*copy provided by netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
Little Bird has a new premise that might keep you turning the pages. But that is sadly the only great thing about it. Even though metaphorical and understandable, as well as fast paced, Tiffany Meuret's story has left many things out in the open for the reader to guess at without any clue. It was interesting, no doubt, and I would like to see more from the author, but this one left a bit to be desired.

Josie is basically a recluse; even going so far as to have her groceries delivered to her home so she doesn't have to go out. She works from home, recently lost her father, oh- and she just got divorced. Josie's days consist of running her online customer service business and then drinking herself into a blackout. Her only companion is her little dog Po and occasionally talking with her mother on the phone, but she prefers it that way. One day, Josie notices that a new neighbor has moved in across the street and things start getting strange. In her back yard, which is normally barren, a plant begins growing out of nowhere. Each day it gets bigger and vines start sprouting from it in all directions. When letting Po outside one morning, Josie notices something that completely shocks her -- a skeleton appears from within the center of the giant, viney plant. Why is there a skeleton in her back yard? What does it want and how does Josie's odd new neighbor fit into all of this?

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read Little Bird. This was a very interesting story. I don't think I've ever read anything quite like this. Josie is such a complicated character because of the things she's gone through in her life. Also a skeleton popping out of a plant in the ground?? That was an interesting aspect of the story. This story also makes you think about what you would do if you were faced with the decision that Josie has to make. I enjoyed Little Bird, but sometimes it felt like the author was dragging things out in order to make the story longer. I feel like it almost could have been a short story, but it was still good.

Thanks NetGalley for allowing to read this book. It was not a book for me but it was okay. If it was longer I would not have been able to finish it but because it was so short, I stuck it out and read it. Maybe I just did not understand it.

Josie is a wonderfully complex character, full of wit and struggle. A character that isn't coping well with the loss of her father, using vodka as a crutch, yet it didn't bog the story down. The sentient plant grows in her backyard, and we go on a journey where Josie (a hermit) is pulled from her shell and finds new family in the world. This book had moments of hilarious wit and heartwarming too. It entertained and showed hope even after experiencing loss. This was a real gem to read!

Little Bird by Tiffany Meuret is a fast read, clocking in at 226 pages. This character focused horror has a creepy, atmospheric quality. When an author can write menacing tension, you know it’ll be good.
Little Bird follows divorcee Josie Lauer, grieving the loss of a parent. Josie’s grief has not been easy; she is isolating herself in her home with two of her closest confidants- dog Po and ..well, liquor.
Josie wakes up to find a small green bush has appeared in the middle of her yard over night. This plant rapidly expand, nearly taking over the yard with vines.
Sue, the nosey neighbor has taken an interest in this plant, and the skeleton, quite literally, within.
Something impactful is about to happen to Josie, and Sue’s sugary sweet, but nosiness is going to be a passenger.

Thank you to Netgalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Josie lives alone with her dog Po. She has isolated herself from the world, works in a job where she writes emails for clients who need someone to email in a way that smooths over some sort of gaffe, and she drinks herself into oblivion with cheap vodka every night. She avoids her mother. She does not care for any of her neighbors. She is less than enthused to see Sue moving into the rental next door, and she hopes that this lady will leave her alone and move on quicker than the last tenant. With the arrival of this neighbor, vines start to appear in her grass-free backyard. Soon this neighbor, these vines, and a talking skeleton in the backyard take over her life.

I really like the first half of this book. The setup and the character development are very well done, and it is pretty exciting watching Josie squirm under the intrusions into her life. The second half gets to the bottom of the reasons why Josie is the way that she is, and there are some great, quotable sentences, but it is much more philosophical and meditative than the first half. This is not to say that the second half is not good; the second half book does not have the same momentum and whimsy that started in the first half.

I like the characters and the writing in Little Bird. This definitely feels like a character journey type book, where Josie learns more awareness of how the things she does impacts the world, regardless of whether or not she feels like she is being impactful. The way she feels about the things that she has lost and the way that she copes with her losses are not only affecting her, but they have an effect on everyone around her. Even if most of the world is through her computer and her physical interactions are minimal, there are ways that she disrupts the world. This story embraces that lesson and Josie is not interested in hearing any of it. As a whole the story of Little Bird is well written and interesting, and it gives you some ideas on self-awareness that will make you think long after the story is over.

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

*4.5 rounded up to 5 stars*

Still coping with her divorce and grieving the death of her father, Josie Lauer closes herself off inside her home. But to say she is coping is quite the stretch, as Josie seems to be anything but coping. When her well-planned routines are suddenly disrupted by the small shrub that sprouted in her backyard, Josie’s life takes an unexpected turn. As if one surprise is not enough, Josie also finds out that a new, and quite nosey neighbor, just moved to the house next door. In a matter of days, Josie needs to figure out the reason why all things happened at the same time, and how to deal with all of them.

I am terrible at book descriptions, but I did try my best. However, this lame excuse of a synopsis really doesn’t do the book any justice!

I was drawn to the cover, but it was the synopsis that really sold this book to me. I discovered last year how much I love weird fiction, and while I’m still discovering what that really means, I feel like “Little Bird” really fits into that very general notion.

The story was wonderful, and it got me hooked from beginning to end. The characters were really interesting to read about. I felt like I could really empathize with Josie and her struggles, and I really like how her pain and grief were explored in the story. However, I do wish that it had a little more horror mixed into it.

If I had to describe “Little Bird” in just one word, I would say Atmospheric. It really sets a mood and that really gave the sensation that I was also part of the story. I do have to say that I listened to gothic and horror playlists while reading “Little Bird”, and I would recommend to anyone who likes to listen to music while reading to also do this!

Thank you to @netgalley and @blackspotbooks for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Josie Lauer lives a sad, predictable and solitary existence until one day she is forced to entertain the possibility of what she believed could never be. Given a choice, Josie must grapple with her pain and make an overdue decision.

“Life is precious, Little Bird, and so infinitesimally rare that it must be guarded at all costs, no matter how stupidly some of the living behave.”

In starting this book, I wasn’t sure what to expect. The fantasy elements are quite creative in imagery and also in certain characters, as I liked the nature component. The dialogue between Josie and Skelly is clever and has much meaning to Josie’s circumstances, though there were times when I wanted to delve bit more into Josie’s pain. That said, I was rooting for Josie and was intrigued by Skelly.

Little Bird is about rising above grief. This book would appeal to those seeking a fantasy read.

I had a high expectation for this one. I loved the cover, the blurb was intriguing. However, I felt nothing really much happened in this story. I almost DNFd this one but I tried my best to get through it.

Thank you Netgalley for the Arc.

A charming little tale with mystery, imagination, and tragedy. This book is definitely not a horror novel, thus I think that labeling it as such is incorrect.
The amount of truth and exposing of the human condition that this story so deftly draws out really is beyond my ability to adequately explain. The message will get through, albeit partly masked in metaphors and cryptic tales only an eternal skeleton can relate. And it'll undoubtedly stick with you long after the final page has been turned.

I love how so many things happened in the book. I could not keep myself from the book because it was so good

This is the sort of wonderfully unusual and original book that is impossible to neatly pigeonhole. A little macabre, mysterious and somewhat dark, there is a lightness as well. A surreal journey of someone dealing with (or perhaps not dealing with) the pains of life, who finds herself in a bizarre situation with a conclusion she is blind to.

3.75 Stars

After losing her marriage and her father, Josie Lauer’s life quickly headed down the rabbit hole. With only her chihuahua and vodka for company, she tried to maintain a somewhat normal albeit recluse life. That was until a skeleton, and a nosy new neighbor settled in and forced her to face her reality.

I’m in love with the book cover. It was what made me pick up the book and found the elements perfectly fit the story.

One word to describe this book is weird, with a talking skeleton and living vines constantly creeping into Josie’s life. I liked the characters even though they can be quite invasive. The story was more philosophical and introspective than straightforward.

Little Bird is a story of finding one’s purpose. It would appeal to readers who enjoy a quick magical realism story.

I really enjoyed the first half of the book, or really, the first quarter. It was funny, quirky (not in the cringe-inducing way) and relatable. But then, around half way, the book lost its charm. The humor disappeared, the plot stalled and became a little bit too melodramatic. Skelly’s intentions became clear a little too late, and Josie’s interactions with her only became frequent in the last quarter. For most of the book, instead of interacting with Skelly, Josie ran away and ignored her.
Yes, yes, that is the metaphor - Josie ignored Skelly just as she ignored her problems, isolated herself just as she isolated herself from her mother, her ex-husband, the world. But what made the parts that were good was the interaction between the two of them, so when that stopped, the book lost its charm, the humor, and became yet another “woe is me, I am lonely, divorced alcoholic” narrative.
Everyone’s motivations were a little too vague, a little too cryptic.
I read this during a time when we were still going in and out of lockdowns and I was working from home. There were so many things that I related to - working from home, cocooned from people in my own space; the adult angst of expecting your life to be something by the time you’re over thirty; the millennial trait of replacing children with pets (how relatable); depression, addiction, self-hate.
The short and sweet novel had so much going for it - the humour, the relatability, the mystery - and yet it felt short, being one of my most disappointing reads of last year.


I received this novel from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Tiffany Mueret came onto my radar thanks to A Flood of Posies, a very strange but disorienting novel about two sisters, a flooded world, and the creatures that lie beneath the waters. It was definitely an experience but while mesmeric, it's one of those that you aren't sure if it's happening in the characters head or if it's really happening.. I felt that exact same way while reading Little Bird.

To start with, Mueret undoubtedly writes substantial characters. As with A Flood of Posies, her main character is a complicated woman with complex emotions. In this case, Josie Lauer is grieving after the death of her father and the end of her marriage. She sequesters herself inside her house with only her dog, Po, for company and seeks to drown herself each night in copious amounts of vodka so she doesn't have to face her grief. She's crotchety and unsociable, with her only interactions being by email for the company she runs, which ironically is teaching companies how to communicate effectively to solve problems with their clients. Being in customer service myself, I can certainly understand the duality of being "on" professionally and hating people in private. That sounds horrid but anyone front-facing in their jobs understands, so I completely get Josie.

One day, what Josie thinks is a weed pops up in her backyard. Shortly thereafter, a new neighbor appears; a very assertive and cheerfully demanding neighbor, who doesn't get that Josie just wants to be left alone. Then up shoots Skelly, a philosophical sentient skeleton sitting on throne made of vines in the backyard. Suddenly, Josie is no longer alone and can't shut everyone out.

While the interactions of Skelly the skeleton and Josie are unquestionably interesting and oftimes humourous, I kept waiting for something additional to happen. The majority of the book is spent with Skelly and Josie in conversation or Josie in her own head. While I had expectations at first, I wouldn't say it is horror. There's an assuredly supernatural aspect to it but I'd still file it somewhere under dark fantasy or magical realism than horror. There's nothing inherently scary about it—even the skeleton is described as a Halloween decoration or toy. It's about grief, tough emotions and sometimes those can be scary enough.

Freshly divorced and grieving the death of her father, Josie Lauer has caged herself inside her home. To cope with her losses, Josie follows a strict daily routine of work, playing with her dog, Po, and trying to remember to eat a decent meal--and ending each night by drinking copious amounts of vodka. In other words, she is not coping at all. Everything changes when Josie wakes to find a small shrub has sprouted in her otherwise dirt backyard the morning after yet another bender. Within hours, the vine-like plant is running amok--and it’s brought company. The appearance of the unwieldly growth has also heralded the arrival of a busybody new neighbor who insists on thrusting herself into Josie’s life. The neighbor Josie can deal with. The talking skeleton called Skelly that has perched itself in Josie’s backyard on a throne made of vines, however, is an entirely different matter. As the strangely sentient plant continues to grow and twist its tendrils inside Josie’s suddenly complicated life, Josie begins to realize her new neighbor knows a lot more about the vines and her bizarre new visitor than she initially lets on. There’s a reason Skelly has chosen to appear in Josie’s suddenly-blooming backyard and insists on pulling her out of her carefully kept self-isolation. All Josie has to do is figure out what that reason is--and she has only a few days to do it, or else she might find herself on the wrong side of catastrophe.

This is a brilliant read.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and found myself second guessing every thought I had continuously.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.

I was provided an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. This is my own honest voluntary review.

Little Bird by Tiffany Meuret was the first book I have read from this author and I loved the cover of this book., hence I chose it........ However I found it really hard to get into it. Little bird was a sweet story but filled with so much sadness, fantasy and then a mystery. I found there was just too much going on and not enough pages to fit it all in. I did start to enjoy this; when I was half way through it and then at the end I thought what have I just read!!!!

Hmmmmmm This is a book, you really need to close the world around you - phones off, etc find a quiet place and open your kindle and feel the magic of this book Little bird!

I do recommend this book but give it a few chapters before you get into it

Big Thank you to Netgalley, Black Spot Books and Tiffany Mueret for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review

⭐⭐⭐ -- beautiful cover!

Soooo...I am not really sure what to say about this book. I didn't hate it; I didn't love it. I just sort of feel I missed the point of it, maybe?? 🤷🏻‍♀️ It was certainly a different type of book than I usually read. It's a relatively short book that i finished all in one go and I enjoyed the characters a lot. I guess i am just confused about what it was about. Or maybe what the point was? 🤔

**ARC Via NetGalley**

You ever start reading a book where you’re like.. “What am I reading..” but at the same time you can’t look away from it?

Little Bird by Tiffany Meuret had so many high reviews on Goodreads that I couldn’t help but dive right in. Especially when I saw that it was such a short read! After finishing it I still had no idea what I had just read and I would have loved a bit more of an explanation but it was actually a good book overall!

She can't hide forever...

Josie is doing just fine after her divorce and her father's death. Every day she drinks her coffee, works from home, cuddles her ever-demanding dog Po, and helps herself to a generous helping of vodka before bed. Every day is the same, until one morning, during a particularly wicked hangover, she notices a plant in her barren backyard. The plant grows and flourishes into oddly sentient vines and flowers. Soon Josie is disturbed to see a skeleton perched upon a throne made of vines in the middle of the plant, and thinks she must be losing her mind. On top of dealing with the skeleton, who introduces herself as Skelly, Josie also has a new neighbour, Sue, who is bound and determined to get to know her. Before long, Josie realizes that Sue is no stranger to Skelly and the vines herself. Why has Skelly chosen to invade Josie's life all of a sudden? Will Josie find out before it's too late?
Little Bird is unlike anything I have ever read. I absolutely loved it and was eager to discover more about Skelly and Josie's life. Josie was such a sad and broken person and I felt a strong sense of empathy for her and her situation. I also really loved Josie's chihuahua, Po, who reminded me a little of my chihuahua! Po's quirks definitely added a light-hearted touch to the story at times. I would recommend Little Bird to anyone who is looking for a unique and beautiful read!