Melissa (previously published as GEORGE)

This review originally appeared on herestohappyendings.comI heard about this book back when it first came out, probably about a year ago now, and I while I was intrigued, I don't read as much middle grade fiction as I do young adult, so I never really bothered to pick a copy up until I saw it was on sale for $2.99 on Amazon for Kindle. When I saw that, I wasted no time grabbing my copy of it, and instead of being one of those books that I let sit in my Kindle library and end up forgetting about, this one nagged at me until I decided to read it.Let me stress that while this technically is a middle grade novel, I believe that it is a novel that everyone should read. It's sweet, it's funny, it's heartbreaking, and it's thought provoking. It will make you go back to your own childhood and wonder what you would have done if you were in George's shoes, or her friend Kelly's shoes.“George stopped. It was such a short, little question, but she couldn't make her mouth form the sounds.Mom, what if I'm a girl?”George is a girl in middle school who is struggling with her identity - she knows who she is, but she can't tell anyone - including her mother, who she doesn't believe would understand. So she hides in her room, looking at magazines that she's found over the years, full of make-up tips, hair advice, and models that she refers to as her friends. She keeps them hidden inside a denim bag in her closet so that no one can find them. To her mother and older brother, George is just George - a son and a little brother. George's father rarely sees her, so she doesn't feel the need to even consider discussing it with him. But when George is alone, she refers to herself as Melissa, which is the name she has picked for herself.School isn't easy for George, either. While she does have her best friend, Kelly, she is bullied and made fun of. When try-outs for the school play, Charlotte's Web, start up, George doesn't know what to do - she desperately wants the part of Charlotte, the spider who can spin words into her webs, but only girls are allowed to try out for the part. So what is George to do? Face ridicule and read the lines for Charlotte's character anyway, or play it safe and audition for a boy's role?When conflict arises and George feels like everything is falling apart for her, she isn't sure where to turn, so she turns to her friend Kelly, who is supportive, caring, and compassionate with George. She doesn't judge or care about what others will say - she encourages George to be herself.“She looked in the mirror and gasped. Melissa gasped back at her. For a long time, she stood there, just blinking. George smiled, and Melissa smiled too.”George is a beautiful novel, and honestly, I think everyone should have to read this book, both middle grade kids and adults alike. There are several important lessons to learn from this book.In the book, George's best friend Kelly is not only accepting of George, but she doesn't even care that George is a girl, and not a boy like everyone else believes. It doesn't change how she feels about her, and it doesn't change their friendship. As adults or teenagers, how many people can honestly say they have friends like this? A very select few, I'm sure. Imagine if we, as adults, could live by the message that this character sends? There would be much more love in the world, and a lot less hatred and violence.Also, George is encouraged by Kelly to follow her dreams and go for what she wants, even if no one else is keen on the idea. This is beautiful - and what we should all be encouraging each other to do.George is struggling silently with her identity for a good portion of the book, and she feels she must do this alone, because no one, not even her mother, would understand. This broke my heart, because as a mother myself, I know that if one of my children were feeling the emotions that George felt throughout this book, I know I would want them to come to me. I think that more parents need to be open and willing to discuss things with their children in such a way that makes them feel loved and accepted, no matter what. It saddens me to the very bottom of my heart that some children feel they cannot go to their parents and that they have to struggle through things like this alone - that should never be the case.I read this book through in one sitting - it isn't long or anything, but the messages that it delivers are so powerful that you won't be able to forget for a long time (if ever) after you're done reading. In fact, that's a good thing - I think that this book could inspire a new generation to learn to be more open-minded, compassionate, and loving toward one another, ditching the hatred and the animosity that is filling our society.Please, read this book. I'm sorry I waited so long to get a copy for myself, and I feel like everyone simply needs this book in their lives.

I had been hearing about this book since it came out, so it had been on my list for a while. I grabbed it on sale and finally had some time to sit down and read it. I was blown away and applaud the author for putting this book out there, even more so for recognizing that the book needed to be renamed to Melissa instead of George.George may be young, but he knows he doesn't fit into the mold that his surroundings have created for him. He knows that he feels the most comfortable as a girl. Therefore, he is a she and she is Melissa. Only it's a secret that she is hiding from the rest of the world. You can feel the pain she feels when people mislabel her or tell her that she can't do something that she knews she can. (For example, portraying Charlotte in the play of Charlotte's Web at school.) You get a sense of her discomfort as she keeps playing pretend on the outside when it conflicts who she really is on the inside.It's hard enough trying to figure out who you really are. It has to be even harder to know who you really are, but feel societal pressure to be someone else. Yes, we all go through some of that, but for people who are transgender, it is significantly more difficult. This book touches on some of those struggles and could make some children feel like they are not alone. They may finally actually see themselves in a book, giving them some validation. As Alex Gino says in the interview at the back of the book, they wrote a book that they would have loved to have had as a kid.Other children can read this book and figure out how to be supportive and how to not be a jerk. Actually, the same is true of grownups. It can give you a starting point for conversations with loved ones.I love Melissa's determination to be true to herself and to start getting what she wants out of life, even at such a young age. I feel like the younger generations are stronger than we ever were and love seeing characters who demonstrate that strength, even in the face of adversity. I'm so grateful that she has Kelly as a best friend, someone who loves her for who she really is. I respect the adults who are willing to step out of their own comfort zones for the good of others. Yes, everything feels like it gets tied up nicely with a big bow in this story. But isn't that what we are all striving for?This is a book that I hope makes it into the hands of all people who need to read it, especially the younger ones. It's a great example of a book to read with your child, to start discussions. I was fortunate enough to have parents who did that for me. There's a great Q&A section in the back of the book that can help facilitate those conversations. We need more discussion of these important topics and less banning.Looking forward to reading more of Mx. Gino's work in the future!

THIS.BOOK.Every child and adult should read this book.Siblings and parents should read this book.There's not one person who couldn't benefit from this story.“George stopped. It was such a short, little question, but she couldn't make her mouth form the sounds. Mom, what if I'm a girl?”George is a middle-grade book and I think this might be a first for me, but I heard about it on NPR and couldn't pass it up. I was afraid this story would be a soul-crushing experience and while it has sad moments, it's genuinely hopeful. And by sad moments, I mean George’s mom and her inability to see George for who she really is. That's all any child wants and it’s to be seen.All George wants to do is be in the school play. She desperately wants to be cast as Charlotte from Charlotte's Web and the story follows her journey in the endeavor. I won't give too much else away because there's so much to experience with this book and I loved every minute of it!The storytelling is expertly done and delivers a powerful message about acceptance without being preachy or heavy-handed.“She looked in the mirror and gasped. Melissa gasped back at her. For a long time, she stood there, just blinking. George smiled, and Melissa smiled too.”George is definitely worth reading.