A Bird in the Air Means We Can Still Breathe by Mahogany L. Browne is a powerful and evocative poetry collection that captures the beauty and struggle of navigating life’s challenges. Browne’s lyrical prose speaks to resilience, identity, and the fight for justice, making this a thought-provoking and deeply emotional read. A stirring collection that resonates with readers on a profound level.

While I'm rating this title five stars, it was an incredibly tough read, and anyone with wounds still raw from the Covid-19 pandemic should take caution and care of themselves while engaging with this book. Told through the perspective of multiple teens in New York City, and incorporating prose, verse, and epistolary writing, A Bird in the Air Means We Can Still Breathe was a beautiful, short examination into the heavy emotions and trauma experienced by teens during the 2020 pandemic. The stories were poignant and gorgeous, and I had to put the book down at multiple points to try to keep from crying. Tears did fall, though. I absolutely believe this has the potential to be a classroom's assigned reading in a few years, and encourage both teens and educators to give this title a chance, even if it may re-open wounds not yet healed.

A Bird in the air means we can still breathe is a beautifully written narrative told in poetry, prose and dialogue. Taking place in the heart of New York during the early days of the COVID pandemic. The teens, their families, and their neighborhoods face many challenges during the pandemic, they find optimism, strength, unity and hope. Difficulty with school, broken hearts, blended families and addiction are some of the problems that these people faced during the pandemic. Highly recommend for all readers.

Wow, what an amazing and timely narrative centered around the COVID 19 pandemic and its effect on the people of a section of NY. This is told through poetry (with multiple voices and a chorus), prose, and dialogue, as in a play. I loved the way the Island girls talked to one another in their dialect and how Pops rhythmically spins a tale while preparing people's orders. Recurring characters are mentioned again, first loves and broken hearts and school difficulty are all dealt with as well as addiction, blended families and prison time. This was beautifully written, and took me back to the early days of the pandemic and the concern over vaccines, as well as isolation and contamination. I think this has been the best description of life during the pandemic that I've read so far. I highly recommend for all YA and adult readers.

In the heart of New York City, the pandemic has cast a heavy shadow over teens, their families, and their neighborhoods. Yet, amid the uncertainty and hardship, these young individuals and their loved ones push forward with resilience and optimism, finding strength in their connections as they face adversity. This is a nice read for fans of short prose, although it may be hard for most to connect with the plot and the characters.