The Boy with a Bird in His Chest - Emma Lund

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"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 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, repetitive and dull, 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 a title I find forgettable despite the potential it held. There are other queer coming-of-age novels I would recommend far above this one. 

Rating: 3 stars, rounded up

Publication Details: Out Now, Atria Books

Huge thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for providing my review copy!

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