The beauty of reading so much is that you’ll often come across a book that is a little bit different but is at the same time truly special and that was most certainly the case with A Girl Called Owl by Amy Wilson. Although, being a middle-grade book, it’s primarily aimed at an audience much younger than myself I was intrigued enough by its description to give it a go and I’m so very glad that I did. Including so many different elements, it certainly captured both my heart and my imagination.
With a mum who had the not so clever idea of calling her Owl, a best friend whose going through a difficult time and needs her support and a new boy at school giving her weird looks it’s safe to say that Owl really doesn’t need any more drama in her life. Owl’s always been told that she’s special, but she only begins to believe it when she starts seeing strange frost patterns appear on her skin. Knowing this is something that makes her stand out from her peers, Owl can’t help but wonder where she gets this extraordinary talent from, whether it’s from her father who she has never met before. Keen to find out more about her father, she goes on a journey of discovery but just where will it take her?
As a story that is mainly narrated from the perspective of Owl, one thing that can definitely be said is that Amy has created a wonderful lead character in her and, despite the age difference between both myself and her, I found that I was able to relate to her and the things that she was going through. Her story and everything that she experienced really did intrigue me and I was keen to read on and stay with her as she discovered all that she did. For such a young character I really loved Owl’s strength and determination and I also thought that it was a pleasure to see how she interacted so well with those around her, being an incredibly caring character and treating others with respect. When she eventually found her father, I loved seeing the way in which their relationship developed as the story progressed.
Growing up I read a few stories about young people who had never met one of their parents before, but none that I can remember were quite as imaginative as A Girl Called Owl turned out to be. Although the parts that went into the third person did sometimes throw me off the main storyline, I thought that overall it was a wonderfully well written book, one that most certainly had a very interesting plot. I really loved the way in which Amy had managed to include so much within her story, one that wasn’t just to do with relationships but one that also looked at a number of mythical characters that may so often be overlooked.
I found A Girl Called Owl to be a gorgeous, magical little book and one that I ended up adoring far more than I ever thought I would. As a book that focuses on the themes of identity, friendship and how to adapt to change, this is a story that should easily appeal to most readers over the age of 9 and I also think it would be ideal for those interested in mythical characters. A really beautiful debut novel that I hope many others will fall in love with!
