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A review by savvyrosereads
The Boy with a Bird in His Chest by Emme Lund
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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
4.0
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a free eARC in exchange for an honest review!
Rating: 4/5 stars
The Boy With a Bird in His Chest is a part magical realism/part coming-of-age novel about Owen Tanner, a boy who has a bird in his chest. Literally. Taught his whole life to hide the bird from the world, Owen must eventually learn how to exist in a world where he will always be different, but just might fit in anyway.
I’m going to go ahead and predict that this will not be the last we hear from Emme Lund. The Boy With a Bird in His Chest is a moving, captivating, at times extraordinarily funny and always extraordinarily touching exploration of memorable characters—Owen, his bird Gail, his cousin Tennessee, his uncle Bob, his mother Janice, and a supporting cast of others I won’t name due to spoilers. As with any sprawling coming-of-age novel, the pace was occasionally a bit slow, but there were surprisingly exhilarating moments sprinkled throughout.
Whether the bird is an allegory for anything (Being trans? Being elsewhere on the LGBTQ+ spectrum? Something else?) is unclear, though likely, but honestly that didn’t matter nearly so much as the story itself. I’m entirely sure this will wind up being one of the most inventive and creative things I’ve read all year—and possibly ever.
Recommended for anyone, but especially those who like: LGBTQ+ characters; coming-of-age stories; magical realism.
CW: Suicidal thoughts; homophobia (including targeted violence); abandonment; mentions of racism.
Rating: 4/5 stars
The Boy With a Bird in His Chest is a part magical realism/part coming-of-age novel about Owen Tanner, a boy who has a bird in his chest. Literally. Taught his whole life to hide the bird from the world, Owen must eventually learn how to exist in a world where he will always be different, but just might fit in anyway.
I’m going to go ahead and predict that this will not be the last we hear from Emme Lund. The Boy With a Bird in His Chest is a moving, captivating, at times extraordinarily funny and always extraordinarily touching exploration of memorable characters—Owen, his bird Gail, his cousin Tennessee, his uncle Bob, his mother Janice, and a supporting cast of others I won’t name due to spoilers. As with any sprawling coming-of-age novel, the pace was occasionally a bit slow, but there were surprisingly exhilarating moments sprinkled throughout.
Whether the bird is an allegory for anything (Being trans? Being elsewhere on the LGBTQ+ spectrum? Something else?) is unclear, though likely, but honestly that didn’t matter nearly so much as the story itself. I’m entirely sure this will wind up being one of the most inventive and creative things I’ve read all year—and possibly ever.
Recommended for anyone, but especially those who like: LGBTQ+ characters; coming-of-age stories; magical realism.
CW: Suicidal thoughts; homophobia (including targeted violence); abandonment; mentions of racism.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Abandonment, Drug use, Violence, Homophobia, Hate crime, Bullying, and Blood
Minor: Racism