Feather (The Twitchers)

The Twitchers are back in the final part of their adventures. This time, Ava takes centre stage as she is present during the robbery of rare bird feathers at a museum. The Twitchers join forces to try and get back the feathers before the skins are broken up and sold. At the scene of the crime, Ava finds a black feather from a raven, but the police dismiss her find. Ava is convinced, however, that it is an important clue and with her friends she tries to thwart the dangerous gang of thieves.

I have so enjoyed The Twitchers series, reading the first book as part of my lockdown experience, and I have enjoyed the way the different characters take the lead, although Twitch himself remains my favourite. This book, Feather, has a twisting plot which reveals itself wonderfully as the story unfolds. I loved the way the little details fall into place and the reader gets those 'ah ha' moments. This is very clever crime and detective writing, and I was able to really appreciate that cleverness.

I thought that the final chapter was very funny and I did end up laughing to myself on the train - delightfully silly! The cover by Paddy Donnelly is another striking one for this series. It captures a tiny snippet of the book and puts it on the front, exactly as you might imagine.

Feather is a wonderful finale for this series and, whilst I will miss reading about Twitch and his friends, M G Leonard has gone out on a high.

320 pages / Reviewed by Jacqueline Harris, teacher

Suggested Reading Age 9+

The Twitchers are back! When Ava goes on a school trip to a museum, she finds herself in the middle of a robbery. Hundreds of valuable birds of paradise exhibits have been stolen, and it is vital that they are found before they are destroyed and their beautiful feathers sold. Ava begins to investigate and collect evidence, meeting up with a mysterious girl with a bruised face, and a menacing raven along the way. Ava then heads off to Briddvale, to spend the half-term holiday with Tara and the rest of the Twitchers, and they all agree that they have to solve the mystery of how this robbery was committed and return the exhibits to their rightful home.

Feather is the fourth instalment in M.G. Leonard's Twitchers series, and it definitely does not disappoint. Beautifully written and packed with well-drawn characters, it will be enjoyed by all who read it. Ava and her friends quickly realise that there is much more to this heist than first appears. The police will not listen to them so, with the help of their YouTuber friend, Pam, the Twitchers pool their resources and set out on a complex and dangerous adventure.

This is a darker storyline than the previous novels; we meet Rae Rackem, who has been orphaned in truly tragic circumstances and has been left in the care of her horrible uncle and cousins. Rae's only friend is her raven, Caliban, with whom she has the strongest of bonds. Ava is horrified at what Rae has been through and is determined to help her to escape from her difficult life but the Twitchers  will need to use every bit of their bravery and cunning to save Rae from a dreadful fate.

The author has given us a fast-paced adventure, and intersperses the story with a wealth of information - I had no idea that ravens were such intelligent and amazing birds! Throughout the book, the author cleverly teaches the reader so much about birds and wildlife, while keeping them entertained with a thrilling adventure. I understand that this is to be the final book in the Twitchers series, and I shall be sorry to say goodbye to Twitch, Jack, Tara, Tippi, Ava, Ozuru, Terry – and Pam! Hopefully M.G. Leonard has a whole bunch of new adventures in mind for us to enjoy!

320 pages / Reviewed by Beverley Somerset, school librarian

Suggested Reading Age 9+