Morgan and Eric were born on the same day during a terrible snow storm. By the time they left the hospital three days later their families became friends. Birthday is a story that follows the relationship between Morgan ad Eric for 5 birthdays leading up to the age of eighteen. Both of their stories are a struggle with identity. Eric questions whether or not to live out the life his father wants for him or to explore other possibilities. Morgan was born as a boy but living as a boy hurts. She struggles with the feeling of not knowing who she is and when she finally processes her feelings has trouble telling those she loves.

This book was a quick read full of emotional turmoil and unfolds into a beautiful love story. I believe that this book will enter the hands of someone who really needs to read these words and I am grateful that Meredith Russo put them to paper.

Thank you Netgalley and Flatiron Books for an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

First off I absolutely loved the format of this book. This book follows two boys Morgan and Eric. They were born on the same day in the same hospital. There was a snow storm that kept there families stuck inside the hospital for 3 days. The families have remained friends and celebrate the boys birthday each year. The book starts out on the boys 13th birthday. Morgan wants to tell Eric he wants to be a girl, but he doesn't know how to tell him and he is scared of what he may think. Each section is the birthday as they grow older. You see the boys grow and go through dilemmas with school and within there families. This is a beautiful story of friendship and personal growth as Morgan and Eric not only realize who they are but how important there friendship is.

I like the construct here better than the the plot development. The idea of checking in with characters periodically throughout their lives has been done before, of course, but the difference between snapshots can be compelling. We see the characters rise and fall, dreams develop and crumple. It's pretty well done here, focusing on a single day each year, that day serving as a flashpoint for change. The sequences are increasingly predictable but hold up to a single read.

This book left me utterly speechless. As a mother it was heartbreaking to watch Morgan struggling and the complications and love between Morgan and Eric. Brilliant storytelling.

My god. This is absolutely stunning.

It’s an aching, haunting look at navigating true friendship, love, trauma, mental health disorders, being transgender, and unequivocally loving someone transgender, despite negative public perspectives.

It also has the most positive depiction of healthy masculinity that I’ve seen in a YA book in ages. This split journey of Morgan trying to grow into her true self and Eric trying to hold strong and be his true self, despite being surrounded by such toxic views of masculinity, is a combo that was just utterly glorious and enchanting.

I don’t remember the last time I enjoyed a story this much, and I read almost 450 books a year. There’s something about this one that is just so special that I’m sure I’ll read it again and again and again and again.

And I listened to the author interview at the end, and It’s just as wonderful as the book. Now I can’t quit crying and also feeling so happy that such an amazing book exists for every kid, teen, and adult who always needed and wanted a story like this and also for all of them who never wanted it or never knew they needed it but still did.

Meredith Russo is a force to be reckoned with. You never know with a debut author, when their first book is so sublime, if they’ll ever write anything again that you love that much. But I love this as much, or maybe even just a smidge more than IF I WAS YOUR GIRL, which doesn’t even seem possible.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for providing me an arc for review. My apologies that this review is a bit late.

This is an emotional journey. It follows two kids from 13 until 18 through snapshots of their lives. And, oh goodness, do you get attached. My only qualm really is that you can't tell how long a section for a year will last as it varies by year. Due to that, it takes sometime adjust every time there is a time jump. Overall, my heart felt so many things and I cried a bunch.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Flatiron Books through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.*

This book broke my heart, and then pieced it back together, and then smashed it with a hammer, and then gave me life. I loved this book, so much.

The story follows Morgan and Eric, who share a birthday and are best friends. They promise to spend every birthday together so, the story follows every birthday from age 13 to age 18. The course of their friendship is effected by divorce, bullying, and the death of a loved one; among other factors. Both boys discover things about themselves and their friendship over the course of six years.

This book has no fault in my eyes. In saying that, I am not transgender. Which means that there are certainly some aspects of this book that I can't speak on personally. As a heterosexual woman, this book gave me a better understanding of how a person who is transgender might feel and opened up a conversation between me and my friends and family. I am not the target demographic for this book, but I enjoyed reading it immensely. I learned a lot about a community that I am not familiar with and I would highly recommend this to people who enjoy hard-hitting contemporaries.

*Warning: this book did contain attempted suicide, verbal and physical abuse, and bullying*

From the start, Meredith Russo's Birthday drew me in, keeping me intrigued throughout.

On their thirteenth birthday, we meet Morgan and Eric, lifelong best friends. I immediately found myself drawn to the tone and the characters. At 13, the two are slowly changing, and secrets are tough to admit.

Their story's an honest tale of one's journey of living in the wrong body. It's a tale of pain and loss, a tale of confusion and floundering. My heart hurts for Morgan throughout, as her struggles are real and raw. Her need to escape, her constant drowning under the weigh to it all is a tough read.

Their tale is full of painful pretending, with great descriptions of all the hiding.
The pain and self-destruction, the inability to be oneself is extremely well written, with understanding and care.

Birthday's an absolutely amazing story. Meredith Russo expertly explores the conflict of a teen feeling wrong in their own body. I loved every single second of this gem and highly recommend it to anyone looking to read about a transgender teenager.

4.5 ⭐️

Trigger warnings for alcoholism, suicide, and overall self hatred thoughts.

It’s hard for me to come up with the words for this book. It was horrifying and excruciating to read about the pain and sadness that a trans individual has to endure not only from others, but also from themselves. I devoured this book in under 12 hours; never able to stop reading for longer than an hour. Every moment spent not reading, I was thinking about it. I just loved Morgan and Eric so much. I really think the timeline of exploring just their birthdays from ages 13-18 lends well to experiencing Morgan’s transition without it seeming rushed or lengthy. I’m only docking a half a star because the people that mattered most to Morgan accepted her when she needed them to without any repercussions relationship-wise, and that just seemed extremely unrealistic TO ME. Overall, this was fantastic and I highly recommend to people looking to read diversely and gain insight to the inner feelings and emotions of a trans individual going through puberty.

So sweet. I loved this so much! The plot the characters everything was so good! I can’t wait to see this into a movie!!
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read this novel in exchange for an honest review.

This book was heartwarming, heartbreaking, and everything in between. One of the most well written love stories I have ever read. This is one of those books that are meant to touch and change lives. I laughed, I ugly cried and I closed the book feeling like I was a better person for reading it. If you’re reading a lot of goods reviews, let me tell you something: It’s even better than what any of those reviews could possible say. Go and read it for yourself.

5/5 stars. What a masterpiece! Absolutely brilliant.

***Review already posted to Goodreads and will be on my Instagram page (@books_and_libros) and Amazon by release date.***

Meredith Russo’s novels are engaging and are much-needed examples of transgender representation. I enjoyed the intertwined narratives of Morgan and Eric as we follow them from their thirteenth birthday through their older teen years. As with If I Was Your Girl, though, I wish, I wish that Russo would create secondary characters with a little more subtlety. We don’t have to be hit over the head with stereotypes and it lessens the overall impact of the story.

Birthday is a wonderful account of what it's like to not feel comfortable in your own skin. Morgan and Eric's story is so heart wrenching yet uplifting. I didn't want to put the book down and was sad to see it end.

I think that Meredith Russo's books are like candy, I read this within 3 hours and that's while being at work! I loved Eric and Morgan's friendship and how the story was told in vignettes every year on their birthdays.

This is not a bad book at all, but it doesn't add anything new to the queer YA canon. Russo's other novels have stronger characterization and do a better job at holding the readers' attention. I will definitely add this one to the library's collection, because representation matters, but this isn't a stand-out novel.

BIRTHDAY is a stellar novel from Meredith Russo, a wonderful follow-up to IF I WAS YOUR GIRL. The format was so unique - chapters in Morgan and Eric's point-of-views every year on their birthdays. It was interesting to see how the two of them changed as time passed, but key aspects of their personalities and lives stayed the same. Morgan and Eric needed each other, despite their tumultuous teenage lives and Morgan's secretive struggle with gender identity pushing them apart.

Both characters were remarkably well fleshed-out. Eric didn't feel like a two-dimensional love interest for Morgan. Although his concern and love for Morgan was a huge part of who he was, he also had his own difficulties with his family life and relationships. Eric and Morgan's friendship was a true highlight of this story. Any romantic developments between them were more like an added bonus, a product of two people who knew each other their whole lives and had a deep connection.

I think Morgan will resonate with trans teens. Her grappling to accept herself was so, so painful to read at times, but such an important journey. As a reader, you want her to realize who she is meant to be and share it with those she loves. But for Morgan, as with many people who discover their gender/sexual identities, it is a process involving time and heartache.

I can't recommend this book enough. It's powerful, real, romantic, gritty... A standout addition to the YA genre.

Social: @_shelf.awareness on Instagram

Where do I even begin? I saw mention of this book somewhere (GoodReads? Buzzfeed Books?) and was intrigued by the cover and blurb, so I knew I had to read it- ASAP. Naturally impatient, I found that Flat Iron books was providing ARCs to some readers and was lucky enough to get my greedy hands on one. From there, I tumbled in head-first.

Prior to this book, I was in a bit of a reading slump. By the fourth chapter of sorts (it goes back and forth between the two main characters), I was hooked and absolutely couldn’t put it down. The complex emotions of dealing with living in a small town, being unable to express or experience true self, and being a teenager are universal; however, Morgan’s feelings and reality are felt more acutely.

These two main characters were really something. Proving yourself, living up to parental and societal expectations, loss of a parent, unconditional love, gender expression, and so many other elements were covered with care in this YA book. Truth be told, I am verklempt after flying through the pages. I’m left lying on my bed writing this review and thinking, “Now what?”

The story was beautiful, so skillfully and intentionally told. My experience is far removed from that of a teen living in a small middle of nowhere town in Tennessee, but Russo transplanted me to that place and time. I devoured every word, every page, and I’m left deeply moved.

Relatable and important, this book has the potential to make the world a better place. How? By effortlessly allowing the reader to live in Morgan’s shoes for 18 years, how could they possibly allow or support the (currently legal) discrimination, hateful policies, and ignorance that exist?

Five shining stars. I want to hug the author.

I really enjoyed this book! Morgan was a really likable character. Her pain is tangible with coming to terms with sharing who she truly was with Eric and her father. She is a complex character who you want to root for. Eric is the guy that everyone liked in high school. I liked how the book followed them through their birthdays. If you liked Meredith Russo's If I Was Your Girl then you will truly enjoy this well written story! Happy reading!

Birthday was lovely and painful and raw, but it left me wanting more and feeling dissatisfied with the conclusion. The book follows best friends Morgan, a girl who has yet to transition and is struggling with her feelings, and Eric, her best friend. Russo tells their story in alternating perspectives, following the friends on each birthday from their eleventh to their eighteenth.

I absolutely adored Russo's debut, If I Was Your Girl, and Birthday was one of my most (if not THE most) anticipated releases this year. Unfortunately, it didn't quite live up to my expectations. While I understand that the concept of the book was to tell the story in day-long vignettes, the massive time-skips left me wanting more detail than any author could have possibly given under the circumstances. Still, I'll certainly recommend Birthday to anyone looking for a good realistic fiction read, and I look forward to Russo's next offering.

Although I wish this story included more detail than it does, it covers six years of sharing who Eric and Morgan are on their shared birthday as they reconnect with one another and talk about who they are becoming and how they have changed over the past year.

Morgan realizes and tries to tell Eric in the first year that he feels like a girl, not a boy but it's misheard or misunderstood and he doesn't repeat himself. As they change schools, they continue to connect through letters and eventually realize that they're not only best friends but have a deeper connection and may be in love.