If I Was Your Girl

By Meredith Russo

If I Was Your Girl follows a plot that I would’ve been a huge fan of in my junior high years. High schooler, Amanda Hardy moves to a new town and enrolls in a new school where she is introduced to new boys and new friends, specifically a special boy named Grant. The love story between these two characters is one that I would have definitely enjoyed. I loved happy endings and cute stories full of nice boys and pretty girls. However, there is one extremely unique aspect of Russo’s novel that did not appear in any of the other romance novels I read those years ago. 

This story is so special because it is particularly authentic. Russo has the same past that the main character Amanda has. Both have gone through unique struggles, transitions and traumas that many other teens have not had to face. Both Russo and the protagonist she has created are transgender females.

I would not have been opposed to reading a book from the prospective of a trans female at a younger age, but there were not many (if any) novels available featuring a character like Amanda’s. As the years have gone on and the presence of trans individuals has increased and become more accepted, authors of all ages have begun to make characters like these more accessible to audiences who are not familiar with the every day struggles that transgender individuals face. Reading a novel like this is very similar to reading a novel told by the voice of someone of a different race, economic background, or culture. A new perspective is gathered, new opinions are formed, and the reader gains a more worldly and accepting view based on the content of the story.

It is often thought that reading novels with characters dissimilar to the audience will create a separation between the reader and the book itself. However, this has never been an experience of mine. One does not gain valuable insight into another’s life until they have learned the unique paths people other than them have had to travel down. Russo does an impeccable job of making this story accessible to all. Every high school girl, cis gender or not, can relate to having a crush on a high school boy, regardless of if they are reluctant to open up or not. Every high school boy, cis gender or not, has experienced a longing for a particular girl without even knowing her full story. It is how these characters, Amanda and Grant, handle these situations that is admirable and relatable and adorable all at once.

Although some storylines throughout the novel are wrapped up pretty ambiguously, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and believe that one day, more books will be written just like this one, but eventually won’t be singled out simply because they feature a transgender character. If I Was Your Girl gives hope to future generations and for humanity as a whole. We are not inherently unaccepting and afraid of those other than us and we are heading in the right direction. We are all humans capable of feeling love, hate, sadness and hope. We are all built the same way.