George

I'm a cis reader, so my opinion should have significantly less weight than that of a trans reader, but I did really enjoy this book. Just like Charlotte's Web, it's a very simple story, on the surface - it's accessible to anyone and easy to understand. It's also very emotional, in a fairly understated way. I hope this book has reached and will continue to reach a wide audience, including girls like the main character.

I like that none of the characters are perfect and wonderful - George is a little bit bratty, for example, and struggles with life in a way that feels accurate for someone her age. The friendship between Kelly and George is really sweet, but it doesn't feel too idealized; Kelly is slightly awkward with everything at first, but she does her best. A few years ago I used to read middle-grade books constantly, and I don't remember many at all with a central friendship between two girls - so that's nice to see. I also like that this story is not about Kelly, or any cis person, but focuses completely on George.

I listened to the audiobook and the narration by Jamie Clayton is excellent. I hope she'll do more voice acting or narration in the future.