This is an exquisite debut novel about a family in turmoil, told in the startling, deeply affecting voice of a nine-year-old, autistic boy. Following the sudden death of Sebby’s mother, his father takes Sebby to live in the family’s summerhouse, hoping it will give them both time and space to recover. But Sebby’s father deteriorates in this new isolation, leaving Sebby struggling to understand his mother’s death alone, dreaming and even reliving moments of her life. He ultimately reaches out to a favorite teacher back home and to two nearby children who force him out of the void of the past and help him to exist in the present. In spare and gorgeous prose buoyed by the life force of its small, fearless narrator, Up High in the Trees introduces an astonishingly fresh and powerful literary voice. - from goodread
Even though this book was slow and didn't really have a big plot, I liked. It was depressing yet it still had moments in which I would catch my self smiling. Sebby is a nine year old who loses his mother and has to deal with an isolated dad and detached older siblings. I found it hard to make a connection with Sebby because I never dealt with something so tragic when I was nine. I couldn't relate with the book but I was still interested in how the book would end up.
It didn't really end on a happy note and that's understanding, Sebby isn't going to be happy for a long time. Once he's a bit older I think he'll be able to understand everything much better and he'll be able to get on with his life.
Rating: 5
