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Title details for The Boy with a Bird in His Chest by Emme Lund - Available

The Boy with a Bird in His Chest

A Novel

by Emme Lund
Nicky Endres
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
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1 of 1 copy available
Longlisted for The Center for Fiction 2022 First Novel Prize

A "poignantly rendered and illuminating" (The Washington Post) coming-of-age story about "the ways in which family, grief, love, queerness, and vulnerability all intersect" (Kristen Arnett, New York Times bestselling author). Perfect for fans of The Perks of Being a Wallflower and The Thirty Names of Night.
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 isolation, Owen takes a brazen trip outdoors and his life is upended forever.

Suddenly, he 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.

"An honest celebration of life and everything we need right now in a book" (Andrew Sean Greer, Pulitzer Prize–winning author), The Boy with a Bird in His Chest grapples with the fear, depression, and feelings of isolation that come with believing that we will never be loved for who we truly are and learning to live fully and openly regardless.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    February 15, 2022

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781797136707
      • File size: 322235 KB
      • Duration: 11:11:19

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      October 18, 2021
      Lund’s accomplished debut imagines an LGBTQ allegory with a blend of magical fantasy and stark reality. A talkative bird named Gail lives inside the rib cage of Owen Tanner. After a nurse discovers Gail during an emergency doctor’s visit for Owen’s asthma at 14, his mother moves him from their home in Montana to the outskirts of Olympia, Wash., to live with his uncle Bob and teenage cousin, Tennessee, where he is safe from the clutches of the doctors his mother calls “the Army of Acronyms.” There, at 16, Owen’s suicidal ideations tempt him to wade into the ocean to “live with the mermaids.” He discovers a kindred spirit in Tennessee, who is exploring her sexual identity, and who places a ring of salt around the house to protect him. Together, they navigate the traumas and heartbreaks of their formative years, with Gail present at every step of the way: Owen crushes on a neighbor named Clyde, the boys contend with Clyde’s abusive “thief of joy” father, and the trio of Owen, Tennessee, and Clyde plan to run away after a climactic “last hurrah” involving a psychedelic rave. Lund’s emotive prose treats Owen’s burgeoning development with grace and care. This fine effort succeeds at bringing new life to the coming-of-age story. Agent: Cassie Mannes Murray, Howland Literary.

    • Library Journal

      June 1, 2022

      In Lund's debut, teenager Owen has a bird named Gail in his chest. It will be obvious to listeners that being a Terror--someone with an animal inside them--is a metaphor highlighting society's prejudices. However, the novel doesn't use this as an excuse to erase representation within the narrative. This is a coming-of-age tale where one's true self is accepted and celebrated even though the characters live in a rough world where abusive families and bigotry attempt to crush them. Narrator Nicky Endres has incredible range, sometimes making listeners want to double-check whether there aren't multiple narrators. While they perform most of the main characters in more similar, though still distinguishable, voices, the character most elevated by Endres's narration is Gail. The bird's voice is given such personality and verve that it feels utterly natural for Owen to literally have a bird speaking to him from a hole in his chest. VERDICT This is a story that tells listeners that no matter how harsh the world is, being true to yourself is really the only option.--Matthew Galloway

      Copyright 2022 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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