Proud of Me

Wow!

As a fan of Sarah Hagger-Holt's previous book (Nothing Ever Happens Here) I knew I wanted to read Proud of Me as soon as possible. Thanks to Netgalley for allowing me to read an e-arc for review.

I don't know where to start! So many positive things to say about this story and the characters within it.

The story is based around a family with two mums and two kids that were conceived using a sperm donor. The plot revolves around secrets, Josh and Becky having one each and then a family 'secret' ... although the family secret isn't exactly a 'secret', more something that just isn't talked about.

The book moves between Becky and Josh's points of view chapter by chapter, which works so well to show how their lives fit together, it reflects on their similarities and differences, the things they share and the things they don't.

Many elements are addressed in the story, from LGBTQ+ rights, religion, friendships, coming out, relationships, being donor-conceived, internet safety, opposition, and hateful views. But, they are all done so, so well!

Through the ups and downs it all comes together to leave you with a full-heart and a lovely rounded ending (my biggest peeve is a poorly finished or rushed ending).

I look forward to purchasing this book for my school library and recommending it to the students, as I have with 'Nothing Ever Happens Here'.

I hope Sarah Hagger-Holt continues to write more books like these for young people!

Proud of Me is a beautifully written contemporary story about discovering yourself. Becky is struggling to understand her identity when she develops feelings for a girl at school, Josh is struggling to understand where he came from and who his donor father is. Both stories are heartbreaking and heartwarming, set against the backdrop of family, love and pride.

Proud of Me is one of those wonderfully progressive middle grade books that introduces lots of important themes in a gentle way. There are so many aspects to this story, Becky and Josh both dealing with the complexities of everyday life and both facing their own individual dilemmas. Perhaps most interestingly, as its not something I've ever encountered in a middle grade book, was the exploration of how it might feel to have an unknown donor parent.

There is plenty of exploration of issues that face the LGBTQ+ community here, and it's truly a wonderful introduction to younger readers that love is love and society should be inclusive to all. Becky and Josh have two mums, and I liked that the book didn't put rose tinted glasses on their relationship, showing that there are still plenty of narrow minded opinions in society and that not everyone will be as accepting as they should be. Becky's own exploration of her own sexuality was also handled very well, although my heart did ache for her as first love can indeed be so cruel.

Josh's journey was what really stood out to me though. As someone who has gone through fertility treatment myself, it always irritates me how people will toss suggestions around of donation etc as if it's really straightforward and simple. I can definitely think of more than a few adults who could do with reading this book, as just a basic introduction to some of the complexities that can arise. Unfortunately our biology is something that we're seemingly drawn to need to know about, and I could totally understand Josh's desperation.

Friendship, religion, internet safety and the importance of communication, there is just so much more to this book than the journey the two siblings go on to discover themselves. I thought it was a lovely read, although I did want to wrap both of them into a big warm hug throughout. I'd will definitely be recommending this one.

Wow, what a ground breaking middle grade novel. I really enjoyed Sarah Hagger-Holt’s “Nothing Ever Happens Here” and I was excited to read this.

A family comprising of two mums and two donor-conceived kids who are now at an age when they are also questioning their feelings and their families. Each chapter is written alternatively form the viewpoints of Becky and Josh who at aged 13 and nearly-twins who used to share everything, suddenly find the need to keep secrets form each other and their mums. ‘

So many themes are covered in the story which centres around the new Pride Group that is formed at school which is a safe LGBTQ+ place but those in the group are not exclusively LGBTQ+ which addresses the inclusive-ness of Pride. A very supportive teacher, Ms Bryant, oversees the group and stands up to narrow minded parent. Everyone needs a Ms Bryant at school.

As Josh tries to find out who he was donor-conceived from, and Becky discovers new feelings, the story unfolds to cover many elements including friendship, religion, LGBTQ+, internet safety, coming out, donor-conceived, love, family, negative views and honesty.

A wonderfully written book!

Becky and her almost-twin-brother Josh live with their two mothers together. Becky and Josh are almost twins, because they got the same - anonymous - donor and their birthdays are only eight days apart.
While Becky is totally okay with the anonymous part of their donor, Josh is struggling. He wants to know where he came from. What his „dad“ is like. And if there're other sibblings beside his sister. So he begins to investigate on his own.
Meanwhile his sister Becky is curious what she’s feeling every time she sees the new girl at her school. Could it be love?
Sarah Hager-Holt tells a story about family, acceptance, self-acceptance and honesty.
I would recommend the book for readers age 12 to 15.

Josh and Becky are “almost-twins”, who live with their same-sex parents, Mum and Ima, and were born of the same donor father. Proud of Me explores important themes from the LGBTQ+ community through the perspectives of each of them, both facing their own battles as they struggle to define themselves and their place in the world. While Josh is desperate to uncover the truth about their donor, Becky can’t stop thinking about her new friend Carli. Told through their alternating perspectives, Proud of Me explores acceptance and self-acceptance in the Queer community.

Following her Carnegie-nominated middle-grade title “Nothing Ever Happens Here”, Sarah once again explores a vast range of different issues which affect the LGBTQ+ community, from single-sex parents, to the bigotry of others, but the strand which perhaps hasn’t been explored so much in other YA and Middle Grade fiction is that of being born from a donor-conceived parent, and the angst and uncertainty that an individual can feel about who they are and where they come from. I thought Josh’s resentment at the lack of information available to him, and his frustration that his sibling doesn’t share his desire to know more were written so well, I really felt his struggle to connect with his identity, despite never having experience of anything even close. Similarly, Becky’s struggle to overcome her embarrassment following an uncomfortable first experience with her sexuality felt ever bit as messy as teenage relationships feel in real life. The way that the chapters alternated between their different perspectives allowed the reader to see situations from both sides.

I hugely admire Sarah’s honesty in exploring the issues she does in her novels, and her books always explore a range of different perspectives with kindness and understanding, drawing on her experience and work with LGBTQ+ charity Stonewall. She never conforms to the “happily-ever-after” trope, she casts aside the rose-tinted spectacles which some believe should be used to write children’s fiction, and explores the nitty gritty within the issues, often presenting points that wouldn’t be immediately apparent to the average middle grade reader, such as the questions that Josh and Becky are often asked which can be hurtful. Her books have opened my eyes to the continuing issues surrounding the queer communities despite the progress made in recent times. Carli’s parents are representative of the bigotry which can still exist in even the most progressive communities. The verbalisation of thought processes from Becky, for example when she is angry at Archie and says “Everything I say is coming out wrong, but I don’t know how to make it right” and discusses defence mechanisms in animals, is akin to a whisper to the reader “You are not alone. Nobody gets this right.” Similarly, Archie’s advice to Becky around labels, and reclaiming them, could be just the message a young reader needed to hear.

Most important of all, old and young readers alike learn how to be an ally to those experiencing prejudice and intolerance. Every bit as ground-breaking and important as “Nothing Ever Happens Here” – and I do hope Sarah continues to write these vital books for a young audience.

Proud Of Me is a great contemporary teen read. It follows siblings Becky and Josh as they navigate their lives at school and home, where their mums are unaware of all the dilemmas their kids are facing. Should Becky and Josh share what they're going through, or should each keep their secrets?

This book is fantastic for LGBTQ+ representation and focuses on themes of identity, friendship, family and belonging. The characters are believable and well-written, their relationships feel real and the environments are instantly recognisable. Highly-recommended.

Having loved Nothing Ever Happens Here in the summer and found it so strange that such an important book wasn’t shouted about more, I was thrilled to be able to read Proud Of Me early. It is another vitally important book about growing up with same sex parents and the need to find your true self. It also deals with personal sexuality and one twin realises that she is gay. These topics are rarely tackled in children.s literature and this book is of such importance as is does this, head on but with sensitivity and empathy.

𝑃𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑑 𝑜𝑓 𝑀𝑒 by Sarah Hagger-Holt is an emotional read from the get go. With subjects such as same-sex parenting to children conceived by fertility treatments, it's a story that will both educates you on a subject matter I've rarely seen in YA novels never mind Middle Grade of which age range, 𝑃𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑑 𝑜𝑓 𝑀𝑒 is aimed at.

The author tells the story of 'almost-twins' Becky and Josh in such a way that it's not overwhelming for the reader and explanations are done in such a matter of fact manner that to me it felt like there was a reminder that having same-sex parents should be as normal in a conversation as the traditional and single parent households. Time as they say, has most definitely moved on and it shouldn't be for want of another word, a taboo.

I can understand to a degree Josh's desire however to take the person he knows was a donor and turn him into 'Dad' because he feels a disconnect from his Mums. He knows and although he accepts his family setup is very different from his friends or rather, boys in school, and wishes to see if the unknown would help him understand himself. Simple things like his desire to be perfectly organised whilst everyone else is a bit messy..plus, he's the only male in the house and he feels 'lost' among the three women.

My heart was in my mouth when he at thirteen goes on his literal journey of attempted discovery without anyone knowing. The parent in me feeling the flutter of panic if I didn't know where my children were or in the case of Josh's Mums, not knowing he is missing in the first place. That chill in your core is hard to lose even if it is just a fictional character because Sarah Hagger-Holt has written her characters and their world so well that you feel immersed and involved in the story of Becky, Josh their friends and family.

Becky goes on her own journey of discovery that whilst (thankfully) not a literal journey across the country is none the less important. Whilst her brother finds himself compelled to learn where he came from, Becky's journey is one of who just a part of who she is now and maybe in the future will be. It's a journey of self-discovery and of first heartbreak (how I wished I could hug her and say it's honestly not as awful as it feels right now) and learning that is also okay to not be okay and to trust both yourself and those around you.

I absolutely loved 𝑃𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑑 𝑜𝑓 𝑀𝑒 and look forward to more from this author.

Thank you as always to Netgalley and Usborne Publishing for my advanced copy - go get yourself a copy as soon as possible.