A review by jaybird_reads
The Boy with a Bird in His Chest by Emme Lund

emotional reflective sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

This was the first book that made me find my love for reading again  after years of missing that old friend. It is also possibly the first time I’ve felt particularly seen by a book. The PNW setting probably encouraged this.

 Lund’s work is beautifully crafted. Her narrative style feels unique in the best way, and she creates a vivid setting and cast of characters.

Toxic and healthy masculinity are key focuses in this book, which I haven’t seen other reviews mention. The “lineage of men who take up space” versus Owen’s uncle telling him that his (Owen’s) father was “like us. Gentle.”, followed by the entire character of Clyde are my favored bits of that.

I’ve seen many people ask what exactly the bird is supposed to symbolize if the other queer characters don’t have one, but I think it’s fairly obvious that the bird is symbolic of being transgender (I mean just read Lund’s interview at the end.) Even if Owen himself isn’t trans, the feeling of being different from everyone around you and having to hide that fact from those peers and also institutions of power (Army of Acronyms) is very much the trans experience, especially since despite all of this pain that Gail causes Owen, Owen loves Gail and could literally not live without her.

The biggest treasure of this book are the character relationships and Owen himself.
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