All The Birds In The Sky by Charlie Jane Anders

   All The Birds In The Sky

         Charlie Jane Anders

Dystopia - Science Fiction

Storyline - Intricately Plotted.   These books have complicated  storylines.  Often involving multiple plots w/ twists & turns.

Tone - Bleak.  Dark outlook, frequently devoid of faith in human nature & tending away from hope.

Character - Awkward.  Often unsure of themselves, these characters lack social savvy to navigate relationships & other interpersonal situations smoothly.  

Writing Style - Gritty.  Characterized by a narrative style that includes dark & unsettling details, these book often picture violence.

I classify this book as Weird!

The story follows 2 characters - Patricia, who is a witch, and Lawrence (not Larry), who is the epitome of science genius, building his own second time machine in middle school.  Strangely, the rest of this world feels like contemporary realism, with Patricia's witchiness and Lawrence's genius defining them as outsiders, often causing them to be bullied by classmates and punished by their parents.

The story stays with Patricia and Lawrence through their childhood and into their adult life.  Behind it all is the creepy Mr. Rose, a shadow across the story.  His unsettling presence brings a darkness to the story.   

Patrica as a witch, can talk to animals, is an embodiment of nature.

Lawrence, as a technological genius, is an embodiment of science.  These two seem like complete opposites, yet their lives are forced together, often at their unwillingness.

I would only recommend this book to science fiction lovers.  I, personally, did not care for it...I don't even like science fiction movies!!!!   Well, maybe ET!