In north-eastern Victoria, bush-covered hills erupt into flames. A Bush Stone-curlew escapes the fire but a woman studying the endangered bird does not.
When Robin's parents split up after the fire, her mother drags her from the country to a new life in the ugly city. Robin misses her dog, her best-friend, the cows, trees, creek, bushland and, especially, the birds. Robin is a self-confessed, signed-up, card-carrying bird-nerd. Just like her dad.
On the first day at her new school, Robin meets Delia. She's freaky, a bit of a workaholic, and definitely not good for Robin's image.
Delia's older brother Seth has given up school to prowl the city streets. He is angry at everything, but mostly at the fire that killed his mother.
When the Bush Stone-curlew turns up in the city parklands next to Seth and Delia's house the three teenagers become inextricably linked. Soon their lives are circling tighter and tighter around each other, and the curlew.
As Stars Fall by Christie Nieman
This book is set in the Victorian country of Murramunda and the city. It follows the lives of Robin, Delia and Seth whom have been connected and brought together by a rare and endangered bird the Bush- Stone Curlew. Robin follows her father and is a bird nerd who has moved from Murramunda to the City with her mother, who has a job at a prestigious girls school. It is at this school that 'Flame' Robin Roberts meets Delia the small freaky girl who has been put up a grade into Robins class and is still recovering from the accident that had happened. Delia's brother, Seth, isn't doing so well about what happened to their mother either. He blames the smokes and marijuana for the unreal connection he seems to have with the curlew in the park. First half of review by Melinda Mees
QBD, 15/07/2014
Review by Melinda Mees Part 2
This book is a slow read, but it's the slow read that allows the writing to soak in your mind, as it is written in such a beautiful, silent, yet lyrical way. The characters in this book were unique, each with their own struggles they needed to face, through times of confusion. There is a lot of hope, especially at the ending, where they start to become resilient and regenerate, allow themselves to start anew like the bush lands after a fire. It is the bird, the Bush- Stone Curlew, who is like this book, beautiful and eerie. You feel the grief not only from the human characters, but the bird as well. I love how this book has blended so well mixing grief, the wilderness and city country life together. It is written in Robins first person as well as third person for Seth and Delia. The different views of this book allowed me to see in the mind of Robin, but also how much Delia and Seth were actually feeling, struggling and grieving. I found this book quite compelling,and beautiful.
QBD, 15/07/2014
