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Das Feuerrote Kleid (2005)

by Martine Murray(Favorite Author)

3.63 of 5 Votes: 4

ISBN

3499213486 (ISBN13: 9783499213489)

languge

English

genre

Romance

publisher

Rowohlt-Taschenbuch-Verl

review 1: I’ll start this review by letting you know that there isn’t a way to write it without giving away some of the story. I’ll do my best to avoid as much as I can but if you are interested in getting the full emotional experience (and you should be) then I would say skipping down to the last paragraph of this review will assure that you do so as spoiler free as possible.How to Make a Bird is a beautifully written but tragic story of how one girl wades through family dysfunction as she attempts to deal with a variety of unimaginable circumstances. The story showcases Mannie as she takes an emotional journey through her past and present to find much needed acceptance of her mother’s mental instability and then her brother’s surprising death. Though this journey is o... morene primarily of self-discovery she also has a number of realizations about the role both her family and various friends play in events as well.What a fantastic voyage it was, well for the reader anyway. It wasn’t periphery, no no, it jumped right into the sorrowful heart of the matter, directly from the jump. I knew immediately that Mannie was dealing with a great deal of emotional turmoil but the question really was why. Enter Murray’s phenomenal writing. She did an excellent job of both showing and telling Mannie’s story. The true depth of emotion was endless but was laid out in small pieces. I enjoyed putting piece of the puzzle together until finally the full picture was revealed. A picture, not of a strong and happy family, but rather one of parents leading separate lives together and children who were vying for any moments of normalcy they could find. Ultimately events that end in tragic circumstances.Mannie’s endurance was no small feat. How she chose to deal with her losses (running away temporarily) showed both courage and weakness. I liked that it was a realistic portrayal of how she wanted to escape everything at home but yet ran to where she would find answers to why things went so wrong. She was looking for a way to come to terms with everything even though she may not have known it at the outset. What was amazing is how the two worked together to allow her to come to a place in her life where she felt she could adapt both to her surroundings and the new circumstances in which she was living her life.I enjoyed that this book was built to be an experience. The way Murray’s writing fills the pages had me on a roller-coaster of emotion. As a main character Mannie was as dynamic as a girl can get. By all outward appearances she is a young girl who is reserved and cautious, but internally she is screaming for freedom. Freedom from the weight of her mother’s preference for her brother, from the weight of the love she holds for her brother’s best friend (and their neighbor) Harry, and freedom ultimately from the tragedies that befall her family.Speaking of Harry, the romantic element of the story was a small but profound part of the book. It was used to demonstrate how a young girl can be on the cusp of an all encompassing love affair and then have it snatched away by an event that is so utterly out of both parties control. Throughout the story I found myself rooting not just for Mannie but for she and Harry to find a way to be together despite the emotional devastation and guilt between them.How to Make a Bird is a strongly plotted story with deep character development. One that focuses on a variety of intense issues that teens could face. It is a well written and compelling read good for adults and teens both.
review 2: Early one morning, 17 year-old Mannie Clarkeson leaves home for good on her bicycle wearing her mother’s red evening gown. As she embarks on her journey, we discover bit-by-bit through flashback scenes why she left. This beginning and the title hooked me immediately. Mannie’s mother is mentally unstable, her father kind and protective to a fault, her brother the center of attention, and Harry, his friend, different from the other young men. Then one night, an event shatters all their lives and Mannie must learn to face the truth and appreciate what she has, after mourning what she’s lost.Author Martine Murray has a way of writing that draws in the reader in this coming-of-age story. It is introspective, brutally honest and lyrical. Manny is a quirky vulnerable girl. Seeing the world through her eyes is intriguing and reminded me of my teen years. I ached for this teenager who had to contend with great losses in her life. I liked the role the grandparents played in her life and that Mannie recognized the goodness in the people close to her that she failed to see initially when she focused on their faults as she struggled with emotional pain. This was a big mature step for a girl who grew up without much guidance.As much as I liked being in the character’s head because of my psychology background, I cannot recommend it as a clean read. Apart from the profanity and some vulgar words, it has a scene with an exhibitionist that is explicit, several references to sexual situations, and a scene that involves drugs. It’s unknown if Mannie had sex with Harry but it is alluded. As a parent and an adult I appreciated this novel as it clearly demonstrated that a lack of communication, outward display of love and affection, and moral guidance could leave a child lost and hurting. But I question why novels today that are targeted at our youth (12 and up) contain such explicit elements. I understand the aspect of realism but my concern is for the impressionistic and beautiful minds of our youth. less

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