Sparrow

By Mary Cecilia Jackson

Book Overview

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 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....

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0765398850
• ISBN13: 9780765398857
• Release Date: March 2020
• Publisher: Tor Teen
• Length: 368 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 5.4" x 8.2"
• Age Range: 14 to 17 years
• Grade Range: Grades 9 to 12

Customer Reviews

Dark Yet Hopeful Tale of a Ballerina

Sparrow is a dark, yet hopeful tale of a ballerina. Haunted by the death of her mother, and struggling to balance the demands of ballet with the needs of her controlling boyfriend Tristan, Savannah Rose – Sparrow – is struggling to keep up. Her dance partner and best friend Lucas is concerned for Sparrow and deeply distrustful of Tristan. When Sparrow is brutally assaulted by Tristan and refuses to speak for months that follow, she is forced to face her demons. Haunting and beautiful, Sparrow is a story of strength and friendship. Told in alternating first-person perspectives between Sparrow and Lucas, it paints a portrait of a strong yet broken young dancer. While I did like Sparrow as a character, I really enjoyed Lucas’ perspective. He deeply cares about Sparrow and it shows. I highly recommend Sparrow to fans of heavier young-adult fiction!