyed these fantastical flourishes. As in any good fantasy, the author offers no explanation for the magical elements, thus leaving kids to use their own rationale for the whats and the whys.

😍 The book makes a stark comment on several dire themes such as the endlessness of human greed, the misuse of nature, the disregard of the freedom and the lives of other natural creatures, the quickness to judge and so on. Some of the themes are quite dark for children’s fiction but they are written in a fair and thought-provoking way.

😍 It's a very quick read.


Where the book could have worked better for me:
😕 There is a lot of back and forth in the timeline. While I as an adult reader could reorient myself easily, it might not be so effortless for the younger target readers without a chronological reference provided.

😕 I disliked the ending; it was so abrupt and left me wanting more. While there is an epilogue, this gives a more holistic conclusion to the events rather than offer insight on what exactly happened to Timothy and the town of Candela. My rating dipped mainly because of the ending.


Overall, a very interesting and quite fulfilling experience. This might suit slightly older readers more because of its grim topic, but it is certainly worth a read for nature lovers, adventure lovers, dark history lovers, magical realism fans. For an indie work, it is fantastic and I wish the author great success.

4 stars from me.

My thanks to Diving Boy Books, Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), and NetGalley for the ARC of “Sparrow”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

We really liked this book but perhaps the style of the writing might be appreciated more by an older audience. The style is beautiful and carries the story along well. A story about love loss and climate change. We would recommend this.

I loved this book! SPARROW was completely engrossing from the beginning and it had such an unusual/magical/atmospheric tone. Beautifully written, it made me wish my kids were still young so I could read it out loud to them! This book gave so much food for thought about our connection to nature and to each other, without being heavy-handed. It is a book that would satisfy any age, young or old and in between. It's so reassuring to see classically written, evergreen children's books still being written - like The Secret Garden and Charlotte's Web. I will definitely be looking up this author's other middle-grade novels.

A wonderful adventure story about righting a wrong. Perfect for UKS2 and Year 7 independent readers. I really enjoyed the characterisation of the protagonist and the use of the flashback moments to explore how the family ended up in their muddle. Great for familiarising students with a non-linear narrative structure.

"His mother taught him the proper procedure for wishing upon a star".
. Timothy Sperling, had birdlike characterics, which gave him his nickname of Sparrow. Sparrow's parents went away and he was sent to live with his Uncle Morris. His uncle, who was a clothing designer,spent his days studying a painting, thus Sparrow did not receive a great deal of attention. Morris like, his nephew, had a birdlike characteristic,
Sparrow made a wish on a falling star, and he wished for snow, but it never snowed in Candela , and when it started, it snowed a lot. I loved the part where the townspeople were making "perfect"snow angels. At first the residents enjoyed the snow, but soon it was no longer fun. Sparrow takes a hero's journey with a "wise explorer"in order to understand what was was behind the storm.
Often with this type of novel, I wonder whether my review should be done through the eyes of a middle grade reader. I'm sure a child could not appreciate the lyrical writing done by this author. Sparrow was a round character and I enjoyed watching him grow, as a result this is a five star novel. I apprecite Brian Kindall, NetGalley, and the publisher for opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

Sparrow is the first book by Brian Kindall that I've read and it won't be the last! This captivating read is so beautifully and lyrically written. I loved how the author spun the settings within the story to make them seem so magical.
Timothy (Sparrow) lives with his uncle, a disgraced fashion designer, remotely and misses his mother deeply. His mother went on a boating expedition to look for a breed of Sparrow that was put to extinction by his uncle's work, and she never returned.
This book has some beautiful literature within it ideal for a class read and I enjoyed every second of it. The characters were quirky and likeable and I can't wait to discover more from this talented author.
.

I wanted to love this book, desperately wanted it to be everything I loved but I have really struggled to 'get into' it. I haven't found myself warming towards the characters at all and in my head the storyline is skipping around too much to keep up with. I will come back to it before the time is up and try again.

4 Stars

Timothy ‘Sparrow’ Sperling misses his mother. He knows what to wish on a shooting star but falters and ends up asking for snow. Candela hasn’t seen snow in a long, long time. The folks are excited until it doesn’t stop snowing. Candela is covered with snow, so much that people have dug snow tunnels to move around.
Timothy knows needs to do something to save Candela. His uncle, Morris is already deep in despair about what happened in the past. The townsfolk blame Morris even though they are equally to blame for the ‘disaster’.
Timothy finds help from an unexpected source, and of course, it’s his beloved sparrows and a mysterious girl that show him the light. But life doesn’t go as planned, and Timothy needs to be very brave to pull off the job. Can the little kid save Candela from neverending snow?
The book is classified as middle-grade fiction and fits right in. It’s slightly dark and heavy with a few lighter moments. This isn’t a book you read for enjoyment, though magic realism works its magic rather well.
Themes such as conserving nature, ornithology, human greed, and righting the wrong play a prominent role in the book. The prose dips in and out to suit the changing moods. The ending is a little abrupt, though there’s an epilogue to give enough information for readers to imagine the rest.
The cover is beautiful, but there are no other illustrations inside. I so wish there was one for every chapter. The imagery is vivid, and having a few illustrations on the side would have made a lot of difference.
To sum up, Sparrow is a bittersweet book with valuable lessons for kids. But it is heavier than regular middle-grade fiction.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and Diving Boy Books and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Brian Kindall`s Sparrow is so nicely written. The characters are interesting and the story is as the Sparrow says Momentous.

The story of Timothy ‘Sparrow’ Sperling, who is in the little city of Candela and is left behind to stay with his uncle, Morris ‘the Morose’ Wellbeck. Timothy`s parents go away to find a solution to prevent an environmental disaster. One day, Timothy makes a well-intentioned wish for snow on a shooting star, but this ends up being a never-ending blizzard [“As you well know, we have been besieged by a meteorological mishap, a climatological calamity, a barometric boondoggle of the most exaggerated enormity”] It is now up to him to ‘reverse’ the wish, and this has to be done of course with the help of his feathered friends and a wise friend of his uncle.

“sometimes, maybe, possibly, every so often, even beautiful things have a dark side.”

Sure, this story is about an adventure, a boy`s love for his mother, acts of kindness, beautiful settings, frozen flakes ❄❄❄, mountains of white snow. But more than anything else, Sparrow highlights and is about human being`s crimes against nature/climate/environment, realising their mistakes when it is almost too late and then trying to be a ‘hero’ to right the committed wrong [“We need to do something to right the wrong. We need to do our part to help cure Nature of her hiccups”].

[“They say our entire life flashes before our eyes when we’re about to die. How they know this is true is a mystery.”].

Such a dreamy, lyrical read!

Short chapters with the singsong sentences, this short book is such a fun read. At times poignant, at times nostalgic the story is just the perfect read for the coming spring season.

A little boy in search of a way on how to save the town that is covered with snow.

With his ability to connect with sparrows, Timothy tries his best to find the answer.

Such a beautiful and magical read.

Love the writing.

Thank you, IBPA for the advance reading copy. Kudos to the author!

Just three words to describe this book- hilarious, adorable and fun.
Middle grade books are such refreshing books and the way this story moved forward was so adorable, I had a smile through the book because he wishes for SNOW! and here comes a BLIZZARD!
I also love the art of the cover. Really appreciate the beauty.

Go read it if you're looking for a light and fun book to read.