A lovely tale of magical realism, growing up, friendship, and our deepest wishes.
Birdie and Gem are sixth graders and have been best friends since they were three. Things are changing, though: Gem is hitting puberty before Birdie and has been harassed by a classmate about her growing breasts; she feels self-conscious, has quit dance classes, and seems to be cutting Birdie off. Birdie feels left behind and doesn’t understand what’s going on with Gem. Classmate Van moved to Texas from Ireland with their divorced mother more than a year ago, but they still don’t feel at home.
Phoebe is a Fairy of the North Star, who doesn’t believe in children, but is forced to rely on Birdie, Gem, and Van for help when she crash lands in their neighborhood. As the three work to help her, they must also look inward and examine their truest wishes—wishes they might not even have clearly expressed to themselves—in order to save Phoebe, their friendships, and their own capacity to grow.
The tale is told in alternating chapters from different characters’ viewpoints (mostly Birdie, Gem, and Van). Author Lauren Kate captures the shifting feelings and friendships of this life stage with care, but also weaves in touches of humor that lighten the tale without feeling slapstick. Each character feels well-developed and different.
Van’s nonbinary identity is not a focal point but nor is it a token label; we see them snapping a response when deadnamed by their stepmom (and Birdie sympathetically noting she’d also hate it if a parent treated her that way). We also learn that while Van has not yet started puberty, their supportive mother has taken them to a doctor to discuss puberty blockers, because, “When the time came, they’d be grateful for the option. And Mam’s support.” And when Van reassures Phoebe that she’ll be safe with them, they reflect, “They didn’t know if it was true, but then, it had to be true. Like when Van watched #itgetsbetter videos on YouTube.” There’s a whole lot of history and hope in that one sentence—and there are other, similarly well-crafted passages that capture the feelings and longings of the other characters, too.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story and its nuanced take on the interwoven lives of the three protagonists, dusted with a bit of fairy magic. It felt refreshingly original while also exploring universal themes of friendship and the shifting sands of adolescence. Highly recommended.
The characters read as White; Gem and her family are Jewish.
