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A review by crybabybea
Zenobia July by Lisa Bunker
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Super cute, so many wholesome themes and a loveable cast of a queer found family. Of course, everything isn't rainbows and sunshine, there are plenty of hard moments too, but throughout the book Zenobia finds her way with the help of her extremely supportive aunts and uncle, and her loving friends.
There were a few iffy things, like some sort of out-of-place dialogue that didn't feel like true middle school conversations, and some magical computer hacking skills, but since it's middle-grade I think it's okay to have some suspension of disbelief.
I was surprised actually at how much I related to Zenobia despite not being trans and not being, well, a middle schooler. Of course she goes through the average middle school girl issues such as bullying and self-esteem issues (obviously with an added layer of complexity due to being trans), but she is also healing from the complicated feelings of grieving her parents despite growing up in an abusive environment. She was so compelling as a character and I felt so hard for her. I think this book is so important and I'm glad it exists.
There were a few iffy things, like some sort of out-of-place dialogue that didn't feel like true middle school conversations, and some magical computer hacking skills, but since it's middle-grade I think it's okay to have some suspension of disbelief.
I was surprised actually at how much I related to Zenobia despite not being trans and not being, well, a middle schooler. Of course she goes through the average middle school girl issues such as bullying and self-esteem issues (obviously with an added layer of complexity due to being trans), but she is also healing from the complicated feelings of grieving her parents despite growing up in an abusive environment. She was so compelling as a character and I felt so hard for her. I think this book is so important and I'm glad it exists.
Graphic: Grief, Outing, and Dysphoria
Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Deadnaming, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Racism, Suicide, Transphobia, and Islamophobia