This book is filled with the same in-between energy of not yet being an adult - being nowhere close - but having to grow up. Deeply reminiscent of the embarrassment of existing in your own body, where words seem like butterflies you can’t catch, but somehow end up in your stomach as soon as you open your mouth. It brought me back to nights where I’d sit against the fence at the empty lot down the street, bathed in the buttery light of street lamps and drinking from the same soft green can covered in cherry blossom branches. I’d sit with friends and we’d feel the world and how it was unfolding before us. But was I brave enough to step out and explore? Maybe if I had books like this I would have been a little braver.
The Language of Seabirds is a nostalgic and potent story of first loves, friendship, and defining yourself with words you sometimes have to mold like clay to fit who you are becoming. It’s a very honest depiction of being young and feels like a snapshot out of so many of our lives. It is beautifully written, almost poetic. Highly recommend this story to middle-grade/young adult readers and adults who might have needed a book like this growing up.
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A sweet and tender story of young love
4.5/5 starsThe Language of Seabirds is a sweet and loving middle grade book about two preteen boys falling in love. Jeremy’s life is in transition. He is halfway through his final year between his preteen and teenage years, and he just figured out he likes boys. His parents just got divorced and he must decide over this summer break who he wants to live with. When he and his dad go on a two week vacation in a small touristy beach town, he meets a fellow 12-year-old boy Evan who evokes emotions he is still completely new to.I was at first iffy about how young the protagonists are on this book, but Will Taylor successfully wrote a tender and innocent romance between these boys that is mostly left unspoken but not unacknowledged. They are just young boys on the cusp of adolescence who love to run, play with dinosaur toys, and talk about birds while also wanting to hold hands and have meaningful comfortable silences. Jeremy struggles with his love of fashion magazines, his evolving relationship with his once easy-going father who has changed since becoming a solo parent, and his desire to feel safe and not keep the secret parts of himself to himself.𝘐𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘢𝘧𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥, 𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘨𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘴.Will Taylor’s prose here is evocative and imaginative. He gives Jeremy and Evan a secret love language of their own through their mutual interest in seabirds. The story is quiet and intimate, but also wholly mesmerizing and moving. You cannot help but fall in love with these characters or see yourself in their shoes.𝘏𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘢𝘺 𝘪𝘵. 𝘏𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘥. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘰 𝘢𝘧𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘥. 𝘒𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘵, 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘶𝘨𝘦, 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘥, 𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘴. 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘩𝘶𝘳𝘵. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘯𝘰 𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬.The Language of Seabirds is an intimate and tender story of young love between two boys that speaks volumes.
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Reviewed in the United States on January 6, 2024
Reviewed in the United States on October 24, 2022
4.5/5 stars
The Language of Seabirds is a sweet and loving middle grade book about two preteen boys falling in love. Jeremy’s life is in transition. He is halfway through his final year between his preteen and teenage years, and he just figured out he likes boys. His parents just got divorced and he must decide over this summer break who he wants to live with. When he and his dad go on a two week vacation in a small touristy beach town, he meets a fellow 12-year-old boy Evan who evokes emotions he is still completely new to.
I was at first iffy about how young the protagonists are on this book, but Will Taylor successfully wrote a tender and innocent romance between these boys that is mostly left unspoken but not unacknowledged. They are just young boys on the cusp of adolescence who love to run, play with dinosaur toys, and talk about birds while also wanting to hold hands and have meaningful comfortable silences. Jeremy struggles with his love of fashion magazines, his evolving relationship with his once easy-going father who has changed since becoming a solo parent, and his desire to feel safe and not keep the secret parts of himself to himself.
𝘐𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘢𝘧𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥, 𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘨𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘴.
Will Taylor’s prose here is evocative and imaginative. He gives Jeremy and Evan a secret love language of their own through their mutual interest in seabirds. The story is quiet and intimate, but also wholly mesmerizing and moving. You cannot help but fall in love with these characters or see yourself in their shoes.
𝘏𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘢𝘺 𝘪𝘵. 𝘏𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘥. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘰 𝘢𝘧𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘥. 𝘒𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘵, 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘶𝘨𝘦, 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘥, 𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘴. 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘩𝘶𝘳𝘵. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘯𝘰 𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬.
The Language of Seabirds is an intimate and tender story of young love between two boys that speaks volumes.
The Language of Seabirds is a sweet and loving middle grade book about two preteen boys falling in love. Jeremy’s life is in transition. He is halfway through his final year between his preteen and teenage years, and he just figured out he likes boys. His parents just got divorced and he must decide over this summer break who he wants to live with. When he and his dad go on a two week vacation in a small touristy beach town, he meets a fellow 12-year-old boy Evan who evokes emotions he is still completely new to.
I was at first iffy about how young the protagonists are on this book, but Will Taylor successfully wrote a tender and innocent romance between these boys that is mostly left unspoken but not unacknowledged. They are just young boys on the cusp of adolescence who love to run, play with dinosaur toys, and talk about birds while also wanting to hold hands and have meaningful comfortable silences. Jeremy struggles with his love of fashion magazines, his evolving relationship with his once easy-going father who has changed since becoming a solo parent, and his desire to feel safe and not keep the secret parts of himself to himself.
𝘐𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘢𝘧𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥, 𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘨𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘴.
Will Taylor’s prose here is evocative and imaginative. He gives Jeremy and Evan a secret love language of their own through their mutual interest in seabirds. The story is quiet and intimate, but also wholly mesmerizing and moving. You cannot help but fall in love with these characters or see yourself in their shoes.
𝘏𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘢𝘺 𝘪𝘵. 𝘏𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘥. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘰 𝘢𝘧𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘥. 𝘒𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘵, 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘶𝘨𝘦, 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘥, 𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘴. 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘩𝘶𝘳𝘵. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘯𝘰 𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬.
The Language of Seabirds is an intimate and tender story of young love between two boys that speaks volumes.
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