What the Birds See in Aussie Readers

Feb 26, 2015 Mish rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favourite, australian-authors

Exceptional! One of those books you need to experience for yourself to feel it’s magic working itself into your skin. Listening to it on audiobook, I was spellbound by Hartnett’s rich lyrical phrases, and Bower’s deep compassionate voice. These two were a match made in heaven.

I don’t believe I’ve ever come across someone like Sonya Hartnett that is so attuned to a young child’s mind, their fears and emotions and to be able express it so accurately on paper. Of A Boy highlights what constant rej Exceptional! One of those books you need to experience for yourself to feel it’s magic working itself into your skin. Listening to it on audiobook, I was spellbound by Hartnett’s rich lyrical phrases, and Bower’s deep compassionate voice. These two were a match made in heaven.

I don’t believe I’ve ever come across someone like Sonya Hartnett that is so attuned to a young child’s mind, their fears and emotions and to be able express it so accurately on paper. Of A Boy highlights what constant rejection can do to a child, and how easily they can misinterpret what they see or hear to a point where they fret.

This is a story of a gentle boy, 9 years old Adrian, who lives in suburban Australia. Taken away from his unfit mother, abandon by his father, he has come to live with his grandmother who shows no compassion. She is under the belief to be firm the boy will toughen up. He is a boy who is trying to understand the world as he sees it. An outcast at school, lonely at home, he is consumed with worries and anxieties of being lost or forgotten.

The time and setting was remarkable accomplished and effective, bring back early memories of growing up in the late 70’s. It’s set in 1977, reminiscent of a time when toys as simple as a slinky are precious and would provide us with hours of amusement and fun. A bowl of plain vanilla ice cream after dinner – nothing to fancy but it was heavenly. When children had the freedom to play outdoors; in the park or on the nature strip unsupervised. But it’s also a reminder that it might be the beginning to an end to freedom. Playing in the background - on the news and on the radio - we hear of the disappearance of three children in a neighbouring suburb. Walking to the local milk bar to buy ice cream, witness claim they saw a skinny man walking behind but didn’t think much of it. It shook the community. You can see that parents are now becoming hesitant of letting their children wander off too far.

This is truly a memorable, haunting and profoundly moving book.
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Apr 17, 2012 Dee-Ann rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: five-star, australian-authors

What a range of emotions going through this simple book, and it ended with me thinking WTF (and I never swear!). The ending blew me away, I was not expecting it, but as harsh as it was, it was a plausible ending. I enjoyed reminiscing parts of my childhood along with Adrian ... I remember my first slinky, Young Doctors on television and the school yard. I would perhaps have liked a little bit more after the end, maybe!

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Jul 25, 2011 Jodie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

The copy I have is titled Of A Boy and I am still haunted by this book. Sonya Hartnett is masterful with words and there are so many quotes that will stay with me, somehow the author puts a few words together and they then create this physical reaction when you read them - amazing. It touches on many raw nerves as a parent and many memories as a child.

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