Review by Booklist Review
Orphaned at five, B's been through numerous foster and group homes in seven years. Their only constant is their friends (Opal, Finch, and Clementine) and the therapy dog that visits the group home. Another disastrous placement ends when B asks to adopt a dog, wanting to train it as a replacement therapy dog. Their social worker, Dai, finds a new couple: Jodi and Eri can relate to B, who is nonbinary and shows signs of neurodivergence, as they're both queer, and trans Eri has ADHD. Suddenly, B has a place to relax, with parents who work with their needs instead of yelling at them to get over their issues and pick a name already. Most important, they're willing to try adopting the dog B wants to train. Life may not be easy, but found and chosen family certainly helps. While many characters are white, Opal is described as Black, and Clementine's mother immigrated from Mexico. Gow's latest middle-grade novel (Dear Mothman, 2023) continues delving into the intersection of transgender or nonbinary identities with autistic and ADHD neurodivergence, and while B thinks no one would be able to understand their brain, autistic readers especially will find much that is both relatable and validating. A story of living authentically, finding family, and surviving bullying, microaggressions, and middle school.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Nonbinary 12-year-old B yearns for the perfect new name ("It's hard to imagine there's one that's just right for me") and to be a dog trainer. When B's senses are overloaded during an awkward outing with their current foster parents, they are comforted by--and immediately fall in love with--a dog named Gooseberry that's up for adoption at the local humane society. B's new placement with a supportive queer foster couple grants them the opportunity to adopt Gooseberry, but their dream dog doesn't live up to their fantasies. Gooseberry is anxious, scared, and overwhelmed by everything--not unlike B, who is frustrated by how easily they cry as they experience the world with crushing intensity ("Why do I care so much?"). Though B endures daily homophobic torment from school bullies, at home they train Gooseberry and develop patience and trust in an environment that abounds with acceptance and love. B's search for self-identity is artfully written by Gow (Dear Mothman), who is autistic and nonbinary. Blue-haired B is depicted as white on the cover, and the cast features plentiful queer and racial diversity. Ages 10--14. Agent: Jordan Hamessley, JAB- berwocky Literary. (May)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 4--8--B has been in foster care since age five when their parents died. Although they have had several placements, none have felt right. When their last placement ends in a disastrous family outing involving a dog named Gooseberry, B is placed with a new family, where it begins to feel like home. B has always had an ambition to be a dog trainer. Their meeting with Gooseberry leads them to believe that Gooseberry is the dog they are meant to train. Unfortunately, like B, Gooseberry has gone through trauma that left him mistrustful of people. As B begins Gooseberry's training, they find that overcoming trauma is not a quick process, but with love and patience, progress can be made. B is nonbinary and goes by B as they try to find their true name. Their latest foster parents are a lesbian couple, one of whom is transgender. B is surrounded by a group of gender-diverse friends that help them as they deal with bullies and the transition to a new home. Gooseberry's struggles with trust and overcoming trauma parallel those of B and provide them an additional coping mechanism as they begin to realize they've found their home. VERDICT B's struggle to find home and acceptance will have readers rooting for them and Gooseberry the dog. A must-purchase realistic fiction title for all middle grade collections.--Ashley Leffel
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Upon their first meeting, B knows rescue dog Gooseberry is meant for them. Will their new foster parents agree? Twelve-year-old B has lived unhappily in various foster homes since their parents' deaths. Nonbinary, trans, and undecided on their new name, B also grapples with their emotional, anxious, neurodiverse brain. At school, B endures queerphobic bullying and academic struggles but has a tight friend group. When Humane Society runaway Gooseberry charges in to comfort a crying B at a block party, B knows it's fate. Fortunately, B's new foster moms, Jodie and Eri, agree. After all, B's dream is to be a dog trainer. Gooseberry tests B to their limits--hiding, snapping, and escaping--but B also has more to learn about dog training than they realized. B refuses to give up, though, and Jodie and Eri refuse to give up on B. Evocative metaphors illuminate B's thought processes for readers as B wrestles with a world that's not calibrated for their autism or their gender identity. Gooseberry is often B's emotional mirror, benefiting as much from B's devotion as B benefits from having accepting, supportive parents. Readers might be surprised, however, that the Humane Society would adopt out a highly reactive dog to inexperienced dog owners with a rule-breaking kid. B and their foster moms seem to be white, and Eri is trans; there's racial and gender diversity among the supporting cast. A sensitive exploration of autism, gender identity, and dog training. (Fiction. 8-12) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
