Hummingbird Season

Thank you to Bloomsbury Children's Books for letting me read an ARC of this book through NetGalley!

Hummingbird Season
Overall Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ (5/5) or 9.42/10 overall

Characters - 9
Archie was such a likeable, enjoyable, and most importantly, relatable character. He had clear interests and had self-growth along the way. I enjoyed seeing the change in his brother's demeanor over time as well. The parents and teachers didn't play as large of a role, but they still seemed receptive to hearing Archie's thoughts and helping him with his emotions.

Atmosphere - 10
This book seemed to capture the thoughts and feelings of the 2020 COVID lockdown perfectly. Even though Archie was much younger than I was during the same time, I could totally understand and empathize with his struggles and joys.

Writing - 9
Coming into the story, I did not realize that it was a book in verse, but I think that element really added to the emotion in a way that a “normally written” book would not have.

Plot - 9
Despite this book's relatively simple premise of a boy with asthma feeling trapped inside by COVID, there was still a well-developed and interesting plot.

Intrigue - 10
I first picked this book up because I thought the cover was gorgeous and the title sounded interesting, but the book was so much more emotionally impactful and the words flowed so delicately that I couldn't put the book down.

Logic - 9
This book was quite logical and there weren't any moments that pulled me out of the story because they felt unrealistic. The timeline felt a tad wonky, but nothing that couldn't be overlooked.

Enjoyment - 10
I REALLY enjoyed this book. It made me simultaneously feel like a young kid again, while also bringing me back to the first moments of COVID (and the eventual return to “normalcy”). Archie's feelings were so raw and real that I could deeply understand where he was coming from, at that made it so much easier to root for him. Overall, a delightful, emotional read for me. :)