A review by mle11
The Bone Sparrow by Zana Fraillon

5.0

I loved The Bone Sparrow by Zana Fraillon. I originally wasn’t sure what to make of it, because stylistically, it seemed written for a very young audience, but also dealt with some very heavy and dark themes. I found that it was a somewhat grim, but ultimately tender story about coming of age in a stifling environment. The book almost made me cry a few times, and has stuck with me since reading it. The unfairness and cruelty of the things that happened to the characters weren’t sugarcoated, but rather told realistically through the eyes of a child. This came through strongly in the ending, which was hopeful, but left very unfulfilled.
The strongest part of this story for me was the emotional, almost surrealist writing style that effectively brought me into the world and the mind of the main character, Subhi. I could really feel what he was feeling throughout the book. The switches in point of view between Subhi and Jimmie were only minimally confusing, but I don’t think they were used to their full potential. The parts of Jimmie’s story that supported Subhi’s story were interesting, but I felt that her own separate storyline wasn’t very memorable and at times felt like a whole different book.
However, The Bone Sparrow was one of the most beautiful and emotional children’s stories I’ve read. I would highly recommend it to both adults and children mature enough to handle some heavy themes.