Stitches

On the one hand, I automatically love this book for being LGBT middle grade. (And Canadian, too! That's three of my favourite things at once.) On the other hand, I didn't connect with this book as much as I would have liked. One of the reasons I read middle grade books is because of the strong voice that they are often narrated in, and I felt that was missing here.

This is a story of two friends, Travis and Chantelle, who try to navigate tough school and home lives and use their passions for theater and creating puppets. Travis' passion makes him a target for the school bullies, but he eventually has the opportunity to attend an art school where he is accepted and understood for who he is. This book resonates with many issues young adults may face with feeling accepted, finding their passion, and coping with bullying.

Set in small town Alberta, the main character Travis likes sewing and is good friends with Chantelle. They create puppet shows, but are bullied by classmates because of their differences.

I didn't like this book all that much. It did not have a lot of depth to it and I felt like the situations were unrealistic and farfetched.