The Aviary

Oct 28, 2011 April rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: cybils, middle-grade, fantasy, library, highly-recommended, historical-fiction, own

Friends, I’m about to push a new book on you. One of the best books I’ve read in 2011 is The Aviary by Kathleen O’Dell. The Aviary is a quiet middle grade novel with a touch of Anne Of Green Gables crossed with The Secret Garden as an influence. It’s historical fantasy with a gothic feel, a book that DEMANDS you get sucked within it’s pages. Plus, that cover just holds your eye and doesn’t let go with the gorgeous green and the black and the birds, with the old school feel. Clearly, O’Dell was b...more

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Dec 15, 2011 Wendy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-award-possibilities

I might have rated this five stars if I'd read it as a kid. It shares things in common, thematically and in setting and somewhat in plot, with many favorite books--The Diamond in the Window, and The Secret of the Strawbridge Place, and Time at the Top, and The House with the Clock in its Walls, and oh, any book with kids in a big old house, even Gone-Away Lake, especially those with elements of fantasy. But thinking of all these masterpieces of children's literature serves only to put this book'...more I might have rated this five stars if I'd read it as a kid. It shares things in common, thematically and in setting and somewhat in plot, with many favorite books--The Diamond in the Window, and The Secret of the Strawbridge Place, and Time at the Top, and The House with the Clock in its Walls, and oh, any book with kids in a big old house, even Gone-Away Lake, especially those with elements of fantasy. But thinking of all these masterpieces of children's literature serves only to put this book's weaknesses on display: a less-than-convincing voice and overlong narrative. Once I realized what was going on here, the book started to drag. The climax and ending reminded me of the movies Speed and The Fugitive: you think it is over, but then there is just more movie before it ends again. There's a great deal of bumbling around and "if it weren't for those dumb kids" stuff. A couple of subplots could have been done away with entirely. My edition had, I think, 337 pages, not the 200+ listed in the description.

As for that unconvincing voice: the protagonist is a girl who has never met any other children, raised in a household consisting of her mother, a middle-aged cook, and an elderly lady. I get that. I understand her speech would be weird and formal. But somehow it just did not feel real to me; SHE did not feel real, to the extent that halfway through the book I read a reference to "Clara" and thought "wait, who is Clara?". Clara is the name of the protagonist.

Speaking of her never meeting any other children: for a book with a lot of discussion about who is wack, I did not feel it adequately addressed the fact that her mother is totally crazy for telling her she has a heart condition and keeping her locked in the house with brief visits to the yard only. That is certifiable and also child abuse. Even worse than, say, Colin in The Secret Garden. It edges toward Flowers in the Attic territory.

Also, while I normally complain about historical fiction of this day and age being way too over-the-top with historical references in order to create a You Are There atmosphere, I thought this one might have gone too far the other direction. There wasn't a whole lot to convince me it was really happening in the... what, late 1800s? Early 1900s? Right in there.(less)

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Apr 05, 2013 Esmeralda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Clara Dooley has lived her whole life in the decrepit Glendoveer mansion, where her mother is the care-taker of the elderly Mrs Glendoveer. Clara's mother keeps her hidden away from the outside world, claiming that Clara's health is fragile. At 12, Clara has come to an age where she wants to test her boundaries - and just such an opportunity arrives when her elderly patron passes away, a new girl moves into the neighborhood, and the birds in the aviary begin to speak to her. With her new friend,...more

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Feb 12, 2013 Sara rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, current-fiction, kids, library-book

Together always to the last,
Our love shall hold each other fast.
Delivered from the frost and foam,
None shall fly 'til all come home.

Clara lives in a decrepit old building with her mother, their housekeeper, and the owner, Mrs. Glendoveer. The house is old and falling apart, and Clara is forbidden from going outside. She is lonesome and is becoming restless. In the back of the house, there is an aviary that holds five birds that have lived longer than their normal lifespans. These birds squawk an...more

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Dec 10, 2012 Cleo rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. "Twelve-year-old Clara Dooley has spent her whole life in the Glendoveer mansion, where her mother is a servant to the kind and elderly matron of the house. Clara has never known another home. In fact, she's confined to the grand estate due to a mysterious heart condition. But it's a comfortable life, and if it weren't for the creepy squawking birds in the aviary out back, a completely peaceful one too. But once old Mrs. Glendoveer passes away, Clara comes to learn many dark secrets about the fa...more

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Jun 24, 2012 Pamela marked it as abandoned

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May 30, 2012 Mordi rated it 4 of 5 stars

In "The Aviary" our protagonist is Clara Dooley. Clara has lived the whole of her life in the Glendover mansion.With her mother and The housekeeper Ruby taking care of old Mrs Glendover. but Claras monastic existence is sent to shreds when a storm hits her town and the soul of Mrs Glendoveer departs. but with her departure the old birds in the yard start to talk first with the Mynah shrieking Elliot then another speaking in Latin. what is with the birds? who was Elliot? Clara cannot find out the...more

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Mar 21, 2012 Alex rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: NOBODY

I didn't like this book AT ALL! It sounded good when I read the blurb, but once I got started it just went down hill. I was rather surprised when I saw how many good reviews this book has on Amazon.com because it isn't that good. I expected it to be a lot more creepy and tense then it was, it was a let down. Also, it seems like the author thought "Oops, this is supposed to be historical fiction, lets make them say 'Thou', 'Hearsay', and call everyone 'Dear' and that will make it sound authentic!...more

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Mar 18, 2012 Karen Yingling rated it 2 of 5 stars

Clara loves living in the Glendoveer mansion with her mother, Mrs. Glendoveer, and Ruby, the cook. When Mrs. Glendoveer dies, however, all sorts of secrets from the past come to light. Years earlier, the five Glendoveer children were kidnapped along with their nanny, and the bodies of four of them turned up drowned. The fifth child, Elliot, was never found, and the family hoped for his return. Mr. Glendoveer was a famous illusionist who was accused of using his magic to harm the children, and hi...more

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Mar 06, 2012 IndyPL Kids Book Blog rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

Clara and her Mom live in a big crumbling mansion with elderlyMrs. Glendoveer and the housekeeper Ruby. Clara has a heart condition and her Mom won’t let her play outside or go to school. Clara watches the kids walk home from school from an upstairs window. She wishes and wishes she could go to school and have friends. It’s not that her life is bad…it’s just lonely.

There is one thing about the house Clara doesn’t like at all and that’s the birds. Five birds live in the backyard in a large pen ca...more Clara and her Mom live in a big crumbling mansion with elderlyMrs. Glendoveer and the housekeeper Ruby. Clara has a heart condition and her Mom won’t let her play outside or go to school. Clara watches the kids walk home from school from an upstairs window. She wishes and wishes she could go to school and have friends. It’s not that her life is bad…it’s just lonely.

There is one thing about the house Clara doesn’t like at all and that’s the birds. Five birds live in the backyard in a large pen called an aviary. The birds are squawky and mean spirited. Clara hates to go near them. For some reason Mrs. Glenoveer loves the birds and worries about them all the time. Sometimes people can get really attached to their pets.

One day when Clara is standing at the window watching the children walk home from school one of the girls sees her and waves. Clara can hardly believe it. When the little girl shows up at the door with her mother Clara really can’t believe it. A real girl who could be her friend! Clara’s Mom does not approve and so the girls start a secret friendship. Daphne is really curious about Clara and the old mansion and old Mrs. Glendoveer. When Daphne tells Clara what the town thinks about Mrs. Glendoveer Clara is astounded.

It turns out the Mrs. Glendoveer once had children of her own. One of them disappeared and the rest of them…were murdered! The murderer was never discovered and the town thinks Mrs. Glendoveer and her husband did it. Clara refuses to believe that kind Mrs. Glendoveer would do anything so terrible and sets out to solve a 50 year old mystery. Clara follows clues in the mansion, in the memories of some elderly townspeople, in old scrapbooks and diaries and in the story of her own father to prove once and for all what happened to the children. The trouble is, will anyone believe her? Will you?

The Aviary is very much like The Secret Garden with old family secrets, a lonely little girl in a mansion, a garden and something mysterious going on that can’t quite be explained. The mood is a little creepy. Candles extinquish themselves. The birds act strangely when Clara is present. Clara’s Mom turns quiet and stiff when certain questions are asked. And othen there is the murders. That alone is creepy enough! Author: Kathleen O’Dell

For more: http://www.imcpl.org/kids/blog/?p=11901 (less)

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Feb 29, 2012 Stephanie Jobe rated it 4 of 5 stars

It makes me sad that it has taken me this long to start reading these. I suppose it isn’t important to read them before publication date but I wish I had been able to. I have so many books I don’t think I’ll ever get to them. Though many are a nice variety from what I usually seek out. This one for example from the description I would not normally pick it up. To a friend I described it as “historical mystery with a dash of magic.” Okay the fact the mansion belonged to a magician hints at that da...more It makes me sad that it has taken me this long to start reading these. I suppose it isn’t important to read them before publication date but I wish I had been able to. I have so many books I don’t think I’ll ever get to them. Though many are a nice variety from what I usually seek out. This one for example from the description I would not normally pick it up. To a friend I described it as “historical mystery with a dash of magic.” Okay the fact the mansion belonged to a magician hints at that dash, but he could just be a regular magician. This is why genres drive me crazy. They don’t want to market this as fantasy so we just ignore the magical aspect and market it as a “mystery-adventure.” Sure I’m a fantasy nerd but say there was a cataloguing term for dash of magic I would look for it constantly. I was raised on those books. I love a fully created fantasy world but something like this is even more enchanting. This is the kind of book that makes a young person wonder if maybe magic could be possible if you just found the right kind. Alright so the Glendoveer mansion as previously referenced Mr. George Glendoveer was a magician and illusionist. Now his mansion houses his widow, the cook, the housekeeper, and Clara. And of course the birds. The birds are the ones who set eleven-year-old Clara on the path to solving they mystery haunting the house. I was comparing Clara to my usual heroines. Usually I read the brave and daring adventurers but I suppose Clara is just on a different scale. Alright so the thing I sometimes like about ARCs is it’s easier to discuss the age thing because they usually print their target audience, here being 8-12. I hate ranges honestly. I was reading things before I fell in their range and obviously I’m reading them well after but anyway. From the cover this looks like a pretty scary book. There are some spooky moments but it ends quite happily. I’m sure the cover will terrify some mother somewhere but as long as she pays attention to whats inside she should be impressed. I do think the cover does something amazing. I kept looking at it and forgetting it was a kids book, and yet it still looks like a younger age group. Anyone could hold this without getting funny looks, or so I think. I greatly enjoyed it but it might end up in the pass on pile because I need shelf space.

ARC from ALA Annual Conference(less)

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Feb 13, 2012 Barb Middleton rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical

Unable to leave the house because of a heart condition, eleven-year-old Clara can’t wait to watch the children come home from school through the windows of the mansion she’s trapped in or listen to them talking outside the garden wall. She’s like a bird in a cage with clipped wings. She has never been outside the garden walls and is homeschooled by Mrs. Glendoveer, an ailing woman who has lost her family. Clara’s mother is a nurse and cares for Mrs. Glendoveer along with the cook, Ruby. For the...more Unable to leave the house because of a heart condition, eleven-year-old Clara can’t wait to watch the children come home from school through the windows of the mansion she’s trapped in or listen to them talking outside the garden wall. She’s like a bird in a cage with clipped wings. She has never been outside the garden walls and is homeschooled by Mrs. Glendoveer, an ailing woman who has lost her family. Clara’s mother is a nurse and cares for Mrs. Glendoveer along with the cook, Ruby. For the most part Clara has been content to stay home with her heart condition but lately she’s feeling restless. When Mrs. Glendoveer dies the three are allowed to take care of the mansion along with her four exotic birds in the aviary. At first they terrify Clara until one mysteriously says the name, “Elliot,” to her unraveling a mystery that leads Clara into danger, friendship, and freedom.

I found it difficult to figure out the time period of this story. It’s set during 1903 when the film, “The Great Train Robbery,” was released, but I didn’t figure that out until page 174. The beginning reminded me of “The Secret Garden” with an ailing child who has no contact with other children and a garden out back so I was thinking it was from the Victorian era, but it isn’t. Daphne is a spunky confident girl who makes friends with Clara. Readers will like how the two develop secretive signals so they can see each other without any adults knowing. It’s like a secret club.

The author has the girls use terms that are old-fashioned but it isn’t consistent. Clara sounds like an adult many times. She’s giving Mrs. Glendoveer her medicine: “Let’s get this down your sore throat where it can do some good, shall we?” or when she asks her mother if she thanked Ruby for the flowers. Clara even lectures her mother at one point and sounds like the adult while her mother sounds like the child. Clara’s developmentally too old for an eleven-year-old but I don’t think it takes away too much from the story. Clara is a good-hearted, obedient child even if her voice is not authentic. The mother’s character didn’t ring true for me either. She seemed too smart to be that afraid of exposing her daughter to the world. I think there needed to be something more life-threatening than thinking the father was mad and Clara might have inherited that madness.

The plot reveals too much and is forced in some spots. It didn’t ring true that Woodruff Booth would send Daphne a long letter explaining all that information about the Glendoveer family and his relationship with them, and it didn’t seem necessary when Clara finds the same information in Mrs. Glendoveer’s diaries. I think there would have been more tension if the author didn’t reveal so much. Daphne and Mr. Booth could have just agreed to meet. Also the clues are told in some parts of the story through letters rather than slowly revealing themselves through action which I think slows the pacing down alittle.

There is magic and children who have drowned but live in the spirit of an animal. This might be confusing for younger readers. While there are flaws in the story it is cute and entertaining.(less)

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Feb 01, 2012 Jami rated it 4 of 5 stars

Twelve-year-old Clara Dooley has spent her whole life in the Glendoveer mansion, where her mother is a servant to the kind and elderly matron of the house. Clara has never known another home. In fact, she's confined to the grand estate due to a mysterious heart condition. But it's a comfortable life, and if it weren't for the creepy squawking birds in the aviary out back, a completely peaceful one too.

But once old Mrs. Glendoveer passes away, Clara comes to learn many dark secrets about the fam...more

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Dec 30, 2011 Lrclark83 rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: magic-and-fantasy

Clara Dooley is a twelve-year old girl who lives in the crumbling Glendoveer mansion with her mother, a housekeeper, Ruby, the cook, and Mrs. Glendoveer, the lady of the house. Clara has been told since she was very young that she has a heart defect and, due to her condition, she is never allowed to travel beyond the grounds of the mansion. Clara knows that Mrs. Glendoveer's later years were shadowed by the loss of her five children. When Mrs. Glendoveer dies, Clara begins to uncover the secret...more

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Jun 16, 2012 John Clark rated it 5 of 5 stars

This historical mystery, set on the seacoast, begins with young Clara wondering about many things. Why does her mother keep her isolated and unable to attend school? What happened to her father and why won’t her mother even tell her his name? Why is the aging owner of the decaying mansion they live in so sad all the time? What really happened to her six children and why are there only five childrens’ names in the mausoleum where Mrs. Glendoveer’s husband is buried? What’s the story behind the fi...more

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Feb 12, 2012 Rachel rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: children, fantasy-and-sci-fi, mystery, historical-fiction

I picked this book by accident the last time I visited the children's department at the downtown Phoenix library. It was a good random find for browsing down the aisles of the fiction section. Although I figured out part of the storyline at the beginning of the book, most of it was a complete surprise and very well done.

The Aviary is about a 12 year old girl named Clara who has lived most of her life shut away in the Glendoover house, where her mother and a lady named Ruby take care of old Mrs....more

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Aug 14, 2011 Michelle (In Libris Veritas) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery, arc, middle-grade

The Aviary is a mystery novel with a very interesting and original twist. We are introduced to the main character, Clara, who is a willful young girl with the urge to find something more then her sheltered life in the Glendoveer mansion. However when the elderly mistress of the house chooses to show Clara a picture of her son Elliot things begin to change in the young girl’s world. Suddenly everything in the house becomes a part of a story that she feels compelled to know, especially the suddenl...more The Aviary is a mystery novel with a very interesting and original twist. We are introduced to the main character, Clara, who is a willful young girl with the urge to find something more then her sheltered life in the Glendoveer mansion. However when the elderly mistress of the house chooses to show Clara a picture of her son Elliot things begin to change in the young girl’s world. Suddenly everything in the house becomes a part of a story that she feels compelled to know, especially the suddenly talkative birds that are caged in the large aviary.She meets another young girl named Daphne and quickly enlists her help in solving the Glendoveer mystery.

I found Clara and Daphne to be a very likable and sweet young girls, who have that surprisingly tough and determined side that can be found in all girls their age. Their personalities are a compliment to the others’ and it was fun to read their conversations, it’s filled with that youthful acceptance and love that really warms your heart. Harriet and Ruby were also lovely characters and played their roles well. Harriet the sensible but overprotective mother and Ruby the open-minded and flighty family friend.

The story surround the Glendoveers’ and the birds is a very intriguing one that wasn’t expecting at all. I caught on pretty quickly after a few clues were uncovered but it by no means diminished my want to know exactly what happened. The book’s info page states that this is intended for 8-12 year olds and while I personally wouldn’t give this a child under 10 I’m pretty sure that the intrigue and mystery will be even stronger for them. I also really loved the part the birds play in helping Clara figure out what exactly had happened to Glendoveer family, but I also found them to be a sad aspect of the story. To be completely honest this book reminds of The Secret Garden, the main character is far more agreeable but the writing has that same feel to it and the setting is similar. It was however a bit darker then I expected from a middle grade book, it’s by no means a Gothic novel but it does deal with a very sad story centered around the Glendoveer children and even malicious intent on the part of the ‘bad’ guy.

The writing is wonderful and gives you just the right tone to make you ‘feel’ what Clara feels, and despite some more the more sad aspects it still holds that innocent and light tone that children are so famous for. There were a few punctuation mistakes throughout but they were rare and only truly succeeded in tripping me up once during one of the more lengthy conversations. Overall I really enjoyed this book and if I had a child of about 10 I would certainly consider letting them read this (depending on their mindset of course), but I’d also recommend this to those who enjoy mysteries with a sort of whimsical twist. Oh and as a side note, I love the cover art for this book.

I received this ARC in a giveaway listed on the blog Bibliopunkk(less)

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Apr 01, 2012 Amy rated it 4 of 5 stars

This really is a good book. It is well written, intriguing and a quick read. It is the story of a mysterious family and a girls' determination to solve the mystery despite the challenges she faces. It was clean and entertaining. My 9 year old daughter is reading it now and is enjoying it. The story is about a girl named Clara whose mother is the caretaker of an old woman with a mysterious past. She lives, with her mother, in a big mansion that was build with care and extravagance, but which is b...more

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Oct 08, 2012 Amanda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: childrens-fantasy

I couldn't put this down once I started it, which rather took me by surprise as some of this author's past works have been quite ho-hum to me. This one contained all sorts of twists and tangles, some of which I guessed along the way, but hey, I am an adult, so I should have seen them coming, right? Anyway, the mystical elements were a bit out there at times and never quite fully explained--was she leaving it up to the reader's imaginations to fill in the gaps?--so if you are a reader who thinks...more

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Mar 11, 2012 Liz Winn rated it 5 of 5 stars

In 1855, six children from a wealthy New England family, the Glendoveers, were kidnapped for ransom. When their kidnapper's getaway boat was capsized during a storm, the children drowned - all except for the baby, Elliot, who was never found. Decades later, their grieving mother lies on her deathbed in their old family home, cared for by a housekeeper and her daughter, 12-year-old Clara. Entrusted with the care of Mrs. Glendoveer's aviary, young Clara is, at first, unnerved by the noisy birds. B...more

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Feb 01, 2012 Angie rated it 2 of 5 stars

This story seemed to have the potential of a fun little mystery. The ingredients were all there. Girl living as a prisoner inside and old mansion, check. Owner of said mansion dies before telling girl the hidden family secret in its entirety, check. Girl feels motivated to get to the bottom of the family secret while unraveling her own past, check. Oh and the fun little twist of the five birds who live in the aviary in the yard who start to talk to her, interesting indeed don’t you think?
Even t...more

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Dec 01, 2011 Karin rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: juvenile-fiction, mystery, gutsy-girls, supernatural-powers, curses, hypnotism, mother-daughter-relationships, friendship, birds, ghosts-and-spirits, transformations, borrowed-from-the-library

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Mar 29, 2012 Cindy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, juvenile-lit

Recommended Age:
12+

Overall Rating: 5 stars

Overall Review:
Clara has always been told that she has a weak heart, and as a result, can never leave her home. She does love her home—all except for the creepy birds in the aviary—but still, she longs for a little adventure in her life. When one of the aviary birds speaks to her one afternoon, Clara finds herself untangling a decades-old mystery and getting more adventure than she ever bargained for! The Aviary is exactly the kind of book that I would...more

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Aug 06, 2012 TheBookSmugglers rated it 5 of 5 stars

Original review published on The Book Smugglers

Oh my, The Aviary is lovely.

It’s the beginning of the 20th century and 12-year-old Clara Dooley lives in the decaying Glendoveer mansion where her mother is the housekeeper. Clara has a serious heart condition that prevents her from ever going outside, attending to school or having friends – she is simply not allowed to exert herself. She has always felt comfortable with her life and for the most part Clara is an obedient, happy young girl who loves...more Original review published on The Book Smugglers

Oh my, The Aviary is lovely.

It’s the beginning of the 20th century and 12-year-old Clara Dooley lives in the decaying Glendoveer mansion where her mother is the housekeeper. Clara has a serious heart condition that prevents her from ever going outside, attending to school or having friends – she is simply not allowed to exert herself. She has always felt comfortable with her life and for the most part Clara is an obedient, happy young girl who loves spending time with her mother, the cook Lucy and the elderly Mrs Glendoveer. But as she grows older, she also grows restless and starts questioning her life – WHY can’t she go outside if she feels so healthy? WHY can’t she be friends with their friendly new neighbour Daphne Aspinal?

And since we are on a roll with the questions: why are the five birds in the mansion’s aviary such creepy creatures? And did one of them really speak the word “Elliot” to her that one day? Spooky does not even begin to cover it, especially when Clara learns that Elliot was the name of Mrs Glendoveer’s young son, kidnapped when he was 5 months old.

And then Mrs Glendoveer passes away. In her will, she leaves a small stipend to the trio so that they can keep Glendoveer mansion’s doors open in the hope that Elliot will eventually return. And just then, all the other birds in the aviary start communicating with Clara, who discovers a much darker, heartbreaking secret about the Glendoveers’ past.

It bears repeating: The Aviary is a lovely, lovely book.

From its start that shows us how lonely and restless Clara is to the beautifully rendered ending that brought me to tears (of the good kind) The Aviary is an incredibly engaging novel with an old-fashioned feel. It features a well-executed story of decades-old mystery that is slowly revealed to the reader through Clara’s eyes, a horrendously sad back-story and all of it with a side of magic and awesome female characters that drive the story forward.

With regards to the mystery: some things are indeed very easy to guess (although I was pleasantly surprised by at least one twist) but that doesn’t matter because The Aviary is not a book about the mystery after all (even though the mystery is extremely important), rather it is a story about the people whose lives said mystery touches.

As such, it the inhabitants of Glendoveer mansion – both past and present – that truly make this book outstanding. Clara is a great protagonist and I adored her arc which took her from utter compliance to sheer activeness through questioning. She is curious, fierce, loyal and she just grows in front of our very eyes into an awesome young lady. She is not perfect and often struggles with understanding how she can be envious of people she loves or how she can outright lie to her mother when necessary (even as she feels guilty about it), kind of halfway trapped between responsibility and recklessness. And then of course, you have the Glendoveers – but about those I can say not more without spoiling the story.

Above all, I loved the characters here and the relationships formed between them. Like the fraught yet loving relationship between Clara and her mother or the hot-and-cold one between her mother and the cook Lucy. But above all, I absolutely adored the friendship that develops between Clara and Daphne from beginning to end. It was just so lovely to see this loving, funny, caring friendship between these two girls developing and growing into bonds of deep sisterhood (their words, not mine).

The Aviary might be a book for children but I think it has tons of crossover potential for YA and adults alike. I just know I loved it with every fibber of my being and wish this little gem to be found and loved by more readers. (less)

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Jan 28, 2012 JeNeal rated it 4 of 5 stars

Generally speaking, this is not the sort of book I read, but I was intrigued by the premise and the cover. The story held my interest from first page to last. The characters were well-drawn and I cared about each of them (well, not the bad guys...). There were so many questions to be answered along the way and the answers were well delivered. My biggest issue with the questions centered on "What is the DEAL with that mother?!?" And I came to understand even her. Amazingly, all the magical elemen...more

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Nov 19, 2011 Carol jinx~☆~ rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-s-books, historical-mystery

The Aviary

by Kathleen O'Dell

4.00 · rating details · 67 ratings · 29 reviews

Twelve-year-old Clara Dooley has spent her whole life in the Glendoveer mansion, where her mother is a servant to the kind and elderly matron of the house. Clara has never known another home. In fact, she's confined to the grand estate due to a mysterious heart condition. But it's a comfortable life, and if it weren't for the creepy squawking birds in the aviary out back, a completely peaceful one too.

But once old Mrs...more

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Oct 11, 2011 Kris rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book has appeared on every Newbery watch list I have seen. The cover caught my attention when it came in to the library. The bright green, the stark silhouette and the creepy font alert this is not just any book. The Aviary by Kathleen O’Dell is full of suspense and surprises. There is magic and secrets all kept in an old crumbling mansion. Outside on the grounds is an aviary full of birds that frighten Clara. Her mother is the housekeeper to Mrs. Glendoveer, the widow of a famous magician...more

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Oct 21, 2012 AnonymousBookCritics rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: mg, female-protagonist, mystery, paranormal, quick-read, ghost-story

2.5 stars
Originally Reviewed 3/1/12

That blurb is unfortunately much more epic than the book itself. The only magic that gets ‘weaved’ is what we hear of when reading about the deceased Mr. Glendoveer and toward the very end, and even that is subtle. The secret identities were easy to figure out if you were paying attention, the sinister villains were sinister the way a cartoon train robber is, and the two ‘unlikely heroes’ are the main character and her new found friend, which doesn’t seem very...more

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Aug 20, 2012 Danielle rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: childrens-literature, fantasy, history-historical-fiction, mystery

This book reminded me ever so slightly of The Secret Garden except not as well developed. It was a nice, old fashioned story but the characters made some really odd choices that didn't seem to fit with either the plot or their personalities. In fact, one character really seemed expendable – and she might have been the character I liked the most. Plot points felt forced or tacked on, and I really think this story would have been wonderful with just a touch more sinister-y-ness. But it’s a book me...more

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Dec 25, 2011 Martha rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, juvenile, supernatural, mystery

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9972821-the-aviary?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320391742l/9972821.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9972821-the-aviary?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Aviary by Kathleen O'Dell[/url]

The Aviary

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The Aviary

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