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A review by suzyreadsbooks
The Ship We Built by Lexie Bean
5.0
an amazing #ownvoices middle grade about a trans boy! Rowan is figuring things out. About what home means and why his own home doesn’t feel quite right, about religion, God, and wishes, about broken and new friendships, about small towns and places you can’t find on maps, and about masculinity and his name and gender and what his crushes mean. He doesn’t feel confident and doesn’t know how much he’s really allowed to share with others or even himself. So, he starts sending letters into the sky, and slowly begins to process things throughout the course of 5th grade.
This book was so tender and gentle with Rowan, who is scared and lonely and needs somebody in his corner. While this covered difficult topics and is no easy read, it is ultimately affirming and reassuring that you can build a path forward. I read a physical copy and listened to the audiobook and would highly recommend it in any format (but if a print copy or e-book is accessible for you, the illustrations by Noah Grigni are fantastic!!)
TW: childhood sexual abuse (not graphic), homophobia, bullying, conversion therapy, substance abuse, prison
This book was so tender and gentle with Rowan, who is scared and lonely and needs somebody in his corner. While this covered difficult topics and is no easy read, it is ultimately affirming and reassuring that you can build a path forward. I read a physical copy and listened to the audiobook and would highly recommend it in any format (but if a print copy or e-book is accessible for you, the illustrations by Noah Grigni are fantastic!!)
TW: childhood sexual abuse (not graphic), homophobia, bullying, conversion therapy, substance abuse, prison