Thank you to Shelf Awareness Pro and Macmillian Publishing for the advanced copy of the book in exchange for my review.

Summary: Finch has had so many people leave in her life, her father left because he couldn’t deal with Finch being transgender, and her mother passed from cancer. She’s left to live with her step dad who marries shortly after her mother’s passing. Finch doesn’t understand so many things that are going on around her and is struggling to come to terms with who she is when she meets a stray dog who has a hard time trusting others. Will Finch learn how to trust the people around her? What happens to this dog? Where did this dog come from and how does his story relate to Finch’s?

Thoughts: I loved this whole book and all the characters in it. I love getting to read a book the centers a transgender young person. The book was more than just about a transgender child but about family, friends, and a coming of age story. I loved the way that Finch learns about herself and has accepted herself from the start. I loved reading about the struggle that she has with others accepting her and how she comes to terms with it.

Something else I really enjoyed was the way animals were integrated in the plot. I loved the way they used the animals to show a different side of Finch and how these animals affected her. I loved how the animals got to show Finch the importance of being loved by others. I loved how while Finch has human friends it was these animals who really showed her how to love and be compassionate towards others. I loved how these animals showed her how to trust and let others in.

I recommend this to those of you who enjoy LGBTQ stories and those who want to share those stories with a younger generation. It’s a great book to share with children grades 3-7 to introduce this topic to them.

You can purchase this book at Barnes and Noble or look for it at your local library.