Sleeping with the Blackbirds

by Alex Pearl

Eleven-year-old Roy Nuttersley has been handed a pretty raw deal. So Roy takes comfort in looking after the birds in his suburban garden, and in return the birds hatch a series of ambitious schemes to protect their new friend.

Genres: Fiction, Middle Grade, Childrens

124 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2011

About the author

Back in the distant mists of time, Alex spent three years at art college in Maidstone; a college that David Hockney once taught at, and later described in a piece for The Sunday Times as the 'most miserable' episode of his life. Here, Alex was responsible for producing - among other things - the college's first theatrical production in which the lead character accidentally caught fire. Following college, he found employment in the advertising industry as a copywriter. He has turned to writing fiction in the twilight years of his writing career.

His novella, 'Sleeping with the Blackbirds' - a black, comic urban fantasy, was initially written for his children in 2011 and published by PenPress. It was longlisted by the Millennium Book Awards 2018 and selected by the Indie Author Project in 2019 for distribution to public libraries across the US and Canada..

In 2014 his short story, 'Scared to Death' - the fictionalised account of the first British serviceman to be executed for cowardice during the First World War, was published in an anthology ('The Clock Struck War') by Mardibooks along with 22 other short stories to mark the centenary of the Great War.

Alex's psychological thriller, 'The Chair Man' set in London following the terrorist attack in 2005 was published as an e-book by Fizgig Press in 2019 and as a paperback in 2020. It is his first full-length novel, and was a Finalist in the Wishing Shelf Book Awards 2021.

His comic murder mystery, 'A Brand to Die For' is set in the 1983 world of advertising, and is only the second murder mystery ever set in London's adland. The first being 'Murder Must Advertise' by Dorothy L Sayers back in 1933. His sequel 'One Man Down' has been taken up by Roundfire Books.

Alex's claim to fame is that he is quite possibly the only person on this planet to have been inadvertently locked in a record shop on Christmas Eve.

Reviews

[Píaras Cíonnaoíth · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderfully written teen and Y/A novel...

SLEEPING WITH THE BLACKBIRDS by Alex Pearl is a wonderfully written and richly descriptive novel with brilliantly drawn characters and settings. The author weaves a well-crafted philosophical narrative that serves as an allegory for the pains of being. It’s a unique work that will captivate the reader from the opening chapter. Skillfully constructed, this well-written mystical tale will have you turning the pages from beginning to end. There’s plenty of imagery in the writing style that makes you feel you are right there in the story, and that’s something I look for in a good book.

The plot is intricately carved, as the synopsis suggests: ‘Eleven-year-old schoolboy, Roy Nuttersley has been dealt a pretty raw deal. While hideous parents show him precious little in the way of love and affection, school bullies make his life a misery. So Roy takes comfort in looking after the birds in his garden, and in return the birds hatch a series of ambitious schemes to protect their new friend. As with the best-laid plans, however, these get blown completely off course - and as a result the lives of both Roy and his arch tormentor, Harry Hodges are turned upside down - but in a surprisingly good way.’

This was a captivating read that had me immersed from the beginning. The story flowed from scene to scene with ease, and the author shows exceptional ability when it comes to storytelling. I enjoyed the story, character development, and dialogue. There were plenty of interesting moments that I didn’t see coming and that added to the book’s mystique. When I stopped reading to work, I found myself wondering what happened in the book, and replaying parts of the novel in my head to see if I could figure more out. It has been a while since I enjoyed a book this much.

There’s no doubt that SLEEPING WITH THE BLACKBIRDS is an exceptionally well written book. The contrast between tone and content is a characteristic talent of only a few authors. Pearl pays as much attention to his sentences as he does to his plots, shifting or consolidating meaning with the use of a single word. His writing is impeccably honed, full of juxtapositions and qualifications that help to create ‘a magical allegory about fears and anxiety, about the place of the sensitive person, the thinker, the human, within modern society’s current social order, in a world in which human beings are the only animals who despair of their lives.’

It’s one of those books that come along occasionally that makes you want to read it non-stop until you get to the end. I’m giving nothing further away here. And this, I hope, will only add to the mystery and enjoyment for the reader. I’ll be looking forward to reading more from Alex Pearl in the future. I would highly recommend this book and would add that it has a distinctly cinematic feel to it. A well-deserved five stars from me.

[megHan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a big believer in taking the time to read a chapter a day to children before (and even after) they're able to read. It not only teaches them whatever the moral of the story is, but also teaches them words (how they sound and what they look like) and gives you quality time with no distractions except your imaginations. THIS is a great chapter book to share with the younger generations, especially since it touches on both bullying and feelings when parents fight a lot at home.

Those are the two things that Roy has to deal with on a daily basis. The bully (and his gang) are mean - and the parents argue so much and so loud that the neighbors even hear it. Not only do they fight a lot, but they don't seem to notice Roy at all. The one thing that makes him happy is the birds in his backyard - he even makes brightly colored homes for them. His parents may not notice him, but the birds sure do. And that's all I'm going to tell you about the story. You need to read it to find out the rest. :)

The end is a beautiful and unexpected ending to a very colorful story and one I will definitely be sharing with the little kids in my life. :)

Note: I was given this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sleeping with the Blackbirds by Alex Pearl

Eleven year-old Roy Nuttersley is living in a toxic environment of emotional abuse and often neglectful parents. To say nothing of the bullies at school. He finds solace in the back yard under their huge oak tree. Roy has built several brightly painted bird feeders to hang in the trees for the birds he considers friends. The large black birds understand and feel the sadness emanating from Roy. So, they devise plans to protect Roy. When one of their schemes goes awry, the result turns the lives of both Roy and his arch tormentor, Harry Hodges, upside down.

The characters are well developed with precision for the readers to properly understand each and every one. This includes the birds who are instrumental in several portions of the tale. The string of events are cunning and well thought out. There were twists to the story I never expected. The adventure becomes quite emotional at times and handles several heavy topics with humanity and grace.

This is a book that would be enjoyed by middle grade and young adults. I think they will easily identify with the characters and many situations. There are many morals to be learned in this story. The twists at the end of the book are brilliant and make the story worth sharing.

FYI: Author uses British spelling conventions. **Originally written for "BigAl’s Books and Pals" book blog. May have received a free review copy.** January 4, 2019
Format/Typo Issues: Nothing significant.

[Igor Eliseev · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Sleeping with the Blackbirds” by Alex Pearl is somewhat similar to “James and the Giant Peach” and at the same time to “Lord of the Flies”; on the other hand, it is unlike any other in the world. This book is awesome for kids, but aimed at adults old enough to get it.

“Sleeping with the Blackbirds” involves not only senses, but also helps to shed misconceptions, dispel stereotypes, and identify the problems between parents and children. The dramatic relationship of an eleven-year-old Roy Nuttersley and the Blackbirds illustrates in human terms how to build a normal relationship (at any level) on the basis of personal emotional attachment and mutual obligations. Beneath the surface, however, the reader encounters themes of identity, friendship, and loyalty.

The book is written in such detail by the author, that it feels as if you’re there with the characters in their journey. So, the upshot is that while this book starts out slowly with the whole hidden-in-the-basement angle, it quickly switches gears into an engaging tale that strikes me as likely to grab a younger reader with a taste for YA novels. The ending was satisfying; the conclusion is sad – happy families and good schools that follow the highest standards, unfortunately, are almost impossible to find.
A happy find.

[Alex Pearl]

This was my first novel, or more accurately, novella. It was written while I was waiting to be made redundant by an advertising agency I was working for back in 2010. The redundancy took the best part of a year to happen following a global merger with New York's second oldest agency Foote Cone and Belding (FCB). When it finally did come to fruition, some bright spark described the merger as being tantamount to the Hindenberg coming to the rescue of the Titanic. On receiving my marching orders, I had little to pack save for an old Collins Dictionary, some laminated press ads and a tatty manuscript entitled 'Sleeping with the Blackbirds'. The book made it into print the following year.
It's a difficult book to catagorise, but is often referred to as an urban fantasy. My intention was to explore subjects like bullying, homelessness and single-parenting in a light and accessible fashion, and in a style redolent of authors like Clive King and Richmal Crompton. The book has gone down particularly well in the US, and its Englishness hasn't gone unnoticed. It was longlisted for the 2018 Book Viral Millenium Award and was selected by the Indie Book Project for distribution to public libraries across the US and Canada.

[Bonnye Reed · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free electronic copy of this wonderful novel for Tweens and YA from TheFussyLibrarian and author Alex Pearl. Thank you so much for sharing your hard work with me. Sleeping with the Blackbirds addresses problems faced by most youngsters. Bullying, being the bully, achieving academic success without moral support from your family, finding a comfortable place among your peers finding your comfort zone when you are 'different' than your peers in appearance or intellect - presented as a modern fairy tale. I found this an excellent book to share with my young friends and family. I will watch for more from Alex Pearl.

Reviewed on May 24, 2021, at Goodreads, AmazonSmile, Barnes&Noble, BookBub, and Kobo. Not available to review on GooglePlay.

[Icy-Cobwebs-Crossing-SpaceTime · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review: SLEEPING WITH THE BLACKBIRDS by Alex Pearl

Such a lovely, magical, story! Like a fairy tale, but better. Poor young Roy--at 11, he has experienced years of misery in a terribly unhappy household, and of course as such, he is an immediate target for overgrown bullies. But Roy is an old soul, with compassion and caring, and fixes what he can, so he builds gently painted birdhouses in the 4 trees in his home's backyard. Luckily he dies, because all the birds take a shine to him, and begin to come to his aid.

[Michael DeStefano · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first blush, the title of Pearl’s original fairytale of a bullied pre-teen and his feathered protectors felt more like Ramsey Campbell vacationing in Bodega Bay; hinting toward the familiar La Cosa Nostra metaphor, 'sleeping with the fishes'. But unlike Hitchcock’s inexplicable avian menagerie, the title was meant to describe something that actually occurred in the story as these birds’ ultimate motivation was benevolent, not malevolent.

Pearl puts the fairytale aspect on full display, allowing the reader to ‘hear’ what the birds were ‘saying’ to each other. Enhancing the fantasy, the author assigns a specialize affinity to each species; the geese are the muscle, the magpies, thieves (I couldn’t get Rossini out of my head after reading that), and the blue tits, the interpreters of human speech. The leaders, as the title suggests, are the blackbirds.

The main protagonist, 11-year-old Roy Nuttersley doesn’t have an idyllic home life. His parents are invested in their self-absorbed priorities, chief among them is arguing with each other. To escape their incessant verbal contests, Roy seeks the solace of watching birds. He likes it so much, he built several bird feeders and hung them out for the birds to enjoy. Sensing Roy’s depressed emotional state, the intuitive birds take to following him to see what other influences are distracting the boy. If he becomes too depressed, he just might stop filling the bird feeders. The problems he experiences from an indifferent father and an obsessive compulsive mother are compounded when Roy goes to school. The class bullies, Harry Hodges and his friends, have targeted Roy for harassment and each day gets worse and worse. The last time, Harry had stolen Roy’s precious bird-watching binoculars.

For Harry’s part, stealing Roy’s binoculars wasn’t brazen enough to draw attention to his schemes, until one of his buddies suggested upping the ante; kidnapping Roy. As the reader quickly surmises, the birds will have none of this.

I don’t wish to give the game away by revealing too much of the plot. Suffice to say the ending results in a positive outcome for our protagonist, though the ending was a pleasant surprise for the reader. Even the bully’s well-drawn introspection, results in an optimistic resolution. It’s also a given that a fairytale is generally carried by the narrator, so hold that thought as you take in the story. One discordant note in the narrative were pronouncements to ‘global warming’ which didn’t appear to have anything to do with the plotline or the moral of the story. As a plot device, its inclusion had no relevance for the characters or the reader and struck me as gratuitous and unnecessary.

[Juliet Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ray Nuttersley is used to listening to his parents arguing at home and being bullied by Harry Hodges at school. To help him forget he takes up the binoculars his granny gave him and watches the birds in the garden, where he's put up very popular birdfeeders that he made himself:

"It was little wonder then, that Ray's brightly painted bird boxes and feeders were beginning to attract the attention of all manner of birds.

The blackbirds sung Ray's praises to the sparrows, and the sparrows spread the word to the smaller birds. Before long the excited chatter was to spread from treetop to treetop."

Later the blackbirds send out a call to all the other birds to help Ray overcome his unhappiness. The blue tits become the main spies as they are small and can hide well in trees as they watch over things, while the Canada Geese are eventually persuaded to take a lead role in punishing the bullies.

Things become worse for Ray at home before they become better as his parents become embroiled in an entertainingly farcical situation. (I particularly liked the detail of his mother buying lots of cheap crockery so she could throw it at her husband).

I felt the main characters (human and avian) were drawn really well, with enough detail to make them three dimensional and interesting and with room for all of them to develop during the course of the story. The story deals with issues including family relationships, bullying and homelessness with a light touch and lots of humour.

This is a delightful and entertaining urban fantasy of how the birds all co-operate to help their friend Ray and to protect the food sources they find in his garden. It's a tale of how a young person can find his place in nature and learn to find his place in the everyday human world too. It's billed as a YA book, but with the 11 year old protagonist it often feels like a book for younger teenagers, on the other hand it's very entertaining for adults too! (And the ending is wonderful.)

[Brian L. Barnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

An exquisite story

For his first novel, Alex Pearl has established himself as an important author to monitor in the future. He skillfully has woven together themes of great importance with much care and obvious sensitivity. While listed as a fairy tale, the story takes on almost total reality as Pearl expertly weaves together his plausible tale. The empathy that Pearl creates and encourages for his central character, Roy, is remarkable. Once drawn into this novel, the reader almost feels compelled to complete its reading in one sitting. This was such an incredible find. Sure hope there are more excellent books to follow from this author. Highly recommended!

[Vaughn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quaint, Simple, Story

This story started slowly, but kept getting better and better. I loved it and would strongly recommend it to everyone.

[Mfonemana Uduak · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ah, the good old days of good simple fantasy. This book took me back to the first time I saw fantasy. The thrill of simplicity. I loved it.

[Anonymous · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book, down to its core is a message directed at younger audiences. You have to see that in picking it up; otherwise the nature of the story, kind of like an animated kid’s movie, will be lost. Its plot is deceptively simple, with predictable characters that behave in ways we’ve all seen in other books and movies. Moving past that though, the author uses these characters and plot to delicately weave home a message about bullying and the bullying cycle- starting from the home life, to the school life and back again.

The author does this well. He explains these difficult subjects with respect and good-natured humor from the overly predictable characters and the silly antics of the birds trying to help out Roy through “hatching” their own little plot. This way the very real problems don’t seem so scary, and allows the overall feel of the book to be lighthearted by design. I wouldn’t call it a teen book, by any sense, but would definitely be a good read for a primary or middle school reader.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for writing a review. I am not obligated to give a positive review, and all thoughts are my own.

[Nicolette Hale · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful, flowing feel good book

From the first paragraph, I knew I would like this book. It takes you on a gentle ride where the wrongs of the world are made right. The writing is superb, there are no hard stops in the story, but a flowing continuation of one thought or action to the next. Clean, wholesome, darling! Truly, I enjoyed every word!

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

I want to preface this with saying this was a very good book. I enjoyed reading it. That being said, it is not a fast paced book. It is not a book that is all action and adventure. It's a beautifully written book about a boy and his birds. I think that young readers will love this book.

I felt sorry for Roy through out this whole book. I am a social worker and all I could think about is that this poor boy is being neglected. My heart reached out to him. When the twist with his parents comes out, I could actually see it all falling into place. Don't worry, I am not going to tell you what happens, but things do start to fall into place.

I love the relationship that the birds have with this little boy. They are really involved and I loved how they kept trying to do things to help Roy out. In the end they made things harder on him, but really they just wanted him happy so he could keep making bird boxes and getting them the food they would need for the winter. I loved that part of this book.


Pros: The emotion in the story was great.


Cons: A bit slow in places.


Overall rating: Recommended!

[Kelly Wittmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I devoured this wonderful middle-grade novel in less than 24 hours, and I loved it, though (or perhaps because) it turned out to be far more challenging than I originally thought it would be. Deeper. More profound. Touching on topics such as bullying, intellectual disabilities, illegitimacy, and parents in the prison system, it couldn't be more contemporary, yet it somehow has that old-fashioned feel so beloved by most fantasy readers. The bright colors of protagonist Roy Nuttersley's garden are contrasted with the dreary grey of the educational institution, and the spoiled PR man and ambitious reporters are countered by the prissy headmaster and the "stern spinster" schoolteacher.

I can't say I'm a big fan of anthropomorphism, but Alex Pearl handles it so deftly and subtly here that I can honestly say I enjoyed it. What might have been incredibly annoying as employed by another author seemed fresh and yes, actually very sweet in this story.

A beautifully-written novel with vividly-described characters and settings, SLEEPING WITH THE BLACKBIRDS provides much food for thought for young readers, and many talking points for discussion with both peers and elders.

[Patrick Hodges · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eleven-year-old Roy Nuttersley has the worst of both worlds. He lives under the same roof as his two loathsome parents who do nothing but abuse each other and ignore him. He goes to school only to be tortured by Harry Hodges, the school bully. The only solace he has is the kinship he feels with the birdlife of London, and the construction of the houses that he gratefully hangs in the trees for them. And the birds are grateful.

In fact, the birds are so grateful that they decide, en masse, to help poor Roy. Together, these flocks of winged creatures form a plan to bring joy back to the live of this caring, unfortunate boy before it's too late.

Beautifully written, poignant and magical, Alex Pearl's writing style flows with the hand of a seasoned veteran. It pulls you in and never lets go. The ending is particularly rich and satisfying.

Well done, Mr. Pearl!

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent middle-grade book that tackles subjects such as bullying and dysfunctional families in an authentic and tender way. Rather than making Harry, Roy’s tormentor, an emotionless and impersonal bully, it delves into the reasons for his bullying, namely his feelings of inadequacy and abandonment. It paints both Roy and Harry in a sympathetic light, making them likeable and complex as characters. The magical realism that’s implanted in the form of anthropomorphic birds adds an engaging, unique layer to the story that’s sure to draw in young readers, while the prose and characters appeal to all.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for writing a review. I was not obligated to give a positive review, and all thoughts are my own.

[Boundless Book Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

Roy has been bullied and living with parents that argue constantly. That pay no attention to him. I felt sorry for Roy. He finds solace in the blackbirds.

The Blackbirds are able to realize how mean his bully, Harry Hodges is. They want to help Roy.

This was an interesting read. One, that has a lesson to tell. The author is a good writer and the flow is good. This would be a perfect book to read to a child or even those at the age of Young Adult....Lissa


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[Wren · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got this book in exchange for a review.

I feel like I'm on the opposite side here. I first started book and was highly confused. It seemed to have an amazing premise, but I didn't understand. Birds talking to each other. They plan to get birdseed? Um...okay?

The story wasn't very interesting, and the characters were a bit dull. I was highly confused to why the birds were adamantly fighting for this little boy who had birdseed. Aren't there other people who put out feeders? I just didn't get it. Sorry.

I DNFed it roughly 40 pages in. Sorry. I just couldn't go on.

[T.R. Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story contains a vast mixture of emotions and experiences and does an excellent job of showing how bad parenting may impact upon a child. The reader is given a sense of; how a child may feel; how they will try to find ways for dealing with their situation; the sorrow they experience when little comforts are destroyed or removed by the very people they are doing their best to cope with. The reader cannot help sympathising with the protagonist;

Complete review may be read at: https://trrobinsonpublications.com/20...

[SUE · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a different type of book that I usually read but it was well written. It was interesting on how the birds watched over the little boy. It is hard to believe how some parents treat their children. I'm sure it happens but it shouldn't.

[Claire Brossard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet story for early teens. Addresses important and serious issues like bullying in a non threatening way. Would be a great platform to open the conversation with your own kids.
Well worth a read.

[Lissa Rice]

(3)

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely

Lovely book that careered at breakneck speed through the story before stopping.
This would be good as a class reader.

[Valerie Cotnoir · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was first intrigued by Sleeping with the Blackbirds by Alex Pearl when I read the description. I love books that delve into the psychology of children’s emotions, especially since they oftentimes struggle to understand what they’re feeling at all. And then add the element of birds’ perspectives? Talk about interesting!

I was not disappointed. I was pulled in by the writing style (most likely because the author is British—that alone gives you enough reason to pick this book up) and I was fascinated with the characters. On the one hand, there’s something caricature-like about them, but on the other hand they feel so real. Every character from Roy’s parents, the school bully or the school’s superintendent had a quirk. No character was two-dimensional. I would say ultimately, each character had simple, single goal they were working towards. The problems arose when something (or someone…often Roy) stood in their way. All poor, sweet Roy wanted was to be left alone with the birds. But it would take a lot of change to make that happen.

As for the birds, their characterization was nothing short of brilliant. The blackbirds, robins, geese—each type of bird had their own characteristic. The blackbirds were strong leaders; the robins were humble followers; and the geese were conceited and obnoxious. How perfect, right?!

I loved how the blackbirds were clever and creative—realizing Roy was unhappy and coming up with “battleplans” to make him happy. Yet, because they’re birds, they couldn’t fully understand human emotions or the unpredictability of human actions. Throughout the book, the blackbirds are forced to reconvene and find a new way to help Roy.

I only have a few small complaints. Toward the end of the story, the bully (Harry) meets and befriends a young woman in her early twenties and, based on her backstory, I almost thought that Roy was her long-lost brother. Come to find out, he’s not, and when Harry returns home, there are no more interactions with this girl. She had a really intricate backstory that in the end had nothing to do with the rest of the story and it just felt a little odd.

My major complaint is the ending. Overall, the pace was good, but fast. I wouldn’t have minded if Sleeping with the Blackbirds was longer so we could dive even deeper into the characters, but I guess that’s technically a compliment. However, the ending was most definitely rushed. Roy finally received the happily ever after he deserved, but it was very abrupt and confusing. I don’t want to spoil, but there’s a twist concerning his past at the end—which I loved!—but the end scene included an element of that past that I hadn’t been expecting (or been given any reason to expect up to that point). Then there was basically no explanation for it. So when the book ended, although it was a beautiful final scene, I didn’t understand the how or why of the situation. Also, Roy’s parents got a happy ending with no justice whatsoever, which just doesn’t seem fair considering how horrible they treated Roy! And honestly, although the birds succeeded in giving Roy happiness, I just realized their personal end goal of making sure he was willing and able to continue to fill the birdfeeders wasn’t fulfilled.

That aside, I really loved this novel. I laughed out loud multiple times (which I rarely do while reading…I usually just smile if something’s funny) and I was very moved at times as well. I really sympathized with Roy’s abusive home and school situations and loved watching him not only stand up for himself, but also know when it was time to forgive and forget.

In conclusion, I give Sleeping with the Blackbirds a fully deserved 5 out of 5 stars. Besides the fast and slightly confusing ending, it was a perfect story. I believe there was one or two curse words and maybe one innuendo, but overall, I would say this book is perfect for middle school and up.

I received this book from the author for the purpose of this review. All comments and opinions are entirely my own.

This is a LiteratureApproved.com review.

[Bill Conrad · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have become a huge Alex Pearl fan and recently downloaded Sleeping with the Blackbirds. The young adult story is centered around eleven-year-old Roy Nuttersley, who is neglected by his difficult parents and constantly bullied at school. The story introduces a band of clever birds who devise whimsical plans to protect their young friend. Alex’s vivid imagery drew me straight into Roy’s bleak yet hopeful world, where the vibrant colors of his bird-filled garden sharply contrast with the dreariness of his school and home life.
What sets this book apart is its exploration of complex issues like bullying, dysfunctional families, and intellectual disabilities. Alex paints not only Roy but also his bully, Harry, in a sympathetic light, turning the narrative into a moral study. The birds provide humor, sweetness, and depth, crafting a modern story about kindness, empathy, and resilience.
Sleeping with the Blackbirds is a reflection on what it means to find joy and understanding in a flawed world. I enjoyed reading this book and recommend it to both young adults and older readers like myself. Alex is a talented author, and I look forward to his next work.

[Julie Powell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given a review copy of this story and it was certainly thought-provoking. It was a quick read but had some important lessons, developed through an eleven-year-old boy, whose home life is dreadful.

As the story unfolded, I liked Roy; his kindness, his understanding and compassion for others, and nature.

It has a mixture of magic, imagination and reality; the latter so terrible - awful parents, bullied at school etc.; was it any wonder Roy needed things to change?

There are various points of view, not least the magical aspect (I don't give spoilers) and that part pulled at my imagination.

I think this tale has many levels and though children may learn from it, adults certainly should.

Its writing style suited the story and, I think, it will cause more questions than answers to whomever reads it.

Nicely done.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sleeping with the Blackbirds is the first book I have read by Alex Pearl and it will not be the last. I thought it was a pretty good read. I enjoyed taking this adventure and the lessons learned. Such a wonderful and magical story that had me intrigued from the start.
I am giving Sleeping with the Blackbirds four and a half stars. I think many younger readers will enjoy this one. I recommend it.
I received this book from the publisher. This review is 100% my own honest opinion.

[MGB · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a pleasant, enjoyable read. It's not often that you find sentient birds highlighted in a story. Unfortunately we are re-introduced to the hazards of childhood and school. We see the ways that parents can and do ignore or mistreat children. There are absolutely lessons to be learned and followed in the book.

In the end a happy ending to a problem the reader did not know about until almost the end of the story.