The Vanished Birds

by Simon Jimenez

[shannonmiz]

You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight

4.5*

The Vanished Birds is such a gem. It's slower paced, but the writing is so gorgeous, the characters so curious,and the world so intriguing that I really didn’t mind spending my time meandering though its intricacies. In fact, I was so sad when it was over, though I was glad that I'd read it of course.

The story weaves through several characters' stories, through different times and on different worlds. Watching the world(s)-building unfurl was just phenomenal! I had no idea where the author was headed with it when I began the novel, but you soon start to put the pieces together and it all just fits perfectly. The worlds are both so like and unlike our own that it's the perfect balance, and speaks to how humanity evolves, but at the core stays the same.

The characters are all so complex as we take these journeys with them.  Not only do the characters develop (and develop a lot) over the course of the book, but so too do the relationships. And some not for the better, which is so completely accurate and honest and in line with human relationships in general. It wasn't just friendships, or just romance, or just family; it was every kind of relationship that was explored. From those close relationships to more fleeting ones, their impacts on the characters were showcased brilliantly across the board.

The author explores how we love, lose, grow, change, regress, and simply live as time passes by. Technology changes, our location changes, but how do we? That's the question, and I think that if you can appreciate the slower pace and lovely writing, you'll be glad you took the journey to find the answer.

Bottom Line: I mean, the author made me love a bird book, so that clearly says more than my words ever could.