A review by abigailbat
Birdie and Me by J.M.M. Nuanez

This heartfelt story focuses on the strong sibling bond between Jack and her little brother Birdie who is gender nonconforming. Birdie was allowed to be who he was when Mama was alive, but now that Mama's gone and they've been put into Uncle Jack's custody, all bets are off. This is a story of a sister and brother who are fiercely protective of each other and clinging to each other in a turbulent sea.

I loved the characterization, Birdie's for sure and the representation of a gender nonconforming kid without tons of labels - Birdie's not sure if he's gay, he's not sure if he's transgender. He just wants to be who he is and wear what he likes to wear. But I also really loved Jack's characterization, particularly how like her Uncle Patrick she is even though absolutely neither of them realize it. Jack tends to keep things close to the vest, having big thoughts but somehow unable to make the words come out of her mouth. She's an observer and a writer more than a talker and that sometimes makes it hard for her to make friends or express how she's feeling. Uncle Patrick's the same way, strong and silent but holding a world of emotions within his stoic demeanor that isn't revealed until close to the end of the book.

I'd hand this one to readers of See You at Harry's.