Coo by Kaela Noel

 

My school recently got in a shipment of new books for our book clubs. A lot of them looked really cute, so I decided to choose a few to read on my lunch breaks. Coo by Kaela Noel was my first pick. I was drawn to the beautiful cover at first, and the summary on the back seemed so wholesome that it sealed the deal. 

The novel tells the story of Coo, a young girl abandoned by her parents as an infant. She is discovered by a flock of pigeons that lift her up to the rooftop of the building their dovecote is on and raise her as their own. Coo knows nothing of the world outside of her rooftop; the pigeons are her family and only companions. They brings her plastic bags to fashion into clothes and feed her bits of bread and old pieces of fruit they scavenge from dumpsters. In return, Coo scares off predators, like hawks. She can speak to the pigeons and loves them. They do love her in return, although, being pigeons, they are limited in the amount of affection they show. The exception to this is Burr, the pigeon that first found Coo as a baby. He has a special relationship with her and they look out for each other. 

Everything changes for Coo when Burr is injured one day. He breaks his wing and needs real medical attention to survive. Coo bravely carries him down from their rooftop to find him some help, and this sets off a chain of events that draws her into the world of humans--a place far more complicated than her dovecote ever was. She is able to find help for Burr, but soon after she learns of a city extermination plan that will harm her entire flock. Coo must learn how to navigate her strange new surroundings and figure out how to interact with other humans in order to save her friends.

This was a really cute story, and I enjoyed it a great deal. Of course, the premise is ridiculous and you have to suspend your disbelief in order to read it, but once you get past those things it's a good time. I liked the relationship between Coo and the pigeons. These weren't like cartoon pigeons at all, they spoke in their own, simple dialect, didn't understand a lot of concepts, and retained their pigeon instincts and concerns. There were several points throughout the story where Coo wished for her flock to understand more things or feel complex emotions, like loyalty or sacrifice. She loved them, but most of them could not love her back in the same way. It was interesting to watch her navigate that.

Coo herself was a very sympathetic character that was easy to root for. The human she eventually forms a relationship with, Tully, was much the same. Their story was very sweet and just as I expected, incredibly wholesome. This novel is perfect for the middle school audience it was written for and I think a lot of students will enjoy it, especially those who are into animals. The only potential downside is its length. At 407 pages, kids might be hesitant to pick Coo up. Granted, the pages are very short, but the visual of a thick book is a tough sell for young readers sometimes. Even so, those that aren't intimidated by its size will find a lot to love here.  

2023 Reading Challenges Tally:

Goodreads Reading Challenge: 18/24

Clear the Shelves 2023: 12/24