Compréhension écrite : Book Review: The Winter of Paper Birds

by Clara Montague · 312 pages

If you have ever felt that nobody really listens to you, you will

recognise yourself in Ella Brandt, the sixteen-year-old narrator of The

Winter of Paper Birds, the first novel by Clara Montague. It is one of the

most moving books for young readers I have read in years, although it is not

without its faults.

The story takes place in a small town by the sea during one long, snowy

winter. Since her father lost his job, Ella's family has been falling apart.

Her parents argue constantly, her older brother hardly comes home, and Ella

has stopped talking at school. Her only escape is folding paper birds, which

she leaves in unexpected places around town – on benches, in library books,

on the windows of the bus. One day, she finds a reply: a paper bird that is

not hers, with a short note inside.

The mystery of who is writing to Ella drives the plot, and Montague

builds the tension skilfully. But the real strength of the novel lies in its

characters. Ella is not a typical heroine; she is stubborn, often unkind,

and sometimes makes decisions that will frustrate readers. Yet her voice is

so honest that it is impossible not to care about her. The minor characters

are equally convincing, especially Mr. Okafor, the elderly bus driver who

notices more than he says.

Montague's writing is simple but beautiful. Short chapters and plenty of

dialogue make the book easy to read, and some descriptions of the frozen sea

stayed in my mind for days. Montague also has a gift for humour: Ella's

sharp comments about her teachers made me laugh out loud, even in the

saddest chapters.

The novel's main weakness is its ending. After almost 300 pages of slow,

careful storytelling, everything is solved in the last twenty pages, a

little too neatly. Some readers may also find the middle section, in which

very little happens, rather slow.

Despite these problems, The Winter of Paper Birds is a warm and wise

book about loneliness, family and the courage it takes to reach out to

others. I recommend it to readers aged 14 and up. Rating: four stars out of

five.