I honestly thought I would not enjoy this book because I am highly religious and do not condone that lifestyle. That said, as a mom, grandmother and former teacher, I do understand the struggle that teens (Bri) faced throughout the book. Wanting to belong. Wanting to find love. Wanting to succeed. Wanting to be heard. Wanting her family, especially her mom, to love her for HER and understand who SHE really was. There were so many great characters in the book, from the Catholic teachers who had her best interests at heart, a great best friend who always had her back, a brother that would get in trouble to help her out, and a daddy that would go to the moon and back to make her dreams come true, even if he had to work several jobs to do so. I would have liked to have known more about Kennedy's viewpoint and more of her family background. I felt like the one scene where Brie's mom rapidly forgave Brie after "the accident" was unbelievable, since the mom's track record was yelling and/or the silent treatment on a lot of issues. I was hoping for another ending to the crowning of Mary, but the story did end on a high note, which I always love! I also kind of understood Brie's obsession with soap operas. When I was younger, my sister and I would go stay with my dad's mom. My grandma's guilty pleasures were soap operas and drinking her Diet Pepsi while watching them and shelling peas and butterbeans. I can still see that image to this day in my brain! My mom never really approved of soap operas, so that was the only time we ever got to watch them. Later on, I did watch for a while, but I ended up working for many years during those TV hours, and if I wasn't, I was raising small children. The story had a lot of internal and external struggles. I do think many middle schoolers would relate to Brie on some level. If the reader learns nothing else, it should be to express yourself and to be true to yourself. ( )

Brie loves acting and soap operas, as watching soaps is a time with her mom. Mom is a devote Catholic and Brie attends Catholic school. She wants to connect to her faith the way her mom does, but feels lost right now. She questions everything, but struggles with opening up with her parents. As an 8th grader, her world seems so confusing. How does she question her faith and tell her mom and dad she likes girls? Will they still love her or even like her?

Excellent read of love, acceptance, open communication, and voice. YA read ( )

wow

rtc ( )

I received an ARC from the publisher 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.

I haven't thought about General Hospital or All My Children in years! I remember coming home from school and doing homework while my mom "watched her soaps." If she wasn't going to be home for one, she had several blank VHS tapes that she would record them on (showing my age here, haha). Once those were full, she'd record over the older episodes, and then the process would repeat itself. Some of the scenes Brie described were familiar to me, even after all this time.

I really liked that General Hospital was something Brie shared with her mom, because it added an unexpected parallel to my own life. Like Brie, I didn't have the best relationship with my mother. I never felt like she saw me, or looked at me like I was someone she liked. I've been told my entire life that I'm "different." I stopped putting a huge emphasis on church and religion when I started college (church is a Big Deal for my parents), and living a vegan lifestyle is something they've constantly criticized. We've never agreed on politics, we fight when they make racist or homophobic comments, and they often wonder aloud where they "went wrong" with me. Brie's situation wasn't the same as mine, and she was also much younger (8th grade) than I was when dealing with parental disapproval, but her character really resonated with me. It's hard to figure out who you are when people are telling you who you're supposed to be.

My one complaint with this book would be its secondary characters. I really liked Parker, Wallace, and Kennedy, but wish they'd been fleshed out a little more. We barely scratched the surface of who they were, and I think knowing more about them would've added to the overall story. I also wanted to know more about Trevor (her brother), since he seemed to be totally okay with her personal preferences, but was always in his room or elsewhere when something important happened.

I felt bad for Brie and her confusion. She goes to a Catholic school, and has been taught from the start that her feelings are wrong. However, some of the teachers had surprising reactions to Brie's eventual confession. It just shows you that people can choose to be accepting despite how they were raised, or what their own personal beliefs might me. I also felt bad for Brie's parents, and how hard they had to work to keep their family going financially. Sometimes people lose their jobs, and it makes life hard for everyone. I think the author did a wonderful job of portraying that particular strain on top of everything else. Most parents want to give their children the world, and they will run themselves ragged to do so. Brie's were no exception. It took her a little while to be more appreciative and less selfish, but the transition was believable and happened naturally. It's okay for Brie to want what she wants, but she also needed to be aware of what it cost her parents.

I loved Brie's desire to be an actress, and her willingness to put herself out there to achieve those dreams. She learned a lot about herself throughout the course of this book, and I'm happy I was able to go on this journey with her. It was very authentically portrayed, and I thoroughly enjoyed the overall experience. Brie herself isn't perfect. She's trying to figure out what she likes, who she likes, and how to navigate her confused feelings while also enduring her parent's silence. I hated that she felt like there was no one she could talk to, and I'm glad she finally found her voice at the end. I think there are a lot of hard truths presented in this book, and I do think Brie's story will have a positive impact on people's lives.

In the Role of Brie Hutchens... might not be a book that I personally read again, but it's definitely a book I will keep on my shelves. Who knows? Maybe one day it will be a story one of my monsters needs to hear. (★★★★☆)

Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Bloglovin' | Amazon | Pinterest ( )

Brie Hutchens has a crush on Kennedy Bishop. Kennedy who is perfect, the daughter Brie thinks her mother wanted, not the one she has. Brie's not a great student. She can be over the top. The only thing Brie and her mother have in common is their love of soap operas which they watch on a daily basis. Brie wants to be a soap star one day.

When her mother accidentally finds out Brie likes girls, their cozy relationship falls apart. In the Role of Brie Hutchens is about repairing that relationship and Brie coming out. It is also the classic girl gets girl, girl loses girl, girl gets girl back again.

This middle grade novel is adorable. Brie and her friends are great characters and the situation Brie finds herself in is real enough...doing anything to please her mother. It's a great middle grade read. ( )