A review by deusbexmachina
The Ship We Built by Lexie Bean

emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

This is an exceptional novel that everyone should read. I was so, so deeply moved. It's a monologic epistolary novel written from the point of view of Rowan, a young trans boy who is dealing with bullying at school and sexual abuse at home. He writes letters and attaches them to balloons, hoping to reach someone who understands. The book takes place during his fifth-grade year, and you see him form a beautiful friendship with a girl in his grade, gain more confidence in himself, and realize that his father's abuse is not okay. I am not kidding when I say that I cried my eyes out and that I continue to tear up when I think about it.