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Rebecca McCormick. Powered by Blogger.

Nothing Ever Happens Here by Sarah Hagger-Holt

Wednesday, December 30, 2020


Where did I get it? I bought it. I was talking to my friend Lucinda about books with queer parents, especially books set in the UK, and she suggested this one. I bought it on eBay I think, it's brand new though. 

What's it about? Izzy is twelve years old and is just starting Year 8. She lives in a little town in Suffolk, with her parents, her elder sister Megan, and her younger brother Jamie. She is best friends with a girl called Grace, and at school the two of them are really into drama and have tried out for parts in this term's musical, Guys and Dolls. 

A few weeks into the term, Izzy's parents tell the family that Izzy's Dad is trans. She has been going to a support group for a few months and now wants to live openly as a woman. Each of the children reacts differently, and there's a lot of finding out things about Danielle, and about how to refer to her, and about what she's been through to get to this point. 

Izzy is quite scared about people at school finding out, though. She thinks she'll be the topic of conversation forever if it happens, and she already gets bullied a bit by a girl called Mia. 

As the term goes on, Izzy finds out lots of things about herself and about her parents and her family. I loved Izzy, she's a great main character and I was on her side the whole way. I liked her friendship with Grace; it felt very natural with its ups and downs. Being twelve is hard anyway! 


What age range is it for? Eleven onwards, I think 


Are any main characters LGBTQ+? Obviously! There are some other trans people in the book, which I really liked. 


Are any main characters people of colour? It's not said, but I think Grace is black. I'm saying this because her surname is Okafor, which is a Nigerian surname. I can't be sure, unless I missed something. 


Are any main characters disabled either mentally or physically? No 


Is there any sex stuff? No 


Are drugs mentioned or used? No 


Is there any talk of death? No 


Are there swear words? No 

 

What criticisms do I have? Gosh, none. I loved this book. 


Would I recommend the book? Yes a hundred percent. 


Why did I choose to read it at this point in life? It was down the side of the bed, which seems to be how I choose my books these days! 

 

What do I think of the cover? I like it, it puts a spotlight on Izzy's house 

 

What other books is it like? It reminded me of The Last Days of Archie Maxwell by Annabel Pitcher, although Archie's dad is gay not trans 


How many stars? Ten out of ten 

 

Where is the book going now? I'll keep it!

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