If I Was Your Girl
Author: Meredith Russo
Grade: A
If I Was Your Girl follows the story of Amanda as she moves to a new town to live with her father for the first time in years. There she meets new friends, settles in and even finds a fantastic love interest. Only Amanda has a secret- mainly that she used to be a boy called Andrew.
Amanda is a great character. It’s easy to admire her strength and resilience. I also really liked that in this book people weren’t just written off as irredeemable assholes. (Though there are a couple.) Yet for the most part it was actual human beings, in many cases with secrets of their own, capable of change and acceptance.
There is a scene I really liked with Amanda’s mother where she admits that she does indeed mourn her son. I don’t want to give too much away but I found that very moving and human. It’s sad to think that so many people in real life don’t move onto the accepting part and would rather just mourn. But I digress.
In the author’s note in the back she admits she takes some liberties with Amanda’s story. Like how easily she passes and how she’s able to get the surgery, the drugs and everything else so young. And I’ll admit as a reader there are some elements that would make me roll my eyes otherwise. (Everyone pretty much falls all over Amanda the minute she walks into school. Grant is Prince Charming whose hiding things and a history that somehow only put him in a better light.)
Yet I think because of the tension within Amanda’s character and her past it still worked for me and balanced out in those terms. I admit I pretty much read this whole story expecting horrible things to happen and while there’s some of that it really is a story about strength, character and acceptance.
I will definitely read more from this author in the future.
Recommend: Yes.