A review by lawmixitup
Melissa by Alex Gino

emotional hopeful fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

I wish I had encountered this book when I was the target audience's age - I could've learned a lot of lessons much sooner with this! Getting to see the different ways Melissa's family and friends respond to her was a mix of heartbreaking and heartwarming. The growth of the people surrounding her made me so happy to read. As an educator, I also appreciated seeing the different ways her school staff responded to a student they saw as different and how ingrained our false gender binary was in their teaching. While I have learned about the latter already, the reminder is always helpful. 
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