Birthday

A Novel

By: Meredith Russo

Narrated by: Dana Aliya Levinson

"An emotional, winning touchdown." — Kirkus

This program includes a bonus interview with the author.

Two best friends. A shared birthday. Six years...

ERIC: There was the day we were born. There was the minute Morgan and I decided we were best friends for life. The years where we stuck by each other’s side—as Morgan’s mom died, as he moved across town, as I joined the football team, as my parents started fighting. But sometimes I worry that Morgan and I won’t be best friends forever. That there’ll be a day, a minute, a second, where it all falls apart and there’s no turning back the clock.

MORGAN: I know that every birthday should feel like a new beginning, but I’m trapped in this mixed-up body, in this wrong life, in Nowheresville, Tennessee, on repeat. With a dad who cares about his football team more than me, a mom I miss more than anything, and a best friend who can never know my biggest secret. Maybe one day I’ll be ready to become the person I am inside. To become her. To tell the world. To tell Eric. But when?

Six years of birthdays reveal Eric and Morgan’s destiny as they come together, drift apart, fall in love, and discover who they’re meant to be—and if they’re meant to be together. From the award-winning author of If I Was Your Girl, Meredith Russo, comes a heart-wrenching and universal story of identity, first love, and fate.

Praise for Birthday:

"In addition to being exquisitely written, BIRTHDAY showcases the best of YA: Its ability to instill empathy in readers. Written by a trans author, BIRTHDAY gives an essential perspective into the trans experience." — Refinery29

So so good

I loved If I Was Your Girl, and didn’t expect I’d enjoy Birthday as much as that book. The switching of perspectives isn’t a narrative device I usually like. That said, I cried all the way through Birthday. It hit me so hard as a trans woman who’s looking for her Eric. On an emotional level I felt like every stage of Morgan’s growth was something I went through, and am still going through. So well written.

Painfully, achingly True

I loved how authentic it was in so many ways but like much of the trans literature that I’ve read or listened to it ends a little too well, but who doesn’t love a happy ending

I'm in love

I've never related more to a book. This story kicked my butt in all the best ways. For the love of Gosh read this book.

2 Worlds Colliding

I love Meredith's work. I always have. This one in particular though hit different in the best way possible. Being able to see these two best friends through each other's eyes, made the story somewhat extra realistic. Seeing how their differences were just as much their strength as their similarities made my heart smile! I'm definitely going to recommend this to others!!

The amount of times I screamed and cried in the shower

As a person like Morgan, Reading this book especially in a time in life where I feel most alone and isolated from the real world for being the person I am, reading this book allowed me to make a bridge to this beautifully crafted narrative and feel less alone, and actually gave me the chance to relate to other beings, even though fictional, this book did a lot for my soul, and I thank the writer, ALSO IF I WAS YOR GIRL IS A MUST READ TOO!!!