A Charm of Finches

This is my top favorite read amongst all of my favorite reads of the year! I cannot even begin to express the all-encompassing phenomenal masterpiece that is A Charm of Finches. Leave it to Suanne Laqueur to render me in a combination of shattered, speechless, winded and exhilarated after reading this. I don't know how not to feel when I dive into her books. The reader is basically vacuumed into the characters' world as if the reader is right there with them, experiencing all the highs and lows with them as they happen. Only 5-6% in and I was already devastated and ready to jump in to seek both vengeance and justice.

Javier Landes was introduced in An Exaltation of Larks and I absolutely adored him hard. Knowing his background, I wanted so badly for him to find the love and happiness he deserved and is worthy of. He's at a crossroad in his life, full of new beginnings and choices that are completely his own. It's uncharted territory but Javier is determined not to make a mess of things. He's opening himself up to the possibility of a relationship and exploring the give and take dynamic versus the constant giving from before. Let me just say that the blanketed warmth of unconditional love and contentment is a good look on him.

Steffan Finch, Curator & Sailor, but who is so much more - how we all need more men like him in the world. There's a reason why he's so talented at his job, a true gift to society and for all the survivors who flourish with his guidance and unwavering support. Watching him interact with those who need help the most and then seeing him as the man outside of his job, he is an outstanding person with so many layers. I would almost hate to think about where Stef would be in life at this time without Javier.

Then there's Geno, whose tragedy is the heart of the story. Geno, who needs a lifetime supply of hugs and affirmations, and is undecided if he's present in his own life battling for survival or merely an observer. Suanne does an excellent job of not only sharing his experience, but to bring attention to a demographic that is largely silent and under-served, but suffering regardless. I can't think about Geno without getting choked up. Suffice to say that Geno is who I kept reading for and couldn't put the book down, if only to support him as a cheerleading reader on his behalf, echoing Stef's words, "They didn't get the best of you."

There's so many heart smashing and heart mending moments, including from a collage of other colorful characters who tell their own stories or offer a safe place of no judgment. The hurting and the healing is crafted at a pace that is never too much or too little all at once. The emotional intensity cannot be understated, but there is also a lot of light hearted dialogue, too, that made me smile. This book is a true labor of love and I cannot wait to see what Suanne has in store next year. You are sorely missing out if you haven't read An Exaltation of Larks and if you did read it, then you absolutely must read A Charm of Finches, both are amongst my top favorites. Don't even bother arguing about it or make excuses. Just do it.

I thought Larks would be my favorite book but woah was I absolutely wrong… This book is unbelievably profound and touching and evoked so many feelings in me, I can’t even describe what I felt. One thing I do know, Finches is going to be one of my most all time favorite books ever because I really don’t know if I’ve read a better book.

Geno is a twin, closely connected to his brother all his life but recently feels them drifting apart after their mother’s death. But what happened to Geno in the first couple of chapters just broke me. Harrowing and unspeakable things are done to him during a forty four hour ordeal which ends in his brother’s suicide and father’s heart broken death. His physical recovery from almost the brink of death takes weeks and months but the psychological toll is too much to even read about, let alone experienced by this boy.

We met Stef at the end of Larks during his chance encounter with Javier. Stef is an art therapist who specializes in the most distressing cases of rape and abuse and it was so heartening to read about his work. He is a wonderful compassionate person with an unending well of creative ideas that he uses to help his clients deal with the most horrifying experiences of their lives. He is thoughtful, he is gentle but he is also resolute and I can’t even imagine the mental strength he has to deal with everything.

Jav has given up on his escorting and is now a full time writer but he is also lonely, and finally wants to find love. His chemistry with Stef is pretty much awesome from the first meeting but they are both vulnerable and have never really been in meaningful relationships before. Their slow burn relationship is just too beautiful to read about and they complement each other perfectly. Jav is uncertain about finding true love on his first try but Stef is always there with his unconditional love to prove him wrong. Stef is very adamant about not bringing his work home but it’s not always possible and when he can’t handle it all anymore, Jav is right there to unburden him. Their quiet moments, the silences, their conversations, the understanding they have about each other’s sexual limitations – it’s all so wonderful and I think one of the most fervent relationships I’ve ever read about.

This might be about Jav and Stef’s love but the heart of this book is Geno. He is violated in so many ways but his journey of picking up the pieces of his life and finding himself again is full of pain but also indomitable strength. He may have lost everyone in his family but he slowly starts forming relationships, first with a few guys in college and then with survivors like him at the Exodus Project. His relationship with Stef starts off in a professional manner but its develops into so much more deeper, almost brotherly love. Even Jav can’t help but admire Geno for his tenacity and endurance. Every single character is well fleshed out with backstories and all of them are essential parts of Geno’s journey of survival.

The author’s writing is evocative and emotional and utterly devastating but I wouldn’t have it any other way. She brings out the best in the characters and intense emotions in the readers and I laughed and cried and felt heartbroken and also hopeful. Her research into survivor’s guilt, their reactions and triggers, art therapy and certain historical events is very thorough and it reflects in every word on every page. We learn so much about the survivors – what they endure, what they feel and how they survive. It also teaches us to be more compassionate and thoughtful because we have no idea what anyone has been through. The author also leaves us with lots of questions – about the best and worst of humanity, what will a person do to survive, how do we move on when we never get answers to the questions that are eating at us, about the silenced demographic of male rape survivors whose stories we never get to hear because of our society’s norms on masculinity, and ultimately, what are the little ways in which we can help.

This story might start with a basement of horrors but its a beautiful tale of love, loss, survival, strength, friendship and family. Reading the book will put your heart through a wringer but you will end it feeling a little better and hopeful. It can be read as a standalone but knowing more about Jav’s backstory in Larks definitely enriched my experience. It doesn’t matter what your favorite genre is, I feel this is a book everyone should read because it might just make us a better person. It will definitely make us want to be one.

A Charm of Finches is an emotional rollercoaster that will force you to look deeper within yourself and ask yourself the toughest of questions. It is melancholic in a way that makes us relate to it. This book made me furious and teary eyed, and then happy within a span of just a few hours. I couldn't put it down and was transported to the world built by the author. The writing is gripping and leaves us at the edges of our seats to know what will happen next, it leaves us wishing, no- begging, for a happy ending when despair is the only reigning emotion.

TW: This book deals with a lot of sexual abuse, focusing on male sexual abuse, and child abuse.

I have never read a book which described such heart-wrenching topics so poignantly. At one point I was sure I would hurl this book across the room, but I'm glad I didn't give up on it. It is a book that I will read again, many times, until I have to buy a new copy. It is a book that will break my heart each and evey time I read it, even though I already know what is going to happen now.

I honestly feel like A Charm Of Finches should be included in the school syllabus, because after reading such horrifying results of someone's filthy actions, most people will be less inclined to commit such crimes.