Thanks to Atria Books for the free advance copy of this book.

 - THE BOY WITH A BIRD IN HIS CHEST is a lovely exploration of queerness through the lens of magical realism. Reading Owen and Gail as a metaphor for being queer (and trans, specifically, was how I read it) is both a gut punch and a warm hug.
- This is a book that makes you feel like you're drifting along the currents with it (fitting for a book about a boy drawn to water). Most of it is just languidly figuring things out, with a few propulsive events sprinkled in. You just need to be willing to ride along with Owen as he finds himself.