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laurenwhiteley22's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
3.0
littlemissbooklover's review against another edition
5.0
I am a huge fan of this author’s previous book. It is absolutely superb and as a result this has been one of my most anticipated books of the year.
This is another absolutely beautiful and addictive read which has pulled me in from the very beginning. I have been completely unwilling to return to reality until I finished this masterpiece.
This is thought provoking and eye opening. Lefteri really embraces the reader and makes us understand refugees and the harrowing events they face in the quest to find safety.
This is a beautifully well-written novel and I am a huge fan of this author. I openly admit to writing this review with tears streaming down my cheeks from this wonderful read.
This is a novel I feel should be a strong contender for GCSE texts. Especially as there are real life issues tackled.
A definite five star read which must be on the TBR.
This is another absolutely beautiful and addictive read which has pulled me in from the very beginning. I have been completely unwilling to return to reality until I finished this masterpiece.
This is thought provoking and eye opening. Lefteri really embraces the reader and makes us understand refugees and the harrowing events they face in the quest to find safety.
This is a beautifully well-written novel and I am a huge fan of this author. I openly admit to writing this review with tears streaming down my cheeks from this wonderful read.
This is a novel I feel should be a strong contender for GCSE texts. Especially as there are real life issues tackled.
A definite five star read which must be on the TBR.
magenta_silk's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
fyttikatta's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
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
4.0
thebookcollectress's review against another edition
emotional
sad
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
3.5
as00551's review against another edition
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Beautifully written story influenced by incredibly sad events that have occurred in Cyprus in recent years.
iekanayake's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
femisandwich's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
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
4.0
yvo_about_books's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
3.25
Finished reading: July 28th 2024
"Children search in our eyes to discover the world. When they see happiness or joy or love there, then they know that these things exist."
I really enjoyed The Beekeeper Of Aleppo back when I read it in 2021, and after I saw Nicki mention Songbirds I decided to add it to my 20 Books Of Summer TBR. I loved the sound of the Cyprus setting and the disappearance of the maid had me intrigued... The resulting story didn't quite hit the mark like my first experience with her work though. Songbirds is by no means a bad read and I can see why others love it, but there were a couple things that prevented me from fully enjoying it. I did love the many descriptions of the setting; it really made the island come alive and made me wish I could visit myself. The story also briefly travels to Sri Lanka in the form of Nisha's memories, which was a bonus... I also liked how the story shines a light on the issues foreigners have to deal with, and how the story of the missing maids was based on facts. BUT. The story also had a considerably slow pace and nothing much was happening to solve Nisha's disappearance for most of the book. I felt a bit disappointed that instead there was a LOT of focus on the songbird poaching including detailed descriptions of the animal cruelty involved. The scenes at the red lake with the hare were likewise a distraction and not exactly pleasant to read... Especially since it seemingly has nothing to do with the plot. I liked the dual POV, switching between Petra and Yiannis to help learn more about Nisha. Nisha's diary likewise gave some insight... But the fact that neither makes much effort to find Nisha makes you wonder if they really cared about her after all. The ending was both rushed and lackluster, and it felt more like an afterthought rather than a satisfying conclusion to Nisha's disappearance. If you want to try one of her books, I would definitely suggest picking up The Beekeeper Of Aleppo first.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cancer, Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
kerry2727's review against another edition
4.0
This is unlike any other book I have read and I loved the way the story is told. To find out at the end that what happened (I won’t spoil it) was based on a true story is super sad! This tells the story of Nisha who leaves her child in Sri Lanka to work as a nanny in Cyprus to send money back, but one day she goes missing but those who know her know that she would never leave the family without an explanation. As they try to find her, they discover so many things they didn’t know about Nisha and what she had been through - this isn’t your typical missing person story though where it’s all mystery and suspense at all!