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A review by paperbackd
The Bone Sparrow by Zana Fraillon
4.0
A thoughtful, heartfelt and timely novel about life as a modern-day refugee, perfect for fans of The Book Thief or The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas. The Bone Sparrow follows Subhi, a refugee boy born in an Australian permanent detention centre. Subhi has only ever known life behind the fences, but everything changes when Jimmie, a girl from the local town, appears outside his tent one night.
The Bone Sparrow is technically a middle grade book, but it’s one of those rare novels that can appeal to adults, teenagers and children alike. Fraillon’s prose is gorgeously lyrical and Subhi’s story of life in a permanent detention centre is deeply moving and obviously thoroughly researched. It’s also harrowing and eye-opening. Despite the current refugee crisis, the plight of Subhi’s people, the Rohingya, is still relatively ignored by the media, and I learned more from Fraillon’s Afterword about the conditions in refugee camps in Australia, the U.K., the U.S., and Europe than I ever have from a major news channel.
While Fraillon doesn’t shy away from the dark, painful truth of her subject matter, Subhi’s narration provides a much-needed spark of hope and happiness. Subhi is a wonderful character, and his childish innocence and imagination is a reminder of the real children living in these conditions. I also liked Jimmie, although I did feel that her story detracted from the main narrative of life in the camp slightly. Subhi’s sister, Queeny, his friend, Eli, and Harvey, a camp guard, were also fantastic characters who left a lasting impression despite their limited page-time.
Orion Books have partnered with Book Aid International to donate a book to a refugee child for every copy of The Bone Sparrow sold. It’s a beautiful, important story, and I definitely recommend buying a copy.
Many thanks to Orion Books for providing a copy of The Bone Sparrow. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Publisher: Orion Books
Rating: 4 stars | ★★★★✰
Review cross-posted to
The Bone Sparrow is technically a middle grade book, but it’s one of those rare novels that can appeal to adults, teenagers and children alike. Fraillon’s prose is gorgeously lyrical and Subhi’s story of life in a permanent detention centre is deeply moving and obviously thoroughly researched. It’s also harrowing and eye-opening. Despite the current refugee crisis, the plight of Subhi’s people, the Rohingya, is still relatively ignored by the media, and I learned more from Fraillon’s Afterword about the conditions in refugee camps in Australia, the U.K., the U.S., and Europe than I ever have from a major news channel.
While Fraillon doesn’t shy away from the dark, painful truth of her subject matter, Subhi’s narration provides a much-needed spark of hope and happiness. Subhi is a wonderful character, and his childish innocence and imagination is a reminder of the real children living in these conditions. I also liked Jimmie, although I did feel that her story detracted from the main narrative of life in the camp slightly. Subhi’s sister, Queeny, his friend, Eli, and Harvey, a camp guard, were also fantastic characters who left a lasting impression despite their limited page-time.
Orion Books have partnered with Book Aid International to donate a book to a refugee child for every copy of The Bone Sparrow sold. It’s a beautiful, important story, and I definitely recommend buying a copy.
Many thanks to Orion Books for providing a copy of The Bone Sparrow. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Publisher: Orion Books
Rating: 4 stars | ★★★★✰
Review cross-posted to