Book Review: If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo

Rating: 8/10

Favorite Character: Chloe (I love Amanda too but there’s one scene near the end of the book in which Chloe helps save Amanda that made Chloe my favorite.)

I loved the complexity in this book. Russel’s depiction of the main characters’ struggles with her own mental health, and her relationship with her family. While Amanda’s relationship with her father has its ups and downs (god knows he messes up a lot), the author does a beautiful job exploring it, and Amanda’s relationship with her mom, who tries her best to be supportive, made me cry. Frankly, though, I found Amanda’s struggle to adapt to life as a girl, especially a transexual girl, in high school, incredibly well-written. You really feel for Amanda as she struggles to find her place. She meets faithful friends as well as prejudiced bullies (one character in particular is homophobic, transphobic, and sexist). As Amanda adapts and attempts to find her place in her new high school, we see the world through her eyes, allowing us empathize with her character. I found this book beautiful, and I think more people should read it. I’d never heard of it before, and I would definitely say this charming story of love (familial, platonic, and romantic) in the face of hate is severely underrated.