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276 reviews for:

Bone Sparrow

Zana Fraillon

4.02 AVERAGE

dark inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

If I could give this book more than five stars I would. Brilliantly written, heartbreakingly honest, it's a must read.
The Bone Sparrow may be fiction but it's an eye opening look into how refugees are treated, of the detention centres they're kept in, of the inhumane conditions that become their norm... even after putting it down, you won't be able to forget this story, it will change you forever.
challenging dark emotional hopeful informative slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: No
dark emotional informative medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

Subhi, 9, was born in a refugee camp in a remote part of Australia; as a result, he relies on others' stories for memories of the Outside. The barbed-wire fences, Jackets with billy clubs and flashlights, past-due food with insects and the occasional human tooth, and lines for showers and toilets are all Subhi has ever known. When his best friend - brother, really - Eli is moved to a different fenced-off section for single men, even though he is only about 14, Subhi's life begins to change, and a "sad-angry sick" begins to permeate the camp. He and Jimmie, a girl from the Outside, become clandestine friends, mysteriously linked by a sparrow carved from bone. Heartbreaking and beautiful, The Bone Sparrow is a worthwhile read on its own but so much more important in today's world where the plight of refugees is often as invisible as Subhi's sister feels.

Heartbreaking, poignant and tragic. This book took me on an emotional rollercoaster. Totally relevant and well worth a read.
adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

Beautifully written, this story is powerful and haunting. A heartbreaking look at the life of a child in a detention centre. A story that needs telling.
emotional sad medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: No
emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes