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A review by deafchipmunk
Birthday by Meredith Russo
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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
5.0
I was not expecting to give this book 5 stars when I started reading it. I was also not expecting much romance since the blurb didn't mention much of it but now looking back at this book I'm so glad there was romance (I might be a bit biased by whatever).
I loved the characters, they were memorable, had good qualities while also being actual human beings & having flaws as well, and relatable as fuck. Morgan's mindset reminded me so much of mine and how she thought she was insane for trying to act like a female when she was in a male's body. Eric was so so supportive and accepting. He seems like a bit of a cunt around the middle of the book but there are good reasons as to why, and he as well is going through a bit of an identity crisis without knowing it unlike Morgan. While they were the characters we see the most, others like Morgan's dad, Eric's parents, and other people from their school are introduced and we get a bit of insight into them and weren't just side characters but instead engraved into Morgan's and Eric's lives.
I honestly wasn't expecting that great of pacing since the book does only take part on one day of each year for about 5 years but it was actually really steady pacing. I didn't get confused at all with what had happened the past year since we got an explanation to whatever had happened. And it didn't feel like I had to catch up with whatever had happened because there wasn't anything to catch up on that wasn't explained. I guess each year showed less of what had happened the year prior, but the evident change in the characters from one year to the next. The author pulled it off amazingly and it was enjoyable to read. I also loved the writing style. Didn't make me cringe at all like most books do and I could get a good understanding of what the characters felt and didn't just read what their emotions were. Also the cover is super simple while also being cute and meaningful? Hello, the rainbow candle? I love that little detail!
While I did love this book, I don't love the author as a person at all. I won't go into detail much and you can always search up her name and find out what this is all about, but the actions she has taken are not condoned by me just because I like this book. This is a book, it has nothing to do with Meredith except that she wrote it. So I am still giving this book ☆☆☆☆☆, but her as a person is an immediate 0 star (I'm not sure if you can actually rate people but just go with the flow) and I definitely do not support what she had done.
[REREAD]
My thoughts on this wonderful book have not changed. This is a great coming-of-age story about 2 best friends figuring who they really are during their teenage years while having not so supportive people in their lives that make it more difficult for them to truly find out who they are at their core. While I do not support the author in any way, I do support the valuable messages and themes this story presents itself with and the character that support those said messages and themes. And although I cannot relate to the majority of the themes brought up (I noticed in my review for my first read of this book I made it sound like I could relate to this book in terms of the sexuality and gender theme; I can't and not sure why I made it out that way. Excuse me on that aha), I still felt my heart break whenever something tragic happened to Morgan or Eric, and I don't have the capacity to explain how many times I internally cried for these 2 characters which I grew to become so attached to once again that didn't deserve anything bad that came their way.
All in all, I can definitely see myself rerereading this again sometime in the future and finally picking up a copy for myself instead of borrowing one. I will forever love this book (key word: book, not the individual who wrote it) and recommend it to anyone who wants their hearts to crack into a million pieces. 🫶
I loved the characters, they were memorable, had good qualities while also being actual human beings & having flaws as well, and relatable as fuck. Morgan's mindset reminded me so much of mine and how she thought she was insane for trying to act like a female when she was in a male's body. Eric was so so supportive and accepting. He seems like a bit of a cunt around the middle of the book but there are good reasons as to why, and he as well is going through a bit of an identity crisis without knowing it unlike Morgan. While they were the characters we see the most, others like Morgan's dad, Eric's parents, and other people from their school are introduced and we get a bit of insight into them and weren't just side characters but instead engraved into Morgan's and Eric's lives.
I honestly wasn't expecting that great of pacing since the book does only take part on one day of each year for about 5 years but it was actually really steady pacing. I didn't get confused at all with what had happened the past year since we got an explanation to whatever had happened. And it didn't feel like I had to catch up with whatever had happened because there wasn't anything to catch up on that wasn't explained. I guess each year showed less of what had happened the year prior, but the evident change in the characters from one year to the next. The author pulled it off amazingly and it was enjoyable to read. I also loved the writing style. Didn't make me cringe at all like most books do and I could get a good understanding of what the characters felt and didn't just read what their emotions were. Also the cover is super simple while also being cute and meaningful? Hello, the rainbow candle? I love that little detail!
While I did love this book, I don't love the author as a person at all. I won't go into detail much and you can always search up her name and find out what this is all about, but the actions she has taken are not condoned by me just because I like this book. This is a book, it has nothing to do with Meredith except that she wrote it. So I am still giving this book ☆☆☆☆☆, but her as a person is an immediate 0 star (I'm not sure if you can actually rate people but just go with the flow) and I definitely do not support what she had done.
[REREAD]
My thoughts on this wonderful book have not changed. This is a great coming-of-age story about 2 best friends figuring who they really are during their teenage years while having not so supportive people in their lives that make it more difficult for them to truly find out who they are at their core. While I do not support the author in any way, I do support the valuable messages and themes this story presents itself with and the character that support those said messages and themes. And although I cannot relate to the majority of the themes brought up (I noticed in my review for my first read of this book I made it sound like I could relate to this book in terms of the sexuality and gender theme; I can't and not sure why I made it out that way. Excuse me on that aha), I still felt my heart break whenever something tragic happened to Morgan or Eric, and I don't have the capacity to explain how many times I internally cried for these 2 characters which I grew to become so attached to once again that didn't deserve anything bad that came their way.
All in all, I can definitely see myself rerereading this again sometime in the future and finally picking up a copy for myself instead of borrowing one. I will forever love this book (key word: book, not the individual who wrote it) and recommend it to anyone who wants their hearts to crack into a million pieces. 🫶