Thursday, September 29, 2016

If I Was Your Girl, by Meredith Russo

Amanda is the new girl in a small-town high school, and she comes in facing the same problems as
all new kids. Will she make friends? Will she fit in? Will she find love? But Amanda comes with an additional secret -- until recently, she was a boy named Andrew. As she lives her true self for the first time, finding a group of girls she connects to and starting to build a relationship with handsome Grant, Amanda also struggles with how much, if any, of her own story to reveal.
The structure and flow of this book is really engaging. It alternates between Amanda's current experiences at her new school and flashbacks to her past -- her struggle since childhood with her gender identity, her family's reaction, and her transition and challenges. One of the hardest parts of reading this story is how quickly and easily she fits in at her new school. When the reader gets Andrew's experience of always being on the outside, along with ominous foreshadowing of how quickly her new life could crumble in the face of intolerance, there's a bit of dread as we anticipate what's likely in store for Amanda. This is not a tragedy by any means, but there is definitely heartbreak along the way.
The author's note at the end is also valuable. Meredith Russo is also transgender, and speaks frankly about how Amanda's experience are her own and might be very different for other transgender teens and adults. Overall a moving and excellent read.

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