MF - Sparrow by Mary Cecilia Jackson

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Blurb

In the tradition of Laurie Halse Anderson’s Speak, Mary Cecilia Jackson's devastating but hopeful YA debut is about a ballerina who finds the courage to confront the abuse that haunts her past and threatens her future.

There are two kinds of people on the planet. Hunters and prey
I thought I would be safe after my mother died. I thought I could stop searching for new places to hide. But you can’t escape what you are, what you’ve always been.
My name is Savannah Darcy Rose.
And I am still prey.

Though Savannah Rose—“Sparrow” to her friends and family—is a gifted ballerina, her real talent is keeping secrets. Schooled in silence by her long-dead mother, Sparrow has always believed that her lifelong creed—“I’m not the kind of girl who tells”—will make her just like everyone else: Normal. Happy. Safe.

But in the aftermath of a brutal assault by her seemingly perfect boyfriend Tristan, Sparrow must finally find the courage to confront the ghosts of her past, or lose herself forever….

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Review 
My Rating - 5 Stars!


Sparrow is a phenomenal coming of age story. Damn, this Mary Cecilia Jackson  book is so much more than I could have ever expected. 

This is a serious and complex tale. The topics are heavy, including abuse, both physical and emotional. It's a story of the inability to stop someone from being in an abusive relationship. And then...then it gets heavy. 

This is a story of internal demons, some that have been around for a lifetime. It's a story that includes the death of a parent, in an amazing manner. 
And it's a story of rage, hopeless, and ultimately hope. 

Told in first person povs, alternating between Sparrow and Lucas, this is a story of life. The good, the bad, the highs and the lows. It's a tale of friendship and healing. 

The writing is fantastic, impressive for a first time novelist. The writing is detailed, fluid, and almost lyrical at times. It covers a lot of events, skipping over a lot at times, which bothered me a little at first. But, as the story progresses, it's clear why the author does things this way, and what the true heart of the story is.

The author covers many very serious topics, all with care and compassion, including an abusive boyfriend, which is damn tough to read. 

The author uses alternating point of views, choosing to repeat events, showing them from different perspectives. A normal practice, this one seems a little weird at times, as the author rewinds when starting from the new point of view, rather than just showing different events from each character. But it works none-the-less.

Sparrow is thought-provoking, impressive, and seriously tough to handle at times. This Mary Cecilia Jackson is well worth a read when you're looking for a serious young adult book.