In the tradition of Laurie Halse Anderson’s Speak, Mary Cecilia Jackson’s devastating but hopeful YA debut is about a ballerina who finds the courage to confront the abuse that haunts her past and threatens her future. There are two kinds of people on the planet. Hunters and prey I thought I would be safe after my mother died. I thought I could stop searching for new places to hide. But you … searching for new places to hide. But you can’t escape what you are, what you’ve always been.
My name is Savannah Darcy Rose.
And I am still prey.
Though Savannah Rose–“Sparrow” to her friends and family–is a gifted ballerina, her real talent is keeping secrets. Schooled in silence by her long-dead mother, Sparrow has always believed that her lifelong creed–“I’m not the kind of girl who tells”–will make her just like everyone else: Normal. Happy. Safe.
But in the aftermath of a brutal assault by her seemingly perfect boyfriend Tristan, Sparrow must finally find the courage to confront the ghosts of her past, or lose herself forever….
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Rating:
Completely different than what I expected!
I thought this would be a romance with a lot of angst and a girl with a bad ex-boyfriend she is trying to get over but it was much deeper than that. It was about tragedy and how one tragedy can affect a person’s life if it isn’t dealt with. How one incident or relationship with issues can lead to others very similar. It also is about how one bad relationship can affect so many people, not just the two people involved in the relationship.
Savannah Darcy Rose (a.k.a. Sparrow) is a seventeen year old student and ballet prodigy. She hangs out with the ballet and drama crowd and has two best friends Delaney and he dance partner Lucas. Both her and Delaney have had a crush on Tristan, the hot rich boy at school, and he notices Sparrow and soon becomes her boyfriend.
Sparrow lost her mother when she was very young and has recurring nightmares that feature her mother. She lives with her father Avery Rose, a defense attorney and her aunt Sophie. Both her father and her aunt love her very much and treat her well. Her father questions Tristan when he first takes her out like any father would. They see how well Tristan treats Sparrow.
However, Tristan gets very jealous of Lucas and any time she spends with Lucas including dance practice. Her friends become suspicious when they see Tristan yelling at her. It turns out a Tristan is not as perfect as he seemed to be. Of course Lucas has always known this because Tristan has bullied him since fifth grade for being a ballet dancer.
Though Tristan can’t really bully Lucas much anymore since Lucas grew to be 6’5” and very muscular from dance. But Tristan still makes degrading and homophobic comments about Lucas being a dancer. Lucas is good at ignoring, but not so much after Sparrow starts dating Tristan. The character development in this book is terrific, as is the world building.
Lucas has his own troubles at home, but he continues to try and help Sparrow. Though something tragic happens and each of the characters has different reactions and issues that arise because of it. I won’t say much more than that, but the journey each character takes to recovery is terrific and the story deals with the psychological effects in a fantastic way. However, I can’t decide if I liked the ending. In some ways I do and in some ways I don’t, you’ll understand if you read the book!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This book is told in two POV: Sparrow, a teenage ballet dancer and Lucas, her friend and dance partner. Sparrow enters a toxic relationship with Tristan, a good looking, popular, high school athlete. It becomes apparent to Sparrow’s friends that Tristan has problems managing anger and is controlling and abusive. They try to talk to Sparrow but cannot reach her. Tristan brutally assaults Sparrow when she tries to back out of their relationship. We learn that Sparrow suffered abuse at the hands of her mother and that is why the pattern of abuse repeats years later.
Her friend Lucas is in love with Sparrow and is struggling with his own grief over the loss of his father. He feels enormous guilt in perceiving that he has failed to protect Sparrow from Tristan. I really liked Lucas and in many ways, he is a more developed character than Sparrow herself.
There were some temporal jumps that, at times, made the story feel a bit disjointed and that is the only reason I’m not giving it five stars.
This book addresses the important issue of abuse in teenage relationships and how trauma, if left unaddressed, can lead to more trauma. It was a difficult but very important read.
Mary Cecilia Jackson leaves no perspective unexplored in this beautifully woven story of love, loss, self-acceptance, and strength. Sparrow and Lucas are heroes in every sense of the word, as they navigate a new, unfamiliar dance ― the pain of knowing when to stay grounded and when to fly.
My Thoughts:
Sparrow was a riveting read, that I found myself fully immersed in. What an emotional reading experience! This story hurt my heart, made me cry, and had me rooting for Sparrow. I loved her character, and desperately wanted her to find her strength, and courage; as well as the road to healing.
Savannah “Sparrow” Rose endured abuse at the hands of her mother as a young girl, and nightmares continue to plague her. As a talented and aspiring professional ballerina, she has the life of a typical teenager. Her good friends Lucas and Delaney, as well as her father and doting aunt offer her an abundance of love, caring, nurturing, and support.
Sparrow is swept away by Tristan, a charming, rich, good looking, and popular athlete at her school. When he starts abusing her, she makes excuses for him, because she loves him, and thinks he loves her. However, what happens when you stay in an abusive relationship? Could it eventually be a matter of life and death?
What an intense and profound story! With Sparrow, we learn about the cycle of abuse, and how it effects everyone, not just the person being abused. In this story we get two points of view; Sparrow, and her best friend Lucas. Serious topics are addressed, such as abuse, death of a loved one, and how to heal; along with all of the emotions that come with these experiences.
I loved how much this story sucked me in, and how it consumed my emotions. It had a spectacular cast of characters that were real and relatable. Sparrow was a vulnerable, sweet, caring, and loving character. I loved reading about her dancing, and could picture her in the studio with Lucas. These two were very passionate about ballet, and as a reader, I was front and center as they performed.
Lucas was the type of friend that would give you the shirt off his back. He was loyal, kind, and always there for Sparrow. He was going through his own pain, but always made time for Sparrow and his family. I appreciated his persistence and perseverance in trying to make Sparrow realize that she deserved better, and needed to get out of her relationship. He was in love with his best friend, and I wanted her to see what was right in front of her face. His Grandma Deidre was a favorite character of mine. I loved spending time with her. She was wise, funny, and so caring.
If you are looking to get swept away in a story, check out Sparrow! This book delivered so many emotions, strong and loving friendships and familial relationships, as well as messages about life, hope and healing.
Sparrow by Mary Cecilia Jackson reads like a cross between Broken Beautiful Hearts and Black Swan, which is wonderful because I loved both of them. It’s a well written, heartbreaking and important story. There are triggers for dating violence, assault, and abuse, but it’s a much-needed book for teenage girls and young women.
I loved the writing style, and even though it was difficult to read at times because of the subject matter, I still could not put the book down. I loved how the symbolism of Swan Lake was intertwined with the story. Lucas was my favorite character. I wish more boys in books were like him: loyal, sensitive, a great ballet dancer and not ashamed of it. The ending was not what I expected or wanted, but it was the right ending. I hope we will get another book because Sparrow and Lucas’ story feels unfinished. Overall, Sparrow was an excellent read that will stay with me for a long time.
*ARC provided by the publisher and Bookish First
This book is about Savannah Rose, or Sparrow. Sparrow is a seventeen year old girl. She’s a ballerina, a small town in Virginia. Sparrow had a troubled childhood, due to her mother. Leaving her good at hiding, and keeping things secret, and to herself.
She’s excited when the seemingly perfect guy, Tristen King, asks her out. He’s a track star, has money, is handsome. But that leads to abuse, and as she’s learned growing up, keeping it secret. A girl that never tells. So, the abuse gets near fatal for Sparrow.
I don’t even know where to begin with this book. It was beautiful, it was heartbreaking, it was incredible. What Sparrow goes through, your head breaks for her. And the more you learn, the more you feel.
The characters (even the bad one) were beautifully and wonderfully written. Your heart breaks for what they go through (not the bad one). You feel for them.
This is a book that draws you in right away. You get totally and completely involved in the world of these characters. You want to keep reading, page after page. You need to know what happens next.
This story is written in the point of view of Sparrow, and her best friend and dance partner, Lucas. I think writing it in this way, was the perfect way to tell this story. Reading Sparrow, you are getting her thoughts and feelings. You get to learn why she feels she has to keep everything secret. It kind of gives you an idea of what an abuse victim may think and feel. So you can better understand them. And as Lucas, you are getting the other side of it. How, watching a loved one suffer abuse, affects those that loved them.
I absolutely LOVED this book. I’ll admit at points it made me ugly cry. Amazing story.
4.5 Stars
Sparrow by Mary Cecilia Jackson is an emotional and heartbreaking read that highlights the strength of the human psyche and soul to let go and move forward just as beautifully and gracefully despite tragedy.
In this bittersweet novel, we take a journey with Sparrow, a young and talented ballerina. We experience heart-pounding highs and earth-crashing lows as she falls in love and, after a brutal betrayal, must figure out who she is and what she is made of. This violent and tragic incident also sets off a wave of emotional, physical and mental destruction that leaves no one close to Sparrow unscathed.
Can Sparrow learn to live again or will she be forever broken and silenced?
This is a compelling read that kept me turning the pages. Full of heartbreak and devastation, I shed tears and got angry. Make sure you have tissues handy. What Sparrow endures may be triggering but, rest assured, she will find her way.
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I must say that I absolutely loved Lucas. His strength, protectiveness and friendship are unparalleled. He is so down to earth and yet so untamable. He is himself. Honest and true.
This book, for me, seems true to nature. The way Sparrow’s friends try to help while she pushes them away seems eerily authentic.
I was left with a couple questions as well. Why did Tristan choose to date Sparrow after so many years? It seemed a little out of the blue, for me. Also, why does she count by threes? Where did that come from?
At certain points, like when Tristan has an abrupt change in his demeanor, I felt that I was missing parts of the story. He becomes someone different and we don’t get to see the breakdown right away. Sparrow and Tristan’s relationship seems to be unraveling and yet, we don’t know how they got there either. It seems to go from zero to sixty so quickly. Later on, in the novel, when told from Lucas’s point of view, the story does go back in time to explain the missing pieces. I don’t know if that is the best way for the story to unfold but I got all the information I needed regardless and persevered.
For me, this book ends with a HFN. It’s a bittersweet ending that has me aching for another chapter in Lucas and Sparrow’s lives. I need more and hope this author follows this up with a sequel.
I received an ARC via NetGalley of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This was a awesome book a young girl that’s a ballerina has a horrible past as her mother passed away she is having a hard time bc she boyfriend is abusive and she must decide if she wants to keep living this life and ending up like her mother or get the courage to fight her demons inner demons and putter demons she must get out of this relationship that simply isn’t good for her and she must move on with her life as being a beautiful ballerina:) I’m not going to leave any spoilers so I will let you fellow reader read and just find out what she will do 🙂 this was a pretty good book I must say I liked it a lot ! I was surprised that it would be as good as it is ! this is a must read for sure !
I won an ARC from Bookish First
This story shows that even teenagers can be in an abusive relationship while in high school.
Not only do you read in Sparrows point of view, but her friend Lucas as well.
Sparrow she’s a great person and means well. Little did she know that she had kept what happened with her mom, tucked deep inside.
When Tristan all of a sudden notices her, she is surprised. Tristan he pulls out all the stops. He says the right things. Sparrows group of friends though, can see right through Tristan. This is where things can get tricky.
Sparrow loves Tristan and all his mean, monster ways. She believes she does things to make Tristan mad and therefore deserves what Tristan dishes out.
When Sparrow is hurt, she has a mental break and clams up. She pushes all her friends away. Totally breaks my heart.
The story Kelly me pulled in, I wanted to see what happened to Sparrow and how that was going to pan out with Tristan. This book also goes to show, listen to your gut, your friends. If a boyfriend or girlfriend isn’t what they seem, they aren’t that person. Get help, tell an adult!!