Jessica (HDB)

Bittersweet. I think that one word suits Nest better than any other. This is a story that perfectly captures so many things about childhood, even the ones that we'd rather forget. For every sweet moment in this book, there's a bitter one to match. That is the way that Esther Ehrlich tells Chirp's story. With giggles, sighs, and tears. I'll be the first to admit that I cried more than once during this book, and rightly so. It wouldn't have felt proper to do otherwise.

Ehrlich takes us back to 1970's Cape Cod to tell Chirp's story. A time when The Brady Bunch was big, life was a little slower, and children roamed free after escaping from school. A place filled with adventure. I fell head over heels in love with this setting. It seemed the perfect way to show how innocent life was for Chirp. Filled up with long walks for birdwatching, dances in the rain, and a loving family. I giggled as Chirp and her sister Rachel bickered and made up, like all sisters do. As they shared secrets, and covered for one another. I even laughed out loud a few times at the things they said and did. I felt like this was a beautiful example of sisterhood. The good with the bad, all of it wrapped up in family love.

At first, I honestly believed that this book would just be a light story about Chirp and her family. She was so sweet, and funny, I could have followed her on many an adventure. I can't decide if it's a good or bad thing that I didn't read the synopsis before starting this, because I wasn't prepared for the things that came next. When Chirp's mother, who was so full of life, was diagnosed with a crippling disease. When her family slowly started to unravel and that little ball of light that I had so fallen in love with was thrown into a world filled with uncertainty.  Suddenly I was reading a story about disease, and depression, that was still so gorgeously written that I couldn't look away. I wanted to shield Chirp from the pain, but Ehrlich knows her audience. She knows they can take it. So could I.

I wish I could just put a copy of Nest into the hands of everyone out there. I really do. I know I sound like a broken record, but there are so many beautiful things about this Middle Grade book that extend far beyond the age group it's marketed to. This is a story about growing up, about dealing with loss, even about making a difference in the life of someone else. It's a story that is so perfectly bittersweet, that I can't help but get slightly misty eyed as I write this review. I put my stamp of highest approval on this book, friends. It's well worth your time, I promise.