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sunshine169's review against another edition
5.0
Morgan and Eric were born on the same day during a terrible snow storm. By the time they left the hospital three days later their families became friends. Birthday is a story that follows the relationship between Morgan ad Eric for 5 birthdays leading up to the age of eighteen. Both of their stories are a struggle with identity. Eric questions whether or not to live out the life his father wants for him or to explore other possibilities. Morgan was born as a boy but living as a boy hurts. She struggles with the feeling of not knowing who she is and when she finally processes her feelings has trouble telling those she loves.
This book was a quick read full of emotional turmoil and unfolds into a beautiful love story. I believe that this book will enter the hands of someone who really needs to read these words and I am grateful that Meredith Russo put them to paper.
Thank you Netgalley and Flatiron Books for an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book was a quick read full of emotional turmoil and unfolds into a beautiful love story. I believe that this book will enter the hands of someone who really needs to read these words and I am grateful that Meredith Russo put them to paper.
Thank you Netgalley and Flatiron Books for an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.
apricothopeful's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
_arahabak1's review against another edition
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
janlulu's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
sad
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
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
eyleen's review against another edition
5.0
Intense, suspenseful,important!
The ending was a bit too much for me (not saying more here because I don't want to spoil anything), but definitely go read this book! :)
The ending was a bit too much for me (not saying more here because I don't want to spoil anything), but definitely go read this book! :)
kimball_hansen's review against another edition
3.0
Maybe 3.5 stars. The book was decent a little uncomfortable at times due to the unfamiliarity but with an open mind it was enjoyable. And I want to learn more about the author I wonder if she's a transgender (after googling and reading another review on here, I guess the author is a hypocrite or in deep trouble for abusing others). I found this book because it was in one of the many libraries I have on Overdrive that my sister-in-law has recently been going wild about and checking out a million books at a time. I wish the author had taken out the subtitle of the book. I wanted to be surprised that the two birthday boys fell in love.
The author did a terrible job with Morgan rejoining the football team. Probably because he knows nothing about football or lifting weights. Even if he played as a kid, in one year he just became a great athlete and doubled his maxes in weight? Deadlifting 350 lbs when he weighed 120 or maybe 150? Even if he bulked up after lifting for a year what happened to all the weight after that? I'm surprised that the football couch lives in a trailer. That prolly wouldn't happen.
I guess the trans people have said that the author covered the puberty of Morgan very well but as a non trans person I didn't think it was covered well at all.
I wish the narrator did better with the voices. Hard to distinguish between Eric and Morgan. Fortunately each chapter title labels who is talking.
I still have a ton of questions:
How did Morgan forget about the kiss they had together when they were kids? And Morgan is dumb for getting mad at Eric for kissing him.
How does Eric not have a shaved head on the cover when they both did it?
How do they have birthdays (15-16) back to back with football games on both birthdays?
It's interesting that a lot of the trans people have a ton of other mental disorders. Trans people like pickles where they're doing hormonal therapy apparently because the therapy takes away a lot of their sodium.
How do Morgan's hands or knuckles not break when he punches so many things?
The narrator was apparently a transgender. The reasoning was dumb though, economical? It doesn't matter if the narrator is trans and does an audiobook as a cis person.
The author did a terrible job with Morgan rejoining the football team. Probably because he knows nothing about football or lifting weights. Even if he played as a kid, in one year he just became a great athlete and doubled his maxes in weight? Deadlifting 350 lbs when he weighed 120 or maybe 150? Even if he bulked up after lifting for a year what happened to all the weight after that? I'm surprised that the football couch lives in a trailer. That prolly wouldn't happen.
I guess the trans people have said that the author covered the puberty of Morgan very well but as a non trans person I didn't think it was covered well at all.
I wish the narrator did better with the voices. Hard to distinguish between Eric and Morgan. Fortunately each chapter title labels who is talking.
I still have a ton of questions:
How did Morgan forget about the kiss they had together when they were kids? And Morgan is dumb for getting mad at Eric for kissing him.
How does Eric not have a shaved head on the cover when they both did it?
How do they have birthdays (15-16) back to back with football games on both birthdays?
It's interesting that a lot of the trans people have a ton of other mental disorders. Trans people like pickles where they're doing hormonal therapy apparently because the therapy takes away a lot of their sodium.
How do Morgan's hands or knuckles not break when he punches so many things?
The narrator was apparently a transgender. The reasoning was dumb though, economical? It doesn't matter if the narrator is trans and does an audiobook as a cis person.
achilleanshelves's review against another edition
5.0
Everything about this was so, so perfect. The formatting, the pacing and the characters were all fantastic and the MTF representation was positively beautiful.
jeffrey_taylor's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
maggiekuus's review against another edition
4.0
I listened to this book on Libby and it was fantastic - particularly because it was narrated by a person with their own lived experience.