Jasper is very close to his older sister, Rosie, with whom he shares a love of birds and wildlife. When she goes away to university, she promises to still be there for them and to come back so they can hear the nightingale sing together. But then May comes along and the nightingale is not there ... and neither is Rosie. When Jasper's parents tell him that Rosie has gone to a Better Place, he decides that she is with the nightingale so he musters his courage, packs his backpack and heads out to find them both.
Jasper is a truly remarkable young man with his own unique character that will very quickly grow on you. The close relationship between he and Rosie is evident from the start and appears to have grown due to his parents' need to be constantly working in their study in order to keep their business running. He is determined to find his sister and their nightingale but is organised before he sets off, preparing his backpack with all the things he thinks he will need (I love his organisational skills at this point!). Following his map, he sets off and, despite his anxieties, nothing is going to stop him. Along the way, he meets people who help him to understand himself a little more and teach him some valuable lessons.
Throughout the book, Jasper refers to his Book of Birds that he and his sister are writing, which is full of bird facts and stories of times they have had together involving birds and wildlife which weave seamlessly into the story and help to paint a greater picture of Rosie and her relationship with Jasper. The illustrations of the birds by Sharon King-Chai only help to enhance the story and the bird facts at the start of each chapter are a wonderful addition.
Sometimes you read a book and you just know it's going to be special from the first few pages: The Hunt for the Nightingale most definitely falls into this category. I wanted to read it slowly so that I could savour every moment. I wanted to feel every step Jasper took on his journey which is as much an emotional journey as a physical trek. As the reader, you know that this is so much more than a walk to find a bird and a sister, and at so many points in the book I wanted to reach into the pages to hug Jasper and to take away what I knew was coming his way but, at the same time, this is a journey you just know Jasper (and his parents) need to take. It's a heart-breaking story of love, loss and family told from the point of view of a ten year old boy. It's powerful in its narrative in a way that will touch your heart, break it in two and then put it back together again. I hugged the book at the end and sobbed at several points in the book. The Hunt for the Nightingale is a book that will stay with me for some time to come and I will hold Jasper in my heart. Publishing in the 20th January, I beg you to read it so that you can see how wonderful a book this is (one that my meagre words cannot do justice to).
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