This quirky first novel narrated by a grumpy, self-obsessed raven is beautifully written and has a great deal to offer readers who like something a bit different.

The raven has made his home in a graveyard, where he enjoys watching the comings and goings of funerals and singing during church services. He can understand human speech and even talk, but he doesn’t like to let this be known, as he suspects it might impinge upon his lifestyle. The only person who knows is the church reverend, who believes that the raven is actually the voice of God.

Of course, the raven inevitably gets entangled in the lives of a suicidal man, a recently departed ghost and the ghost’s grieving sister, while dealing with a noisy pigeon and a curious weatherhen on top of it all. His transformation is a delight to read about and lingers in the mind.

Angela Crocombe is the Children’s Book Buyer at Readings St Kilda, mother to a three year-old, and the author of two books on sustainable living, A Lighter Footprint: A Practical Guide to Minimising your Impact on the Planet and Ethical Eating.