Brie Hutchens - outspoken 13-year-old 8th-grade soap opera superfan and actor wannabe, attending the small Our Lady of Perpetual Help in her New Jersey hometown - is nearly busted by her mother looking at racy photos of her favorite soap actress online. Only a huge lie - that Brie has been chosen to crown Mary at her school's upcoming May crowning - distracts the attention of her mom, a devout Catholic, just in time, but now it's up to Brie to make the lie true; not an easy task, especially when the honor goes to the student who writes the best essay, and Brie has never tried too hard at school. No, those kind of honors usually go to a super-student like the pretty and popular Kennedy Bishop, pretty much Brie's mortal enemy ... until Brie's recent realization that maybe she likes girls manifests in nothing less than an all-out crush on none other than Kennedy. Add to this Brie's determination to land a role in the 8th-grade play - her acting debut! - as well as audition for a performing arts high school her parents probably can't afford - and even for a stubborn, single-minded 13-year-old dealing with her new/confusing feelings and how they can co-exist with her devout mother and her own shaky faith, the rest of the school year seems determined to come packed with more drama than Brie's favorite soap. Not since Harriet the Spy when I was eleven years old (several decades ago) have I come across a middle-grade heroine worth rooting for more than the very average yet very special Brie Hutchens. This Own Voices novel about Brie's confusion, fears, and desires in coming out, trying to accept herself even as she worries about the reactions of her friends and family (especially her mom) while also dealing with her first crush, is poignant, at times both heartbreaking and funny but always exceptionally real. So much so, both young people struggling to come out/accept themselves and the parents raising them could equally benefit from this touching, funny, ultimately uplifting novel. An unexpected gem. 5/5 stars
NOTE: I received a free ARC of this title from the publisher, in exchange for an honest review
No comments:
Post a Comment