Blue Aviary takes place in the Catskills and follows the Bowden family. The story focuses on main character, daughter Sydney, dysfunctional family life, PTSD, and death. I felt the references to Sydney's physical development was not necessary. There is a graphic scene of her assault that was disturbing. Overall, I did not find the characters likeable, nor writing engaging. Thank you, Netgalley, for the opportunity to review this ARC in exchange for an honest review. 2 Stars

I have lost interest in reading this book. I am sorry for any inconveniences since I did take a spot from someone who may have read the story and/or who could have gotten around to reading it before it was archived.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of the book for my review.

The story takes place in Temple Hill in the Catskills Mountains of NY. The main family is Ben Bowden (AKA Beep) and Angela, mother, with two kids Zach and Sydney who tells the story. Sydney throughout the story draws events in her life, pictures of people she wants to remember. She keeps a diary of interesting words.

The family is relatable with good days and bad working a farm with Pigeons, and chickens and a rooster, Cowboy. All animals are named. The parents are accommodating each other and Angela works in Geneva as well as other far locations and leaves in a limo many times for work.

The story changes with a single mother Emily Lipton and her unruly son Jason comes to live nearby. Jason harasses, fights with Zach,, threatens Beep, attacks Sydney.

The story turns and family life becomes dysfunctional and mental instability surrounds Beep, from being in viet nam. Then there is a traumatic death but who is to blame.

I liked the story, I didn’t like the breast reference of a young girl or assault it added nothing.
I also thought there were too many references to the animals feeding and releasing over and over again..

This was just a no for me.

Why do authors feel the need to write underage characters in a way that makes readers feel like they are present for moments that are private, like nudity and such.

While this had an okay writing style most of the time, I did not enjoy the book as a whole.

The premise sounded really promising but I didn’t always enjoy the writing style. At times it could be beautiful while other times it felt over to top with its descriptions (but that’s a personal thing for me-I’m not big on descriptive literary type books). What made me DNF though was the depictions of Sydney. This is written through the perspective of her as she goes from age 9 to 16 (if I remember correctly), making her a minor. So why is this author writing about her breasts?! It’s giving typical men writing women and for that I DNFd. It’s highly inappropriate and disturbing and does nothing to add to the plot

Thank you to NetGalley and BQB Publishing for allowing me an e-ARC of this novel in exchange for honest review!

I have to say it’s been a struggle to read male authors recently and Blue Aviary by Richard Quinn was not an exception. Shown through the lense of a nine to sixteen year old girl, Blue Aviary does a stellar job of showing what a quaint American life was like in the early 2000’s. The main character Sydney has a knack for telling stories and this entire novel is hers. It’s follows her troubles at home with a barely there mother and PTSD ridden father and her finding her way through girlhood.

I had issues with Quinn’s portrayal of Sydney. I find it always unnecessary to write of nudity in the point of view of minors and this was no exception. There were multiple instances of talk of Sydney’s growing breast that were wholly unnecessary and icky. The same goes for a needless sexual assault scene on Sydney. Her view on sex is barely there and does nothing for the plot and her character other than make her fear her attacker. All this coming from a male author seems very tone deaf as well.

Despite the pretty writing and nice setting I couldn’t get past the parts that made me uncomfortable.

I rated this book 1 out of 5 stars ⭐️

Blue Aviary
by Richard L Quinn
beautifully written story where family is extremely important and dysfunction are unsuspectedly rampant.

Richard Quinn welcomes his readers with a warm portrait of southwest New York State's majestic landscape, which is home to Ben Bowden, his wife Angela, and their two children. The Bowden family is likable, imperfect, and relatable. Their story is a personal and poignant tale told through the eyes and narrative of young daughter Sydney whose storytelling allows readers confidante-level access to seemingly ordinary lives nestled deep within the woodlands of the Catskill Mountains watershed.

When a single mother and her troubled son move in and upend their quiet community, the Bowden clan's outwardly idyllic existence slowly finds itself facing hurdles. Surfacing family dysfunction, mental instability, bullying, harassment, sexual assault, and a traumatic death all threaten the preservation of life and family security as they know it. Their efforts to regain a sense of normalcy shed light on both their resourcefulness and limited life experience in this coming-of-age tour de force.


WOW. Richard L Quinn nailed a book in a brilliantly, beautiful way. The Bowden family is told by their young daughter Sydney. Living before and after in the Catskill Mountains. God, their family was a beautiful, caring family, until the heartbreak of a single mom and a very evil, troubled son arrive. Life becomes broken forever after the boy begins to target Boden's very life both mentally and physically. This becomes where the family will never go back to the life of "family". I cried for all the what ifs, I cursed and just know this book is one which will stay with me. What evil can do to break so many in waves? Brilliant, This writer will paint a picture and it is one of so much good, bad and evil.