I tried to get into this one on numerous occasions and I just couldn't get into the story. It is just a book that wasn't for me. I have heard great things, but another case of "it's me, not you".

Birthday was not my first book by a trans author, but it was my first book with a trans main character written by a trans author, and what a great book it was!

Eric and Morgan are two boys who were born on the same day at the same hospital during a freak snowstorm. The families bond, and Eric and Morgan end up celebrating their shared birthday together every year. The story begins on their thirteenth birthday, and Morgan is desperately trying to work up the courage to tell his best friend in the whole world the truth: that he’s actually not a boy at all, she’s a girl.

Morgan is struggling with this identity, especially since she
a) is only 13 years old
b) is being raised by a single father after her mother recently passed away
c) lives in a small town in Tenneesee obsessed with football

What’s a girl in a boy’s body to do?

The chapters alternate between Eric and Morgan’s perspectives (a literary device I always like!), and the story drops in on them every year on their birthday, from ages 13 to 18.

I liked that there were two homophobic characters in the book, and one becomes more menacing and toxic, while the other changes and becomes a better person. People can grow! I think of my own worldview as a young teen and I shudder to think of some of the ignorant things I believed. I also liked that Russo included a breakup in the book that was healthy.

Birthday manages to be full of raw pain and grief, and also full of love and joy. I cried, I cheered for the main characters - I was very emotionally invested in this story!

Now I need to go read Meredith Russo’s first YA novel, If I Was Your Girl.

Shoutout to my pal Fiona who recommended this book and to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for the digital ARC to review!

What stood out most to me about this particular book was what it says about how we see the true identity of those we love, even if those we love cannot see it or express it in themselves. I was so moved by the fact that Eric saw Morgan was a girl long before she could verbalize it about herself.

Top 3 Reasons to Read Meredith Russo’s Birthday:

1.) BIRTHDAY matches the exceptional storytelling of Russo’s debut, IF I WAS YOUR GIRL. Sophomore novels can be so tricky, but all the rich, layered characterization Russo wrote in IF I WAS YOUR GIRL is present again in BIRTHDAY. This time, we get to know Morgan and Eric, best friends who grow up, sometimes grow apart, and ultimately find something special between them. I particularly loved how we see both characters at different ages and how they evolve over time.

2.) The romance- If friends to lovers is your jam, I can’t recommend this story enough. Morgan and Eric develop a beautiful, multifaceted relationship. No matter how old they were or how close or not close they became, there was always a string connecting them.

3.) The theme of being yourself- Not only is this a great romantic love story, but it’s also a self-love story, a friend-love story, and even a family-love story at times. It dives into how scary it can be to be yourself, to let people love you, and to give love in return. Vulnerability is scary, and both Morgan and Eric learn to have courage.

If IF I WAS YOUR GIRL hadn’t already made Meredith Russo’s books as auto-buy for me, BIRTHDAY would have. BIRTHDAY is a beautiful book.

Birthday by Meredith Russo is the story of Morgan and Eric and how they traverse through life while trying to figure out who they truly are and who they want to be.

Morgan was given the wrong body at birth. She knows she is supposed to be a girl but the universe didn't get the memo. But how do you tell everyone you are a girl when on the outside you appear to be a boy? And how do you go about telling people you are scared and confused when you live in a small football town in Tennessee? You don't. You can't even tell your best friend because you've already lost your mom and you couldn't handle losing anyone else. Oh, and your father happens to be the football coach in this small homophobic town.

Eric is confused about his life too, but for different reasons. For one, his father is a very nasty person and all of his sons MUST play football and MUST get a scholarship. But Morgan's mother gave him a guitar before she passed away and he feels like music might be his real calling. He also knows he isn't gay but he has feelings for Morgan that a straight guy should never have.

Meredith Russo is a very needed and very strong voice for the LGBTQ community. If you or someone you know is struggling with their sexuality or you just want to read a diverse book then I highly suggest giving her books a read.

In the end, this book was painful but it's meant to be. When I got to the last few pages I also realized something. The entire book I thought that Morgan was scared to come out as herself because she was afraid to lose her father or Eric but now I think she just wasn't ready. Yes, she went through years of pain and she could have came out and Eric or Jasmine could have offered to buy her makeup or take her to get clothes but in the end, I don't think Morgan was ready for that step and that is also extremely important. You might be able to tell that someone is queer by looking or talking with them but if they aren't out it's not your job to try and bring them out. It's a massive process both mentally, emotionally and physically and you can be supportive but the person has to choose when the time is right for them and realizing that about this story made it even more impactful. You truly never know what a person goes through just to be themselves, just to be happy.

Overall, I gave the book 4.5/5 stars.

This book hits hard. I loved Meredith Russo's first book (If I Was Your Girl), so Birthday was on my TBR for a long time. It's so painful to see Morgan go through so much as a closeted trans girl in the South. So easy to feel for and empathize with her. This is probably the best YA book with a trans character I've read yet, and I'd highly recommend it to just about anyone.

This was really good. Normally I have issues with childhood best friends to lovers, but the development of Morgan and Eric's relationship was really done. I love Morgan, and I really felt for her. It was hard to read at times, but I'm so glad I read it because this was an incredible story.

Title provided via Netgalley

This was definitely a unique read. I can't say I've read many stories regarding trans individuals, so the very existence of this book is exciting. This book pulls at the heart with claws flying within the first few chapters - the aggressiveness of that pull can be somewhat off putting, but the fact that this is not a fluffy love story is very much what I appreciate in addition to the representation. Russo provides one of many view points of trans individuals and how they experience life. It is relatable to some, not to others, which is the whole point I think, or some of it. The story is definitely one that needed to be told because of the cultural climate in 2019 going on to 2020.

That being said, this is a book that should potentially have trigger warnings because of the content, but it is a story that definitely needs to be told and more like it also.

I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I enjoyed this novel greatly. Both Eric and Morgan are likable, flawed protagonists. They experience growth across the 6 years the story takes place. Their friendship is believable and deep. The side characters are interesting as well.

I like the indication of time passing, from VHS tapes to iPhones. I like the writing style. Revisiting Morgan and Eric on their birthday each year was a creative choice.

I wish Eric and Morgan’s narrations had been more distinct in voice and style. There’s some telling and filter words that weaken the prose. While I like Jasmine, I do wish she was more developed and present considering how important she is to Morgan. A plot point involving Eric’s parents needed to be expanded on to feel less out of the blue.

Overall, this was a poignant novel starring endearing protagonists.

This is probably one of the most well-crafted books I have EVER read.

The book "takes place" on the same day every year, for 6 years -- the birthday that the books two protagonists share. I worried, when I started it, that this would make it feel gimmicky, or that I wouldn't like "missing" everything that happened in between the birthdays each year. But I was so wrong to be worried. The way the story was told is, to put it simply, UTTER GENIUS. It allowed for the characters' growth and change, but also the parts of their selves that remained somewhat stable, to be really showcased.

This book would be great for a class that focuses on identity, but I would also recommend that it be used for classes on the craft of writing, because the book itself is a master class in thinking creatively about ways to tell a story.

Can I give this more than 5 stars, please???

4.5 stars
Morgan and Eric were born on the same day, which bonded them for life. Their families became close for a while and they spent every birthday together. Then, Morgan’s mother died of cancer. As the pair get older, they recognize differences in themselves. Eric tries to fit in and survive his domineering father, and Morgan realizes who she truly is. But Morgan and Eric live in a small town in Tennessee where being different is hard and being transgender is almost unheard of and Morgan has not one person to talk to about it.

Morgan’s father is the high school football coach in a town where a football scholarship is the only way out. Morgan played for a time, but football is not what Morgan wants. What Morgan does want is confusing and scary to her, leading to Morgan becoming depressed and volatile. But with Eric’s friendship, Morgan may be able to find the courage to be true to herself.

I really liked the format of this book as we check in with Morgan and Eric on the same day every year, their shared birthday, from the ages of 13-18. A lot happens during those years, but Morgan has an incredible amount to deal with. After Morgan’s mother’s death, Morgan’s father sort of tries, but he is grieving and busy at work and isn’t tuned into what Morgan needs emotionally. Morgan is also questioning why she feels the way she does and without any information or anyone to talk to, Morgan wonders whether she should have been born a girl and both Morgan and Eric, at one point, question if they are gay due to their attraction to each other. From one year to the next, we walk with both of them as Morgan tries to figure out her life, but the bullying only increases the self loathing and she spins wildly out of control.

Eric’s life doesn’t feel a whole lot easier. Life in a small Tennessee town is difficult. The book is not present day as Netflix is just starting out and attitudes are narrow. Eric wants to be a musician, but football is his way out and the only thing his domineering father will allow. Eric’s father and two older brothers are verbally abusive as Eric tries to navigate life in high school and dating. Morgan is the most important person to him, but he doesn’t know how to help as he doesn’t know what is wrong.

With the first-person point of view for both characters, the author tunes into the turmoil and devastation both Morgan and Eric go through. The tension and anxiety are constant throughout the entire book and the author does a great job of keeping the emotions high. It’s a book that was difficult to put down as I was really engaged with what was going to happen next and how Morgan and Eric were going to move forward. This is a YA book, but the themes are adult and intense and the tags should be considered to reach the appropriate reader.

One of the best compliments that I can give this book is that I would love to be able to check back in with Morgan and Eric at a later date in their lives. Birthday touches on many things and is an intense and up close look inside the minds of two teens that have too much to deal with. It is also the story of enduring friendship and finding the one person that fits you for a lifetime.

This review is part of our Reading Challenge Month for Diverse Books Week! Leave a relevant comment below and you will be entered to win one of six $20 NineStar Press gift cards from the fabulous folks at NineStar Press! Commenters will also be entered to win one of our three amazing Grand Prize book bundles. You can get more information on our Challenge Month here (including all the contest rules) and more details on Diverse Books Week here.

Eric and Morgan were born on the same exact day, and they've always celebrated their birthdays together. That's what best friends do, right? This book, which switches between Eric and Morgan's first-person narration, is told only on their birthday from when they are 13 through when they turn 18. Over those years, they each have struggles, but the main one is Morgan's struggle to accept that she is trans. Some birthdays, everything seems fine, but others: she is falling apart, and the only one who can help her is Eric. But Eric's life isn't perfect either: his dad is a veritable asshole, and it is tearing the family apart. The only thing that keeps Morgan and Eric together is a deep love that is more than just platonic...

This emotional powerhouse of a story is heavy on the inner ruminations of both Eric and Morgan. After reading action-heavy fantasy, it seemed excessive and a bit whiny, but, quickly, I was pulled into Morgan's dissolution as her secret shame seemed to be immolating her from within and Eric's unflinching ache to help Morgan find peace. Their love is beautiful and pure.

Morgan and Eric are soul mates in all ways, they were born the same day and time and have been best friends forever. They have always had a shared birthday party but as time moved on and life dealt them tragedies, like the death of Morgan’s mother they tried to keep their friendship intact.

Each one is dealing with family and personal issues, Eric has a father who isn't the most supportive person and while Morgan is trying to come to terms with his true identity and these feelings he's having towards his best friend. Eric has known for a while that Morgan is dealing with something but doesn't want to push, he wants Morgan to come to him when he is ready but deep down Eric has an idea what Morgan is going through. Morgan hasn't been dealing with the death of mother well and with a father who isn't very expressive he doesn't know who to turn to, he wants to tell his best friend but is scared to lose the one person he truly loves in this world.

Birthday is soulful and heartbreaking at the same time. You feel for these two teens who are trying to find themselves in a world that can be cruel. The one thing that they have is each other, no matter what happens, no matter what they may do they always will be there for each other. That love is real and it will transcend everything. That love is so deep that even they become surprised as to how much its true. This story is about friendship and love and how some people truly are soul mates from birth.

<em>Birthday</em> by Meredith Russo was a rough read at times, though it was brilliant all the way through. Following two characters who share the same birthday, Eric and Morgan who have become best friends by the circumstance of their parents having met when they were both born, <em>Birthday</em> revisits them once a year on that same day as their relationship and lives fill with the many ups and downs of life, growing up, and changing.

Morgan has always felt as though she was born in the wrong body. Assigned the gender of male at birth, she is constantly at war with herself as she navigates the world's expectations of her and who she feels she truly is. Eric, on the other hand, has an incredibly overbearing and cruel father who has already taken his wrath out upon his elder brother. This is the story of their growing up.

Honestly, it's been a rather long time since a book made me tear up, but this one got to me. Brilliant in many different ways, one of the things this book does is grab you, tear at your heart, and then slowly build you up again. I don't know if I could say it was a particularly fun experience, but it was definitely an experience I'm glad to have. Excellently told in alternating chapters between the two main characters, <em>Birthday </em>gives readers a glimpse into their lives once a year on their birthday. For such a quick peek into the lives of these two, I was rather impressed with how well I felt I knew the main characters by the end of it.

It's the kind of book that keeps you thoroughly engaged the entire time you're reading. I even managed to begin and finish it in just about a day's worth of reading. You really grow to care about the characters and even as things go periodically up and down for them both, you feel like they could be real people. I'll admit, it did feel a little cheesy near the end, but honestly I feel as though these two characters earned a little of that after all they went through. Definitely a book to put on your radar, <em>Birthday</em> is one that leaves an impression.

Content Warnings: homophobia, transphobia, suicidal ideations,  alcohol abuse, violence.

<em>I was provided a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.</em>

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Review on blog to go live 08/18/2019.

I knew this book was going to tear me apart! Omgosh!!!

This book was really sad. And at times hard to read. The internal struggle Morgan went through was heartbreaking. It was heartbreaking to read how every day of Morgan’s life was spent fighting and struggling with her identity. She was born a boy but didn’t feel like one. She felt stuck in her own body. This book takes us on Morgan’s journey through the years. About how she felt about herself.

“Back then, stamping down my confusion was easier, but over time it’s turned into something like you’d see in a cartoon, where a character plugs a leak with their finger only for two more leaks to pop out in its place. Feels like it’s only a matter of time before the dam bursts right in my face.”


Morgan had to hit rock bottom in order to get the help she needed. And to finally set her mind and body free of who she thought she needed to be.

“What do you do when you’re stuck underwater and you can’t swim up or down? You relax and you take a big, watery breath.”

I loved Eric. I felt bad for his situation. His family made his life hard when it came to Morgan. But I loved how no matter what. Even when they were kinda drifting apart. Eric was always there for Morgan. He was also fighting and trying to figure out why he felt so different with Morgan.
All these new feelings are hard to control when your growing up.

Morgan’s mom letters had me a crying mess! Ughhh! I was a wreck reading them. The last letter was the best one for me. I loved it.

This book was different then my normal reads. I wanted something different and I’m so glad I took a chance on it. Eric’s and Morgan’s story will stay with me for a long time. I hope we get more from them because I would love to read how Morgan and Eric life turns out.

This story was moving and beautiful and such a wonderful coming of age story woven with a story of love and family and friendship and identity. The format of the story is brilliant and refreshing, snippets from birthdays of five years for both children.... so unique and simple yet so powerful for the kind of story this was.

I love Meredith Russo for writing trans stories and being unafraid to say what needs to be said and share what needs to be shared. The passion and sadness and joy are all so clearly represented on her pages and I can not wait for her next story.

An amazing book that is so important making sure all kids are reflected in the stories they read and told in such a unique way. This book will save the lives of kids living in rural communities who are questioning their gender and sexuality.

<i>I was provided a digital ARC copy of this novel through NetGalley. All opinions are honest. </i>

Rating: 3.5/5 stars
TW: transphobia, homophobia, suicide attempt, depression, gender dysphoria,
CW: hormone treatment, name change (this is triggering for me and i had to skip over these scenes, so i wanted to include it)

I am a trans person and when I'm reading books with trans characters or trans subjects, I tend to be very critical. I really appreciate Meredith Russo and her work, as I really enjoyed If I Was Your Girl. But, this story felt a little too good to be true. Yes, it's great to have novels where the trans person gets a happy ending because in reality, that's not the truth for most of us. So, I did enjoy the story. I thought it was a great concept and I enjoyed Morgan and Eric's characters a lot. The character development was spot-on among most of the characters (esp Peyton!! that redemption *claps*).

I specifically liked the focus on Morgan losing her mother at a young age, that definitely brought me to tears at the end.

As I am not a trans woman and I am a trans man, I cannot comment on the way Morgan's character was written but since this is an #ownvoices novel, I believe the representation to be good.

Now, here are some of my problems. The issues I have sort of get resolved in the character's development and I believe that the author must've written this as the character didn't have any knowledge of what being transgender means and she was living in a very close minded community and didn't have any resources nor did she know any LGBTQ+ people.

1. Morgan refers to how she's feeling (gender dysphoria) as a disease, meaning that being transgender is a disease which is not correct information as far as I know.
2. Being told she's a freak, she starts to believe it herself and decides living her life as a boy would be easier. As a trans person, I've thought this multiple times and so, I could relate to her here but I felt like that wasn't sharing a good message or educating the reader if they're trans or not.
3. There's a scene that REALLY triggered me. This is a flashback where Morgan is remembering her parents watching a presidential debate and the person running for president calls transgender people a very harmful phrase.
4. I was really confused because pre-coming out, Eric kept saying that Morgan looked like a girl in her body shape and all and I want to disagree with this because it doesn't make much sense to me. But, this could just because my trans experience is different.
5. Last, there is a part where Morgan says she hears the word transgender and knows that fits with her, but doesn't have context to what it is. So, I was just super confused by that.

Overall, I think this was a good contemporary novel, it just had me confused by a couple things. Hopefully these are just my own misunderstandings or they have been changed in publishing.

OHHHH. This book. I love this book. It is beautiful and heartbreaking and important and filled with love of all kinds.

Morgan and Eric were born on the same day at the same hospital in the middle of a freak blizzard. Their families get snowed in together for 3 days, cementing a life-long friendship. Eric and Morgan have grown up together and celebrate their birthdays together every year (with the exception of that one chicken pox incident). There's nothing they don't share with each other. But when they're 13, Morgan thinks he has figured something out about himself -- that he is supposed to be a girl-- and he really wants to tell Eric to make it real. But he just can't work up the courage, and so begins the tale of their teenage years. The story checks back in with Morgan and Eric every year on the mutual birthday. What has happened to them in the time that has passed? How has their relationship changed? And if Morgan works up the courage to tell his truth, will the fallout destroy everything between them...or lead to something neither one of them expected but also kind of always hoped would happen?

The writing in this book is stunning. I read Russo's "If I was Your Girl" and found it to be really well done, too. In her first book, Russo tells the story of a trans girl moving to a new town/school so she can live as herself but being terrified all the time that people will find out her secret. In Birthday, Russo starts the story of a trans teen in a different place: before the transition, before even fully realizing who they are and what they want, and how difficult the process can be when you deny who you are and try to bury it under a million other things but live in pain every day because you can't be yourself. I don't personally know what that feels like, but Russo's writing draws you right in and helps you imagine the torment and the impossibility of facing a life in the wrong body. For anyone who thinks it's a choice or something anyone would WANT (rather than it being a truth of who you are), Russo clears that right up. She shines a light on the tortuous process of being disconnected from your physical body and feeling like it doesn't belong to you in such a cleverly descriptive way: the fuzzy, numb feeling is likened to being stuffed with packing peanuts, and finally seeing yourself on the outside the way you feel on the side is compared to having empty places inside you fill with light. Russo makes it all relatable, and for such a sensitive subject, that seems like a ridiculously difficult but drastically important thing to do.

The characters are all really well-drawn here. There are those who are judgmental and will never understand, there are those who are clueless but mean well and are just doing their best, and there are at least a few who love and support you for who you are and only want that truth for you. There's even a surprise redemption from an unexpected source. They're all dealing with their own issues as well: marriages dissolving, death of a parent/spouse, alcoholism, parental pressure, etc. This is not just a book where everyone has to deal with Morgan's gender identity: real life is going on for everyone at the same time. This means the reader really feels immersed in this world along with Morgan, which I think is so important to be able to appreciate this story.

My very, VERY part in this book is when the pronouns shift. I won't spoil where it happens, but I had goosebumps and tears at the same time. It's done with little fanfare but that gives it that much more powerful a punch. In one chapter Morgan is a he, and then Morgan is a she. It is LOVELY. (And I referred to Morgan as 'he' in this review specifically because I wanted to make this point.)

I could go on and on about Birthday, but basically I'd be retelling the whole thing and I wouldn't do the story nearly enough justice. READ IT. Parents, teens, teachers, school counselors, therapists...everyone living in the world (but especially those who work with or know teens) should read this book. It gives me such a hopeful and positive feeling to know that it is out there for people who need it.

***THANK YOU x A MILLION to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for this moving and important read.***

I so enjoyed Meredith Russo’s debut, so when I heard a new book was coming from her, I was excited to read it.

This story is definitely a darker, less joyful take on teenagers discovering their identities. Where If I Was Your Girl gave me positive feelings throughout, Birthday made me saddened by the way teenagers treat each other and themselves. A lot of reviews for If I Was Your Girl mentioned they get the story was too sweet and unrealistic, so this may be the book for them as the struggles may seem more realistic.

Following the perspectives of both Morgan and Eric over the course of such formative years made me connected to each of them as I read. I was drawn in by their obvious concern and support for each other. I love a strong friendship in a book, and this gave me one that was equally supportive and flawed, and I loved every page of it.