Response to the End of "Tail of the Blue Bird"

I rather enjoyed the ending of Tail of the Blue Bird. I think that I am definitely a person who deals in absolutes, so the fact that the mystery wasn't explicitly solved was slightly irksome. However I am a fan of ambiguity as I often find myself stranded in that realm. I liked the person Kayo had become. He so much freer now and he is much more accepting. I think that he inherently is willing to believe most things (in as non-naive a way as possible) but he choses to go for absolutes and logic. I was a little sad that his grandfather's death wasn't really resolved. By that I mean that he attempted to solve the case or, because the evidence probably didn't last that long, at least tried to go through the proper channels to attempt to solve the case.

I think this book was incredibly enjoyable. It's perfect for teenagers because it's got a little bit of magic, a little bit of dubious behavior (like spiking their drinks at dinner) but feels serious enough for kids who think themselves adults. It also helps show kids a different way of life than the one they know, while contrasting it with one that is apparent to them.