Bird Boy by Catherine Bruton, cover art by Oriol Vidal, published by Nosy Crow
I adored Catherine Bruton's No Ballet Shoes in Syria (review here), and she's done it again! Every bit as moving and empathetic, Bird Boy is a story of grief, upheaval, family, friendship, mental health and nature.
As with No Ballet Shoes in Syria, Bird Boy sensitively explores the effects war can have on young people and families; here we meet Omar who is a refugee from Afghanistan, having fled and made a dangerous journey here, losing his father on the way and living now with no idea where, or how, his family are. However, unlike No Ballet Shoes, Omar's story is not our main focus here.
Instead, Omar's main role here is a supportive one. He is the one helping someone else find their feet after their life is turned upside down and they are uprooted from what they know.
I loved this. In a world where the far right are a presence going nowhere and the tired, incorrect and deeply upsetting narrative of refugees and immigrants as burdensome, a drain, inferior... it feels so important to have books like this challenging that.
Omar is not Other; he is a regular, smart and hopeful kid. We see his own struggles too, and there's some particularly moving scenes towards the end of the book that you may want to have some tissues at the ready for, but in the main, Omar is Will's rock and the kindest friend.
Which is lucky, because Will is going through it. He has spent years caring for his mum in their flat which she has become increasingly scared for either of them to leave. When she dies, he is sent to live with his unknown uncle in the mountains - about as far removed from his previous life as could be.
Or so he thinks, but he soon discovers the one thing that does overlap is his love of birds, so when he and Omar find a family of ospreys in trouble, they make it their mission to help them...at any cost.
And so begins an atmospheric adventure, full of the power and wonder of nature; I felt the hail and rain and wind battering me; I slipped and wobbled nervously through the treacherous climbs, hearing pebbles skitter off below my feet.
There are some incredibly tense scenes, you will find yourself holding your breath more than once, and moments of such sorrow and pain. But alongside them is an incredible amount of joy, hope, community and positivity. Which really feels like what the world needs right now.
Hugely moving, utterly gripping and immensely relevant - Bruton has done it again.
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