axel_p's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
I think this book is good for a middle grade.
fastandfurriest's review
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
zinelib's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Obadiah (his real name) is a seventh grade swimmer recovering from a Bad Year (that we don't learn much about, but it involves his gender transition). The Bad Year may be over, but bullies still bully, including his swim coach, necessitating Obie's move to another team. He's lost his best friends Lucy and Clyde anyway, but he's still nervous about starting over with another team.
Luckily, Obie has a lot of support from his parents, brother, and grandparents, and eventually...a girl he likes.
Luckily, Obie has a lot of support from his parents, brother, and grandparents, and eventually...a girl he likes.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence and Transphobia
ljrinaldi's review
4.0
Representation matters, and Schuyler has done an #ownvoices in the strongest possible way. He too was assigned female at birth, as Obie is in this story, and He too was on the swim team. So, he knows by where he speaks, or writes in this case.
From the get-go, we see Obie being assaulted by his former friend, and unlike so many novels, Obie does go and report it, and we do get to see the bully kicked out of school.
This doesn't mean the rest of the book is just butterflies and roses, though.
Good voice for Obie. You feel the struggles he is going through, and it is so nice that his parents are right there helping him and loving him, every step of the way. Good book for middle graders to read if they are cis gendered or transgender, they will get things out of this either way.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
From the get-go, we see Obie being assaulted by his former friend, and unlike so many novels, Obie does go and report it, and we do get to see the bully kicked out of school.
This doesn't mean the rest of the book is just butterflies and roses, though.
Good voice for Obie. You feel the struggles he is going through, and it is so nice that his parents are right there helping him and loving him, every step of the way. Good book for middle graders to read if they are cis gendered or transgender, they will get things out of this either way.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
elizareads424's review against another edition
5.0
A phenomenal middle grade novel that every human, regardless of age, should read. So good, so important!!
nodaybutoday05's review
5.0
This one was REALLY good, I highly recommend giving it a read. A bit tough at times, but worth it.
robinlikesreading's review against another edition
5.0
This book is about Obie, who's a trans boy who gets kicked of his old swimming team cause his old coach didn't accept him as a boy. He also has to deal with bullying at school by his former best friend and he's slowly losing his other best friend too.
This book was very intense to read at times. We see him getting misgendered and deadnamed, beat up and threatened. At the same time it has some wholesome moments. We see him getting a crush on a girl who works at Obie's favorite restaurant, Obie becomes friends with the people from his new swimming team who are very supportive of who he is.
What's sad is that this is how a lot of trans people actually go through in real life. And this is even mildly compared to how some trans people get treated. I do really advice on not skipping the author's note at the end if you're gonna read this book.
I really learned a lot from this book and I feel like this book is gonna be really important for a lot of trans people, especially trans kids.
My Instagram
This book was very intense to read at times. We see him getting misgendered and deadnamed, beat up and threatened. At the same time it has some wholesome moments. We see him getting a crush on a girl who works at Obie's favorite restaurant, Obie becomes friends with the people from his new swimming team who are very supportive of who he is.
What's sad is that this is how a lot of trans people actually go through in real life. And this is even mildly compared to how some trans people get treated. I do really advice on not skipping the author's note at the end if you're gonna read this book.
I really learned a lot from this book and I feel like this book is gonna be really important for a lot of trans people, especially trans kids.
My Instagram
lspignese's review against another edition
5.0
Thank you to the publisher for an e-ARC of this middle grade novel. I thought Obie's story was exceptionally well told. Though each person's experience is undoubtedly and markedly different, I think this is an apt representation of what a transgender kid stands to face. Every parent hopes their children receive the support Obie receives from his allies (his teacher, new swimming coach, family, and new friends), and equally fears the bullying he faces. I look forward to seeing this on middle and high school shelves.