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A review by kba76
The Princess of Baker Street by Mia Kerick
4.0
There was so much going on for the main characters in this, and I was torn between admiration for the courage they ultimately showed and horror at the kind of behaviour they were subject to. Tough read, but definitely worth sticking with.
Eric is our narrator. He’s thirteen, trying to hide the fact that his mother has, essentially, abandoned him and fretting over his inability to do what he knows to be the thing he wants and be friends with Joey. Joey was Eric’s best friend when they were younger. Full of exuberance and the one to tell amazing stories, Eric always remembers how Joey was different. It was only when they moved to middle school that this difference started to become an issue.
Joey has, from early on, known the gender he was assigned at birth doesn’t match how he feels. Running round the streets in his mum’s dress and growing his hair are the outward signs of his feelings. Nobody bats an eyelid until they start to grow up and face the prejudices that seem to be more apparent as the differences in gender become more noticeable.
Paired up for a school project, Eric starts to unpick his feelings for Joey. He wants to be a good friend, but his own personal issues mean he’s determined to do anything to avoid becoming a target for bullies.
The narrative takes us through some appalling scenes, including an attempted suicide and awful bullying/prejudice. They remind me just how terrifying it is to be different and how isolating it can be to be someone who doesn’t conform to others’ expectations.
This was not quite the read I thought I’d get, and I’m so pleased to have been able to read it. Thank you to NetGalley, and I’m definitely going to try some other books by this author.
Eric is our narrator. He’s thirteen, trying to hide the fact that his mother has, essentially, abandoned him and fretting over his inability to do what he knows to be the thing he wants and be friends with Joey. Joey was Eric’s best friend when they were younger. Full of exuberance and the one to tell amazing stories, Eric always remembers how Joey was different. It was only when they moved to middle school that this difference started to become an issue.
Joey has, from early on, known the gender he was assigned at birth doesn’t match how he feels. Running round the streets in his mum’s dress and growing his hair are the outward signs of his feelings. Nobody bats an eyelid until they start to grow up and face the prejudices that seem to be more apparent as the differences in gender become more noticeable.
Paired up for a school project, Eric starts to unpick his feelings for Joey. He wants to be a good friend, but his own personal issues mean he’s determined to do anything to avoid becoming a target for bullies.
The narrative takes us through some appalling scenes, including an attempted suicide and awful bullying/prejudice. They remind me just how terrifying it is to be different and how isolating it can be to be someone who doesn’t conform to others’ expectations.
This was not quite the read I thought I’d get, and I’m so pleased to have been able to read it. Thank you to NetGalley, and I’m definitely going to try some other books by this author.