#lucy hope

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Lucy Hope Appreciation

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Lucy Hope

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Lucy Hope Appreciation

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Review: Fledgling by Lucy Hope

The stunning, wintry cover of this middle-grade is definitely what attracted me to it. In fact, I had no idea what to expect but I was looking for a chilling, thrilling, magical read which is exactly what I got!

In the middle of a thunderstorm in Edenburg, Bavaria, a cherub blows in through the window of Cassie’s room and she is unsure what to do with it. While she decides whether it’s a sign of something good or bad, she hides the strange creature from her family but some very odd things start happening. Her mother is an opera singer whose main interest is herself, her father is a keen taxidermist and her grandmother spends most of her time in bed. Cassie’s best friend Raphael seems to have secrets too. Can Cassie figure out what the cherub is doing here and how its linked to her family’s past?

The cherub herself is a fascinating creature and quite unlike the cherubs you see in classical art. I couldn’t decide whether she was dangerous or innocent but I was thoroughly bewitched by her presence. I’m not sure I’ve ever read another book involving cherubs, so they’re not a species that I’m particularly familiar with. I knew that she was a sign of something and like Cassie, I enjoyed figuring out what that was.

Cassie’s father is a taxidermist and the house is full of stuffed animals. Taxidermy has been in the family for years and Cassie sees it as her duty to look after her father’s creations when he isn’t around. The owls are a particularly strong feature in the collection and the image of their frozen beaks and dead glassy eyes add to the gothic vibe of the book. Every scene under their stare was full of dread and I was just waiting for something frightening to happen.

The setting of Edenburg is full of dark history and the presence of this huge, empty buildings was so strong. Just like the taxidermy, it felt like the castle and the family house were watching all the time. The characters were never truly alone, even when they thought they were and it made for a highly unsettling, ominous atmosphere.

Fledgling is a compelling, magical story with plenty of twists and turns. It is quite scary in places, so I don’t think I’d recommend it for under 10s but older children will be completely drawn in by this creepy, chilling adventure. There are also a few twists, plenty of surrealism and even some mythological aspects that aren’t explored very often. I thoroughly appreciated all of these things and would love to see what Lucy Hope writes next!