In the Role of Brie Hutchens... is one of my new favorite middle grade books.

The novel chronicles Brie’s coming out experience in a way that is hopeful but also doesn’t sugarcoat, and I think the discussion of coming out through a middle schooler's lens is really meaningful. Melleby explores Brie’s hardships beautifully, from the realization that coming out isn’t just a one-time event, to the hurt inflicted by heteronormativity, to the complicated relationship between Brie and her Mom.

Speaking of Brie’s mom—she made me SO mad, but their relationship was complex, and she wasn’t a one-dimensional “villain” parent or anything like that.

Still, watching the way she treated Brie was heartbreaking, and I was so so happy when Brie called her out. (I ended up getting pretty attached to a lot of the characters, so I felt kinda like a proud big sister.)

The novel also delves into Brie’s relationship with her dad, who has just lost his job and is working as a janitor at her school. His complicity in the way Brie was treated by her mom is angering, but I did feel for him as well.

Brie has a brother, Trevor, as well, and though I did enjoy the sibling relationship, I was left wanting a bit more substance out of it.

I enjoyed seeing the way that Brie's religion and sexuality intersected over the course of the book, as Brie is a closeted student at a Catholic school. The author critiques homophobia within Catholocism while still maintaining that homophobia is not the norm for all Catholics, that there is a wide diversity of thought within religion. (I adored the teachers at Brie’s school. English and theater teachers ftw)

Additionally, the novel portrays Brie’s conflicted relationship with her faith that I think will resonate with a lot of kids who have grown up religious and are questioning what religion means to them. (I certainly found it relatable, and I also very much enjoyed the joke about the taste of communion bread.)

One of my absolute favorite parts of this book is the realistic and endearing minor characters. Brie is in eighth grade, and the characters and the classroom scenes felt pretty realistic to me (as someone who was in middle school fairly recently).

I enjoyed Brie’s friends immensely. Her friendship with Parker was SO wholesome. I loved how Parker played matchmaker and was completely unfazed by Brie’s coming out, and I think that the more kids see these sorts of friendships in books, the better equipped they’ll be to empathize with and show kindness to their own friends and classmates.

I also loved Brie’s friend Wallace, who was sooo sweet, and the dynamic between Brie and her love interest was adorable as well.

I also really appreciated how passionate Brie was about soap operas and acting, and how soap operas were explored as representative of Brie’s connection to her mom. At the beginning of each chapter, the author included little snippets from various soaps, such as General Hospital and All My Children, which I enjoyed despite never having watched any of the shows. They gave me a window into Brie’s thought process while being accessible to non-soap opera fans like myself.

I adored this important, honest and emotional upper-middle grade (I cried a little bit). I was so proud of Brie and her growth by the end of the novel, and I think readers of all ages will enjoy rooting for her as they tag along on her journey. As a reader of primarily YA, the content of this middle grade had crossover appeal for me, and I would definitely recommend this one to middle schoolers and older readers as well.

Brie is an eighth grader in her last year of middle school at a Catholic school. When her mother catches her looking at some pictures of her favorite soap opera actress, Brie tells her mother a lie. She'll be crowning Mary. This is a big thing for her mother and Brie must now find a way to make it happen.

I'm a big fan of books that take place at school and In the Role of Brie Hutchens had a good balance between home and school. I was never a student at a religious school, so I can't relate. I imagine that it can be difficult for students who are struggling with their identity in many ways. It has to be hard trying to figure that out when at a school that tells you you should think a certain way.

In the Role of Brie Hutchens is an important book. I think it's great that our main character goes to a religious school, because I'm sure there are many students in the same position as Brie these days. Being a teenager isn't easy. You have a lot to figure out, school, friends, family and your sexuality in some cases. That can be a really scary time and Nicole Melleby really hit me in all the feels.

Brie is a character that I had to get used to at first, but she ended up with a special place in my heart. All she wants is her mother to see her and be proud of her, especially after her mother catches her looking at the pictures. Brie is in many ways a typical teenager: she likes hanging out with her friends, school isn't always fun and crushes start happening, just not the way she was expecting. Brie grows so much as a character. She lets herself feel, really works for what she wants and eventually is in a place that she can open up to her parents. All while she's trying to figure out where she fits in this world.

Brie's family is a complicated situation. I think it shows us the stresses that parents can have when they lose their job and money gets tight. This definitely influences the home life and the author definitely adds that element to the story. If I'm honest I had a hard time with her mother a lot in this story. I just wanted her to sit down with Brie, talk to her and give her a hug. You could really feel that Brie just wanted to be accepted. Unfortunately, that doesn't happen for every teenager. Brie's Dad was a character I ended up loving. He wants his family to have everything, even if it ends up being hard on him. The relationship between him and Brie was an interesting one and I loved seeing it grow.

On top of the family, we have Brie's friends and crush. They made me laugh and I am such a big fan of Parker for being a really good friend. Besides the characters, I loved the connection to the soap operas Brie loves. The added scenes before the start of every chapter was such a nice touch and I loved how it related to something Brie was experiencing in that chapter. It's nice when you can find something to relate to! Some story lines were left open, but that didn't really bother me.

In the Role of Brie Hutchens is an amazing books with a lot of messages. I love how it talks about family, friendship, sexuality, finding out what you want, fighting for your dreams and maybe even accepting yourself. I will definitely be keeping an eye on this author to see what she does next.

This book was provided through Netgalley by the publisher, in return for an honest review.

This book has some powerful messages to tell the young LGBTQ+ community. This is a coming-of-age story of Brie Hutchens, a 13-year-old girl struggling with her feelings and the implications when her family and friends find out she likes girls.

Each chapter starts with a scene entry from famous soap operas that deal with mother/daughter and LGBTQ+ themes.

Getting insight into how difficult navigating your feelings are when you’re young and don’t yet understand how to express yourself, isn’t something you see geared towards the younger readers. Being different and coming to terms with who you are is difficult already, but then you have to think about whether your family and friends will accept you when they inevitably find out, too…

Nicole’s writing was engaging and emotional, had me tearing up a few times. Just thinking about someone having to go through an identity crisis, thinking that what they feel is wrong, is scary. It’s also interesting that Nicole decided to add the additional pressure of a Catholic upbringing.

What I liked most about this book is how you can easily feel everything with Brie, all of the ups and downs, and the roller coaster while her family tries to come to terms with their new normal…

This middle grade novel tackles being caught at the intersection of questioning the faith you were brought up with and your sexual identity, all with a running theme for soap opera stars, plots, and scenes. I enjoyed the growth of the titular character when it came to her relationship with her father, who was going through his own tough times. I could have done with her mother fat shaming her (does anyone actually only eat one Pop Tart when they come in sets of two?). Everyone in her life reacted a little differently to getting to know this part of her, and she learned that coming out is a lifelong ordeal.

I don’t usually read middle-grade books, I’m not sure if that is always a conscious decision or if at one time I’ve thought that maybe I would find them too young for me and then just never thought to explore them. So I was pleasantly surprised when In The Role Of Brie Hutchens… was brought to my attention and from the start it sounded like a book I would enjoy reading.

I actually cannot recommend this book enough and I wish I had the words to do it justice but it is just magical. I think what speaks to me the most about this book is how relatable it is, it feels like there is so much that I can share about Brie’s experience of admitting to herself who she is and discovering what that means to her and her family.

Having to own up to your emotions is something that I have been doing a lot of lately and actually having a character doing the same, even if it is for different reasons, and being imperfect, getting it wrong, then figuring it out all over again and still trying to do better, it just fosters an amazing sense of hope. It reminded me that it’s ok to believe in yourself but that it’s also ok to make mistakes and that you don’t have to have everything figured out.

I think it is so important to have books that represent different experiences because it can help readers feel less alone if they find a character that is going through something similar to them and this book really covers quite a few bases but without it being forced. It looks at how Brie fits in with her faith as she discovers her feelings for another girl, how she manages her family’s expectations of her and of her future, but most importantly it looks at managing changing family dynamics.

Getting to explore the relationship between Brie and her mum was definitely a highlight of this book, I think the author captured that tense period of knowing that something is going to irrevocably change a relationship superbly. I think most importantly it gives hope to younger people who are worried about admitting who they really are to their family, it shows how much of a struggle it can be on both sides but at the end of the day shows what real love and support looks like.

Another thing I really admire about this book is how fun it was to read, there are some really important topics in this book but it is also lighthearted and entertaining, for me it struck the perfect balance. It is an easy book to read and in the grand scheme of things the storyline is simple but it really hits hard on the emotional level and I just loved it.

This is completely different from Nicole's first book, Hurricane Season, and not in a bad way. Where Hurricane Season felt like discovery with difficult times and heartbreak, In the Role of Brie Hutchens took a more comical approach while still covering self-discovery.

Brie is really into Soap Operas and at the beginning of each chapter there is a brief description of a scene that somewhat relates to what is happening in that chapter. I loved this added touch. Reading each one of these was interesting, especially when I've actually watched that scene when it aired. I also related to Brie in that I use to watch soaps with my mother and grandmother when I was a kid (and into my teen and adult years). That added nostalgia really allowed me to connect with Brie.

Brie as a character felt a lot older than she actually was, but at the same time didn't. Let me attempt at explaining this. There were moments where she would explain something and it felt so teen and logical that I found myself wondering if I ever had that kind of clarity and ability to expression myself that way as a tween - the answer is no by the way lol. However, I found Brie likeable and some of her reactions made sense. She had a good friendship with her boy-crazy friend and a good relationship with her other friend that played hockey - although she didn't seem to have anything in common with them I still felt it was a realistic friendship for that age. Brie felt brave and dramatic, without ever feeling completely over the top. There were times she did something wrong and would, eventually, admit to that and admitted to the fact that it was hard to be honest

Her friends and love interest did not get much development in this story, and I'm completely ok with that. They weren't the focus or the important part of the story, but they were needed to show how Brie was handling things in her daily life. Even with their brief relation to the story, I still felt like they were people and I could picture them in school (and even pinpoint people in my childhood that could represent them).

I loved the struggle Brie had between her discovery of sexuality and her family's religion. There is a clear disconnect between religion and Brie and I found that completely believable. Even if Brie wasn't exploring her sexuality, which is usually looked down on in strick religions, I believe Brie would still be feeling this disconnect. She sees her mother's devotion and just can't seem to find that herself. I also felt a connection with Brie and her relationship with her mom. To not feel like her mom liked her or understood her is something I remember thinking when I was a tween/teen. I still believe that now - there are parts of myself that my mom would not accept if ever vocalized and there are things I enjoy that my mom doesn't believe is normal for someone my age. However, I do believe that Brie and her mom have a way of coming back and understanding and that was what I was rooting for during this entire book

Now, I said earlier that it wasn't as heartbreaking as Hurricane Season - this is true, but that doesn't mean that there is no heartache. There were moments where I teared up and felt a lump in my throat from the emotion written on the pages. Brie does not have an easy go throughout this book - but you never felt like she was unsafe. And I would say that is the reason for it not getting a full 5 stars. I never felt like there was any real stakes, that no matter what this was a true happy ending style of book (and there is nothing wrong with that). I wanted a little more depth and a little more push into stacks and emotional impact.

I believe this book is for anyone trying to discover their sexuality, and especially so if they are within a religious context. This hits its demographic (10 years +) very well. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for more middle grade LGBTQIA+ books or anyone who wants to read more of Nicole's work - it does not disappoint.

Thank you Nicole and Algonquin Young Readers for providing me with a copy.

I absolutely loved Nicole Melleby’s first book, Hurricane Season, and am so excited to be part of Algonquin Young Readers’ blog tour for her second book, In the Roles of Brie Hutchens.

This was such a beautiful and heart-wrenchingly written book. Brie’s struggle with both her sexuality and her faith is so relatable, and Melleby is really incredible at showing us Brie’s confusion, frustration, and the emotional journey she’s on. At 13, Brie’s got a lot going on. She’s in 8th grade, she’s developed feelings for the know-it-all girl in class, her father has lost his job and now works maintenance at her school, her parents are struggling financially, and she’s desperately trying to connect with her mom.

I particularly resonated with Brie’s strained relationship with her mom – that desperation to please her and always coming up short, the feeling that her while sure, her mother loves her, she doesn’t really like her, and the fear that if her mom knew who she was – who she really was – she wouldn’t even love her either. The one thing they had in common was their love of soap operas, but as their relationship becomes increasingly strained throughout the course of the book, even that commonality falls to the wayside.

Brie’s not sure how to talk to anyone about her sexuality, or the questions she has about faith, and so those questions come out in small bursts here and there to various people, and part of Brie’s journey is realizing that coming out isn’t a one-time occurrence – it happens again and again. And that can be utterly exhausting, especially when the people you care about the most don’t react the way you hoped they would. Or they react exactly how you feared they would.

I though the soap opera angle was cute, and really fit in with how dramatic Brie is. She wants to be a soap star when she grows up, and she’s pretty singular-minded in that focus. At first, I found Brie’s self-involvement rather annoying (though probably pretty accurate for a 13-year-old), but one of Melleby’s gifts is creating an authentic – and at times painful to watch – character arc of growth and realization.

This isn’t a meet-cute novel with a happily ever after ending full of sunshine and roses. In fact, Brie ends up with way more questions than answers by the end of it, I’d say. But that’s part of why I love Melleby’s writing so much – because it shows the messiness of life in such a genuine way.

There were a few things I didn’t like about the book, or wished had been executed better. The pacing is super slow for a Middle Grade novel, and contains more self-reflection and internal dialogue than MG novels usually have. The supporting characters really aren’t fleshed out at all. Brie’s best friends, Parker and Wallace, don’t have any depth to them. Parker is boy crazy and that is the only thing she talks about. Wallace likes sports and is one of only three black kids in class. And that’s the extent of what we learn about them. Brie’s brother has no personality whatsoever, other than “sullen teenager.”

Brie’s crush, Kennedy, is a know-it-all perfectionist who always raises her hand in class. In the final couple chapters of the book, we finally learn more about why Kennedy is this way, but because it doesn’t come out until the very end, it’s not explored at all. Part of the reason for this is because Brie is so narcissistic that it never occurs to her that Kennedy – or anyone else for that matter – has their own internal struggles they’re dealing with. When she starts to realize this, all of a sudden the other characters have issues she notices, too. It would have been nice if the readers could have seen those additional personality characteristics in the supporting characters throughout the story, even if Brie couldn’t.

Though these issues distracted me from the story, I still highly recommend the book. It’s thoughtful, creative, and nuanced. It’s an important book, not just for kids who are starting to wrestle with questions on sexuality and faith, but for their parents, too. Brie’s parents don’t react well at all when they find out she likes girls, but their journey of learning and growth is an important exploration in the book as well, and one I think a lot of parents (especially those who are very religious) can learn from.

You know how you create fantasy scenarios? Make up things that have no chance of happening but hey, they make you feel better in the moment. Imagine if those fantasies were exaggerated by a soap opera obsession. Brie has decided to make one of those fantasies a reality by first telling it as a lie. Brie also has a secret that weighs her down when she tries to fight it but also gives her peace when she embraces it. Figuring out who you are is hard. Discovering she is attracted to girls while attending Catholic school and coming home to a Catholic mother isn't making it easier. I hope Brie helps children figure out who they are and inspires them to be their own authentic self because I know when Brie cried at the end I was crying right along with her. If you don't mind a character that is definitely a little self centered but you still find yourself rooting for her, Brie is your girl. I want to end by applauding the teacher characters in Brie's life and hope Nicole Melleby based them on teachers from her life.

Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: In the Role of Brie Hutchens

Author: Nicole Melleby

Book Series: Standalone

Diversity: LGBT+ main character

Rating: 5/5

Recommended For...: LGBT, coming out, theatre, romance, finding yourself

Publication Date: June 30, 2020

Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers

Pages: 261

Recommended Age: 14+ (finding yourself, coming out, romance)

Synopsis: Introducing Brie Hutchens: soap opera super fan, aspiring actor, and so-so student at her small Catholic school. Brie has big plans for eighth grade. She’s going to be the star of the school play and convince her parents to let her go to the performing arts high school. But when Brie’s mom walks in on her accidentally looking at some possibly inappropriate photos of her favorite actress, Brie panics and blurts out that she’s been chosen to crown the Mary statue during her school’s May Crowning ceremony. Brie’s mom is distracted with pride—but Brie’s in big trouble: she has not been chosen. No one has. Worse, Brie has almost no chance to get the job, which always goes to a top student.
 
Desperate to make her lie become truth, Brie turns to Kennedy, the girl everyone expects to crown Mary. But sometimes just looking at Kennedy gives Brie butterflies. Juggling her confusing feelings with the rapidly approaching May Crowning, not to mention her hilarious non-star turn in the school play, Brie navigates truth and lies, expectations and identity, and how to—finally—make her mother really see her as she is.

Review: I really liked this read! I thought the character development was marvelous and I adored Brie's dramatic but heartbreaking voice and how you could feel how much the author poured of herself into this book. The writing was spectacular and the world building was amazing. I definitely loved this book!

My only issue is that the pacing of the book was a bit too fast. It didn't bother me because it matched well with how I felt the book was progressing but fyi! The book is also incredibly short and while it's a great short summer read, I felt like it could have been longer.

Verdict: a definite must read.

Meet Brie. Soap Opera super fan. Aspiring actress. So-so student and 8th grader at a small Catholic school. When her mother walks in on her accidentally (but maybe not quite so accidentally) looking at inappropriate photos of her favorite soap actress, Brie panics and says she’s been chosen to crown the Mary statue during her school’s annual May crowning ceremony.

There’s just one problem. She hasn’t been picked. No one has. And usually the honor is given to the top student, someone like Kennedy. Brie decides to enlist Kennedy to help her but sometimes just looking at Kennedy gives Brie butterflies. Juggling truths and lies, expectations versus reality, identity, sexual orientation, and religious faith, Brie tries to make it through middle school and figure out how to get her mother to see her for who she truly is.

This book. I seriously don’t have words for it because while Brie is so sweet and funny and unique, her story hit so close to for me that one scene towards the end had me bawling and suddenly I was 11 years old coming out to my mother again. I cannot possibly contain my awe and gratitude that queer Middle Grade and kids books even exist. That not only do they exist, there’s so much support behind them. I don’t know what kind of magic lead to Algonquin Young Readers reaching out to me to review this book and participate in a blog tour for it but I had already requested it on Net Galley and just yeeees!

I wish I had had exactly this book when I was in middle school. All I actually had was a Melissa Etheridge memoir and that book was the only lesbian and lesbian media I could find or knew of. And being an adult and famous musician was so far away from my reality. When I think back to that age- which I’ve been doing a lot while reading this- what strikes me most is how absolutely alone I felt. I clung to and reread that memoir hoping for some ounce of solace but oh, if I had had a book like this one. It would’ve been a literal lifeline.

The other thing that really makes this book special is that it deals with religion as well. And the ways that being young you’re figuring everything out- including how to come to terms with sometimes conflicting parts of who you are. I wasn’t religious in middle school (though religious arguments were something some of my classmates through at me. Which wow, it breaks my heart how many Queer folks have been wounded by religion and religious people who wield their religion as a weapon). But when I did become much more religiously inclined in my mid teens I again struggled with reconciling that and my queerness. I’ve almost never seen fiction- geared towards any age- that speaks to these issues. And in this book it’s never fully worked out. After all, Brie is just 13 and the kids who will be reading it are young as well and these things take time but I love, love, love that it’s dealt with here.

This book is an absolute treasure. It spoke to some of my own real life experiences that I’ve never seen on a page before. And while I can’t imagine what a lifeline and incredible thing it would’ve been to have this book when I was in middle school, even reading it now, at 30, was an absolute gift. I hope it will be a gift to all who read it.

* spoiler alert ** Thankyou to the Publisher, the Author and Netgalley for a e copy of this book to read and in exchange for a honest review.
This book is slow at times but its a vital read for anyone who is struggling with there identy. Meet brie a thirteen year old girl who is struggling with her sexuality while being at a catholic school her parents espcally her mum whos fatih is extreamly important and her dad is struggling since loosing his job and works at Bries school. this book starts with Brie liying about crowing mary a big thing at her school even though no one has been chosen yet as her mum found her looking at pictures of her fave soap star on the internet. Brie loves Soaps she watches them regliously and they help her cope with what she is feeling along with her friends Parker and Wallace.
I enjoyed reading this book it was diffrent read for me and I enjoyed the middle grade take of finding out who you are at a age were everything changes I love Brie and Kennedy relationship they are great together. this book was very emotional espcally when Brie comes out to her Mum when she is not ready and Brie trying to get her mum to open up to her about who Brie is was really emotinal and her Audtion at MCPA was even more emotinal. I loved the ending of this book it felt right I would love a second book as i would love to revisit the chractures espcally as they go to diffrent schools and Brie will face diffrent challanges while at MCPA would love to find out what happens after In the Role of Brie Hutchens. This book should be in all school libarys its a lovley book about love friendship and finding out who you are. 4.5 stars from me :)

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product.

Where to even start? Emotional, messy, and life-changing, this new coming of age novel is breathtaking. This novel follows Brie, a soap opera lover with a passion for acting as she discovers her sexuality. From financial stress, family relationships, religion, schoolwork, to sexuality, this book is emotionally challenging.

When I first read the description, I was scared to read this novel as a Catholic religion topic is not something I would go for, BUT it was not overwhelmed with information and it did not try to change your faith. The support surrounding our main character was moving as not everyone in her life was against her sexuality.

If we’re being honest, I might have cried once or twice. This book is an eye-opener on the LGBTQ community, the everyday struggle of coming out and acceptance.

The secondary characters (Kennedy, Parker, Wallace…) were easy to love but lacked a background story. I wished we knew more about Kennedy’s story, what she is dealing with, maybe a second book with her version would be interesting and showcases how every coming out story is different for everyone.

"Brie never felt ready, no matter how many times she had to say the words. She hoped that Kennedy would figure out how to do it on her own time. She hoped that when she did it, it would be because she was ready. Not because she felt pressured to."

In conclusion, this is a book that every youth must-read. I will definitely keep this on my book shelve in the hopes of one day introduce to my own children. This is a read for someone going through their own sexuality but as well for any ally to have insight into the LGBTQ community.

I read this book for a blog tour, so thank you to the publisher and the author for letting me take part in this tour, and thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This book is a great LGBT middle grade in which we follow Brie Hutchens, a 13-year-old young girl who goes to a private Catholic school in America with her friends. Throughout this book, Brie starts to question her faith, she doesn't understand why her mother loves Mary so much and thinks that if she doesn't love Mary as her mum does, her mum won't love her. She also has to come to terms with questions about her identity and sexuality, and also struggling with school work and trying to get into her dream art school. I don't usually read books with religious topics, I'm not religious myself and struggle to understand how some peoples' attitudes or behaviours are kind of justified by the fact that they are religious, however, this book was not like that at all, it really surprised me and I really appreciated this different stance.

I loved the characters! Brie is just such a great character, she is really struggling and trying to come to terms with herself, and one day, her mum catches her doing something and to detract from it, Brie blurts out that she is going to be "crowning Mary", a really big event for the school. When she realises that she might not be able to get away with the lie, she has to try to get her grades up and write a winning essay to be chosen as the special person who gets to crown Mary and read their essay at the May Crowning.

Another really important part of this book is the passion that Brie has for soap operas and wanting to go to art school to act. I loved this part of the plot, I studied drama/theatre from the age of 11 to 18 and loved it so much, this book had a lot of nostalgia for me, especially when Brie was on stage acting and when she did her audition. I think that this subplot is such an important one because it's thanks to her watching soap operas that she realises that she isn't like other people at her school and she doesn't have crushes on boys like her best friend Parker does. I really loved how Parker was such a great friend throughout, at one point they seem to be a bit distant but when Parker and Brie have a conversation about why Brie is feeling down, Parker is so supportive and just brilliant!

Brie's parents were sort of hit and miss for me. I loved her dad so much, he is the "good guy" in the family, he is always there to help her and is trying to work as hard as he can so she can do whatever she wants and make her dreams come true. Her mum, however, annoyed me. I don't know if it was because of her love of Mary and her strong identification with religion, but I got so annoyed at her a few times because of her behaviour with Brie. I really couldn't handle her after she basically told her daughter she couldn't look at her, but I suppose that the author did a great job of representing what it can be like in conservative and religious families when one of the children come out to their parents.

Overall, this book was very well executed, the writing style flowed, the characters were great, especially Brie, and I loved how over the course of the book, Brie learned who she was and how to accept herself, while pursuing her dreams and trying to come to terms with her mum's love of Mary, trying to understand it and not let her mum down. I loved this book, it has great LGBT and religious rep, I gave it 4 stars and I recommend to everyone. I love middle grade books because I find them so much more complex and inclusive than books for other audiences and this was not an exception, it was great and I urge readers of any age to pick it up!

All Brie wants is to get into the performing arts high school of her dreams and go on to become a soap opera star! She’s not a very good student but when her parents agree to let her apply to the performing arts school she puts much more effort into her schoolwork. She also goes out for the school play to show them that she can do it!

Brie felt like a junior high aged character. She was a bit selfish and bratty at times but I feel like most young people at that age aren’t sure how to handle certain situations. Her dad lost his job and her mom has had to pick up the slack but Brie has a hard time seeing how that affects her life when all she see’s is what she wants. When her mom finds out she likes girls it puts a strain on their relationship and now have to navigate this new normal.

The family dynamics were definitely a fore front of this novel. Not only are they dealing with economic struggles due to her father losing his job due to mental illness but her mom is also faced with a moral struggle when she finds out Brie likes girls. The way her parents reacted to this realization felt realistic to me. Both navigate it in different ways and I think it really brings them closer to Brie in a lot of ways. Especially her father who doesn’t have the same kind of relationship Brie has with her mother.

I thought Brie’s character arc was well done and by the end of the book she really recognized how much her parents have done for her. It was also good to see how her relationship with her parents changed throughout the story and I felt that it was portrayed in a very positive way.

In the Role of Brie Hutchens... follows 8th grader Brie Hutchens as she tries to maneuver through her final year at her smaller, Catholic school. It should be smooth going except for a few key problems; she lied to her mom about a major event, her dad is now working at her school, her grades suck, and oh yeah, she thinks she has a crush on the class' teacher's pet; another girl named Kennedy. Nope. Not the normal school year. 

I'm actually kind of struggling to find the right words for how much I enjoyed this book. It had some witty banter, I loved the soap opera elements throughout, I really loved Brie as a main character, and I especially loved the way the author weaves this coming of age story into a near rom-com with some family dynamics interlaced. It was really spectacular. Don't worry! I'll break it down further! 

The Writing: This book nearly flies off the page in it's ability to completely wrap you in the story. The characters are both flawed and personable, and there was never a moment where I felt disconnected from them, even the side characters like Parker or Kennedy. I basically read this book in two days because it flies by; I was so involved and engaged with the story it was nearly impossible for me to put down and all too easy for me to just binge completely. I was laughing, I was crying, I was cheering, and I was cringing. This book really gave me the full range of emotions. 

The Characters: I think Brie was a phenomenal main character. She was really easy to relate to, even as I was a 23 year-old reader. She was flawed but not in a heavy way, just in the way that she was still in middle school and trying to navigate that space of being her own person and staying the same Brie with her family. I think we can all relate to that struggle, but for Brie it was a little harder. It was so amazing to be able to follow her relationship with each member of her family and see how that advances as the book moves on. I know Brie is the "shining star" of this novel, so to speak, but each character in this poignant story plays a vital part and is just as equally fun to interact with. 

The Plot: This book moves really quickly but it doesn't lack dimension or depth. It has all those typical school setting events like classroom chatter, sports events, the play, and even ends with the school dance. It's all fun and still meaningful, and while the book is on the shorter side with less than 300 pages, you don't feel like it was rushed or like you missed anything. There were a lot of deeper moments like when Brie talks with her teachers or when she and Parker have a fight, but these deep moments are given proper attention and depth, and I appreciated that the author gave us those as well as the funny and lighthearted times. It was a great balance.

I could really relate to Brie and her family. My mother and I used to watch soap operas together in the early 2000's (when I was too young to really remember all the details) and then when I was in middle and high school we would watch paranormal shows like Ghost Hunters together, and that would be our quality time, our thing. Of course, as I got older and went off to college we lost that and it started to feel like we weren't as close anymore without that common thread. I also had a sibling I was kind of disconnected from (do sisters ever get along, really?). The only real difference between my family and Brie's was that I didn't have the added stress of having to come out amid an overtly religious family. 

All I can say is that I adored this book and I think it'd be a perfect read for Pride month, if not every month. It's a middle grade with heart and sass and fun and family and really helps to highlight how important this genre is, especially when it comes to children who need to see themselves personified in the pages of a book. I cannot recommend this one enough.

Nicole Melleby has absolutely done it again with In The Role of Brie Hutchens. I adored her previous book, Hurrican Season, so I had high expectations for this follow-up novel. I wasn't disappointed!

Melleby has a great talent for writing easy to digest, YA/middle-grade books that are still immersive and engaging. I've recommended Hurricane Season to readers of all ages and will be doing the same with this one.

Being a teenager is very hard, especially when you're about to go into high school. Everything is just so confusing and the world seems like it's constantly changing. To then have to battle the things Brie is dealing with... let's just say she had a lot on her young shoulders.

Parents do their best to shield their children from the harsher realities of what it takes to keep a household going, but in Brie's case the cracks were definitely beginning to show. It's hard to understand as a teenager that sometimes your parents can't give you everything they want to. Brie learned this the hard way, as well as learning that it's not just material things that parents can't always give you.

While a few plot lines were left up in the air, it was a beautiful ending to a beautiful book. I do hope there is a sequel so we find out what is next for Brie, but if there isn't this is a fantastic standalone novel. It has a wide appeal, but as I was reading it I kept thinking how incredible it is for there to be books like this out there. Other kids going through the confusing things Brie was facing have somewhere to look to now, to see a character in a story that's just like them. Books like this are so important and I feel honored to have been able to read it.

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

4.5 stars.
What a beautifully written story told with such great compassion. This is a great book for children struggling to understand their sexuality and being able to accept who and what they are in life and the challenges then can face.

Brie is in the 8th grade at school and has a pretty normal Catholic upbringing. She finds she is attracted to girls and is unsure how she feels about this. Her family is a strict Catholic family and her mum is the stricter of Brie’s parents.

Brie gets caught up in a lie to her parents that she has been chosen to crown Mary in church and things start getting on top of Brie and escalating to the point that Brie is overwhelmed with not only her lie, but her school work, her friendships and her feelings all start to suffer from this too.

This story is a fantastic exploration of identity, sexuality, family structures and complexities and friendships, trust, faith and religion that is written from the heart of the author and this is so clearly shown upon every page of this book.

Brie is a very brave and courageous young girl and I applaud her for this and hope this book helps other girls and let's them know they are not alone and give them the courage and strength they may need in similar situations and circumstances.

How I love this novel! Brie is all of us at one point or another, when our path seems clear before us, but we just can't manage that first step, or those around us seem more like obstacles to our course than like cheerleaders or fulcrums. Brie is so admirable and so adorable; I couldn't help but love her character and integrity.


Brie wants to be an actress, but her parents' finances barely maintain her in parochial school. There's no funds for the Performing Arts High School [remember the film and TV series FAME? Different schools, same purpose. ) Brie, at thirteen, even more importantly struggles with her personal identity--including the early unflowering of potential interest in girls. It's so much for anyone to cope with; but I cheered for Brie, who after all is a remarkably special character.

I love Brie so much! She's so young and she's trying to figure out a lot of different things. She's very into acting (that's her current career goal) and she loves soap operas because they're her only real connection to her mom. (It's not the only reason she loves them but it's a big part of it.)

She and her mom aren't getting along very well now, because her mom is overworked and stressed (she's carrying a lot of financial pressure since her husband/Brie's dad was laid off) and to make matters worse, her mom may have also figured out that Brie is gay. (Possibly gay. Maybe. She's not sure. She could just really like this one girl.)

Watching Brie try so hard to be the daughter her mom wants absolutely broke my heart. (NOTE: This isn't really a sad or depressing book. I think Brie's mom is really trying to understand her daughter. It's just hard for her.)

I absolutely loved this book, and everything about it. There are great teachers, good friends, a solid crush and also? I really love Brie's dad. He's overlooked because Brie is trying to save a relationship with her mom (and she's also a jerk about the fact that her dad is a maintenance man at her school, which he's only doing so she can get a break on tuition there) but that is a great guy.

Highly recommended.

I honestly couldn't even finish this book. I didn't like the main character. She read so young and seemed so spoiled. It was just not a good reading experience.