The premise of this book (that it follows a boy with a bird living in a hole in his chest as a sort of metaphor for LGBTQ+ coming of age) is certainly intriguing, and unfortunately, in practice The Boy with a Bird in His Chest mostly falls flat. Instead of feeling like magical realism that will reveal truths about the world, the story feels like the setup for a dimestore fantasy novel in which a boy with a special power has to evade the dark forces who would like to do him harm. Except that the world Emme Lund creates around this boy, Owen, is absolutely not a fantasy world at all. So what we're left with is a standard coming-of-age novel about a boy struggling with acceptance (both external and internal) as he comes to terms with who he is. Even the quasi-metaphor that was supposed to make this book stand out becomes just another cliche in the end because Lund doesn't use it to say anything new or even interesting. The plotting also leaves something to be desired. All in all, it's a great idea squandered.

I truly adored the main character, Owen. His inner monolog and how he navigated the world knowing he was not like everybody else because of the bird in his chest was simply heartbreaking. He was such a complex character with multiple layers, and I loved the dynamics between him and Gail, the bird. The side characters were also very well developed, with distinct personalities. They added to the story without shifting the focus from Owen.

I really liked the magical realism aspects of the novel, but I wish we’d seen more of the other kids like Owen. It would’ve been a really nice touch to the ending. I also had hoped Gail would be a bit more present in the story, as she was such an interesting character. The book tried to balance both the “magical” and the "normal,” and I’m not sure it worked that well.

To be honest, the middle part of the book dragged a bit, but it didn’t bother me that much since it was engaging enough that I didn’t feel the need to stop reading. It wasn’t necessarily boring, just a tad bit too slow.

Overall, this is a heartfelt story about a boy coming to terms with his queerness and his place in the world, and I’m really glad I got the chance to read it!

"The Boy with a Bird in His Chest" is a tender coming-of-age story that ultimately left me wanting more. The premise--literally, a boy living with a bird named Gail in his chest--sets readers up for what could be a magical realism masterpiece; unfortunately, the only magical realism in the entire story is the fact that Owen lives with Gail in his chest. Because of this, the magic of the story existed in a silo and felt rather one-dimensional. Time and time again, I found myself hoping for more profound dialogue between characters (and Lund writes some great characters into this story) as well as more profound writing in general. The chapters are short and easy-to-read, but often read like surface-level observations of what Owen was seeing and experiencing in the world.

There were parts of this story that I loved and would give 4 stars to, and parts that I found terribly clunky and out-of-place that I would give 2 stars to. Lund comes so, so close to getting it right, but there were just too many places in the book where I felt the writing was inconsistent and didn't go deep enough, so I didn't find myself as invested in the story as I wanted to be. And trust me...I wanted to be!

Overall, good but certainly not great. I love the queer representation and unique magical realism aspect that Lund brings to the literary field with this story, but this is one I find forgettable. There are other queer coming-of-age novels I would recommend above this one.

*Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for my gifted advanced reader's copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*

Emme Lund has written a heartwarming story about growing up as an outsider, and coming to terms with who you are. It’s a sweet narrative, and will be a force in LGBTQ+ fiction in 2022.

I loved the book. It was definitely very heavy in parts but I lived for it - the romance with Clyde, Tennessee’s character in general, Gail.. all of it.

I only wish we got to meet another terror!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is a wonderful coming of age story that includes an adventurous plot while at the same time being quite quirky. It will be up to you to decide what the bird means to you, if anything besides an actual bird. A lot of great music references helped me really relate to some of the characters. Definitely worth a read.

Thank you to Atria Books for letting me read this early. It was just what I was hoping it would be. :-)

Huge thank you to Atria Publishing and Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This story is not what I expected! This is a coming of age story about a young boy who has to keep himself in the shadows because of the anomaly of a bird in his chest.

Though this plays an important role, the novel really focuses more on growing up, feeling loved an abandoned, and finding yourself as a teenager.

The writing was stunning, and I loved some of the characters (mostly Tennessee).

I didn’t know what to expect from this novel, but it felt like a journey.

→ 3.5 stars

the boy with a bird in his chest was a wonderful treat. i truly didn’t expect to like this book as much as i did. it’s a coming-of-age novel about a boy that struggles with his identity, with being different. it’s such a beautifully told story, with a lyrical writing style that doesn’t turn into purple prose and some of the most complex characters i’ve read about.

i truly adored the main character, owen – his inner monologue and how he navigated the world knowing he is not like everybody else because of the bird in his chest was simply heartbreaking. he was such a complex character with multiple layers and i loved the dynamics between him and gail – the bird. the side characters were also very well developed with distinct personalities. they added to the story without shifting the focus from owen.

the book had a few scenes that didn’t quite make sense in my opinion. for instance, why would his mom go on the run, but leave a post-it note with her new address on it in their old house. it just didn’t make sense? why abandon owen instead of living with him in a new city? sometimes, the novel felt repetitive with how many times owen being attracted to water was mentioned. just tiny things that brought me out of the story a couple times, which made me lower my rating a bit. another thing that made me quite uncomfortable were the scenes about owen masturbating – i didn’t quite get the point of those scenes.

i really liked the magical realism aspects of the novel, but i wish we’d seen more of other kids like owen, it would’ve been a really nice touch to the ending. i also had hoped gail would be a bit more present in the story, as she was such an interesting character. the book tried to balance both the “magical” and the “normal” and i’m not sure it worked that well.

the middle part of the book dragged a bit, but it didn’t bother me that much, to be honest, since it was engaging enough that i didn’t feel the need to stop reading. it wasn’t necessarily boring, just a tad bit too slow.
overall, this is a heartfelt story about a boy coming to terms with his queerness and his place in the world and i’m really glad i got the chance to read it!

→ thank you to netgalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review!

TW: Suicide, baby's death, paranoid parenting, parent abandonment, teenage masturbating, bullying, homophobia, relationship drama, abuse, drug use, alcohol, toxic parent relationship, cheating

*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:Though Owen Tanner has never met anyone else who has a chatty bird in their chest, medical forums would call him a Terror. From the moment Gail emerged between Owen’s ribs, his mother knew that she had to hide him away from the world. After a decade spent in hiding, Owen takes a brazen trip outdoors in the middle of a forest fire, and his life is upended forever.Suddenly, Owen is forced to flee the home that had once felt so confining and hide in plain sight with his uncle and cousin in Washington. There, he feels the joy of finding a family among friends; of sharing the bird in his chest and being embraced fully; of falling in love and feeling the devastating heartbreak of rejection before finding a spark of happiness in the most unexpected place; of living his truth regardless of how hard the thieves of joy may try to tear him down. But the threat of the Army of Acronyms is a constant, looming presence, making Owen wonder if he’ll ever find a way out of the cycle of fear.
Release Date: February 15th, 2022
Genre: Queer Fantasy
Pages: 320
Rating: ⭐ ⭐ 2.5

What I Liked:
• The writing is pretty
• The story sounded unique

What I Didn't Like:
• Kind of feels like a rip off of another book
• Slow
• Repetitive
• Too many plot holes
• One dimension characters
• Doctors of acronyms are said 78 times.... 78 times.... Too much dude.

Overall Thoughts: Is it odd that this book reminded me of something that Tim Burton would pick up & make into a movie?

It's such an interesting story. A bird living in a boys chest and the bird can talk too. I love how serious but whimsical this book could be at times.

I was thrown off though when it is revealed that there is a name for kids like Owen and that they are rare. Scientists are looking to test on them because that is pretty much the story for Sweet Tooth . I really hope it turns out differently though. (it didn't)

Some parts that kind of confused me;

1)How did they manage to get into the doctors office without a name or any ID?

2)Why would she leave Owen with his uncle, wouldn't they know they are related and look for him there?

3)Whats the point of going back to her life without Owen? Why not start again somewhere else instead of abandoning him and endangering her brother and niece if the "people" come?

4)Why put Owen in school if you want to keep a low profile? School would be the place he'd definitely be exposed at - changing at gym class or bullies hitting him-. It just seems odd NOW that he needs school. The gym part is explained but one teenage boy changing in a stall, you're going to be picked on. This must be the most passive school ever. Also how did his uncle enroll him into school without any paperwork? He didn't even have a birth certificate or ssn as it's explained in the beginning the mother just took her baby as soon as he was born.

What's with all the writing about a 14-year old boy masturbating? It's so weird and misplaced. Have you ever noticed how much more open books are to write about teenage boys masturbating but books about girls masturbating are almost non-existent? How about we just not write about it? I do not need to read about a young boy touching himself.

By the way 50% mark it feels repetitive and boring. Owens mom has called him again only this time the doctor found her at work (why the hell is she STILL working at the same place if she had to move?). Owen is still worried about being caught it's the same as the beginning.

It seriously feels so repetitive. Everytime Owen is near water or it rains we reminded that he was born during a flood and that is drawn to the water. I don't need reminded, I'm almost 200 pages into the book. "The boy born during the flood".... 9 times it is repeated. I get it 🙄

Everyone in this book is queer and it seems like anyone who isn't is considered bad or evil. Such an odd take on it. Tennessee's dad is straight but he's bad because he cheated on her mom and is now with the woman he cheated with. Clyde's dad is a homopobic jerk that beats his son. All the queer characters are great and understanding that makes them wonderful people.

How Clyde finds Owen's mothers house is stupid. She left the address on the fridge makes zero sense if she's being followed by the doctors. She's so paranoid but she leaves behind all these ways to find her (leaving behind addresses, working in the same diner where the doctor who finds her can just follow her home, and still paying rent on the house she doesn't live in.)

Final Thoughts: So many plot holes. I was really enjoying this book up to the 30% mark, but it just felt so slow and repetitive. I feel like this story already existed. I feel blindsided because I thought this was a different story than the one I got. Thought this was a story about a boy struggling with a bird in his chest. This turned into a social message about being queer and fitting in. It all became too real and not fun anymore.

Thanks to Netgalley and Atria for this advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

this book is so beautiful. absolutely gorgeous writing, with that vibe of reading a folktale. gail, the funny, loving bird in owen’s chest, is a wonderful analogy for queerness, and having to keep oneself hidden from the world for their own security. this story is such a great exploration of family, both by blood and by choice, love (romantic, familial, platonic, and for oneself), and acceptance. a truly lovely story.

Owen Tanner has a bird in his chest. Her name is Gail. He's worried about the army of acronyms that's out to get him. He's worried what would happen to him if anyone found out his secret. Wouldn't you be?

The Boy with a Bird in His Chest reads more like an allegory, but it blends that genre with a coming of age story that is both sad and just a tinge hopeful. It's right at the age when you're growing up and not being really sure of who you are or who you're going to be, if you'll ever fit in the world at any point in the future. There's a sense of longing for something that's just out of reach, a bleakness that threatens to rip the world asunder should you make one wrong move. All because you have a bird in your chest.

There's a complex simplicity about this book that I can appreciate. There's definitely more than one way to read into this and you can look at the bird as a symbol of queerness, of one's conscience, of simply being different. There's traces of magical realism weaved throughout the book, so don't think too hard on how there's a bird in his chest. The question really is, why? (Like you're back in English class!)

There's a good amount of depth to the different characters, from Owen to his cousin Tennessee, his mother and her eccentricities to the neighbor Clyde and everyone else in between. The writing itself is simple and straight to the point, and I did find myself wishing for a little bit oomph in the narrative structure of the book. If you're looking for a coming of age story that's just a little bit different than usual, check this one out.

This book is a wonderfully inspiring story. The way the author expresses Owens feelings of love and loneliness are so believable it feels like you are experiencing the story for yourself, even though it seems in a made up world. But maybe that is how the world is, or was, maybe there are people with animals in them and we just don’t know it...

Short chapters and an interesting premise made this book stand out among literary fiction offerings on trans experience and identity.

this is not a perfect book. far from it. (mentions car seat headrest multiple times, etc.) but i think i’ve never felt so comforted by a character maybe ever. the blurb on the back about this being similar to perks of being a wallflower is so right and so so wrong.
I think one of the things this book kind of failed at was connecting us to any other characters outside of owen (the main.) more dialogue maybe? and also the magical realism aspects were super awesome and i loved the bird as an allegory for transness (if i’m assuming right, i think i am.. emme lund is a trans woman) but i wish it was explained a little further because i really really loved the world i just wanted to get to know it better.

this book should be read by every trans person ever i think. trans joy at its finest while still getting the nuances and really difficult points of being a trans youth.

read this if you’re a big fan of coming of age stories, trans, or wanting to understand the trans experiences better.
it never outright mentions transness so maybe i’m entirely wrong in the allegory bit but, as a trans person, if you associate the bird in his chest and the experiences it gives him with being trans it’s incredibly relatable.

i didn’t mean to make this so long. many thoughts. i think that’s a good thing.

summary for myself:
not perfect but really really good.
no more car seat headrest mentions.
i love trans people and trans joy.
read this and appreciate it for what it is and what it isn’t.

I loved it, then I wasn't sure, and then I really enjoyed it again. The tricky thing about a book like this is I'm not sure who I would recommend it to. The coming of age part is so interesting, but the drugs and sex push the readership to an older age group.

You know the dæmon thing from His Dark Materials, where a person's soul physically manifests outside of their body in the form of an animal?

What if people like that existed but they were super rare and called Terrors? And what if the setting was otherwise completely modern? And what if the main character was a boy with a bird living in his rib cage? That's what this book is, all wrapped up in a coming of age story.

The way I described this book makes me even more disappointed that I didn't like it. Because I like weird, queer fiction, and I like coming of age stories. But as much as I wanted to like it, I didn't, and it was for a number of reasons. So many coincidental things happened just to move the plot along, and the way things are wrapped up was baffling and frustrating. I probably would've liked it more if the writing was at all special, but it's not. The prose is so plain. Even a sentence I really liked, about being with someone you're in love with feeling like roots intertwining in the ground, wasn't written in a notable/quotable way.

Something that's more subtle but bothers me the more I think about it is how Owen behaves; he was kept isolated with his mother for 14 years of his life. He learned how to read from TV captions; no education, no socialization with other kids growing up. The things he knows and the way he thinks and interacts with other kids just doesn't really align with that upbringing. Also why is there so much smoking in this book?? When it's set in like, early to late 2010s. Literally every character smokes. It felt unnecessary and poserish.

It's always awkward when you finish a book you disliked and skim over the author's acknowledgements, but it's especially awkward when they thank the author whose blurb on the cover caught your attention in the first place.

Ok when I started this I thought Gail was going to be a giant allegory and I hated that. While I still think being a Terror, or having a creature live in you is still allegory to a degree, I'm glad it wasn't just all in Owen's head.

I do have questions about Gail though. Owen is so dang comfortable doing ANYTHING with her right there. Which I guess makes sense because she's never not been there, but how was Clyde so comfortable with her presence that he's licking Owen's ribs in front of her face during their sexy times?

When I look at it as an allegory I see that it's just a big secret about being different and trying to hide that difference constantly, even when you see someone else who is different in the same way. And the process of slowly opening up to those you love and trust.

I'm glad Owen found his safe people and more Terrors were able to stop living in hiding.

I’m not really sure how to feel about this book, I think that the idea was really interesting but all about felt really boring. It has short chapters which make that the book feel lighter than it actually is but i feel that it took me forever to finish it.

Well, this is a story about this boy, Owen, who was born with this bird in his chest, I’m not sure yet what it was for, but at the end of the book there was something that made me kinda see the point, kinda, idk. Anyways, because of that bird he has to keep away from hospitals, if they find out, they would tried to do things to him to understand what’s inside him and why, sooooo his mom decided to put him in isolation and run away if someone looks suspicious. Then he sneaks around for a while and suddenly he has a problem and had to go to the doctor, they find out about the bird and Owen and his mother run away… and Owen’s adventure begins.

This writing style reminds me on some level this book, [book:A Little Life|22822858], because this is a coming-of-age story where we get to know the main character step by step until he’s a grownup, a teenage in this case, but we have this chapters full of description and experiences about how it is to grow up in this circumstances. I mean, this book it’s nothing like [book:A Little Life|22822858], but the structure and the narrative made me think about that one.

But as I said before I think that this books was boring and felt so looooong that I didn’t quite enjoyed it.

I have never felt more seen or like I too could fly until I finished this book. The premise intrigues you to learn a little bit more about the story, what keeps your attention is the heart that radiates all throughout the book. Our main character just wants to feel normal—be normal and has been wanting to be since the day he was born. On his brazen and fearless trip, I guess you could say that he finds himself more than he could have ever found himself had he stayed in the confines of his home. This book is both uplifting and heartbreaking. You can finish this story in one sitting but please savor it.

THE BOY WITH A BIRD IN HIS CHEST is a beautiful, metaphorical story with a heartwarming message about celebrating differences. I enjoyed Lund's writing, which is lush and descriptive. The characters are nicely drawn and I was curious to learn what would happen to them. I am rating this one 4 stars instead of 5 only because the plot is a bit slow in the middle and the overall feel of the book is more YA than Adult. Overall, I very much enjoyed the story and look forward to more from this author.