Crow Girl is a nice story about finding one’s place in the jungle that is high school. Cann creates fills a void that has been sorely lacking in the YA genre—a story that deals with challenging issues that is both enticing to and digestible for struggling readers. From the get-go, readers will empathize with the main character, Lily, as she is taunted by the cool girls in school. She’d like nothing more than to fit in, but she is so paralyzed by fear at the thought of becoming an even bigger target for ostracism that she doesn’t dare open her mouth in school. When she finally finds something that gives her a sense of purpose, Lily discovers that a little bit of self-confidence and determination, while difficult, at first, to develop, can go a long way. Some adult readers may not accept the believability of Lily’s actions or the reactions of her peers, but Cann writes to promote hope regardless of how unrealistic her story might seem. All readers will appreciate the story’s quick pace and action-packed chapters.

Story & Pacing: 9
The plot is easy to grasp, but is very relatable to teenagers. Each chapter is short, focused, and serves to further the plot. This point will certainly serve students who suffer from dyslexia or ADHD.

Characters: 8
Lily is strong and realistic. Her troubles evoke empathy in the reader, and she you can’t help but root for her the whole way. That being said, because of the length of this novella, there isn’t much opportunity to develop other characters, too.

Setting: 7
I could see this story/plot line as one in a long series. As such, it would have been nice if Cann had chosen a specific location in which to set her story. It might add cohesion and an overall sense of returning to a well-loved story if more books do come about.

Style & Writing: 9
Cann’s style is targeted towards developing readers, and she succeeds in using simple but varied syntax. Anybody who has worked with struggling or dyslexic readers will appreciate how easily digestible each well-formulated sentence is. It may seem choppy or undeveloped to “regular” readers, but it’s great for those who find reading a chore.

Learnability & Teachability: 8
I know a handful of students who would definitely enjoy this book. Cann’s high-school-level themes written at a middle-school level is perfect to encourage my reluctant readers. I would have liked to have seen a polysyllabic word every now and then—not enough to discourage the reader, but enough to pose a challenge and to develop vocabulary. A glossary at the end and/or discussion questions created by the author would be another great way to further their experience and our discussions.

POTENTIAL TEACHABLES
The Mórrigan and other Celtic mythological creatures; crows and their characteristics; crows as symbols; complexities of building one’s own Halloween costumes.

For teacher-education classes: This would be a good book to discuss in classes about reluctant/struggling readers about how a writer can balance mature themes with lower reading levels. ( )

Lily is an outsider. Girls bully her, boys don't know she'd alive. She begins to hide from her troubles at the nearby Wakeless Woods. But she s not alone. The crows are there. Watching. When she finds the crows, she finds herself - and a burning need to show everyone at school the new Lily. Will this Halloween be a night to remember?

This book is a Barrington Stoke book - they specialise in books for struggling and dyslexic readers and their stories are varied and engaging. You could call it a 'quick read' book - at only 70 pages I picked it up and didn't put it down until I'd finished it, about 30 minutes later. Lily is a character that a lot of readers can identify with - she's the outsider, forced to be something she's not to avoid teasing and bullying from her fellow classmates. The story is simple yet engaging - I'd recommend it to any fans of YA books. You get to see Lily grow up and become who she wants to be, which kept me reading. She forms a relationships with a gang (well I suppose I could put murder) of crows and unwittingly, the crows really help her become popular at school. A must-read, I'm looking forward to reading the sequel. ( )

Mobbade tjejen hittar sätt att bygga upp sin självkänsla, blir vän med kråkor, får självförtroende och srträcker på sig. Budskap: ta själv ansvar för ditt liv, du är inget offer, du kan ändra, acceptera inte elakheter. Mycket bra. ( )

Jag tyckte om den här boken. Det är en LL-bok och ibland får historien stryka på foten för att boken ska bli lätt att läsa. Så är dock inte fallet med denna. Den är intressant och man blir glad över att Lily börjar inse att hon har ett värde och rätt att ta plats. ( )

Classic Cinderella story with a Goth twist. Lily is bullied at school until she discovers the hungry crows in a nearby park. By training them to come to her as she feeds them, her power over them grows and feeds her self confidence. So much so that at a Halloween party she shows off her new image as “Crow Girl” by constructing wings & bringing the hungry crows with her. But what if things go wrong & they attack the guests? p.55-58Lily’s revenge at the party