manorclassics's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I have really mixed feelings about this one. Of the 3 "birder" mystery series I've read so far, it has the best plot, and the birdwatching part was great. What dragged it down for me was the take on mental health, both adult mental health and adolescent mental health. Bob White is a school counsellor with training in psychology, but his sarcastic humour really doesn't sit well when he's directing it at his students and there were one or two scenes that were insensitive to the point of mocking. Perhaps I took it too seriously but I noticed some other reviewers had similar concerns. It looks like he continues in his job and that does put me off from continuing with the series.
hcon11's review
2.0
Alright, I read this book mainly because it was about birds and set in Minnesota, and someone else pointed me towards it. The bird-ness and Minnesota-ness were entertaining enough, but I was not a big fan of the the writing.
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