Up is Down, Down is Up

Summer & Bird

By Katherine Catmull

Summer and Bird are sisters. Their parents disappear and they decide to search for them – this leads them to the magical, the enchanting bird-dimension world of Down. There, an evil puppeteer queen that swallows birds whole manipulates the birds and the two sisters' paths.

First off, I chose this book solely on the cover. The picture does not do the texture and metallic sheen justice. Inside, each chapter title is delicately outlined with an illustration of branches and birds (much like the front).

The writing deserves 5/5 stars. Beautifully written. I couldn't get enough of the writing style. Crisp, enchanting, mind bending, and lyrical.

However....

... the story I can only give 2/5 stars. For most of the book, I had no idea what was going on. It was written in a dream-like manner, abstract and vague. Up was down and down was up. Topsy turvy. Like Alice in Wonderland - minus the whimsy, more confusion.

The description in Goodreads says blending reality with magic. That is one way to put it.

I couldn't grab hold of the characters. Their motivations were clear, their feelings were clear, and yet, I felt very distant from them. The world probably was the reason for my disconnection. Dream logic - you think you're one place, and blink, you're in another. Highly imaginative settings; surreal landscapes.

Perhaps I missed the point. Like a piece of artwork so unusual you feel like there's a deeper meaning that you missed...

2/5 STARS