Reviews

The Boy, the Bird and the Coffin Maker by Matilda Woods

juliatsang's review

adventurous emotional hopeful reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, Child death, Death of parent, and Child abuse

jnishi's review

5.0

This was a quiet and gentle but beautiful read. It is eloquently written and hits you straight in your heart like an arrow. Beautiful beautiful little read.

rustbeltredux's review

4.0

Very cute, a wonderfully written story about unlikely friendships and the family we choose. Honestly, I was amazed at how well the topics of death and abuse were handled for a book aimed at middle grade readers. The only criticism I could make is that running away from one’s problems doesn’t always work out the same way in real life as it does in books. That said, the beautiful prose was matched with equally beautiful illustrations and typesetting. The look and feel of this book makes for one very eye catching work of art. I picked this up on a whim for $1.25 at a used shop and it’s definitely worth much much more.

bickie's review

4.0

Magical realism done very well. Sadness and tragedy are part of the story, but in a detached way like in a fairy tale. The town and characters - living and dead - are portrayed appealingly (though not always sympathetically), and there is enough suspense to keep the pages turning.
I wasn't sure why the names had to be Italian-ish; coming from an Australian author, this felt strange.

beeley10's review against another edition

hopeful slow-paced

2.5

rmarcin's review against another edition

4.0

This is a sweet tale of friendship between an older man and a young boy and the boy’s pet bird after tragic circumstances brought them together. They forge a wonderful friendship, with the boy sharing a horrible secret. The man bows to protect him.
Delightful. Due to the theme of death, this is definitely for older children.
#TheBoyTheBirdAndTheCoffinMaker #MatildaWoods

amotisse's review

5.0

Whenever I read or listen to junior fiction I usually tell myself that I need to read it more often. Junior fiction captures the essence of story telling in a unique way. What a kind and gentle gem of a story. Yes there is gossip and nasty characters, but the story is one of hopes, dreams, love and a magical island.

jenniferreads2's review

3.0

This was ok. I don’t see kids actually enjoying this. It’s more of a kids story for adults

kaitlynbrianna's review

2.0

2.5 ⭐️

Cute, but even for a middle grade novel it was relatively uninteresting

fern17's review

hopeful sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.25