The hunt for the nightingale

Nine-year-old Jasper is a worrier, particularly concerning his older sister Rosie, who fails to arrive for a promised weekend visit. His distracted parents tell him she has gone to a better place, but Jasper is convinced she must be lost to have missed their get-together. He sets off alone to search, carefully plotting his route across the British countryside, heading toward a service station with a tree where Rosie recently saw a nightingale. Juckes' thoughtful narrative toggles between memories of treasured experiences with Rosie and current happenings, including new acquaintances he meets. Although family characters feel one-dimensional (Mom and Dad ignore Jasper while concentrating on their home business, and Rosie is the perfect mother figure) and Jasper's cluelessness about Rosie's death isn't quite convincing, Juckes writes perceptively about mental health and the grieving process. Interspersed bird facts (a passion shared by Rosie and Jasper) and frequent black-line drawings will appeal to readers prepared for a three-hankie cry.

An English boy navigates grief and loss. Jasper, a 9-year-old with severe anxiety, used to watch birds with his older sister, Rosie. They kept their own journal of bird facts and looked out for the nightingale's annual visit. Their hobby offered a calming escape from their tension-filled home lives, with financially struggling parents who were constantly working. Rosie promised to return home from university in the spring, in time to hunt for the nightingale with Jasper--but she never arrived. Dad said she'd "gone to a Better Place," and Jasper decides that if she isn't with him, "her Better Place must be with the nightingale." He packs a bag, leaves a note, and sets off by bus to find them. Along the way, Jasper helps others find their lost things, and each person he meets guides him toward understanding grief and loss. Jasper's recollection of important memories of Rosie helps him come to terms with her death and emboldens him to communicate to his parents his frustration with their emotional neglect. Jasper's first-person point of view is punctuated by expressive illustrations of birds, bird facts, and excerpts from the siblings' bird journal. The bird information foreshadows parts of the story and symbolically represents Rosie's ongoing presence. The mental health subplot will speak to many readers. Jasper reads white; names cue ethnic diversity in the supporting cast. A beautifully written novel, pervaded with bittersweet and complex internal conflict. (map, author's note)(Fiction. 8-12) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.