I have to start out by saying how happy I am that queer middle grade books like this one can exist. Having access to this as a child would have been life-changing, and I'm so glad that other people are going to have that experience.

Brie absolutely shines. Though the book is largely about her figuring out who she is, particularly with regard to her sexuality, her voice is clear and wonderful throughout. She's imperfect in the way that makes her not just an interesting character, but a believable person.

I really appreciated the intersections of queerness and religion in this. Catholicism is important to Brie's family, even if Brie herself is still figuring out what role she wants religion to play in her life, While it's acknowledged that religious (particularly Christian) spaces can be homophobic, it's never suggested that queerness and religion are inherently incompatible. This is a message that so many people need to hear.

In all, this is a heartwarming coming-of-age story that I'd recommend to people of any age.

I loved "Hurricane Season" so I was excited to read Melleby's new novel. In The Role of Brie Hutchens did not disappoint. Brie, our awkward protagonist has big dreams and bigger questions. We follow Brie as she navigates religion, sexuality, and her relationships with her family. Through it all, she has good friends who accept her for who she is. The discovery of her sexuality unfolded naturally and in a highly relatable way for me personally, even though I grew up long before the internet. Melleby handles religion with a deft hand, and in no way does this book lessen the importance of religion and spirituality for the reader--it is about finding one's place within her culture, not tearing it down.

One aspect I particularly appreciated was how everything wasn't tidily resolved. It wasn't about finding a "happy ever after the end" but rather acknowledges that the protagonist and her family will continue to grow in love and acceptance. Much more realistic yet still satisfying.

Brie is a typical teenager.... Isn't she?
She is a Catholic school eighth grader. She loves watching soaps with her mom. She wants to be an actress and go to an actor's high school next year. She has feelings for a girl in her class (but is confused as to those feelings) so is very confused about her own sexuality.

Brie's mom is a very strict Catholic and Brie finds it hard to interact with her while she's feeling confused. How can she ever come out to her family?

I think Brie is a very normal teenager.... She's sullen, she likes to argue. She's just going through something that she feels like no one would understand. I really liked her progression of finding herself.

This was so adorable. I'll admit I didn't really like the beginning of the book never it was too fast and just felt over the place. But then as the story progressed, I got into it and my god, it was beautiful.
An eight grader trying to figure out her sexuality in a very religious household is what this book is mostly about. But underneath it also lies the theme of human urge to please your parents. I could relate to that so much, with Brie's constant work trying to please her mother, to be a good daughter. It was emotional, her story, when her mother mistakenly found out.
This book had a gradual acceptance of Brie's sexuality as she finally came to terms with it and came out to her parents. We see her parents coming to terms with the reality slowly and steadily, working out the dynamics in their own way.
Brie's internal conflicts of growing up was also really well portrayed in the book, I feel. The pressure in school, the detachment from faith, the proving yourself game - it was all too relatable.
I just wish we had more of the friendship and got some in depth to it. I really liked parker and wanted to see and read more of Wallace. Nevertheless, a cute and adorable coming of age book perfect for pride month 🏳️‍🌈🥰

Brie isn’t you average 8th grader. She is a soap opera fanatic with dreams of becoming an actress. When he mom walks in on her looking at something inappropriate, Brie quickly changes her attention by telling her she is going to crown Mary at the during the big ceremony, a huge honor, but also a lie. Now Brie is determined to work hard and be chosen to crown Mary, but she is also starting to question some things about herself, mainly her sexuality.

This was a really cute coming of age story. It was a quick read, but really tugged on the heartstrings. I felt for Brie as she tried to understand herself and how to portray herself to the world. I thought her tension with her mom was incredibly accurate for a 13 year old girl, and I just wanted to reach out and force the two of them to talk. I also enjoyed the soap opera aspect of the story! Overall this book was very well done!

The amount of love I have for this book is not easily described. Melleby manages to weave an otherwise simple plot into an intricate window into the life of Brie Hutchens, full of humor, realism, and the woes of being a kid growing up in the world. Will highly recommend to all kinds of readers.

This book. This book.

It made me cry on more than one occasion, and laugh, too. There were so many powerful lines in it. So many powerful moments. It made me angry and sad and hopeful, sometimes all at the same time, which is exactly what a good book should do. I deeply wish that there had been a book like this when I was young, because it would have impacted me strongly. I'm glad that there is a book like this for the kids out there today, and I will be doing my part in getting this into my own library.

It hits on such important topics. The intersection of faith and sexuality. What happens when your family isn't viciously homophobic, but still uneasy and doing things that hurt you, sometimes without realizing their own impact. Dreams you might have that your family doesn't share, and the trials of getting them to see that your dreams are important too. These are real topics that face so many kids, and books like this were not always available to them. Sometimes you need to see yourself - or at least parts of yourself - in a character to understand. That is part of what Brie did in this book. She saw herself in the soap opera characters that she loved the best.

This book was good from start to finish. It's clear that things were not easy for Brie, and would not be for some time, but the ending was hopeful and wonderful and everything I wanted for it to be.

Brie Hutchens is trying to figure something out, something big, something important. It would be a lot easier if it was like one of her soap operas, something written out for her to say that perfectly describes how she feels (how does she feel? Confused mostly), something that will connect with her mother and help her understand what's going on with Brie (even if Brie herself isn't so sure about what's going on). Unfortunately, that's not going to happen, so drawing inspiration from them is the next best thing. But everything is too much, everything is happening so fast and without her permission. All Brie knows is two things: she wants to act and she wants to adjust the hair on a pretty girl. In a moving, sometimes heartbreaking story about a girl trying to figure out who she is while keeping everything from friends, family, and Jesus. Brie Hutchens just wants everything to be OK and sometimes, to make things even just OK takes a lot of bravery, hard work, and help from others.

Eighth grader Brie Hutchins lies and tell her mother that she's been chosen to crown Mary (the ultimate honor) at her Catholic school, both to persuade her mom to let her audition for performing arts high school next year and to distract her mother from the discovery that Brie is gay. The story is a raw and honest presentation of a nonbeliever in a Catholic school coming to terms with same-sex attraction. Brie's conflicted relationship with her parents, especially her mother, feels very real and is even touching at times. That said, the story provides a very one-sided depiction of LGBT attitudes. For a Catholic school, almost all of Brie's teachers and classmates are very encouraging of Brie's exploring her first crush, even though same-sex behavior is contradictory to Catholic teaching. Even Brie's conservative and devout mother, who spends most of the book obnoxiously in denial, starts to come around to Brie's secular view (while the author gets kudos for not presenting her as an intolerant bigot, her relatively fast turnaround to embrace her daughter's perspective is equally stereotypical, not to mention out of character). In fact, Brie reduces the Catholic Church to "unaccepting."

The book is also marketed as middle grade, and while this makes sense given the narrator's young age, the inclusion of some material, most prominently frequent profanity and Brie's watching gay porn on her computer make the book more acceptable for an older audience. This is certainly a captivating story, reminiscent of the film Lady Bird (possibly too much so), but it ultimately gives a flat depiction of a multi-sided issue and gives an unrealistic dismissal of the Catholic teaching by which the story is supposedly surrounded.

Brie is an 8th grader attending a Catholic school. Her family dynamics are in flux as her father's job has changed, her mother's work schedule has changed, her awareness of who she is, what she wants to do, and where she wants to do it don't quite match up with her parents' expectations. There is a interesting structure to the novel dealing with soap operas but I'm not sure that today's readers will get it. Centered around the competition to crown Mary, Brie's relationships with family and friends unfold. Brie's voice gets stronger as the school year ends and the reader feels good about what comes next for Brie.

I wish I had this book when I was in middle school because it's got lesbian representation AND it's an entertaining story. What more could you want?!

I loved the main character, Brie, because she was funny at times and acted realistically when things didn't go her way. She reminded me of myself in eighth grade but with her life a little more put together than mine was. Brie's passion for theater and determination to get into a big theater school was inspiring and made the plot more interesting. And her crush on the popular girl was amazing, too!

In the Role of Brie Hutchens was fun to read and I'd recommend it to girls questioning their sexuality - though I really think that anyone can enjoy this book.

I was provided a digital ARC through NetGalley for my honest review.

I liked a lot about this book, but I didn't love it like I had hoped. I have a hard time believing that my middle graders will understand the soap opera references which drive each chapter. I did like the relationship between Brie and her dad, especially as she is trying to find her way as a private Catholic schoolgirl who is realizing that she likes girls, especially her fellow Catholic schoolgirl Kennedy. I also felt the tension between Brie and her mom seemed very realistic, as well as the financial issues the family is currently having and Brie not really addressing the fact that her dad is now working in maintenance at her school. However, I didn't feel a real connection with most of the characters and I felt the soap opera references were more distracting then helpful.

Disclaimer: I received an eARC in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to Netgalley.

Unfortunately, this book was pushed from an April release to June, but it’s definitely worth the wait. In the Role of Brie Hutchens is another true middle school read, with eighth grader Brie lying to her mother to prevent her from seeing her laptop’s screen where she has Googled her favorite soap actress and found some NSFW pictures that she can’t stop looking at. Then the lies continue to to spiral as she tries to make what she told her mom a reality–crowning Mary at an important 8th grade ceremony at the end of the year, which leads her to seek help from her English teacher and the top student, a cute girl named Kennedy. But she can’t stop keeping THE secret of why she was looking at the pictures from her mom. Meanwhile, she wants to audition for a drama school, but her parents are strapped for cash since her dad was laid off, and the school play auditions don’t exactly go to plan.

This book stands out as one of the few I’ve seen to tackle religion not just in its trappings (Catholic school), but in its characters’ discussions of faith as well. Brie isn’t very attached, but she sees how important faith is to her mother, and has a great conversation about it with Kennedy. I also loved the integration of technology and how it helped Brie with her identity, a very realistic element for teens. In trying to find an audition monologue, she finds herself down a YouTube rabbit hole of soap opera coming-out scenes and compulsively makes a list. Brie also makes a great case for how she isn’t “too young to know” her sexuality, and how coming out isn’t a one-and-done deal, but something she’s going to have to do again and again throughout her life.

There are dramatic plot points–but more realistic and grounded than the soaps Brie loves–and during the last half I was compelled to keep reading to find out what would happen. Brie isn’t always the most likable person, but that makes her realistic. The ending is satisfying and sweet. I can’t wait to recommend this book to middle schoolers!

Brie Hutchens lied to her mom in a panic when she almost got caught looking up naked photos of her favorite actress. Being a mediocre student at a Catholic school, her lie of being chosen to crown Mary was unlikely to come true. And it certainly did not help when Kennedy, the perfect girl in her class, gave Brie butterflies in the stomach.

I did not plan on reading this book from Holy Saturday to the midnight of Easter. It felt special when I realized so.

Melleby did a wonderful job of tackling the issues of figuring out oneself and navigating family relationships. We followed Brie, a somewhat unreliable narrator, as she tried to come out to herself and loved ones. I personally relate to her on so many levels, including attending Catholic middle school and finding emotional release in theatre. Though Brie was not particularly likeable, she was certainly very relatable. We experienced her yearnings of being liked by her mom, confusion over her own feelings, and attraction to Kennedy.

This book is oh-so-very-cute and heartwarming in every way. For any queer teens out there, I think it makes them feel seen and gives them hope and assurance that everything is going to be okay. I highly recommend "In the Role of Brie Hutchens…" to readers of any age.

Brie was a very dramatic and mediocre 8th grade student. Her dramatics were part of her life goal to be an actress- a soap opera actress. Her mediocre grades did not reflect her true intelligence, and for a period of time she was goal oriented to complete all homework and study for tests- much to the delight of her parents and teachers. However, at times, Brie could be her own worst enemy. For example, Brie lied about an important religious school event in order to make her mom feel proud of her and divert attention away from female body images found on her computer. This lie was another continuing emotional disconnect between Brie and her mother. Both felt this disconnect, especially after Brie was outed, but didn’t fully acknowledge it until the reality of the lie forced an emotional meltdown between mother and daughter.

This story dealt with many realistic topics such as coming to terms with one’s sexuality and hiding it, struggling to pay bills, communication problems with parents, school struggles, first kiss, emotional outbursts, and boy crazy supportive best friend. This was a lot for a 13 year old to deal with, especially without the full support of her mother. All the characters were interesting and relatable. Besides the serious topics, there was also a mix of humor.

Having taught 8th grade for many years, the problems Brie had with her parents, the emotional outbursts, the classroom shenanigans during discussions or even homework checking antics were not uncommon. The author portrayed a realistic picture of this 8th grade school setting. Added to this was Brie and her crush, Kennedy, who couldn’t talk to their parents about their sexuality, and often looked to their friends and teachers for guidance and support. These heartwarming scenes were perfectly executed and added so much depth to this storyline. But the most heartwarming-and heartbreaking- scenes were the ones that involved Brie and her mother. These well written scenes were the heart and soul of this story, especially the soap opera audition dialogue.

This was a highly engaging read from start to finish and definitely recommended for teenagers and parents.
An ARC was given in exchange for an honest review.

Brie loves soap operas, which is an odd thing for girls her age to even watch. She's been watching them for years with her mom, and it's the primary way for them to bond. But when Brie discovers that she likes girls, it becomes harder and harder to communicate with her mom, and leads to a lie - that she's crowning Mary in her Catholic school's May Crowning ceremony.

There are a lot of strengths about this middle grade novel. I loved that it showed the complicated feelings this family has about Brie's coming out - which seems realistic and heartbreaking. I loved that many of Brie's friends and classmates seemed to not find her coming out as a big deal, even in the context of a religious school. And Brie's obsession with soap opera was interesting and unique.

Brie and Kennedy (her crush) also has a complicated relationship, which I appreciated. It was definitely not a meet-cute scenario!

I just didn't feel as engaged with the characters as I wanted to. The relationship between Brie and her mother really drives the novel, but I just didn't feel as attached or invested as I should have.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC.

I'm not going to lie, this book had my attention from the first page. A sapphic middle grade novel? Sign me the hell up.
But this story was somehow much more than I was expecting and yet everything I needed it to be at the same time.
This follows Brie, who, when she is caught looking at nude pictures of one of her favorite soap opera stars, comes up with a lie to pacify her mom - a lie that ends her up in a lot more trouble than Brie ever thought possible.
I loved every part of this story - from how hard Brie's parents were working to make her dreams come true to the unwavering support of Brie's best friend all the way to Kennedy's and Brie's struggle with the catholic faith, especially considering they are part of the LGBTQ+ community. I also adored Brie's obsession and passion for soap operas because I grew up with them, too, and could relate a lot to other people not understanding why I loved them.
This was just such a wholesome, empowering story that I won't forget any time soon. Melleby is a master at writing authentic adolescent voices and I am intrigued to see what she tackles next.

Enter Brie - self-centered middle-schooler questioning her abilities, her parents, her friends, her Catholic religion....and her sexual identity. As Brie navigates through the self-doubt and lack of confidence she finds herself at odds with mother and unable to reach her father through his depression over losing his job and his initial shock at Brie’s revelations of her sexuality. Brie also is coping with understanding why she keeps pushing away her crush, Kennedy, who has responded favorably to her attraction, but is afraid to come out for fear of retribution of her parents and the Church.

This story is very relevant for today’s teens who are struggling with revealing their sexuality in fear of non-acceptance due to deep-rooted religious beliefs. This is a good story for parents, teachers, and other adult caretakers of tweens and teens to gain perspective in the emotional upheaval that affects many aspects of a child’s world when there is a seeming lack of support.

Another great middle grade novel from Nicole Melleby. I enjoyed this one a lot. Melleby makes her characters feel real and honest in a delightful way. Brie's story isn't perfect and not everything turns out in the way she expects it, which I think will really resonate with young readers. As someone who went to Catholic school for 12 years, I appreciated the school setting, even if it meant I had a hymn about Mary stuck in my head for the rest of the day. I'm looking forward to what the author does next!

This is a book I wish had existed when I was fourteen and realizing I liked girls.

Brie Hutchens loves soap operas and part of her daily routine is watching them with her mother. When her mom mentions liking one actress’s hair, Brie agrees but doesn’t admit to finding more than her hair attractive. When her mom catches her accidentally looking at nude photos of the actress, Brie lies about getting to crown Mary in a special ceremony in May at her catholic middle school to distract her mom and give her a chance to choose her own timetable, as well as try to get a better handle on her feelings. The lie spirals as she tries to make it reality, while also realizing she has her first crush on the girl most likely to actually get to crown Mary in May.

Brie was so relatable in so many ways and reminded me of the confusion of figuring out attraction, as well as all the anxiety around who to tell and how and how will they react. Brie is also very selfish, unsurprising for her age, and it hurt to see how much her parents were sacrificing and all they were doing, especially her dad who had been recently laid off, so she could graduate from her middle school with her friends. The most painful parts, though, had to do with Brie’s mom and the way she kept doing her best not to talk about Brie liking girls once she found out - and not by Brie’s choice, which is always hard to read.

I really loved this story and how real Brie felt. Things are messy and they hurt, but the end was so sweet and hopeful. I’m glad this book exists for questioning and queer teens, especially from more religious backgrounds. Even though Brie has trouble connecting to her faith, it’s very important to her mom and that adds to Brie’s fears and stress about coming out. I really enjoyed the way each chapter opens with a scene, if you will, from a soap opera that helps set the tone for the chapter, and I loved how soap opera really helped Brie come out to herself and recognize her feelings for what they were. I really enjoyed this book and hope the teen girls who need it will be able to get their hands on it.