Birthday by Meredith Russo Review

Hey ForeverBookers,

How are you all today? I hope you’re well!

I’ve just finished reading “Birthday” by Meredith Russo, and I really enjoyed it! 

4 stars!

“Birthday” is told in birthdays of our main characters, two teenagers called Morgan and Eric as they grow from young boys into 18 year olds. We only see scenes from their birthdays though, and one of them isn’t the boy he’s made out to be. He’s a girl. Back when this was published, in 2019, this was more a contentious point, however now - 7 years later - it’s more accepted to be trans, I feel. Not that I am trans. I just don’t see things in the news about it as much. Eric, the character that remains a boy throughout has problems with his dad. His dad is a judgemental soccer coach, who only wants for his son to succeed in what HE wants him to, while Morgan, the character who transitions throughout grows in confidence thanks to their family. Their mother died, but they have a supportive father and brothers come the end of the novel. 

Readathons!

Suicide comes up in “Birthday.” As Morgan tries to figure out just who he is and what he’s meant to be, he considers killing himself.

Spoilers below…

“I’d had a vision as I’d gone down the waterslide, or a cloud of competing visions, all paradise in their way: Eric is telling me I’m normal, Eric telling me I’m not normal but he understands and he’ll still talk to me and keep my secret, and distantly, but shining gold and warm, a vision of myself as a girl, walking happily next to him at school as if it is the most normal thing in the world. The visions flicker out like heat ripples on tarmac.

My stomach keeps twisting, but it’s useless to try and stop it.

      I slowly wade my way out of the pool. Everything’s spinning. I run to the nearest trash can, brace my hands on the rim, and throw up.”

At the beginning of “Birthday,” we see Morgan unsure about himself at the swimming pool. This is before he learns of his mother’s impending death. Above, he’s just a normal boy with a dream of becoming a girl, something which he doesn’t understand himself. 

Morgan’s mother made him some tapes before she died. “There’s a moment of static and then the screen glows blue and green. I recognize our old apartment’s balcony. Dad and I moved the summer after…everything. He realized we couldn’t make rent on just his salary. It didn’t feel like home without Mom anyway.” This symbolises the start of Morgan’s depression. They need their mother, but can’t have her. They love their dad but they feel lost without their mother.

On the other side of things, we have Eric’s POV. He’s never unsure of his life. He’s confident in everything that Morgan just isn’t. He gets a girlfriend but she dumps him towards the end of “Birthday.” I think she understands that Eric is in fact gay or not straight. He’s confident in himself, as I said but he has doubts about Morgan, his best friend. 

“And listen,” he says, and rubs my arm. “I’m being serious here. You should be proud. You’ve done so well. Helped us get this close to making history after, what, five years off the field? You’re a goddamn prodigy, Morgan. And there’s always next year, right? Well get ‘em next year.” 

Eric is worried that Morgan is having suicidal thoughts. He doesn’t want to lose his best friend. Can he save him? How does he try to save him? I’ll let you read for yourself. Eric’s father is coach to the soccer team. He always takes his anger out on Eric and his brothers. I felt really sorry for Eric in particular. Yes, Morgan is the one that goes through the transition of boy to girl but Eric is his support throughout the process and I don’t feel as if he got any support himself. 

Overall then, I enjoyed “Birthday.” It wasn’t necessarily a happy read but our main characters got what they deserved in the end. Morgan, a new body and a new life, Eric, an easier life. I’m giving Birthday 3.5 stars. It was good but didn’t keep me on the edge of my seat. I don’t think this sort of novel is meant to do that, though. It’s meant to be a support to people going through transition, I think. 

I hope to read a sequel to a fantasy/contemporary book next, so stand by for my review of that, coming soon!