This is a sweet and sometimes bittersweet coming of age story. I really liked listening to the audio.

Ricky Bird loves to make up stories for her little brother, Ollie. Ricky’s imagination helps her tune out the bad things going on in their life – their parents’ separation, a move to a new neighborhood, their mom’s new boyfriend, and the reason Ollie has to keep going to the hospital.

This was a heartbreaking novel, but I don’t think it deserves the comparisons to <i>The Curious Incendent</i> or <i>A Man Called Ove</i>. The book started a little slow to me, and I found it a little hard to follow as we drifted between reality and Ricky’s imagination. Ollie was definitely the bright spot of this story, and I wish we had seen more of him. Seeing the story only from Ricky’s perspective, I feel like we didn’t get closure to some of the issues that I would have liked to see.

Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me an audio ARC of this book.

Great audiobook, really enjoyed it.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me access this book in exchange for my honest feedback.

Great story about people and relationships. I was wrapped up in the characters from the beginning and loved how the audiobook narrator really brought the story to life.

This book will be beloved by readers everywhere.

The Improbable Life of Ricky Bird by Diane Connell is a coming of age story about Ricky, born Vicky, who is twelve and does not feel comfortable in her body. When her family moves from her family home and her brother becomes ill, Ricky's whole life is turned upside down. Ricky deals with the "normal" tween/teenage struggles while dealing with life changing events that are hard for her young mind and body to understand. With her mother focused on her brother, her dad focused on his new family, who will focus on Ricky and the struggles she is currently going through?

The Improbable Life Of Ricky Bird is heart-warming and heart wrenching. You will have all the emotions while reading about Ricky Bird. While some parts of the story are slow moving, I tend to really enjoy coming of age stories and this one was no different. There are many emotional parts but also some comedic breaks. I really enjoyed this story and devoured it in a few sittings.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Audio (Australia) for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars.

To be honest, I picked up this book because of the cover. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the book I had in mind. I was expecting something like Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, but this turned out to be a YA coming-of-age story instead.

Ricky Bird had to deal a lot of changes. Her mother moved her and her brother, Ollie, to a completely new place to follow her new boyfriend. Ricky wished she could have her father with them, but her wish didn’t come true. In addition to a new environment and new friends, she had to deal with growing up as well. Stories were her escapism, with Ollie as her main audience.

Not going to lie, the beginning of the book felt really slow to me, most likely because I wasn’t in the right mindset to read this kind of story. However, towards the end, I got engaged. In an unexpected turn, the story got darker and more bleak than your usual YA, and I appreciated it.

What happened to Ricky broke my heart, and even more so knowing that what she experienced could happen in real life too. Kids and young adults need a tether in their lives to know they belong somewhere and someone loves them. I didn’t hate the ending of the book, although I felt a few things were left a bit vague, such as Ricky’s feeling about being born in a wrong body - was it just because of her trauma, or was it something more?

At the end of the day, the book gave me a lot of intense feelings, so it did its job quite well!

Life is hard for Ricky Bird. So many questions and no one to really pay attention and listen. And what questions to ask as her world is falling apart and everything she knew has changed while she also questions who she really is. Rickys parents split up and both have found new partners and mostly checked out of her and her brothers lives, while she is left with more responsibility than any ‘tween should have to shoulder. It is only her vivid imagination and her new friend Jack that bring her solace and keep her somewhat sane. It’s a well crafted heartbreaking tale. Good narration added to the listening experience.

Wow… I really wasn’t ready for this one. Based on the descriptions, and the novels to which it was compared, I expected a heartwarming, light, and lovely jaunt through a suburban British landscape. What I got was a gut punch of emotions , and a roller coaster from which I almost jumped a few times.

The publisher description is misleading. This is not charming and I didn’t find it “heartbreakingly funny” - it’s not funny at all. This books deals with some very heavy, very disturbing topics and there should be trigger warnings. The traumatic illness and death of a child, the threat of violence against children, the constant talk of “pedophiles,” the drugging and rape of a minor, a child struggling with sexual identity and belonging … it was all almost too much.
What saves the novel is the supremely imaginative voice of the main character, and in this case, the voice actor narrating.

There were no “surprise twists” - the horrific facts were sprinkled along the way, leading the reader to the inevitable crash, but I chose to stay on the path because Ricky is amazing, and tragic, and so misunderstood. I screamed, I cried, I threw the phone … but kept going back. The ending didn’t excuse the facts, but left me with an admiration for Ricky’s resilience and hope that others stuck in similar situations will someday have a “happy ending.”

This is a book I selected from NetGalley purely for myself. Because “Man Called Ove” is one of my favorites, this choice was for “Amy the Reader,” not “Amy the Teacher.” The content means it can never be included in my classroom, but I would certainly recommend it to certain friends and book lovers.

A kind of modern day Harriet the Spy -- I really enjoyed this young character and was charmed and surprised by the way her nature did not accept the gloominess of her new environment. What an imagination! Narrator is superb.

Narrator 5 stars

Fantastic voice though the Aussie accent confused me at first as this book is set in the UK.

Story 4 stars

This book was very heavy with its subject matter. There was soo much going on but it was beautifully written.

First time trying this author, absolutely will be buying more books in the future.

The Improbable Life of Ricky Bird (Audiobook) by Diane Connell

Everything is changing in Ricky’s life; her parents are separated but mum now has a new boyfriend, Dan, and dad’s girlfriend is having a baby, and now they are moving to Camden. Ricky does not know anyone in Camden, she needs to make new friends and will start a new school after summer holidays. Soon after they move Ollie, Ricky’s little brother, becomes very sick and has to go to hospital for days on end. Ricky is left at home with Dan while her mum stays with Ollie in hospital. Ricky does not like Dan and keeps going out and getting into mischief.

After reading all the great review of this book I could not wait to get my hands on it but I was very disappointed. I did not enjoy this book very much at all. It was very long and boring at times too

I would like to thank Net Galley and Simon & Schuster Audio for a copy of this Audio book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book. I could identify with the main character as well as her mother. I was drawn in immediately and felt so connected to the Ricky that I cried a few times while reading the book. It was well written, well formed characters, the narrator was wonderful as well. It touched on a few issues that are very relevant to current times in a way that gives the reader a chance to understand what the characters are going through and have more sympathy for others who might be going through the same things in real life. I will be suggesting this title to many people.

To be fair, I’m giving this 3 stars until I can get through the book. I keep starting it and restarting it. The narrator is lovely, but for some reason I’m not listening at times when this keeps be involved. I will give it another go this week at work and update everyone!

Thank you NetGalley!

The story opens with Ricky, her mom and her beloved brother Ollie moving to a spotty apartment complex in Camden. Very different from her home in Britton.
With Ricky’s father living with his pregnant girlfriend, and her mother spending all her time in the hospital due to her little brothers mysterious illness, Ricky is left to navigate this new life alone. often waring with the neighbourhood bullies and her mothers new boyfriend. Rickey finds solace in the neighbourhood garden, writing classes and a new secret friend.

When the book begins I thought it was going to be a quirky light hearted story about a little girl navigating her parents separation. But it is so much more than that. It’s a story about grief, loss, abuse, about being a little kid and going through some very adult situations.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced audio book in exchange for an honest review.

DNF at 36%. Finally stopped after the 4th attempt of teen boys and grown ass men trying to sexually assault a 12 year old girl.

Ricky, her mother and younger brother Ollie move to a new apartment after her parents separate. Ricky is having a hard time with the change. Ollie is ill and the mother’s focus is on him, leaving Ricky with lots of unsupervised time.

I don’t see the connection to books like The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime or Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine.

Hannah Monson did a good job with the narration.

This was such a lovely, yet heart wrenching story - one that I think will stick with me for a while.

Thanks to #NetGalley and the publisher for early access to this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

A horribly heartbreaking read! I don’t really understand how this is compared to Eleanor Oliphant at all but I still enjoyed it. Honestly the first half of the book I almost DNF. I’m glad I didn’t though. The second half was amazing! Poor Ricky just had one bad thing after another. Watching it break her and the way she handled it with her writing was interesting. I did see the ending coming but it was well done.
Thanks for NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of the audiobook to review!

I’ll be honest: the books that this one is compared to in its blurb are the kind I could either love or hate, so I knew this one was a risk. But the good news is that I was a big fan of The Improbable Life of Ricky Bird (even if I’m really sick of books being titled like this).

For a while I didn’t know what to make or this book or Ricky as a character—she’s a prickly almost-13-year-old whose parents have just divorced, causing her to move with her mom and brother and mom’s sketchy boyfriend into a less desirable area of London.

I was afraid things might be too cutesy or whimsical, but that definitely isn’t the case. This book deals with plenty of heavy stuff (the kinds of things that require trigger warnings) with grace and in a way that feels appropriate for Ricky’s age. In particular, I think Ricky’s gender identity, which was never a plot point (apart from wanting to be called Ricky rather than Vicky) but just as part of her development was really lovely.

A very (bitter)sweet book! And one I’m glad I didn’t hate. 🙂

There are few books that make you want to stop everything to keep reading. Fewer still that make you resent anything and everything that takes you away from its pages. This is a beautifully-told story about a beautiful storyteller, and one that has rewritten my DNA in the way that only the best of books can.

From the first sentence, Ricky (née Vicky, 12-going-on-13) pulled me into her world. Her life begins with transitions - an unwanted move, a divorce, separation from her beloved father - while she herself is transitioning from childhood to adulthood. It's rare to find a voice that captures these transitions so authentically, but this is only a light dusting compared to the journey, and heart, that unfolds.

Diane Connell is an exquisite writer, and while the story goes quite deep, it's never once heavy-handed or eye-rolling. In fact, Ricky may be the most fully-realized pre-teen I've ever read, I loved her imagination. She made me laugh, and cry, and ache. I loved her. I loved this book. I am a fan.

What an absolutely wonderful book.

I decided to give this one a try, as I was looking for an audiobook I could listen to in the car, during my long drives each day to and from work. This one was a winner! It had me laughing, and crying along with little Ricky.

Ricky (Victoria) is a 12 (almost 13) year old girl. Her parents are going through a divorce, and Ricky is forced to move from her hometown Brixton to Camden with her Mum and little brother Ollie.

The story is told by Ricky, how she sees the world through her eyes. Ricky is loosing a father who she absolutely adores, and is completely heartbroken. She blames her mother for this and feels that if her Mum just treated to her Dad better they may still be together as a family.

Her little brother Ollie falls sick, and spends a lot of time in hospital have lots of tests done. Ricky does not know what is wrong with him, but makes her own assumptions, and her creativeness is adorable.

Due to her little brother Ollie's sickness, her Mother spends most of her time at the hospital caring for Ollie, Ricky is at home, on school holidays, she spends her mornings at the local community centre doing a creative writing class, and her afternoons are spent wondering around her unit block, or assisting in a garden. She is being cared for by Dan, her Mum's new partner whilst her Mum is at the hospital with Ricky.

Ricky is a bit of a tom boy, and refuses to grow up to be a "lady" in fact she changes her name to "Ricky" from Vicky or Victoria because she does not want to be known as a girl. She wants to be strong and brave like a boy.

Ricky is extremely smart and her creative mind is adorable, I enjoyed reading the book from Ricky's eyes on the world, she is an amazing young girl who I really admired her courage and strength whilst enjoying the book.

This unbiased review is from an audio copy provided by NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Australia.

5 Stars: It was amazing. It was compelling, well-researched, entertaining and/or moving and often complex. I will definitely want to read more books by this author.