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queerafictionado's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Death, Grief, and Dysphoria
Moderate: Terminal illness
Minor: Homophobia, Transphobia, Blood, and Death of parent
emily_mh's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This book is so emotional and sad, centred on the incredibly moving concept of someone trying their hardest to reassure and encourage somebody they love. But it is also filled with trans joy and hope, which I adored. Instead of being focussed on transphobia (which is obviously still important to do, just not in ALL trans stories), the story is about love, self-discovery, self-acceptance, and self-celebration.
Graphic: Death and Grief
Moderate: Terminal illness
Minor: Ableism, Bullying, Confinement, Homophobia, Transphobia, Blood, Kidnapping, Car accident, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Major: loss of a loved one Minor: pandemic, menstruationcareinthelibrary's review
4.0
Interesting perspective of parenting a trans kid and gender role enforcement of role models. I also love the re of kids who don't always know what's going on with their gender (not everyone knows from the moment they're conscious that they're trans/queer, sometimes it takes soul searching and education).
I really liked the narrator of this so I especially recommend it in that format if you like audiobooks.
Graphic: Death, Grief, and Dysphoria
Moderate: Bullying, Cancer, Deadnaming, Terminal illness, Transphobia, Death of parent, and Gaslighting
Minor: Homophobia, Blood, and Car accident
mandkips's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Death, Grief, and Dysphoria
Moderate: Cancer, Terminal illness, and Death of parent
Minor: Homophobia, Transphobia, and Blood
perpetualpages's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Death and Grief
Minor: Terminal illness and Blood
valereads's review against another edition
5.0
"The weeks stretch out in front of me, slow and hot, the finish line shimmering like a mirage. I don't know who I'll be when I cross over."
This heart-breaking and beautiful middle grade novel follows 11 year old Bug as they prepare to start middle school, grieve for their beloved uncle, and try to figure out who they are.
This story explores grief in a heartfelt and honest way. Specifically the grief for a death that was not sudden but expected and no less heart-breaking for it. It begins shortly after the death of Bug's uncle who was a parental figure in their life. We see how Bug deals with, and doesn't deal with their grief, throughout the beginning of the book.
It discusses feeling like you don't fit in and aren't able to be a proper "girl" in a way that seems to come easily to most of your peers - a feeling that was very familiar to me as a transgender man. It also features a trans character who didn't always know which is a common narrative that doesn't apply to many of us. Bug doesn't always know but when they figure out who they are everything else makes sense in hindsight.
Overall I felt this was an honest and heartful look at both grief and transgender identity that felt true to life and was beautifully written. I'd highly recommend it to children and adults alike.
Content warnings: grief, death, terminal illness, mentions of bullying, unintentional misgendering
Graphic: Death and Grief
Moderate: Death, Terminal illness, and Grief
Minor: Bullying, Death, Terminal illness, Blood, Grief, Car accident, and Death of parent