"The Boy with a Bird in His Chest" is a unique, slightly fantastical coming-of-age story about a little boy named Owen whose little bird (like many of our less metaphorical little birds) never shuts up. This was unique and heartbreaking -- a book that will make you think for weeks after reading.

This was a beautiful and moving book.

I found it easy to read and fall in love with Owen.

Thank you for the advanced copy!

Thank you Atria Books and Netgalley for letting me read and review this book. The Boy with a Bird in His Chest is a magical realism story where the main character grapples with the fear, depression, and feelings of isolation that come with believing that we will never be loved. Lund has a nice writing style and an intriguing story. It was very relatable as well. I like how he writes emotions. This is a heartwarming and heartbreaking magical realism story that a lot of people will relate to.

"Owen Tanner was born with a bird in his chest, but you wouldn't know it. His mother told Owen at an early age to hide Gail and never let anyone know she exists. Society would call Owen a Terror and the medical community would want Owen committed. Owen grows up hiding this big secret, until it is found out and Owen has to feel. Throughout the book, readers will see Owen's journey balancing life and Gail, but ultimately Owen must make a decision. Will Owen embrace this bird in his chest, will Owen allow others into his life, and how will Owen be able to battle his own demons?"

I usually am not into fantasy books so it is no surprise that I didn’t love this book fully. If you’re looking for a light queer fantasy this is not for you as the themes match up more with today’s political attacks on queer people.

The Boy with a Bird in His Chest is a good example of a strange and exciting premise that fails to do much with what it is given. I thought this would be a book that swept me off my feet and broke me heart, but unfortunately it just didn't do much for me. I am disapppointed.

Strange. Lively. A fantasy with a moral. Not at all boring. Sort of a coming-of-age love story with a sad ending. Well-written. Strong imagery. Flawless dialogue. Perfect symbolism. A universal tale of life versus death.. A very odd tale that will impact one's heart and mind. This story will cause you to think about it many days after reading it. It's a short punch. An awakening of sorts. Do yourself a favor as a reader and give this read a try. Surely you'll enjoy it and flip through its pages.

The story is about Owen who lives with a bird in his chest. Because this is so unusual his mother hides him in his home for 10 years. As Owen gets older he gets curious about leaving the confines of his home and wanders out first to his yard and then to various areas in his small town in Montana. He eventually is moved by his mother to live with his uncle and cousin in Oregon and struggles with learning about teenage life and having to keep his bird in the chest secret. The story then diverges on how most the key players all end up being LGBT and Owen keeps exploring his sexuality (masturbating is mentioned several times in the story). He finds a friend who is gay, his cousin finds a partner who is gay, his mother finds a partner who is gay. His uncle has a girlfriend but is portrayed as somewhat odd.

There are some indisprecancies throughout the story; Owen claims to learn how to read and write through television. He uses an inhaler for his shortness of breath but never sees a doctor as his bird in the chest must be kept secret. His mother is paranoid about Owen being found but she sends him to live with his uncle and cousin. Near the end of the story Owen returns to his old home and finds an address to his mother's new home there. No one lives at the old home but apparently the mother still pays the rent there and lives in a different apartment while working at a diner. She stays working at the diner even though she knows that there is a doctor and nurse looking for her and Owen.

The story may have a message of the struggles of LGBT who have to keep their sexual orientation a secret and some of the roadblocks that they may face as they eventually open up about their life but having the whole story plot twist to the LGBT focus was not what I expected.

When I started reading The Boy With The Bird in His Chest, I thought for sure that the bird was going to be only a metaphor. However, the fantasy/sci-fi aspect aspect of this coming of age story made it so much better! I appreciate the characters and relationships throughout the story. Emme Lund does a great job of developing Owen and Gails' characters, as well as the relationships that develop as the story progresses. The kindness of his uncle and cousin is heartwarming. Anyone who picks up this book could relate to the desire to feel accepted. It took me a bit to finally pick this book up, but then I couldn't put it down. This was a beautiful story.

The Boy with a Bird in His Chest by Emme Lund is a story about Owen, a boy who is different from the other kids. He learns from a very young age that he is a Terror, and he must never let anyone know that he is different. This book is great because it deals with difficult topics in a realistic way, but I thought it was a little too much at times. Thanks to NetGalley for the free digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

A book that I just wanted to hug when I finished. A coming of age story full of magical realism that's all about living life fully and finding those that unapologetically love you for exactly who you are.

I loved this story. Owen Tanner has a bird in his chest (Gail) and while medical professionals might call him a terror, his mother has hidden him away from the world, and told him to keep that part of him secret, he takes a trip, fleeing the home he has always known, and lives with his uncle and cousin, where he learns the joys of family and friends, and what it’s like to be accepted for who you are.

This is a beautiful coming-of-age story told through a magical realism lens and loaded with metaphors. As much as it’s heartbreaking, when others see Owen’s condition as “contagious” or “strange” it’s also full of hope as Owen learns to embrace his individuality despite others trying to break him down.

A brilliant debut, I can’t wait to hear what Emme Lund has in store for us next.

The Boy with a Bird in His Chest was a coming-of-age story about Owen, who has a hole in his chest where a little bird name Gail resides. Owen seeks Gail's advice and guidance as he navigates challenges in his life.

What worked for me:
- found family and the search for belonging in a world where you've been told you don't belong.
- Seeing Owen's growth and living with joy and truth regardless of what others tell you.
- Well-written overall and unique story.

What didn't work for me:
- some repetitiveness that took away from being immersed in the story.
- some plot holes and aspects that needed to be further developed.
- Some flatness to the characters that could have been better developed.

I received an e-galley of this book in exchange for an honest review from Netgalley.

What a beautiful and interesting book. This tells the story of Owen, the boy with the bird in his chest. There is that small element of magical realism, although it’s presented as a medical phenomenon, somewhat reminiscent of the premise in Nothing to See Here.

Aside from that, the book is very literary, and you’re best served to ride the wave and not to concern yourself with questions or logistics. There are a lot of unanswered elements to the plot concerning Owen’s family that bothered me a bit, but the focus is more on the language and Owen’s journey rather than a heavy plot.

I recommend this for fans of literary, coming of age novels that are looking for something a bit different.

3.5 ⭐️

“To take up any space inside another was a great privilege.”

The Boy With a Bird in His Chest was a creative coming of age story about Owen, who literally has a bird (named Gail) living in his chest. Owen is in hiding because of his abnormality - and has spent his entire life living in fear.

The entire book is clouded in this gloomy tone, but with a few rays of light peaking through the clouds. Even though the magical realism elements are clearly present, if you ignore them (or take them out), you’d have a really normal/relatable queer coming of age story. Owen is learning who he is, what he desires, how to feel pleasure.. he is falling in love for the first time, and simultaneously feeling loss. I loved the cast of characters and the found family nature of their relationships.

The writing was really beautiful, and i’d recommend reading it physically rather than listening to the audiobook.

While the bird was real in this book, I think it was also metaphorical. The author left the interpretation up to the reader (although I do think it’s especially about sexuality) I think the “bird in your chest” could be anything that makes you different or makes you feel like you have to hide. I kind of liked that it was a little vague so each reader could connect differently.

Although I liked the prose and the characters, the plot didn’t quite do it for me. Not much really happens. Owen spends a lot of time masturbating and doing drugs. I do think those aspects were written tastefully as a boy just trying to explore - but after like the 5th mention of each I was definitely ready to move on. The beginning and ending were compelling, but I wasn’t very invested in the middle.

Thank you to Atria books and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!!

If I was to rate this book a week ago at the halfway point it would have been five stars!

I loved the set up of the story. I loved the way magical realism was used as an allegory for queer identity; I found the writing full of gentle metaphors and was so impressed by this debut novel.

But in the second half of the book I felt the author lost a grip on her own metaphors, and switched the focus from character to plot. I felt the pacing was off and I really struggled to maintain interest.

Now... this take is coming from a cisgender woman in a hetero relationship, so... read and make your own judgements. I do love that this story is being told at all- that trans authors are being published and that readers have access to narratives they can relate to and/or learn from.

This is a debut novel, and it tackles heavy topics in a loving way. I look forward to seeing what Emme Lund writes in the future.

CW for homophobia, violence, depression, paranoia, drug/alcohol use, isolation, suicidal ideation

This coming-of-age novel made me cry! The metaphors were spot on and the writing was genius. I really liked this book!

A beautiful, enchanting book I won't soon forget. The voice is brilliant and unique and the themes are haunting. I will be recommending this to so many people.

This book was such a great magical realism take on being different. About feeling like you have to hide your differences. The feeling that many LGBTQ+ people feel throughout many points in their lives. I loved this book so much for that, and for how relatable this was to my own personal journey.

The magical realism aspect, and the whole concept of a boy having a bird in his chest took some getting used to. It also calls for setting aside some disbelief and ignoring some ideas that don't make sense, instead asking the reader to allow themself to be taken along on the journey of this story. Once I was able to set these things aside and just focus on the story I was enthralled.

I would have liked to see the other characters outside of Owen explored a little more fully, but truly came to cherish this sweet boy and the truly special parts of him that made him "different". This was a still such a strong debut novel that I look forward to seeing what else is to come from the author.

(I never get goopy in reviews, but…)

Do you ever read a book and immediately want to run down the street waving it around, screaming how much you love and loved and will forever love that book?

THE BOY WITH A BIRD IN HIS CHEST slid into that territory for me, and I’ll forever thank @_emmelund for filling my heart with feathers and compassion equal in weight to every building comprising Portland’s skyline—our shared skyline, heyyyoooo.

This story is equal parts anchored in its aggressive ability to enrapt a reader in the reality of severe isolation—especially that of queer, coming-of-age struggles—as well as deepening hope for our main characters, Owen and Gail. Told in explicit terms and glued together with the a whimsical and sassy metaphor that is Gail, fused with some of the most beautiful elements of nature, Lund created magic with these exceedingly distinct personalities; sharing spaces and working in sync to survive for each other. To survive the lack of confidence, support, and even identity that pervaded every chamber of Owen’s body; Gail excluded. They are each other’s echo and each other’s incongruity. Those dependent components combust into peril and into the purest love that left me engulfed in a desire to, as mentioned above, scream about my burning appreciation for this story.

This tender story deserves to take up space on everyone’s bookshelf. I hope it finds its way onto yours.

💜

This is such a sweet coming of age novel, one following Owen, a boy with a bird in his chest. We watch him grow into his self, grapple with who he is, with this queerness and his sense of identity. I thought this was such a hopeful little novel, one i throughly enjoyed.