Meredith Russo

Jo Litchfield

Meet Morgan and Eric: born on the same day, at the same time and bonded for life. In this moving dual narrative, we meet them every birthday from the age of thirteen, as Eric figures out who he is, as Morgan decides to live as her true self, and as they realize they are inextricably part of each other.

Birthday

One Day meets The Sun Is Also a Star in this unconventional love story by the award-winning author of If I Was Your Girl, Meredith Russo!

A Novel

Lara owens 

I'm holding my breath, hovering between wavering sunlight and deep, dark blue, arms twirling while my feet kick up and down, slow as tides. I'm not ready to go back up; too much waits for me above the surface. But I know I can't just float for ever. Life always forces you to move, one way or the other, whether you're bursting into sunlight or swimming down.

One of my favorite YA novels of all time 

Carrie Kish

amber baardsen

3,5⭐️
i had to read it for school so that kinda took the enjoyment away😔
sort of bored me until maybe 3/4 in but it pulled through at the end, even tho i felt like the ending was sorta rushed
morgan is so☹️🫶😔 and eric is🤭😘☹️ the only man EVER actually. “Morgan Gardner deserves a song” me: 😫😓😕😔

PENNY PAINESI

** spoiler alert **
           I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH !! Even with school I managed to finish it in only two days because I became obsessed! I loved how well the author described Morgan's feelings and inner demons and how well in sync the two best friends. I haven't been on a similar journey myself but the authors description made me understand as much as I can Morgan's raw need to be a woman

Kailey Rios

this was such an important and emotional story. 

it was definitely hard to read at times but it ended in such a heartwarming and lovely way.


  4.5 stars

Alexa Jade

5 stars holy crap. I am crying and my heart is racing and I’m so damn happy I picked up this book.

chloe mcpherson

I freaking adore Morgan and Eric, right from the first page I was invested in these characters.
I loved the way their story was told, we follow these two characters each year on their birthday, and only on their birthday for six years.

This book dealt with such important topics such as transphobia, homophobia, transitioning, suicide, death of a parent.

This book was heart breaking yet wholesome and I am so happy I read this book, and think everyone should read this.

Logan Dittbrenner

Trigger Warning: homophobia, transphobia, and suicide

I knew I would love this book but it blew me away! I really relate to Morgan’s character because I am also transgender (FTM) and went through similar things. I felt so much for the characters and it was really heartbreaking at times. The friendship between Eric and Morgan was amazing and I also liked how Eric used Morgan’s preferred pronouns when Morgan came out to him. I did not enjoy hearing the slurs in this book though. This is a book that is going to stick with me and I may even call it a new favorite.

Marina Riaza

I can’t believe a book like this exists. I can’t believe I’m lucky enough to have read it. So painful and so beautiful, so raw and poetic. I love it so much.

Meet Morgan and Eric: born on the same day, at the same time and bonded for life. In this moving dual narrative, we meet them every birthday from the age of thirteen, as Eric figures out who he is, as Morgan decides to live as her true self, and as they realize they are inextricably part of each other. An LGBTQ+ YA One Day, this is a beautiful unconventional love story by the bestselling #ownvoices author of If I Was Your Girl.

Rebecca Browne

Wow. I kinda wish it didn’t just end, but I couldn’t put this book down and I’m so glad I had the opportunity to read it.

Toni Turner

Content warnings for homophobic slurs, suicide, manipulative parent, depression & anxiety!

This shit hurted & was so beautiful. I love Morgan and Eric more than anything and I’m going to be crying over this story until I die. 

Like fuck! Anyone who might read this who is struggling with their gender identity or sexuality like I fucking LOVE YOU AND YOU ARE VALID AND YOU ARE WHY I STILL BREATH TODAY!

Annalee Harris

Morgan and Eric share everything: a birthday, a passion for football, and every single secret ... except for one. Following the lives of these two best friends, we get an intimate and heartbreaking look at what it means to truly love someone: even when it hurts, even when it's confusing, even when you're born in the wrong body. Birthday only gives us glimpses into the lives of Eric and Morgan--each chapter focuses on their birthday, so we really only get about a week with these two--and how much can change in just a few, short years.

This novel was beautifully written and expertly captured the emotional turmoil of coming to terms with your sexuality and gender identity. Morgan is transgender, but he doesn't really know that--all he knows is that when he looks in the mirror, the boy staring back isn't who he's meant to be. Morgan is meant to be a girl, but can Morgan really do that in a small, homophobic town like Thebes, Tennessee? Can Eric, Morgan's best friend, truly accept Morgan? Meanwhile, Eric is also struggling: an abusive father, a secretly alcoholic mother, and mounting expectations are forcing him to choose between Morgan, his best friend and maybe something more, and being able to finally get out of the small town he calls home. With Morgan growing distant, will Eric be able to bridge the gap? Or will he lose Morgan forever?

The thing I respected most about this book is that the author, Meredith Russo, is trans, which gives her the expertise and experience needed to write a novel like this. The emotions are raw and, even though it hurts to see Morgan struggle with her identity, it's necessary. It's real. Gender identity is a difficult topic to discuss, but Russo did it with the grace and sensitivity, but more importantly, she did so realism and poignancy--trans men and women are not readily accepted, so showing the abuse and fear of transitioning is necessary.

Some aspects of the novel felt a bit fairytale, which stripped away some of the realism. Especially the ending, but I don't fault Russo for wanting to clean it up nicely with no loose ends. Overall, I enjoyed Birthday, even if I think it should've been more of a heartbreaker.

alice nunes

A new favorite 

Probs favorite of the year as well

Amélie 

one of the best books i’ve ever read. the storyline is great and it really catches you. she writes so that you can really empathize with the people and the situation. there is no single part of the book where it’s boring and towards the end your heart is gonna explode !<3 i also think this is a serious and important topic today and this book explains how people life with it and how the deal with it. all in all unbelievably good book

Neva Davies

A wonderful, heart wrenching second novel

Meredith Russo has such a way with dynamic characters. She writes in such a way that you feel like you are right there, not just hearing the story in your head but seeing it play out. If you loved If I Was Your Girl, you will enjoy Birthday.

Popsugar Reading Challenge 2020: A book by a trans or nonbinary author

Ruth Parker 

This book.... just wow. From the first chapter I was hooked. I knew I wasn’t going to put it down until I finished it, so I made a cup of tea and snuggled down on the sofa while my fiancé played Red Dead Redemption. Usually the distracting gunfire and crazy southern drawl would distract me. Usually I would be sipping tea throughout. Usually I’d remember to go to the bathroom when I needed... ok I knew I needed to go, I just put it off until I was desperate because I DID NOT want to put this book down.
I found myself crying my eyes out at parts, hoping and praying it would work out. This book was amazing. It seriously touched me and it will stay with me for a long time. Not only one of the best books of the year, I think it’s one of the best books I’ve ever read.
Thank you to Meredith Russo for this raw, honest, loving and above all else believable tale which had me curl up and not move for the best part of three hours.

Lisa W.

I heart ❤️ Eric. 
This was a good book. I feel satisfied even though I want more. I’m not exactly sure more is realistic or maybe I’d be asking for too much but I have plenty of theories that could be added.

Anna Leigh

*4.5 ⭐

Oh. my. god.
This is the first book that has ever made me SOB for a full 20 minutes. Wow this was heartbreaking yet heartwarming. Love love love.

Makayla Reed

I am not quite sure if I was the audience for this book. I thought it was good but I just never connected to the story or the characters. I think the target audience would be for transgender youth for the most part, which is a necessary gap that needs to be filled within publishing. I have nothing against this book or the beautiful and heartbreaking story it told, I just do not think that I was the intended audience.

It reads pretty young so that is why I am pretty sure that youth struggling with their sexuality and gender identity are the intended audience. I would definitely give this to my child if I saw them struggling with their gender identity or sexuality.

Coralie | she/her

This book was so HARD! Like I cried a dozen times. But it was so important. It touched me, changed me. I had never read a book about transgender before, but I think that this one should be a must read. Following Morgan thoughts broke me. 

I have to warn you: this book is really difficult. It talks about depression, homophobia, loss and suicide attempt. It was so difficult to watch the characters suffer this much. But at the same time, this is what makes this book so beautiful and so important.
So yeah, I don't really have the good words to express what I am feeling right now. So just remember that this book is such a great book, and that you should all read it.

Stefie 

TW: homophobia, transphobia, attempted suicide, abusive parents, alcoholic, violence. 

This book is sweet and cute, but also tense and complex. I really appreciate how the author can express and picture the complexity of a human, how feelings sometimes are more than just feelings. 
I see this book as an important read.

However, maybe because I’m kind of sensitive with strong action (such as abuse), and this book have strong scenes that fills with anger. Hence it gave me a sense of tenseness that made me feel a bit wary. Like I couldn’t feel calm. So that’s way it’s harder to enjoy the book and all of the cute and sweet scenes are covered by my tenseness (does this make sense at all 🙈? I hope so).

All in all is a good read and I think a lot of people will enjoy this book :)

Jessica 

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Review also found here at Booked J. 

This was my first experience with Meredith Russo's prose, but certainly not my last. Birthday alone is one of the most poignant, thought-provoking and heart warming releases in YA this year. It could not be more deserving of its praises. I've been in a sea of emotions since finishing and it's taken a while to fully process Birthday and the beauty in this particular love story. 

I'm a sucker for love blossoming between two friends. It's one of my favourite tropes, if explored in a way that's unique but familiar. In the case of Birthday, the representation makes the story all the more engaging and reminds us what is desperately needed in fiction. Birthday made me believe in fate and that, in itself, is what fiction should be about: learning, believing and feeling.

Seeing the way that Eric and Morgan develop into their relationship through snapshots of their teenage years was truly a beautiful gift. Watching as they came of age and found themselves in more ways than one brought me immense joy. It also, at times, brought a great deal of raw emotion that leaves readers with something of an ache. It is in these moments that it truly shines.

If you're not sold, think of the character development all on its own. Russo crafts two characters in the best of ways--never erasing their flaws, keeping them true to life and making them genuinely wonderful people. Their character growth, along with their connection, is what makes Birthday soar as a love story. They learn, they love, they accept, they struggle--they come to life before your eyes.

But it is the time we spend in the narration that we truly get to know the story and these characters. In it we see more than just standard coming of age tropes; we see first loves, we see the struggles of a young transgender, the loss of a parent, the cruelty of another and we watch as each of these little (big) moments in two teenagers lives come to head. 

Birthday's formatting, each of the snapshots take place during specific birthdays, emphasizes the fact that time can seem endless or fast. It's a look into growing up and, well, fate. Russo takes the familiar formula of YA contemporary and pens the perfect love letter in the process. Birthday is unforgettable and, frankly, one of the best books of 2019. 

With such a powerful message and two fantastic lead characters, you really can't go wrong. 


  As a note, there are slurs in here that will make specific people uncomfortable. Proceed with caution, if you are triggered by homophobic slurs and such. They are used in a context that mirrors real life and it may be harmful to some.

Birthday

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