Read for: NetGalley/Requested Review
Synopsis: "Subhi is a refugee. Born in an Australian permanent detention center after his mother and sister fled the violence of a distant homeland, Subhi has only ever known life behind the fences. But his world is far bigger than that—every night, the magical Night Sea from his mother's stories brings him gifts, the faraway whales sing to him, and the birds tell their stories. And as he grows, his imagination threatens to burst beyond the limits of his containment.
The most vivid story of all, however, is the one that arrives one night in the form of Jimmie—a scruffy, impatient girl who appears on the other side of the wire fence and brings with her a notebook written by the mother she lost. Unable to read it herself, she relies on Subhi to unravel her family's love songs and tragedies.
Subhi and Jimmie might both find comfort—and maybe even freedom—as their tales unfold. But not until each has been braver than ever before."
My Review: This book came up as a suggested read based on my middle grade reads and I was thrilled to have received it through NetGalley. It is a slow moving story with not a lot of movement but what little there is really packs a punch. It is sometimes hard to remember this is a work of fiction and that the story and characters are made up because it is such a reality for so many people in the world. It was quite an emotional tale and while it didn't seem to have a happy ending that we are so used to getting in our books, it does have notes of hope throughout the book. I don't know if the target audience will be able to truly value this book but it is one I would highly recommend reading.
The most vivid story of all, however, is the one that arrives one night in the form of Jimmie—a scruffy, impatient girl who appears on the other side of the wire fence and brings with her a notebook written by the mother she lost. Unable to read it herself, she relies on Subhi to unravel her family's love songs and tragedies.
Subhi and Jimmie might both find comfort—and maybe even freedom—as their tales unfold. But not until each has been braver than ever before."
My Review: This book came up as a suggested read based on my middle grade reads and I was thrilled to have received it through NetGalley. It is a slow moving story with not a lot of movement but what little there is really packs a punch. It is sometimes hard to remember this is a work of fiction and that the story and characters are made up because it is such a reality for so many people in the world. It was quite an emotional tale and while it didn't seem to have a happy ending that we are so used to getting in our books, it does have notes of hope throughout the book. I don't know if the target audience will be able to truly value this book but it is one I would highly recommend reading.
My Rating: I really enjoyed this book and it was a quick read but it should be savored. Can someone please explain to me why it seems that Middle Grade books seem to be able to tackle these tough issues without bogging it down and make it enjoyable to read. I give it a rating of Three Paws and a Stump Wag.
I received The Bone Sparrow via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
You can find out more about Zana Fraillon and her work on her Goodreads Page and Webpage.
The Bone Sparrow was just released yesterday and you can obtain your own on copy in digital or print format from Amazon or Barnes & Noble.
It's funny but I don't usually like middle grade books but they are really good at hitting a lot of these issues right on the head.
ReplyDeleteI am really liking picking these up from time to time. I am sure other genres get to important issues as well but I don't think they really come at them head on and don't seem to tackle the world wide issues.
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