Really well done book for middle schoolers with lots of queer representation and mortifying moments. While most kids aren't going through what Al and her friends have to deal with daily, every middle schooler knows the feeling of not wanting to stick out. Everything in this book feels realistic and authentic, from the voices of the characters to their situations.

This is the first middle grade book I've encountered featuring characters with IBD, specifically Crone's Disease and UC. Without having first hand knowledge of IBD, I felt the characters authentically represented the different stages of dealing with chronic gastrointestinal illnesses. I loved the friendships and support Al found after her diagnosis and appreciated the LGBTQIA representation in middle grade.

I really loved Beth and her parenting style for both Leo and Al, but was confused at times with Al's mom as she was always concerned about Al's diet, but not how much screen time on social media Al spent. The pacing dragged a bit with the repetitive nature of always being in the bathroom but I did appreciate Al's humor and growth arc as she learned to speak honestly with others and show her true feelings. Despite all the time in the bathroom and her diagnosis, I was hoping for more about the effects of Al's Crone's medication and treatment as this would have answered so many open questions.

I love the vibrancy and humor that Jake Maia Arlow is bringing to really unique middle grade stories--it reminds me of the way Ashley Herring Blake changed the landscape in the 2010s with all the depth and heart she brought to queer middle grade characters.

(Disclaimer: I received an Advanced Reader’s Copy of this title for review from Penguin Classroom and Netgalley.)

Jake Maia Arlow is one of my favorite writers right now and especially excels at middle grade voice, and this one is a worthy successor to their first middle grade book, Almost Flying. Following a seventh grader who becomes diagnosed with Crohn’s, it has so much humor and I’m convinced more books should talk about poop! It’s a daily part of our lives! It’s especially a daily part of Al’s life, as she struggles with her mother’s constant worrying over her and being different. But when she joins a support group for other middle schoolers dealing with the same family of diseases—later dubbed “The Bathroom Club” in honor of The Breakfast Club—she finds a home.

This book is also a queer coming-of-age tale from multiple perspectives and identities and it’s just delightful. Like Arlow’s other middle grade, I love how our main character makes mistakes. A gift of the premise is also that digestion is affected by stress and emotional turmoil, so as Al’s personal life gets complicated, her Crohn’s gets worse.

I picked this book up because there is simply not enough representation of hidden disability written for middle grade students. I was a little disappointed in the lack of depth--everyone got along just a little too well, and wasn't it convenient that every single kid in the support group turned out to be queer also? I also thought the impact of having to use a colostomy bag on a middle schooler was glossed over. There was just a little too much sunshine and roses in this book for me--but I'm not twelve. I will buy it for my middle school readers.