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nerdinthelibrary 's review for:
Birthday
by Meredith Russo
content warnings: transphobia and homophobia (internalised and external), misgendering, body dysmorphia, use of the F-slur, suicidal ideation, suicide attempt (overdose), self-harm, violence, loss of a parent, abusive parent, alcoholism, depression
representation: transgender protagonist, Latina side character
I've been giving out a lot of four stars recently and while that's obviously great it did have me worrying that I would never read another book that I loved with every inch of my being - dramatic, yes, but I am prone to dramatics. Luckily, though, every time I think that I quickly find a book that I do love with every inch of my being.
I love Birthday with every inch of my being.
Meredith Russo's sophomore novel is set over the course of six years, always on the same date: best friends Eric and Morgan's birthday, every year from age thirteen until eighteen. The book follows them as they both come of age in a small town in Tennessee: Eric as he deals with his abusive father and slowly crumbling home life, and Morgan as she mourns her recently deceased mother and comes to terms with her being trans. They also begin to fall in love as the years pass.
When I finished reading the first hundred or so pages yesterday I updated saying that this was a book that was going to make me sob. I was kind of right. I didn't actually cry but only because I read the rest of this book on the bus and refuse to cry in public. If I were in the comfort of my own home I would have been bawling like a baby. In many ways, this is an incredibly painful book to read. These kids go through so fucking much over the course of their teen years and it's incredibly difficult to read, but don't fear: the ending is happy. It's more than happy, it's immensely satisfying and made me almost weep for joy.
Despite this ending, please take all the content warnings seriously because this book will be very triggering for some people. The F-slur is used frequently, Eric's dad is emotionally abusive, and one of the main character's attempts suicide, among other things. As happy as it ends, it's a difficult road to get there and I would advise that all readers proceed with caution. Even with how horrifying it can sometimes be, though, I also found this so easy to read. I read this in two days and it flew by; I honestly could've read another 300 pages and never gotten bored, but it's still the perfect length as it is.
I love both of these kids so much. I'm aware it's a little patronising for me, a nineteen year-old, to be calling two people who end the book at eighteen 'kids' but reading their story from age thirteen up really made me protective of them both, which is a large reason why the ending is so satisfying. I don't only love them, though, I also love their love. The subtle romance that develops between the two that then becomes all-consuming almost made me light-headed with how beautiful it was. There are so many lines from both of them that make me want to scream from a rooftop because of how much I love it.
This is kind of the perfect coming-of-age story, blending together every element perfectly. Family dynamics, romantic relationships, friendships, self discovery, triumphs and heartache, it's all there in equal measure and having equal importance.
As I write this, I'm realising how hard it is to articulate why I love it so much. I realised that this was a book that was going to be very special to me while reading a scene where someone's hair is cut, and yet I don't know why that was the scene. Was it the writing? The emotions? The action itself? Maybe all of them. All I know is that reading that scene nearly broke me and I don't know why, which is exactly how I would describe reading the whole book.
For a book that shares almost nothing of my life, I found the experience of reading it a deeply personal one. If you think you can handle the subject matter, please give this a go because it's one of the best books I've read in an incredibly long time.
representation: transgender protagonist, Latina side character
“Her eyes bore into me, and I realize the first song I ever write is going to be about her. Morgan Gardner deserves a song.”
I've been giving out a lot of four stars recently and while that's obviously great it did have me worrying that I would never read another book that I loved with every inch of my being - dramatic, yes, but I am prone to dramatics. Luckily, though, every time I think that I quickly find a book that I do love with every inch of my being.
I love Birthday with every inch of my being.
Meredith Russo's sophomore novel is set over the course of six years, always on the same date: best friends Eric and Morgan's birthday, every year from age thirteen until eighteen. The book follows them as they both come of age in a small town in Tennessee: Eric as he deals with his abusive father and slowly crumbling home life, and Morgan as she mourns her recently deceased mother and comes to terms with her being trans. They also begin to fall in love as the years pass.
When I finished reading the first hundred or so pages yesterday I updated saying that this was a book that was going to make me sob. I was kind of right. I didn't actually cry but only because I read the rest of this book on the bus and refuse to cry in public. If I were in the comfort of my own home I would have been bawling like a baby. In many ways, this is an incredibly painful book to read. These kids go through so fucking much over the course of their teen years and it's incredibly difficult to read, but don't fear: the ending is happy. It's more than happy, it's immensely satisfying and made me almost weep for joy.
Despite this ending, please take all the content warnings seriously because this book will be very triggering for some people. The F-slur is used frequently, Eric's dad is emotionally abusive, and one of the main character's attempts suicide, among other things. As happy as it ends, it's a difficult road to get there and I would advise that all readers proceed with caution. Even with how horrifying it can sometimes be, though, I also found this so easy to read. I read this in two days and it flew by; I honestly could've read another 300 pages and never gotten bored, but it's still the perfect length as it is.
I love both of these kids so much. I'm aware it's a little patronising for me, a nineteen year-old, to be calling two people who end the book at eighteen 'kids' but reading their story from age thirteen up really made me protective of them both, which is a large reason why the ending is so satisfying. I don't only love them, though, I also love their love. The subtle romance that develops between the two that then becomes all-consuming almost made me light-headed with how beautiful it was. There are so many lines from both of them that make me want to scream from a rooftop because of how much I love it.
This is kind of the perfect coming-of-age story, blending together every element perfectly. Family dynamics, romantic relationships, friendships, self discovery, triumphs and heartache, it's all there in equal measure and having equal importance.
As I write this, I'm realising how hard it is to articulate why I love it so much. I realised that this was a book that was going to be very special to me while reading a scene where someone's hair is cut, and yet I don't know why that was the scene. Was it the writing? The emotions? The action itself? Maybe all of them. All I know is that reading that scene nearly broke me and I don't know why, which is exactly how I would describe reading the whole book.
For a book that shares almost nothing of my life, I found the experience of reading it a deeply personal one. If you think you can handle the subject matter, please give this a go because it's one of the best books I've read in an incredibly long time.