Nightbird by Alice Hoffman (A MG Book Review)

Nightbird by Alice Hoffman

Nightbird is a middle grade novel about friendship, love, and acceptance. Twig Fowler is not allowed to make friends. Her mother abruptly moved Twig and her brother James back to her small hometown where she takes over the family orchard. Despite Twig’s mother’s popularity in the town (helped by her pink apple pies), the family keeps to itself due to Twig’s brother’s condition. James is cursed. Long ago, there was a love affair between a Fowler man and a witch named Agnes Early. Agnes suffered the fate of a jilted lover and set a curse on the men of the Fowler family that causes them to grow wings. Things become complicated when the abandoned witch’s house gets new inhabitants, descendants of Agnes Early. Soon Twig finds herself longing for friendship and her brother—now a young man—has grown restless with his life in the attic. Can Twig, Julia, Agate, and James break the curse before the town finds their rumored monster?

Keeping a middle aged reader in mind, I gave his book 5/5 stars. I liked the realistic fiction with an element of magic. The language was simplistic, but painted vivid pictures. The book is relatively short at about 200 pages, but it’s an easy read with a happily ever after.