Dr. Bird’s Advice for Sad Poets by Evan Roskos

James is very depressed, but not sure why. He loves Walt Whitman. His parents are horrible. And he really wants to know why his sister Jorie was expelled from school leading to her being kicked out of their house. He learns that Jorie was cutting, talks to people about the day she was expelled, and visits a real therapist (in addition to the giant pigeon Dr. Bird in his head) to help himself feel better, and then finally talks to Jorie herself.

The book reads fast and was mostly stream of consciousness. Occasionally things happened, but mostly it was just James worrying and trying to figure things out. The speed at which he got better at the end didn’t ring true, however. It seemed rushed like the author ran out of things to say or had to finish up to meet a deadline or just felt the need to have a happy ending. Dr. Bird’s Advice for Sad Poets is worth reading, but doesn’t need to be at the top of a to read pile.

3 (out of 5) Stars

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