Being honest this is a book I probably would not have been drawn to after reading the blurb however I have read two of Chidgey's previous novels and really enjoyed them so decided to give this one a go and I am so so glad I did. What a wonderful read.

The main character of this book is Tama, a magpie. When you read it this absurd idea actually becomes quite profound, don't write this book off by its synopsis. This is a dark,, wise , intelligent , funny and magical tale. I loved this bird. I loved Marnie. I loved the vivid NZ descriptions and I found myself almost developing a love for wood chopping.
Chidgey is an incredible writer. I am astounded by how different each of her books are and the razor sharpness perspective she brings with each one.

4 - 4.5 stars.

I received this book from NetGalley and Europa Editions in exchange for a free and honest review.

This book follows Tama, a tamed magpie that was rescued as a young chick by Marnie. Marnie lives in a sheep farm in New Zealand with her husband Rob, their farm is failing due to lack of rain and unwillingness to diversify their product. Soon Marnie begins to post Tara on social media where he gets a sizeable following, this allows them to monetise his image. All this is building up to the Axelmans Festival, where Rob will try to win his tenth consecutive golden axe. This novel was quite a good read with some funny and shocking parts. The topics discussed especially to do with social media and being trapped are apt. As the more that people engage with social media, the more that some fans/ subscribers feel entitled to bloggers/ vloggers. This may result in loss of privacy and some dangerous situations if not managed well, it's quite dangerous for dependents such as children and pets. As some people may try to engage/ harm with them. Overall, a very good book with hard hitting topics but I would strongly advise readers to check content warnings.

This is a dark book. It builds up the possibilities of endings, but I'm glad to say it ended in a way that I found the overall reading experience satisfying.

Our narrator is a magpie, separated from its flock and nurtured to health by Marnie. Once outside the house, the bird flies away but soon finds itself returning and a new life as Tama, the talking magpie, begins. From the very beginning, we see the train of thoughts in Tama's head. We know his priorities and all the other little things that happen inside that house. The foreboding continues as readers can easily anticipate some of the parts of the ending.

The writing was of a style that I particularly enjoy. There's a change in tone based on what part of the narrative we are focusing on. I think it could have been a little shorter, but it was definitely very different from other books I've recently read.

I would recommend it to people who like to pick something that doesn't really fall under any particular genre.

I received an ARC thanks to Netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.