Reviews

Catherine, Called Birdy by Karen Cushman

spiderelsa's review against another edition

4.5

Book Club Read. I picked this up because Rhiannon talked well of it for years. Dry but insightful. Cutting but observant, and ultimately a product of the setting and times timeless. 

torihoo's review against another edition

2.0

I just couldn't really get into it. I'm not the biggest fan of historical fiction in general, and this just never got interesting enough for me to love it.

lilreaderbug's review against another edition

Funny but became repetitive.

sanfordc11's review against another edition

adventurous lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

jess_reads1000's review against another edition

emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

erine's review against another edition

5.0

Catherine is only twelve or thirteen, and is now considered eligible for marriage by her father. Her diary records her tribulations as she meets (and rejects) various suitors, deals with her family, and tries to figure out who she is.

I love the historical details in this story. No doubt Catherine is an unusual girl for the middle ages, but she is endearingly flawed and stubborn, and a strong female role model (when taken in context).

tangodiva's review against another edition

2.0

This took way too long to read and I didn't feel it manifested itself till the last quarter. I didn't like it as much as The Midwife's Apprentice.

I will try some of Cushman's other works, though.

autumn_sunfire's review against another edition

Reread this for the first time in a few years. Rather wholesome, despite the protagonist's irreverent attitude and constant punctuations of blasphemy. Undeniably funny and bluntly human. Not without its deeper moments. To be read with a discerning eye, but rewarding in terms of character growth.

[Note from the V.A.B. author side: I suspect, oddly, that Birdy provided some subconscious pointers for writing Sandy]

kirstenrose22's review against another edition

5.0

Another book with a stellar narrative voice. Not everybody in Ye Olden Dayes was meek and mild, and it's nice to have a fun depiction of that!

oleanderbat's review against another edition

emotional funny informative lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0