The Bird Thief By Rachel Keating
Paperback published by Cadno 20th March 2025
ISBN 9781802586848
A caravan holiday in the Welsh countryside sounds like the perfect getaway, but for Erin and her family their daily struggles are not so easy to escape from. After a mystical accident in the woods leaves Erin with the extraordinary gift of bird abilities, she is forced to face her own internal battles, as well as new threats like the mean and persistent intruder, Bess. Being able to fly, slow down time and communicate with her new feathered friend a goldfinch called Fable all prove vital when Erin comes across birds being deliberately trapped and killed. Can her superpowers save her and everyone she loves when she finds fighting for her life in a forest fire? And what happens when her powers disappear?
MY REVIEW
The Bird Thief by Rachel Keating, is the most amazing, magical, unusual, fantasy about birds that has ever existed, loving every page. I bow to author Rachel Keating for her incredible imagination. Rachel Keating’s fantastic, debut book A Bird Thief, takes children, Ya readers, and even adults into fascinating fantasy holiday adventure. Erin is a young girl with with OCD, when she was six-years-old, Erin, had Fable her favourite toy. Erin, is on holiday staying in a caravan in the beautiful, Welsh countryside, with her family, when something extraordinary happens to her. Behind the caravan that Erin’s family is staying in, stands a wire fence, and that wire fence is the woods. While Erin is looking at the birds, something magical happens, one by one the birds, land on her, until she is covered with beautiful birds. Erin has superpowers, she doesn’t know how or why this happened, but she could hear a goldfinch talk to her, then, the most strangest thing happened, Erin is flying in the air, like a bird. My favourite lines were with Erin talking to the goldfinch. “What’s your name?” She asked. “If you want me, you can call me like this …” The complex birdsong that followed was the most beautiful noise she had ever heard. “I …I can’t make those kinds of sounds though,” she said apologetically. “I try until I can. In the meantime, what shall I call you?” “I don’t mind, you choose. A human name is just a name, it’s not a reason.” She wasn’t sure what he meant. “Ok. Hmm…oh, I know!” She smiled. “Can I call you Fable?” A Bird Thief, by Rachel Keating, is for fans of M.G. Leonard, Twitch books, where Twitch love’s birdwatching. I’m incredibly honoured to recommend The Bird Thief to anyone who adores nature of birds and who likes to escape with a fantasy adventure. I’m really looking forward to reading new author Rachel Keating’s next adventure.
About author Rachel Keating
Author Rachel Keating is a member of SCBWI and has attended many writing courses including Lucy Strange’s ‘Writing Middle Grade’ workshop in Bath and a six-week MG course with Lindsay Galvin. Rachel is currently a stay-at-home parent living in Northampton. This is her first published book and draws on her own experiences with OCD. http://www.instagram.com/rachelkeatingauthor http://www.twitter.com/RachelCKeating https://rachelkeating.com/
