**HAPPY DANCE** MACMILLAN HAS REMOVED THE EBOOK EMBARGO! That means that my boycott of Macmillan is officially over!

Title: Sparrow
Author: Mary Cecilia Jackson
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
Publisher: Tor Teen an imprint of Macmillan
Publication: March 17th, 2020
Read: March 2020
Format: Print
Pages: 368
Rating: 4 Caffeinated Stars
Trigger Warnings: Domestic Violence, Abuse

Goodreads Summary:

In the tradition of Laurie Halse Anderson’s Speak, a devastating but hopeful YA debut about a ballerina who finds the courage to confront the abuse that haunts her past and threatens her future.

There are two kinds of people on the planet. Hunters and prey
I thought I would be safe after my mother died. I thought I could stop searching for new places to hide. But you can’t escape what you are, what you’ve always been.
My name is Savannah Darcy Rose.
And I am still prey.

Though Savannah Rose―Sparrow to her friends and family―is a gifted ballerina, her real talent is keeping secrets. Schooled in silence by her long-dead mother, Sparrow has always believed that her lifelong creed―“I’m not the kind of girl who tells”―will make her just like everyone else: Normal. Happy. Safe. But in the aftermath of a brutal assault by her seemingly perfect boyfriend Tristan, Sparrow must finally find the courage to confront the ghosts of her past, or lose herself forever.

My Thoughts:

Sparrow by Mary Cecilia Jackson will stick with you. It’s poignant, well written, and engaging. This book was nothing that I expected but something that may hit home. This book deals with some extremely serious events, so be warned and ready to have that discussion with your child if/when they pick this book up.

When I first started the book, I fell in love with the characters. Both Sparrow & Lucas’ points of view were interesting to read. Their personalities were deeply flawed, and I liked that. I also enjoyed watching their friendships change and grow into themselves. At times all I wanted to do was wrap them both in my arms and tell them that everything would be okay.

The plot was fast-paced, engaging, and anxiety-inducing. At multiple times I had to put the book down and find something happier to engage in. The violence in this book will hit you in all the wrong places. It doesn’t sugarcoat the abuse, and it was a hard read to get through. My one complaint is that I didn’t feel like I got closure on some aspects of this book. I desperately wanted more than one sentence in terms of closure.

All in all, this book is a hard-hitting book that will stick with you after you read it. I enjoyed it, but I have to be honest and say that I will not reread it.

Want to give this book a shot? Here are the buy links!

Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Libro.FM, Goodreads