Official Review: Song Bird by Christine M Knight

Please use this sub-forum to discuss any fiction books or series that do not fit into one of the other categories. If the fiction book fits into one the other categories, please use that category instead.
Forum rules
Authors and publishers are not able to post replies in the review topics.
Post Reply
User avatar
dragonet07
Posts: 1715
Joined: 20 Jun 2017, 16:43
Favorite Book: <a href="http://forums.onlinebookclub.org/shelve ... 23031">The Beauty of the Fall</a>
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 1718
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-dragonet07.html
Latest Review: Creating Literary Stories: A Fiction Writer's Guide by William H. Coles

Official Review: Song Bird by Christine M Knight

Post by dragonet07 »

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Song Bird" by Christine M Knight.]
Book Cover
4 out of 4 stars
Share This Review


People change, as the saying goes. We grow older, we make mistakes, we have successes, and we adapt to fit our new lives. Life forces us to reassess what we do, how we do it, and even who we are, evaluations which very few among us greet with open arms. That’s not to mention how our loved ones will react to the “new” version of us. But what if change is inevitable? What if circumstances throw us into the river of change—should we go with the flow? Or should we swim upstream, back to where we came from, to please others?

In Christine M. Knight’s Song Bird, Nikki Mills has found herself in this river of change. She wants to flow where the change will take her, but others—especially her parents—keep trying to pull her back upstream instead of adapting with her. Yet with the success of her band’s most recent tour, Nikki and her loved ones may have no choice but to embrace this new life, with which will come new challenges.

When she and The Nikki Mills Band return from their tour—infamously dubbed “The Babes-in-the-Bath” tour—everyone is eager for some downtime. Nikki’s parents welcome her home with open arms, and her son, Dan, latches himself to her side. Unfortunately for the Mills family, the fanfare that greets Nikki at the airport also follows her home. She can’t even go back-to-school shopping with Dan without being bombarded by tourists. Add to that a performance at the ARIA Music Awards and a possible tour near Christmas, and all of Nikki’s family time seems to vanish before it’s even started. With all of this excitement and struggles to balance her career and her family, Nikki also carries two prominent inner struggles: a desire to change her legal name to reflect her new self and budding romantic feelings. Will Nikki ever get the courage to release the last remnants of Mavis? Can she reconcile her new, independent personality with her desire for a romantic relationship? Most importantly, can she continue to advance her career without letting people like Dan slip through the cracks?

After reading Knight’s In and Out of Step and Life Song, I was eager to read Song Bird, especially since it continues Nikki’s journey to realizing her dreams as a musician. A few years pass between the end of Life Song and Song Bird, but it felt as though I were picking up right where I left off. Many of the themes from the previous book carry to this one seamlessly: women’s independence and equality, the male/female dynamic, the career/family balance, and finding oneself despite all odds. Nikki must learn to move about her own hometown of Keimara without being mobbed by fans while giving Dan the love and attention he needs. Everyone supports her, most especially her parents, but like in Life Song, this support does not come without some backlash. The difference in this book is that Knight now allows Nikki to dip into her desire for romantic love as well as managing her career and family.

Just as with In and Out of Step and Life Song, the characters in this novel are phenomenal and relatable. Even as they become celebrities, partners, and/or parents, each character maintains the core traits which made them engaging and unique in the first place. Kate is still fiercely independent and strong after she has her daughter, but she also uses those traits to be a loving mother; Gary is still fun, supportive, and responsible, he just grows even more into his responsible side with the birth of his daughter; and Nikki is still Mavis, trying to please everyone else even though she knows she shouldn’t, but she has also taken on new confidence which allows her to become the spitfire Nikki that fans see on stage. Even Dan and Zoey—one a child and one almost an adult—come into their own, playing off of each other and the adults to show what the children of single parents and celebrities go through.

My favorite part of this book, however, is how Knight portrays the pain and difficulty of entering a new relationship both as a strong woman and an abuse survivor. Nikki is the epitome of the modern woman—a single mother and a career woman. She does not want a man to interfere with either aspect of her life. She also realistically embodies the concept of “once bitten, twice shy,” afraid of being hurt once again. She does not jump into the first romantic relationship that seems viable. In fact, she ignores many potential suitors initially, keeping her attention on her music and trying to help Dan adjust to her new celebrity status. She slowly but surely settles back into the idea of someday having a relationship. In doing so, she must grapple with the emotional scars of previous abuse and the fragments of her Mavis personality which will only destroy her in the long run. Knight’s ability to recognize these issues and present them in such an eloquent and powerful way is the greatest strength in her writing and shows in all three books of this series.

Still, like the other books, Song Bird carries a weakness in its writing: excessive exposition. Knight utilizes a lot of exposition to develop characters, give their backgrounds, explain their thoughts, and catch readers up on the other two books. I personally prefer when books show such things through action, dialogue, and flashbacks. Nevertheless, despite my personal tastes, I find it hard to fault Knight for this excessive exposition. She weaves it masterfully into the narrative, so most readers probably will not be bothered by it. Additionally, the information provided through the exposition is critical to the novel, and so the exposition can be considered a necessary evil.

I noticed a couple minor proofreading errors, most misplaced quotation marks, but they are so infrequent that I think the book had to have been professionally edited. I must also warn non-Australian readers that Knight uses a lot of Australian jargon. I would not expect anything less from a book about Australian characters and I thought it created a much more immersive experience, but American readers in particular will need to look up a lot of phrases or figure them out based on context.

All things considered, I have to give Song Bird by Christine M. Knight 4 out of 4 stars. It is wonderfully written with very vivid and realistic characters. A strong plot is provided by Nikki’s rise to fame, but action-lovers will want to avoid this book. It’s all about character development and the relationships we forge in our everyday lives, so fans of realistic fiction are the best fit for it.

Be warned: this book runs about 304 pages and the cast of characters is very large. Regardless, Knight’s writing is so crisp and engaging that you won’t even realize how much you’ve read until you reach the end. Knight also provides a handy table of important characters at the beginning of the book, so if you ever get lost in all the names, all you have to do is flip back to the chart. I highly recommend this novel to readers who love strong female characters and characters chasing their dreams. While it can be read on its own, I definitely recommend reading the entire series for the best experience. I truly hope that Knight writes more soon, especially if the story includes the unique and ever-growing community of Song Bird.

******
Song Bird
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

Like dragonet07's review? Post a comment saying so!
The more that you read,
The more things you will know.
The more that you learn,
The more places you'll go.
~Dr. Seuss
User avatar
Cecilia_L
Previous Member of the Month
Posts: 4952
Joined: 08 Jun 2018, 22:16
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 436
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-cecilia-l.html
Latest Review: No Rushing when Brushing by Humairah Shah

Post by Cecilia_L »

I really connect with well-developed strong female characters like Nikki. Though I haven't read the first book, after reading your review I think I would enjoy them both.
kdstrack
Previous Member of the Month
Posts: 6473
Joined: 10 May 2017, 19:49
Currently Reading: The Savior
Bookshelf Size: 530
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-kdstrack.html
Latest Review: How To Be Successful by M. Curtis McCoy

Post by kdstrack »

Very interesting review. You did an excellent job of portraying the characters and themes of the second book of the series. This sounds like an interesting author and an intriguing series. Nice job!
User avatar
Bonnie Shelby
Posts: 346
Joined: 12 May 2018, 20:07
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 78
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-bonnie-shelby.html
Latest Review: Apollo's Raven by Linnea Tanner
Reading Device: B00IKPYKWG

Post by Bonnie Shelby »

Awesome detailed and thorough review! This sounds like an inspiring read, though I admit I'm more of an action-lover :)
User avatar
ezekielopinion
Posts: 1
Joined: 11 Jul 2018, 13:00
Currently Reading: And Then I Met Margaret
Bookshelf Size: 2

Post by ezekielopinion »

i love this book, it is as the writer knows all about my living life. i found new courage in this book, it's like a daily activies book meant to be read everyday. i rate this book 4 out of 4 star.
User avatar
kandscreeley
Special Discussion Leader
Posts: 11684
Joined: 31 Dec 2016, 20:31
Currently Reading: Believarexic
Bookshelf Size: 486
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-kandscreeley.html
Latest Review: The Elf Revelation by Jordan David

Post by kandscreeley »

I saw this and the first novel. It seems like something I would enjoy, and I want to read both. I'm looking forward to learning about Nikki and how she makes her dreams come true. Thanks for another good review.
A book is a dream you hold in your hands.
—Neil Gaiman
User avatar
Dael Reader
Posts: 684
Joined: 05 May 2018, 08:39
Currently Reading: The Story of Arthur Truluv
Bookshelf Size: 53
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-dael-reader.html
Latest Review: Extraordinary Stories From Everyday People (and me) by Les Clark
Reading Device: 1400697484

Post by Dael Reader »

I'm a musician (though not quite as famous as Nikki) and I struggle daily with the concept of change being the only constant in life. So I think I might like this one. I haven't read the others though. So maybe I should look into the first installment. Nice review!
Post Reply

Return to “Other Fiction Forum”