This novel is a different vibe and pace than what I was expecting, but it was also a story I didn’t know I needed to hear.

Sugar Birds is the story of two young girls that are navigating uncharted territory. After accidentally setting fire to her family’s home young Aggie hides in the woods by her home, afraid of the consequences of possibly killing her family. Teenage Celia thinks she is coming to Washington State to temporarily visit her grandmother, but she doesn’t know that her father has other plans for her, and that her stay is a little more permanent, leaving her there to stay with her grandmother indefinitely.

You would think that these two narratives wouldn’t parallel well but they actually do! Aggie is one ambitious and resourceful little girl and seeing her survive based off of the knowledge her family had instilled in her was astonishing. I would hope that I would be able to live based off my wisdom but sadly I think my demise would be eminent with my limited awareness. The world building, complete with details of the local flora and fauna, was truly captivating as Aggie navigated the rough terrain. This was one of my favorite parts of the entire story and I loved getting to know the terrain of Washington State, a place I’ve never been before, better.

Celia’s character was one that took me a bit to warm up to. Blame it on the fact that she throws an adolescent fit for a lot of the novel, or the fact that she is hormonally blind to a very real threat, but I struggled to connect with her. As the story progressed, I was able to see that she has a beautiful soul and her connection with Aggie showed her heart and perceptiveness. I loved her interactions with Aggie’s older brother, Burnaby, who is autistic. I have an autistic son and appreciate seeing a character with similar attributes to him and loved seeing how Celia never shied away from Burnaby but embraced his uniqueness.

Though this was not what I had originally thought this story would be, I didn’t hate it. There is this calmness, almost like a dark, cloudy day where you can feel an impending storm brewing but in this moment it’s calm kind of mood. It is very character-driven, even to the point of annoyance at times, but the world-building is magnificent, and I enjoyed this novel a lot more than I thought I would. ( )

Engrossing read, full of interesting details about living outdoors. I'm eager to read the follow up book coming out May 2024. ( )

Two young girls, both sad and broken have to come to terms with life, learn how to heal, forgive and move on. Sugar Birds was hard for me to get started, but once I did, I didn't want to put it down. A good read. ( )

This book captured me from the start. The two main characters were interesting people with many facets to their personalities. Their stories seem very dissimilar, but their lives cross to the benefit of both. Celia, who has been moved in with her grandmother, hopes to run away to get back to the life she had, before she felt abandoned by her father. She comes across as a very spoiled and self-centered young lady, a typical teenager with an attitude. She joins the search for Aggie, a young girl who is in hiding since she is connived that she started a fire that she believes has killed her parents. Aggie's survival skills were admirable and written in such a way as to be believable. She doesn't always think clearly about her situation, which makes her more believable as a 10-year old. I loved the ending. While this is labelled as Christian fiction, it really doesn't come across that way to a large degree.

**I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program.** ( )

This book was about how a young person could survive on her own through her father's teachings and her tenacity. It showed her strength and how misunderstandings played a role in her not returning home when she could have. It was a good book and I would recommend it.