"'Some day,' I say, 'we'll find ourselves an aeroplane and fly up into the big blue sky. We'll be like birds. We'll fly across the whole Atlantic Ocean, all the way to Trinidad.'
'Just you and me?' says Red.
'Just you and me,' I say."
Scarlet lives in a flat, high above everything else, with her ill, smoking mum and little brother Red. Scarlet and Red love each other unconditionally and are very close, despite their physical differences - Scarlet is black, and Red is pale and red-haired. Scarlet will do anything to help her brother, who suffers from a very rare and special condition, which requires him to be close to birds and his irreplaceable feather collection.
The brother and sister also have a dream, an ambition, which keeps them going through hard times – they must fly to Trinidad and see their very own special birds: the scarlet ibis. But when they are violently separated after a dramatic accident occurs, Scarlet is determined to get Red, and Mum, back, and she knows that she is the only one who can keep her brother going...
As I am writing this, I am still feeling completely mesmerised by Scarlet Ibis. I think we all expect Gill Lewis, as an incredible bestselling author, to give us the best – and here, she definitely did. In one word, this book was perfect. You feel safe, in a way, and trust the author. I sometimes kind of knew where the story was going, but for this book it was a good thing.
I think the comparison between Red and Little Red (the adopted baby pigeon) throughout the story was brilliant and really well thought through. The way it is written is wonderful, and made me feel like I was dreaming. It was quite subtle, and also magical. In some authors' cases, once you've read a couple of books by them, you'll find that there are some similar scenes or descriptions. But Gill Lewis always has new, individual ideas, and a very unique style.
This story converts you, and every time I see a bird I think of Red and Madame Popescu. I couldn't stop reading it, and I was really upset to turn one of the last pages and find that the new chapter was in fact the epilogue. If you loved Sky Hawk, then this is the perfect book for you!
Want to tell the world about a book you've read? Join the site and send us your review!
