(Starred Review)

In the amusing and at times mystical third book of Scott Semegran’s Simon Adventures series, single parent Simon Burchwood is back, this time with a story centering on his 6-year-old son, Sammie.

After Sammie spectacularly predicts an accident early in the novel, Simon realizes his son has a special ability that allows him to see into the future. The novel traces Simon’s journey of discovering his son’s ability and his attempts to have that ability recognized.

Readers also get to know his daughter Jessie, their nanny Nat, and Simon’s challenging past (including a cheating wife who was killed with her lover in a car crash).

When Simon learns his father is ailing, the four of them take a short road trip to visit him, and along the way, they meet the parakeet in the title, whom Sammie begs for.

The story is narrated by Simon, and admittedly his “voice”—meandering and expletive-filled—isn’t for everyone. That said, the novel’s delights abound. They include endearing illustrations: cartoons drawn by “Sammie” and realistic portrayals of objects Sammie finds. Even more compelling is Simon’s storytelling, which deftly pulls readers into his idiosyncratic world.

Simon directly addresses readers, and his narration is filled with delicious descriptions of life’s minutia: “I thought it weird that one of my prized possessions, which hid in the garage from my failed marriage and made it out the other side of a hectic move to a new home, was a rusty coffee can full of stinky, cigarette butts and ashes…What did it mean that something most people would consider a piece of trash held so much significance to me?” Semegran is a gifted writer, with a wry sense of humor.

Poignant, yet never maudlin, this novel will appeal to literary-minded readers and fans of magical realism. Although the Simon Adventures trilogy is already out, the ending suggests we’ll see more of Simon, Sammie and even the parakeet. That’s a happy possibility indeed.

Clarion Rating: 4 out of 5

More than a story of a gifted child learning to hone his talents, Sammie and Budgie is an exposé on the inner lives of children and their parents.

A widower and single father discovers, by chance, that his young son has developed clairvoyant abilities in Scott Semegran’s humorous Sammie and Budgie.

As they are leaving school one day, young Sammie tells his father, Simon, that the school aide will injure herself. Simon is shocked when it actually happens—and then he becomes curious. He works to learn more about premonitions following a few additional minor incidents.

The titular “Budgie” is a bird that Sammie yearns to adopt as a pet. Cute childlike illustrations throughout the text depict Sammie and Budgie, as well as other scenes in the story.

Simon, the narrator, speaks with a conversational voice that is consistent throughout the entire novel. He goes into great depth concerning his son’s newfound ability, as well as when describing his own day-to-day experiences, career, and personal life.

While the tone is entertaining and lighthearted, especially given the subject matter, the use of the phrase “it’s true” after paragraphs of exposition becomes repetitive after just a few chapters, and it is featured on nearly every other page. The consistency of Simon’s voice is admirable, though as character, and in his casualness, he is not always likable, to the extent that his narration becomes a point of frustration.

Much of the text consists of exposition and dialogue. While the writing quality is excellent and the dialogue between Simon and Sammie is immersive, there is little action to drive the plot forward. Much narrative propulsion involves Simon taking Sammie to doctor’s office and to and from school. Most of the book takes place at the family home, with Simon, Sammie, and Jessie, Simon’s older daughter, conversing about childhood topics—incidents that happened at school, children’s jokes, and the intricacies of children’s personalities.

More than a story of a gifted child learning to hone his talents, Sammie and Budgie is an exposé on the inner lives of children and their parents. The relationships between Simon and his children are thoroughly detailed, and much of the narration involves Simon thinking deeply about the development of Sammie’s and Jessie’s personalities. The outer life of the narrator may not make for a compelling plot, but his inner life is fascinating and superbly wrought.

Those interested in child psychology or clairvoyance will enjoy reading about Simon’s relationship with his children and will find plenty of laughs along the way.

Reviewed by Aimee Jodoin
January 9, 2018

Verdict: The thread of Scott Semegran’s fun-filled SAMMIE & BUDGIE takes a meandering course, but ultimately wraps itself up in a satisfying narrative bow.

SAMMIE & BUDGIE follows Simon Burchwood and his two children, Sammie and Jessie, through their daily lives in Austin, Texas. They are in many ways your typical family, except for that fact that Simon is pretty darn sure his son Sammie can see the future. Semegran’s novel opens with this bold reveal, immediately engaging the reader. When Simon picks him up from elementary school, Sammie tells him he thinks his school counselor is going to get seriously hurt. Shortly after, Sammie’s counselor is lying on the ground, unconscious. Simon is taken aback by Sammie’s ability to predict the future and stresses over whether or not he should tell anyone else about it.

After a strong first chapter and an undeniable hook, however, the story trails off and loses its momentum. Though there are other instances of Sammie being able to tell the future, none of them hit like the initial reveal. This is most likely due to a lack of character objective and stakes for much of the novel. Though it is entertaining to be inside Simon Burchwood’s head, it doesn’t do much to advance the story or keep the reader engaged. Though authentic, he is not particularly likable. His two children, on the other hand, are fascinating. His daughter Jessie is strong, snappy, great at Taekwondo, and though she teases him from time to time, really loves her brother. Sammie is inquisitive and charming, and his obsession with budgerigars (or budgies) acts as a powerful narrative glue.

The concept was great, but the execution could use a little work. Certain passages felt awkwardly placed, as if the author was trying to hit a word count rather than tell the most absorbing story possible. Chapters often started with anecdotes that only indirectly related to the narrative. Shifting these anecdotes to another part of the chapter, or getting rid of some altogether, would have helped with the pacing issue. A little more than half way into SAMMIE & BUDGIE, Simon receives a phone call that shifts the story into literal motion, and the family goes on a road trip as a result. This shift is smart, and its movement breathes life back into the story.

Though Simon’s love for his children shines through as one of the novel’s biggest strengths, its illustrations are perhaps the the best part. Expressive, adorable, and adding a fun surprise, they are a welcome addition to the reading experience. You may need to take a breather in between chapters, but you’ll still enjoy your time with the Burchwood family.

~Christine J. Schmidt for IndieReader

A father suspects his young son may hold the power to see the future in this novel.

Simon Burchwood is a tender father of two with a difficult life. A computer networking specialist who dreams of becoming an author, he spends an inordinate amount of time reflecting on his inadequacies and failures. Following the death of his ex-wife in a motor vehicle accident, Simon must raise Sammie, a bright as a button little boy with special needs, and his elder sister, Jessie, a competitive young girl with a ferocious love of taekwondo. Sammie wants a pet budgerigar (an Australian parakeet), which he plans to name Budgie. Simon begins to suspect that Sammie has unusual abilities when the child foresees his after-school counselor seriously injuring herself. Intrigue builds as Sammie’s apparent mysticism allows him to select a winning lottery ticket at a convenience store. Surprised and alarmed by his son, Simon takes Sammie to a physician but is met initially with skepticism. Yet when Sammie envisions that all is not well with his grandfather, whom he refers to as PeePaw, the clan sets off on a road trip posthaste. The result is a sensitively told story about family bonds and individual dreams. This is the third installment in the life of the fictional wannabe author. Semegran’s (The Meteoric Rise of Simon Burchwood, 2012, etc.) fan base will recognize Simon’s rambling, often crude confessional inner monologue: “Sometimes, kids say the weirdest things at the weirdest times and there really is no rhyme or reason to why they say these things. They just do, and what they say is like an involuntary burp that escapes your mouth an hour after lunch or a silent yet stinky fart that slips out while you’re in an important meeting.” Some readers may quickly dismiss this approach as overly wordy and tiresome, yet Semegran is a persuasive writer, and in this particular story, Simon’s self-doubting verbosity becomes oddly endearing. Sammie is the true star, however—a sparklingly intuitive young character whose few words make the tale truly tick. Simple lines such as “Sorry I told you the truth, Daddy” are not only heart-melting, but also succeed in puncturing the hubris of adult life with the innocence of childhood. Illustrated throughout by Semegran, this book is the author’s best. In these pages, his steadfastly idiosyncratic style really begins to click.

An unconventional, beguiling, and endearing family tale.

Semegran’s third book in the Simon Adventures series is a meandering, stream-of-consciousness critique of the relentlessly confusing world narrated by a harried single father of two small children. Newly divorced and living in Austin, Tex., Simon Burchwood is raising Sammie, his third-grader son who is on the autism spectrum, and Jessie, his athletic first-grader daughter. Simon is an unsuccessful novelist who works as a network administrator, and to get out his frustrations, he denigrates everything from the pediatrician’s wardrobe to roadside attractions and punctuates every revelation with the pathological repetition of “It’s true” to reassure the reader. Sammie has an imaginary parakeet friend, Budgie, and, whether real or a figment of his doting father’s pride, can foresee the future. The plot eventually extrudes out of the babble when Sammie prognosticates that his Alzheimer’s-stricken grandpa in San Antonio is dying. Although Simon and his cantankerous Army colonel father are estranged, Simon, the kids, and nanny Natalie decide to visit him in his nursing home, where complications ensue. Simon’s paranoia, pessimism, narcissism, and misogyny may irritate readers, but the saving grace is Simon’s genuine devotion to his children and stable role as protector and provider. This novel will primarily appeal to those looking for stories focused on family dynamics. (BookLife)