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A review by librariandest
The Ship We Built by Lexie Bean
2.0
This is an epistolary novel the author describes as "a gift to my 10-year-old self." It's based on the author's own experiences as a trans child. I started out listening to the audiobook, but it didn't hold my attention. I switched to the print book and still could not get into it. The form of this book is reminiscent of [b:The Perks of Being a Wallflower|22628|The Perks of Being a Wallflower|Stephen Chbosky|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1650033115l/22628._SX50_.jpg|2236198] (letters to an unknown recipient, feels like a diary). It was maybe too realistic -- like reading actual found letters instead of a coherent novel. The tone was overwhelmingly sad for me.
As with the books [b:George|40948486|George|Alex Gino|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1532559186l/40948486._SX50_.jpg|44165520], [b:Everything Sad Is Untrue|45916267|Everything Sad Is Untrue (a true story)|Daniel Nayeri|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1579708868l/45916267._SY75_.jpg|70768669], and [b:Out of My Mind|6609765|Out of My Mind|Sharon M. Draper|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1347602096l/6609765._SX50_.jpg|6803732], I recognize the value of the story but I didn't enjoy it or find it well-written. They all felt like something I was forced to read for school, but in reality I was the one forcing myself to read them because they are about important topics that are underrepresented in children's literature. They all got good reviews from professional journals. But what can I say? Despite the very compelling subject matter I found the book itself a slog.
As with the books [b:George|40948486|George|Alex Gino|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1532559186l/40948486._SX50_.jpg|44165520], [b:Everything Sad Is Untrue|45916267|Everything Sad Is Untrue (a true story)|Daniel Nayeri|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1579708868l/45916267._SY75_.jpg|70768669], and [b:Out of My Mind|6609765|Out of My Mind|Sharon M. Draper|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1347602096l/6609765._SX50_.jpg|6803732], I recognize the value of the story but I didn't enjoy it or find it well-written. They all felt like something I was forced to read for school, but in reality I was the one forcing myself to read them because they are about important topics that are underrepresented in children's literature. They all got good reviews from professional journals. But what can I say? Despite the very compelling subject matter I found the book itself a slog.