If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo Published by Flatiron Books
Published: May 3rd 2016
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Amanda Hardy is the new girl in school. Like anyone else, all she wants is to make friends and fit in. But Amanda is keeping a secret, and she’s determined not to get too close to anyone.
But when she meets sweet, easygoing Grant, Amanda can’t help but start to let him into her life. As they spend more time together, she realizes just how much she is losing by guarding her heart. She finds herself yearning to share with Grant everything about herself, including her past. But Amanda’s terrified that once she tells him the truth, he won't be able to see past it.
Because the secret that Amanda’s been keeping? It's that at her old school, she used to be Andrew. Will the truth cost Amanda her new life, and her new love?
I came across If I Was Your Girl completely by chance. Some friends were talking about it so I looked it up and week later it was in my house on my “read” shelf. I knew reading the description that the book would be powerful but I didn’t know just how powerful until I read it. The thing about If I Was Your Girl is that it makes you think and it makes you feel things you don’t expect to feel and look at things you kind of take for granted. It has a way of opening your eyes to how everyone doesn’t not have the privilege of living an easy life and how just going to the store can take courage.
If I was Your Girl is the story of Amanda, a girl that moved in with her father to start off fresh where no one knows her. With her walls but, for good reason, Amanda starts on her new journey. Slowly she lets people in and lets her walls down. She begins to make new friends and find her place and she meets Grant and Grant is the last thing she expected to have in her life. But as she gets closer and closer to the new poplin her life Amanda struggles. She is keeping a huge secret from her new friends and she doesn’t know if she should share or not because what Grant and her now friends don’t know is that Amanda used to be a boy. Amanda is transgender.
It’s really hard to describe how this book will make you feel. My heart broke for Amanda as she struggled in a way that no one should have to struggle. I completely understood her fear and worry about her secret coming out and it made me so sad for her. It’s hard enough being a teenage girl as it is never mind for a person like Amanda that had another set of problem to think about on top of it. She was seriously one of the strongest characters I have read in a long time.
I also felt for her father. He was trying, he really was, but he was struggling too. He wasn’t mean or hurtful but he was just trying to understand something he never thought he would have to understand. Basically my heart just broke in general for everyone.
In the end I think If I Was You Girl is a book that should be read by everyone. It is powerful and thought provoking. It is a story that will stay with you for a long time an just open your eyes to hate and prejudice in our world that we all just wish would go away. Definitely add it to your TBR.
I said almost the exact same thing in my review. I absolutely think this should be a must-read for everyone. Its messaging is so important, and it is such an empowering and yet heartbreaking story.
I need to read this soon. I’ve been excited for it for ages and haven’t had the chance to read it yet!
I haven’t read this one yet, as I had to return it to the library unread – but I still want to! It sounds like a really good story, with a really powerful message, and that’s something I certainly gravitate towards.