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Thursday, September 22, 2022


Review: IN THE ROLE OF BRIE HUTCHINS... by Nicole Melleby

 


Book Details

Title: In the Role of Brie Hutchins...
Author: Nicole Melleby
Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers
Publication Date: June 30, 2020
Genre(s): Middle Grade, LGBT, Contemporary
Pages: 266
Bookshop Purchase Link: https://bookshop.org/a/67041/9781616209070
     

Reading Details

Finish Date: February 23, 2022
Format: Physical
Representation: Sapphic
Trigger/Content Warnings: Homophobia


Rating: 5/5

Favorite Quote/Scene: 
"She hoped that when she did it, it would be because she was ready."

Review: 
I had been putting off reading this book for a while and with no good explanation. I just knew it was going to make me emotional and I didn't really want to deal with that. Finally I gave in and decided to read the book and I am very, very happy that I did. The book did make me emotional, but it was a good sort of emotional.

I can't personally say how accurate I think this book portrayed a 13-year-old or a Catholic school experience or anything like that, because I never went to Catholic school and I'm in my 20s now. But it felt realistic, Nicole Melleby's writing is absolutely phenomenal. She writes her characters in a way that even when they're getting on your nerves, you still want them to succeed. Brie was hard to love at times, but Nicole wove her story in such a way that you connected with Brie. You knew why she lied and acted the way that she did. Melleby did an amazing job showcasing Brie's relationship to her parents and others.

Now, the emotions in this book were some of the most heart-wrenching that I've read. All of my absolute respect to Melleby for her writing skills. This book broke my heart in the best of ways and it solely allowed me time to piece it back together. Melleby, at least based off this book, has a way of writing emotions. They're raw and vivid and will touch you. You will cry, but you'll enjoy the journey that brought you to tears. I fully look forward to being emotionally wrecked by some of Melleby's other works in the future.

I really liked the pace at which this book moved at. It didn't feel rushed like the author was trying to cram 500 pages worth of plot into a 270-page book. It felt very well-developed. I don't recall feeling like any plot points or threads had been introduced during the story just to be dropped by the end.

Brie was also just a fun character to read about. I quite enjoyed her as a character because of certain things she would do like keep a document of coming out scenes from soap operas. She was cute and relatable in a very baby gay sort of way. She was great and I loved watching her blossoming relationship with Kennedy.

This book was an absolute pleasure to read. It was emotional and heartbreaking, but it was also an amazing journey. Brie was a character that I found myself rooting for because I wanted her to get what she wanted and I wanted her to be happy. I regret not having read this book when I first heard about it, but I'm glad that I did eventually read it. It was worth every tearful second and I hope others feel the same way.





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