Reviews

If I Can Give You That by Michael Gray Bulla

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underoos47's review against another edition

It felt boring and so detailed in all the wrong places. Also, the main character was so blind-sided and even though he was in the senior year of high school, acted with the emotional maturity of a 12 year old.

natoriety's review

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

avidbooknerd2028's review against another edition

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4.0

Let's see if I finally have my thoughts figured out for this book....

I definitely enjoyed this book, but I think there were some things it was lacking.
The characters were great, and their chemistry with each other was top notch.

I had a little issue with the way our MC treats his dad, while I know there is a storyline behind it and you do get that information I think as a teenager talking to a parent like that the other parent would not allow it. Again, this is from personal experience as well as having my own teenagers.

The fact that our MC mom had some mental health issues and they explained Depression extremely well, made me feel seen. This was something I never thought I would experience in a fiction book, mental health is often used as a villains type of story.

The friendships in here are amazing and very well done. They trust each other and love each other regardless of how they are perceived. This is a f book showcasing friendship goals. Even the MC romantic relationship is beautiful. It showcases how if he wanted to he would.

Overall I think this book was very well written and I think it will help a lot of teens. My gripes with it are mainly personal preference not how the book was written or the content in said book.

caroline_m's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

danimae1981's review against another edition

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5.0

First off, I'll admit that I'm not exactly the intended audience of this book as a 40-something cisgender heterosexual female - but as a mom to a trans/nonbinary child, I enjoy reading books that can help give me a better perspective of their experience. This book is written well, and I really enjoyed reading it. I think it would be a great book for teens to read.

The story follows Gael, a teen boy who is transgender, but I love that there is a whole cast of characters representing different parts of the LGBTQ+ community who have their own stories to share. I found Gael to be a very relatable character, especially since I experience some similar anxieties that he does. I especially found it interesting to follow Gael's exploration of his sexuality, since I know there can be a lot of stigma about this topic for trans people, even within the LGBTQ+ community. I also think Gael's perspective was good because it helped me gain a better understanding about gender dysphoria. I enjoyed watching Gael grow considerably over the course of the story in a realistic way.

This book is so much more than just a transgender story though, which gave it a lot of depth. Gael lives with his mom, who struggles with mental illness, and some difficult topics are encountered along the way. It also takes a close look at family bonds, as Gael holds some strong feelings toward his father, who he hardly has any contact with since his parents' divorce. Plus, there's all the experiences that many teens face in high school, like planning for the future and submitting college applications.

A special "thank you" to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the free review copy of this book. I really enjoyed reading it, and all opinions expressed in my review are completely my own.