Block quote from Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister

Screeeee-an airborne alarm. Seagulls make arabesques
near the front of the church, being kept from the fish tables
by a couple of tired, zealous dogs. The public space is cold
from the ocean wind, but it is lit rosy and golden, from sun
on brick and stone. Anything might happen here, thinks the
younger girl. Anything! Even, maybe, something good(Maguire, p. 5-6)

Maguire uses show not tell detail in this book. Instead of just saying the seagulls fly around he says “Seagulls make arabesques near the front of the church”(p.5).So far he has done this on every page that I have read. He really adds a lot of detail to the story which makes it come to life which I am really enjoying. For example he says “The public space is cold from the ocean wind, but it is lit rosy and golden, from sun on brick and stone”(p.6). He could have just said the public space was pretty or lit nice, but that would have made it boring. I can tell that he likes to make his writing engaging so that people can get into it. He also uses a mix of big words like arabesques and then little words like sun or lit.
I just started the first chapter of Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister. So far it is interesting. From what I read its just introducing the characters. There is Iris and her sister Ruth and then there mother Margarthe. They have just moved from where they lived. I have not noticed much yet about symbolism because I have not read that much yet, but like I said I do like how he uses a lot of show not tell detail.