Wild Bird by Wendelin Van Draanen
Wren hates her life. Her parents are constantly disappointed in her, her sister mostly ignores her, and anytime she is with her family she’s fighting with them. Her escape is drugs, they take the pain away. She usually gets them from Meadow, her only “friend.” When Wren’s parents are fed up they send her to a therapy survival camp or, as she calls it, a desert prison. In this fascinating page-turner, Wren comes to terms with what she’s done and embarks on a path of redemption.
I LOVED this book. I was constantly rooting for Wren and enjoyed following along her emotional journey. The author puts so much emotion into the story that I can’t help but feel for her. I think all of us have felt disappointed in ourselves at one point, and that’s why Wren is such a relatable character. I loved how her path to recovery wasn’t easy or perfect. There were times where she just didn’t want to get better. It wasn’t like typical books I’ve read where they are terrible people one minute and suddenly a new person the next. Her recovery was slow, painful, and she made mistakes throughout her journey. The story is so pure and raw that I couldn’t put it down. I applaud the author for writing someone so real. I enjoyed the element of nature and storytelling in the book. Not only was the book emotional, but it was also fun and entertaining too.
As a whole, this is a great book that should be on the Lone Star List that everyone should read. It takes you through the difficult journey of recovery and shows that it’s not impossible to get better. –Mansi Madaik (Murphy Middle School Student)
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