Meow or Never by Jazz Taylor

 

Welcome Back, Booklovers! I'm back with another review and this time it's for a middle grade story. I was given an advanced reader copy from Scholastic in exchange for an honest review. Scholastic tries to publish diverse books for all readers. This is one of their Wish novels. And this was a middle grade unlike one I've ever read before.

Avery is 12 years old and has been in her new town for a few months but is struggling to make friends. She suffers from social anxiety so it's hard for her to talk to her peers without panic attacks. She does finally find a new friend in a stray cat who is hanging out in a storage closet in the theater at school. 

After her crush overhears her singing and convinces her to try out for a part in the school play she lands the role of Juliet in a Romeo & Juliet adaptation. The problem is she's not even comfortable reading out loud in front of the class. How is she going to sing and act? It's making her so anxious she can barely eat and she literally tries to run away from her problems.

This was a sweet contemporary story about young girls navigating middle school life. None of these girls are perfect. They have different family dynamics and insecurities. All three are struggling with finding real friendships until they find each other. There's also great commentary about therapy and the stigmas against it. 

And Avery is a queer girl experiencing her first big crush and wondering if those feelings will be reciprocated. I like how normal it's treated and how she doesn't have to worry about hate from outsiders based on who she likes. I think this is a great story to give to children who want a light read that touches on some strong family themes. This book is just so much more than the cute cat on the cover.