This book was a mystery to me. I received it in the June Summer Magic book box from the Bookish Shop and I didn’t know what to think. I had never heard of it before and I think that’s why it took me till now to read it. But I can proudly say that I am glad that I took a chance and read it! It was so good!
We follow twin sisters, Georgina and Mary Fernweh as they approach their 18th birthdays, but there’s something special about the Fernweh women. According to those who came before them, they will be gifted with magical powers by the time they reach adulthood, but here’s the thing, Mary has hers but Georgina doesn’t and she’s running out of time. Powers don’t manifest after they turn 18 and for Georgina that is closely approaching. I absolutely fell in love with this concept because I found it so simple yet ingenious.
This book takes place on an Island where outsiders only come to visit during the summer to see and observe the majestic Annabella, the bird with the unhatchable eggs. Katrina Leno calls these bird enthusiasts “birdheads” which I found to be cute and quirky which went perfectly for this whimsical summer read. Annabella is a mystery to everyone but her routine is always the same, she comes to nest and then leaves at the end of season however, this summer she disappears and it’s up to Georgina and brother and sister duo, Harrison and Prue, to solve what happened and why. And even if birds are not your thing (I know they aren’t mine) you’ll still love this book I promise! It’s a quirky mystery mixed with magic!
These sisters are the real deal. Their banter was so easy to read and captured moments that I’ve even had with my own sister, so you know, this book nailed it!
“You’re so fucking dramatic,” I said.
Mary kissed the air in my general direction.
When I finally jumped the last few feet and landed beside her, she had lain down in the grass. She was pretending to be asleep.
“Asshole,” I said, and kicked her with the toe of my sandaled foot.
“Jealous,” she replied.
“Joke’s on you when get a grass stain on your ass.”
Although I wouldn’t classify this book as a romance novel, there was definitely a love story still to be found in its pages. Georgina and relationships don’t communicate, but you can see how living on an island with one school with a class of 30 and being out might make things a little tricky for her and her love life, but don’t fret. Remember those two new birdheads I mentioned earlier? Well, it just so happens that Prue likes Georgina. And this friendship turned relationship was so adorable and it wasn’t a rushed one either.
This book does involve some mature themes that I was definitely not expecting but by the time I reached the end, everything that Leno included was necessary and ties up this stand-alone novel so beautifully.
Georgina discovers her magic (and it completely makes sense!) and the mystery shrouded around Annabella is finally solved (to an extent! Because leaving some things unexplained is perfect for a story with magic in it!) But the real shocker was Mary and her gift and how it was so much more than she thought it was. And again I loved that too and I don’t want to spoil it because half of the charm of this book is discovering it for yourself and I know how cheesy that sounds but trust me, you’ll understand when you read it and I hope you’ll be glad that I didn’t spoil it for you here!
This is definitely a 5-star book for anyone!