SYNOPSIS: Fifteen-year-old Mick Mullins has a great life: his parents are sweet, his sister is tolerable, and his friendships are solid. But as summer descends on Queens, he prepares to turn his carefree existence upside down by disclosing a secret he has kept long enough. It’s time to work up the courage to reveal that he is not a boy, but a girl—and that her name is Michelle. Having always been the perfect, good boy, Michelle is terrified that the complicated truth will disappoint, hurt, or push away the people closest to her. She can’t continue hiding for much longer, though, because her body is turning into that of a man’s, and she is desperate to stop the development—desperate enough to consider self-medicating with hormones. Most of all, Michelle fears that Grandpa, who is in a nursing home after a near fatal stroke, won’t survive the shock if he finds out that his favorite grandchild, and the only boy, is a girl. If she kills her beloved Grandpa by leaving Mick behind, she isn’t sure embracing her real identity will be worth the loss. Rating: 4/5
[ I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through Netgalley ] First off: I'm not an authority on this topic. Second: THIS WAS GOOD. I was really afraid this would just be a sad story about how coming out as transgender made everyone turn away from Michelle, but fortunately, it was not! It was actually quite heartwarming and I wish all trans kids were received as well as this (preferably even better). Some characters reacted badly, but Nina Rossing found just the right balance, making the book both realistic and lovable. Most of the characters really have their own distinct personalities and I fell in love with not just Michelle, but with Ash, their parents and Diego. The Mullins have a really good family dynamic and I'm so happy Michelle has such a good place to come home too. Michelle is strong, unwavering and authentic. The book is narrated realistically and close to heart, making me feel really sympathetic towards her. She never gives up who she truly is and stays true to herself, which I admire a lot. The story itself truly read like a passage from her life. The work on her grandfather's house, the visits to her grandfather, the runs with her mum; everything was worked out very well and the world building was excellent. It never gets boring as you really get pulled into Michelle's life. [ slight spoiler alert ahead. I will put a note to close the spoiler. ] Michelle's grandfather's reaction is so good. He is exactly what I expect most grandparents would be like when their grandchild comes out as transgender or even as gay. [ spoilers done. ] Michelle's story is realistic, strong and lovable. I would 100% recommend this to anyone, as we could all benefit from reading up on this topic. Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/book/show/29496675-mick-michelle Amazon: www.amazon.com/Mick-Michelle-Nina-Rossing-ebook/dp/B071WZJGQ7
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AuthorHi! I'm Marcella. As you might have guessed, I quite like YA books.. Archives
February 2018
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