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Proud of Me by Sarah Hagger-Holt - Review

Friday, August 20, 2021


Where did I get it? I bought it on my trip to The Bookish Type in Leeds. I liked Nothing Ever Happens Here by Sarah so I thought I would pick this one up. 


What's it about? It's a middle grade book about two kids who live in a family with two mums, Mum and Ima (the Hebrew for Mum). They are "almost-twins" - they have the same donor dad, but one of their mums gave birth to one of them, and the other gave birth to the other. Their mums were pregnant at the same time so there's only eight days between Becky and Josh. 

Mum - Anna - is about to turn fifty, and Ima and the kids are planning a surprise party for her. At school, Becky's gay best friend Archie is setting up a new LGBTQIA+ group called Pride, with the blessing of their teacher, Ms Bryant. There's a new girl at school, an American called Carli, and she and Becky get close - and Becky feels a lot of things about her. 

Meanwhile, Josh has always been more interested than Becky in learning more about their donor father. He wants to know where he fits in and who he's like. His mums haven't offered much information so Josh goes online himself to do some research, resulting in an adventure he definitely can't see coming.

I really liked the book, it's very sweet and I liked the family. I like the nods to the Jewish side of the family (Anna converted and she and Ruth go to shul on Saturdays, and the family celebrates Shabbat together every Friday night). I like Sarah's way of writing and will definitely look out for her next book! 


What age range is it for? 11-13, a little older if it appeals! 


Are any main characters LGBTQ+? But of course! There's quite a bit on queer history too, including that Anna and Ruth grew up under Section 28 (like I did) when it was literally illegal to mention queer families and when a group like Pride couldn't have existed. I liked this telling of history. 


Are any main characters people of colour? No 


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? Almost none, I very much enjoyed the book. 


Would I recommend the book? Yep! It's great for younger tweens/teens 


Why did I choose to read it at this point in life? It was still in the pile down my side of the bed, and I swear I'm trying to deplete that pile! 

 

What do I think of the cover? It's cute, and it fits with Sarah's other book 


How many stars? Five out of five 

 

Where is the book going now? Oh I'll definitely be keeping it!

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