The Boy with a Bird in His Chest

This novel is wildly weird and wonderful, perfectly logical, and positive as well as painful.

I know Lund. She means a bird-in-the-chest literally, rather than a metaphor for gender transition. The main character, Owen Tanner, is hidden by his mother to keep him safe from dystopian powers-that-be. As a young teen, Owen knows: it’s live fully or die. He sets out to live.

When Owen runs away, his physical journey becomes emotional. My favorite kind of book!! Cis-gender, trans, queer, non-binary, inter-sex; sexuality and gender are not (only) what is going to make you love this novel. The Boy with… show more.

This book is utterly un-put-downable. I read it one, feverish sitting. It’s about a boy, Owen, who is literally born with a bird in his chest. She talks to him, and she’s quite funny and sometimes snarky. Owen is known as a Terror, and his mother does everything she can to try to protect him from the Army of Acronyms, aka doctors, nurses, social workers, and anyone who wants to study him and expose him.

Although this speculative premise plays a prominent role in the book, the heart of the book for me is this tender, queer, coming-of-age story about… show more.

This beautiful trans allegory features some of the most honest, subtle handling of heartbreak I’ve ever read, presented in a way that feels like commiseration with a friend. The narrative voice exudes love. I saw myself in Owen and ached for both him and my younger self; the ending brought both catharsis and joy. This book captures the journey to being vulnerable and compassionate with yourself perfectly.