Birthday

A Novel

By: Meredith Russo

Narrated by: Dana Aliya Levinson

This program includes a bonus interview with the author.

Two best friends. A shared birthday. Six years....

Eric: There was the day we were born. There was the minute Morgan and I decided we were best friends for life. The years where we stuck by each other’s side - as Morgan’s mom died, as he moved across town, as I joined the football team, as my parents started fighting. But sometimes, I worry that Morgan and I won’t be best friends forever. That there’ll be a day, a minute, a second, where it all falls apart and there’s no turning back the clock.

Morgan: I know that every birthday should feel like a new beginning, but I’m trapped in this mixed-up body, in this wrong life, in Nowheresville, Tennessee, on repeat. With a dad who cares about his football team more than me, a mom I miss more than anything, and a best friend who can never know my biggest secret. Maybe one day, I’ll be ready to become the person I am inside. To become her. To tell the world. To tell Eric. But when?

Six years of birthdays reveal Eric and Morgan’s destiny as they come together, drift apart, fall in love, and discover who they’re meant to be - and if they’re meant to be together. From the award-winning author of If I Was Your Girl, Meredith Russo, comes a heart-wrenching and universal story of identity, first love, and fate.

©2019 Alloy Entertainment (P)2019 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

"Birthday is a luminous and profoundly moving coming-of-age story of love, family, friendship, destiny, and the struggle to live as one’s truest self. It will break your heart, piece it back together even stronger, and do it again and again until the last page." (Jeff Zentner, Morris Award-winning author of The Serpent King)

"An emotional, winning touchdown." (Kirkus)

"In addition to being exquisitely written, Birthday showcases the best of YA: Its ability to instill empathy in readers. Written by a trans author, BIRTHDAY gives an essential perspective into the trans experience." — Refinery29

So so good

I loved If I Was Your Girl, and didn’t expect I’d enjoy Birthday as much as that book. The switching of perspectives isn’t a narrative device I usually like. That said, I cried all the way through Birthday. It hit me so hard as a trans woman who’s looking for her Eric. On an emotional level I felt like every stage of Morgan’s growth was something I went through, and am still going through. So well written.

The Feels

I enjoyed listening to this Great story. It hits you in all the feels. I love seeing the characters grow and change to who they long to become. I found some parts relatable but I have lived a much different life personally. For example I am 27 and still to scared to come out to anyone but I am almost there (I think).
I have known since childhood that I should have been a girl. I've gotten a bit of strength and courage from This book and others like it. I have done a little bit of research and I think I found a therapist id like to talk to and get started with the trans process. It's pretty scary. I am also not a very good writer and its late so I'm sorry if this is riddled with mistakes. Also I'd like to say thank you to Meredith Russo for writing great books and bringing me a little bit of courage.

The amount of times I screamed and cried in the shower

As a person like Morgan, Reading this book especially in a time in life where I feel most alone and isolated from the real world for being the person I am, reading this book allowed me to make a bridge to this beautifully crafted narrative and feel less alone, and actually gave me the chance to relate to other beings, even though fictional, this book did a lot for my soul, and I thank the writer, ALSO IF I WAS YOR GIRL IS A MUST READ TOO!!!

So good

Russo really delivers! The story is a great and artfully developed and performed. Great performance.

2 Worlds Colliding

I love Meredith's work. I always have. This one in particular though hit different in the best way possible. Being able to see these two best friends through each other's eyes, made the story somewhat extra realistic. Seeing how their differences were just as much their strength as their similarities made my heart smile! I'm definitely going to recommend this to others!!

So beautifully well done!

I am so in love with this story it was one of the most amazing stories I’ve ever experienced! It made me laugh and cry with even capturing moments of anger running through me, from beginning to end. This story takes an amazing look at the emotional trauma and physical abuse most trans people face throughout their lives, as well as offer a beautiful love story with an amazing performance! All this in one package, a definite must read for all!

great read!!

I really enjoyed this book. however since the book is written in the perspective of Morgan and Eric, and there's only one narrator, it got a little confusing since the voice is the same lol... but it's a good read.

Compelling

Could feel everything they were both expereancing
I didn’t have the courage Morgan had but had the challenge . 64 years till I started hormones 3 months ago.

Cool Setup!

** spoiler alert ** I really liked the organization of this book. Told only on the day of their shared birthday each year, this story follows Eric and Morgan as they go from their 13th to 18th birthdays, but is only told on that day each year. I like that it takes a complex storyline and gives it a real time arc.

Things got a little weird for me toward the end because *spoiler alert* the two fall in love and I always think it's weird when that happens with best friends who have spent so much time of their life doing best friend stuff... BUT, listening to the Q and A with the author after the story, really gave some perspective to that plot point.

As a teacher, it's important for me to always read these types of stories to broaden my understanding so I can serve my students and community better. But more than that, this is a good read!

WOW!

This book was absolutely perfect I loved it so much I read it in 4 hours in one sitting please read this!