Feathertide by Beth Cartwright

Marea was born to be different – a girl born covered in the feathers of a bird, and kept hidden in a crumbling house full of secrets. When her new tutor, the Professor, arrives with his books, maps and magical stories, he reveals a world waiting outside the window and her curiosity is woken. Caught in the desire to discover her identity and find out why she has feathers fluttering down her back like golden thistledown, she leaves everything she has ever known and goes in search of the father she has never met.

This hunt leads her to the City of Murmurs, a place of mermaids and mystery, where jars of swirling mist are carried through the streets by the broken-hearted. It is here that she learns about love, identity and how to accept being that little bit different. (taken from Amazon)

Thank you to Ebery Publishing for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is a rare book. It’s the kind of quiet beautiful that reminds me why I like to read so very much. I was blown away by how a story with only a few characters could manage to feel so big. I loved every moment of it.

This book is about Marea, a girl born with feathers. She spends much of her young life watching the birds out her window and wondering if she’s more girl or more bird. As she gets older, she decides to leave the safety of her childhood and venture to the City of Murmurs, in search of her father and of answers.

One of the things I loved about this book is that, while ostensibly looking for her father, what Marea is really searching for is herself. At its core, this lovely book is about discovering who we are, embracing our uniqueness, and being courageous enough to share our differences with the world.

Marea herself was a wonderful main character. She was very unsure of herself, but also very believable. She was also extremely easy to relate to. I think all of us have our insecurities. The side characters were also fantastic: there was Sybel, who ultimately became like a mother to Marea; Leo, who offered to help Marea find her father; the Keeper of the Hours (oh my goodness, I loved that idea!); and Elver, who I refuse to spoil by saying anything about.

The City of Murmurs itself is really a character. I love books where the setting comes to life and Beth Cartwright crafted such a creative and beautiful world that I was immediately engrossed.

This is not a book with action scenes. You won’t find daring fights, or dastardly villains. What you will find, however, is an unassuming masterpiece, a book that will stay with you. I know I’ll find myself returning to the City of Murmurs again before too long.

I recommend this book very highly.