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Girls Like Me
Sixteen-year-old queer-identified Banjo Logan wakes up groggy in a juvenile mental ward. She realizes that the clueless therapist and shiny psychiatrist can’t help her come to terms with her genderqueer boy/girlfriend’s suicide, much less help her decide what to do with the fetus that’s growing inside her or answers the question of why she cuts. She’s befriended by two fellow patients—a strange and slightly manic queer girl and a shy, gay boy disowned by his born-again Christian parents. Girls Like Me is the a powerful coming of age story of a pregnant gay teenager who realizes that friends may make the best medicine.
198 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
October 12, 2018
Woof. This one got me.
I read this over a vacation weekend, and had to put the book down after Every. Stinking. Chapter.
Just serious tear jerking here. And triggering, for me.
Packebush set out to write the first book about a pregnant queer teen. Because apparently such a YA book didn't exist already.
There's also pretty excellent (to my lens) representation of a genderqueer teen, which is way too rare in YA.
I liked that Banjo had such a cool name. I liked that her family was supportive and queer themselves. I LOVED I loved the representation of therapy/therapists.
SO GOOD.
On the shortlist for the Washington State Book Award: Young Adult Category.
Booktalked to high schools in 2018.
I read this over a vacation weekend, and had to put the book down after Every. Stinking. Chapter.
Just serious tear jerking here. And triggering, for me.
Packebush set out to write the first book about a pregnant queer teen. Because apparently such a YA book didn't exist already.
There's also pretty excellent (to my lens) representation of a genderqueer teen, which is way too rare in YA.
I liked that Banjo had such a cool name. I liked that her family was supportive and queer themselves. I LOVED I loved the representation of therapy/therapists.
SO GOOD.
On the shortlist for the Washington State Book Award: Young Adult Category.
Booktalked to high schools in 2018.
November 22, 2017
I just finished reading this book and am at a loss for words. This book is revolutionary! Being a queer teen mom, reading this book was moving, to say the least. It's a struggle to be different--to be an outcast. When you fall on the outskirts of society's pressured norms, you end up feeling really alone. I am a major bookworm and find it really special when I can relate to a story in a way that makes me feel less alone in my experiences. With that being said, this is the first book that has applied to that particular area of my life. I so, so wish that I could have gotten my hands on a copy of this book four years ago when I was pregnant. However, I am overjoyed that queer teens and teen moms and queer teen moms will have this book to comfort them. Girls Like Me was diverse, in terms of race, gender, sexual orientation, mental health, social class, and so much more. I appreciate Nina Packebush for telling a story that has desperately needed to be told. This is a book that I couldn't stand to put down and I highly recommend that you all buy and read it as soon as possible! Hooray for diversity and representation. Read my review on www.readsavread.com.
November 26, 2018
Yes on concept and meh on execution for me. Banjo's compelling for her relative scarcity in YA fiction: I can't think, offhand, of another YA protagonist who is queer and also facing teenage pregnancy. I love that, of all the things Banjo struggles with throughout the book, worrying about What It Means to be both queer and pregnant is not one of them. There's also quite a diverse cast—differences in sexuality, gender identity, race, economic background, family situation, et cetera.
What didn't work as well: an awful lot of the plot amounted to backstory—what happened with Gray. It's important to Banjo's experience but felt a little as though the reader was being asked to be devastated over the loss of a character the reader was seven months too late to meet. Also not at all sold on the friendship-possibly-turning-into-more towards the end of the book. No chemistry, plus they both have a fair amount of their own things to sort out.
What didn't work as well: an awful lot of the plot amounted to backstory—what happened with Gray. It's important to Banjo's experience but felt a little as though the reader was being asked to be devastated over the loss of a character the reader was seven months too late to meet. Also not at all sold on the friendship-possibly-turning-into-more towards the end of the book. No chemistry, plus they both have a fair amount of their own things to sort out.
December 2, 2023
I’m giving this book a generous four star rating, and a qualified add to my “best MG/YA list.” The author does a superb job of handling issues like adoption, pregnancy, grief, Madness, gender exploration, medical trauma, queerness, family, and more, without becoming polemical — rather than preaching, the author invites young readers in with the upmost respect for their lived experiences. Particularly given that this constellation of subject matter is not some thing I’ve ever seen tackled at once in another young adult novel, this book is important. I want it in the hands of as many
kids as possible.
At the same time, this novel, suffers from some thing that plagues a lot of very small press books: poor editing on every level: from the developmental to the line level and copyediting. I found myself growing frustrated with seemingly out of the blue conflicts between characters that I didn’t know enough about to feel invested in, at least, not in the way that I should have. Likewise, I feel like both rushing toward the latter half, and the introduction of a lot of decontextualized relationships seriously weekend the strength of this book. With this in mind, I feel like I wanted to like this novel more than I actually did, despite readily recognizing its importance and rare combination of sensitivity and respect to young readers.
kids as possible.
At the same time, this novel, suffers from some thing that plagues a lot of very small press books: poor editing on every level: from the developmental to the line level and copyediting. I found myself growing frustrated with seemingly out of the blue conflicts between characters that I didn’t know enough about to feel invested in, at least, not in the way that I should have. Likewise, I feel like both rushing toward the latter half, and the introduction of a lot of decontextualized relationships seriously weekend the strength of this book. With this in mind, I feel like I wanted to like this novel more than I actually did, despite readily recognizing its importance and rare combination of sensitivity and respect to young readers.
November 29, 2017
I loved this book so much. I had a hard time putting it down! I grew immediately attached to Banjo early in the book and enjoyed watching her navigate between different worlds - from a mental institution, back home, through memories with her now-deceased boy/girl friend, to the therapist's office, to the grocery store... She navigates these worlds with curiosity, with emotional depth, with vulnerability, and longing for connection. It is at once heartbreaking and delightful to see her story unfold. As a health professional, I appreciated seeing both positive and negative examples of health professional interactions with Banjo. This book should be handed to all new therapists and new OB providers! All in all, I highly recommend this to anyone interested in busting that tiny one-size-fits-all box society hands you when you get pregnant and would rather define parenthood and friendship and family in ways that make sense for you.
June 21, 2025
Excellent. Reads like a breeze (well-crafted) with some punchy memorable lines. Strong theme. No lagging points, tension through out, and it sticks the landing (strong ending -- I cried).
The world needs more stories like this featuring genderqueer teens dealing with real life struggles including death, domestic violence, suicide, cutting, abandonment, gender identity, pregnancy, mental health and health care systems.
Wow, that sounds like a lot -- and the book features fun characters dealing with emotions. There's a lot of love and hopefulness, too. So life!
Recommended for: Anyone who works with teens or is interested in the lives of genderqueer young adults --and for those who want to see their similar experiences and points of view reflected and portrayed with empathy.
Quotable: "We were all trying the best we could and loving the best we could despite the bombs that life threw at us and that was all anybody could do."
Writers read this for: writing teenage characters with empathy; I loved how the teenagers in this novel act like teens, but are portrayed as complex individuals dealing with complex issues.
Paris well with: The next in this series is Three Queerdos and a Baby. I don't read a lot of young adult realism so this reminded me most of Francesca Lia Block's Weetzie Bat books, even more on the fantasy spectrum, John Wiswell's Someone to Build a Nest in, or, back to realism, Angie Thomas' The Hate U Give.
The world needs more stories like this featuring genderqueer teens dealing with real life struggles including death, domestic violence, suicide, cutting, abandonment, gender identity, pregnancy, mental health and health care systems.
Wow, that sounds like a lot -- and the book features fun characters dealing with emotions. There's a lot of love and hopefulness, too. So life!
Recommended for: Anyone who works with teens or is interested in the lives of genderqueer young adults --and for those who want to see their similar experiences and points of view reflected and portrayed with empathy.
Quotable: "We were all trying the best we could and loving the best we could despite the bombs that life threw at us and that was all anybody could do."
Writers read this for: writing teenage characters with empathy; I loved how the teenagers in this novel act like teens, but are portrayed as complex individuals dealing with complex issues.
Paris well with: The next in this series is Three Queerdos and a Baby. I don't read a lot of young adult realism so this reminded me most of Francesca Lia Block's Weetzie Bat books, even more on the fantasy spectrum, John Wiswell's Someone to Build a Nest in, or, back to realism, Angie Thomas' The Hate U Give.
July 21, 2018
Powerful
Took me a while to get through this story. Really had to take my time and sift through all the intensity. Teenage pregnancy, suicide, psych wards, transgendered, adoption. A lot of factors in one story. At times I didn’t think I liked the book, but in the end I did like it.
Took me a while to get through this story. Really had to take my time and sift through all the intensity. Teenage pregnancy, suicide, psych wards, transgendered, adoption. A lot of factors in one story. At times I didn’t think I liked the book, but in the end I did like it.
April 21, 2019
Hård men en utrolig vigtig fortælling!
March 24, 2018
Interesting. I liked Pru/Lou the best.
December 9, 2017
I haven't read a book straight through in a while, but here we are. Engaging writing and storytelling, with incredibly honest and complex and compelling characters. I'm so glad a book exists from the perspective of a queer teen mom! Along with pulling me on the rollercoaster of Banjo's story that I couldn't put down, as a whole it does a fantastic job with representation on gender, sexuality, class, race, pregnancy, and mental illness. And multiple genderqueer characters!
December 19, 2018
Real down to earth queerness. The depth of the feelings and characters are surprising in a teen/YA novel. I loved it and recommend it to folks.
January 25, 2018
So I simply have to say that I have never in my long years of living, read a book that covered such a difficult subject as child cruelty and abuse (now this is the part that cuts real close to me be because my teen years were just plain awful, due to the poor parenting skills of the people I was subjected to)...but as I was saying I have never read subject matter that dealt with such issues where I have been able to read through the text without putting the book down and sometimes never returning to finish.
Nina's gift as a nurturer, however, transcends the narrative. As I read of Banjo's mishandling by the psych doctors in the hospital, my rage was calmed enough to continue through the text to get me to her appointment with Dr. Jack the doctor that identifies as lesbian and who knew how to deal, not only with gender identity, but teen pregnancy because of personal experiences. She also was able to handle the cutting issues Banjo had acquired with a treatment that was so seamless and casual, I did a fist pump.
As I worried about poor Banjo's rewiring and the efficacy she needed to build esteem to move forward and not give up Gracie (this was one of those times I wanted to be a part of the storyline and of course this is a choice issue, but I am a soppy romantic at the core and will root for a "happy ever after, if there's a even a crack of daylight left at the end of the tunnel) --- Nina's God-gift yet again pulled me through the text. I made it through the flashbacks of Gray's suicide. That's the part that might be difficult. Gray was Banjo's gender clear partner and the other parent to little Gracie. I won't blow the storyline by sharing their death scene, but Banjo and Lou revisited it for closure at the end. When poor little Rags, Gray's dog, saw the old apartment where Gray live for the first time since their death, a knot in my throat began to form. I still couldn't stop reading this story. So with tears softly rolling down my cheeks, I read, for the tears wanted to come at so many milestones.
I can also add that most readers will be more than satisfied with the quality of how the author chose to end the story. It was not rushed and didn't feel choppy. It simply flowed into a conclusion with logical order. The quality of writing is unquestionable. I have felt honored to have had a chance to be introduced to the dilemma of teen pregnancy issues facing gender clear youth in our society today through such a wonderful independently published title which is also inclusive of such diverse terms as race, gender bindery identity, social class, adolescent mental health treatment, family dynamics, and more. Thank you Nina. Keep writing the stories we need to hear. There's never just one!
Nina's gift as a nurturer, however, transcends the narrative. As I read of Banjo's mishandling by the psych doctors in the hospital, my rage was calmed enough to continue through the text to get me to her appointment with Dr. Jack the doctor that identifies as lesbian and who knew how to deal, not only with gender identity, but teen pregnancy because of personal experiences. She also was able to handle the cutting issues Banjo had acquired with a treatment that was so seamless and casual, I did a fist pump.
As I worried about poor Banjo's rewiring and the efficacy she needed to build esteem to move forward and not give up Gracie (this was one of those times I wanted to be a part of the storyline and of course this is a choice issue, but I am a soppy romantic at the core and will root for a "happy ever after, if there's a even a crack of daylight left at the end of the tunnel) --- Nina's God-gift yet again pulled me through the text. I made it through the flashbacks of Gray's suicide. That's the part that might be difficult. Gray was Banjo's gender clear partner and the other parent to little Gracie. I won't blow the storyline by sharing their death scene, but Banjo and Lou revisited it for closure at the end. When poor little Rags, Gray's dog, saw the old apartment where Gray live for the first time since their death, a knot in my throat began to form. I still couldn't stop reading this story. So with tears softly rolling down my cheeks, I read, for the tears wanted to come at so many milestones.
I can also add that most readers will be more than satisfied with the quality of how the author chose to end the story. It was not rushed and didn't feel choppy. It simply flowed into a conclusion with logical order. The quality of writing is unquestionable. I have felt honored to have had a chance to be introduced to the dilemma of teen pregnancy issues facing gender clear youth in our society today through such a wonderful independently published title which is also inclusive of such diverse terms as race, gender bindery identity, social class, adolescent mental health treatment, family dynamics, and more. Thank you Nina. Keep writing the stories we need to hear. There's never just one!
May 19, 2021
Huge shout-out for representation -- for queer characters (several, including trans), pregnant teens (several, including generational), young adults being shunted into psychiatric facilities and/or mistreated by their families, adoptions that harm, and one of the best representations of survivors dealing with grief in the aftermath of a suicide. Also for both bad and good therapists, bad and good doctors, poverty, supportive vs non-supportive families, kids having to fend for themselves when crisis overtakes a family. This book has a lot going on, and isn't going to sugarcoat it. In that sense, it's a really important book, and Banjo is a really amazing center. It is at times, unfocused. The cover makes it look like it might be a graphic novel (nope). I wish the romance at the end had remained a friendship, because I agree with another reviewer that they don't seem to have a romantic chemistry, but perhaps in this case, romance is finding someone who you can rely on. There are many types of love.
I think this book is pretty thoroughly YA.
I think this book is pretty thoroughly YA.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 13, 2023
TW: SELF HARM/ SUICIDE
As a fan of Juno I absolutely loved this book! It was a dark and twisted Juno essentially and they mention the movie in the book and potray it in a good light which I love they even mention the soundtrack. I actually think this is a somewhat improved Juno since gender identity and queerness is implied in Juno but not directly mentioned in this story it’s a core aspect of the book. I loved banjo and her character growth although it took me a long time to get through since I had to take breaks for my sanity. Overall I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone that likes Juno and can handle very mature subject matter.
As a fan of Juno I absolutely loved this book! It was a dark and twisted Juno essentially and they mention the movie in the book and potray it in a good light which I love they even mention the soundtrack. I actually think this is a somewhat improved Juno since gender identity and queerness is implied in Juno but not directly mentioned in this story it’s a core aspect of the book. I loved banjo and her character growth although it took me a long time to get through since I had to take breaks for my sanity. Overall I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone that likes Juno and can handle very mature subject matter.
June 14, 2018
Banjo’s story illustrated how helpless I felt as a teenager without the language to describe my experience. Without that language, identity development was a slow and painful process for me for decades after. In the novel, “Girls Like Me”, the stories of these teens also explore the many challenges that they experience in addition to their relationships and the development of their sexuality and gender expression. Banjo’s story includes holding space for her mother’s relationships, and the subtle way that class and necessity can lead to the parentification of children.
May 14, 2020
I have no idea how teenagers would like this book, whether the characters are authentic for this day and age, etc. Plus, it did have a bit of sickly-sweet perfection (three teenagers went from zero friends each to being solidly besties), even with the very imperfect characters and their flawed lives. But I (old person) loved it. The lovely queerness, the fragility of each person, and how much the characters loved each other. I found all the characters memorable, with their vulnerability and sweetness.
March 4, 2018
I am so grateful this book exists. Getting to read a book with multiple gender-queer or gender-non-conforming and queer characters is a treat and I wish it weren't such a rarity. Nina tells this story so well with vivid characters who are easy to connect with and who we care about right away. I love the complexity of relationships that happen throughout the book, and the ways we do and don't get resolution. I will recommend this book every chance I get.
March 29, 2021
This was such a good book. It captures the judgement of so - called professionals when you're out as queer in a teen psych ward so well it made me cry for my past. There were themes of transphobia, suicide, self harm, homophobia, slut shaming etc in the book, but it was handled really sensitively in my opinion.
There were judgemental jobsworth characters masquerading as care givers for mentally ill children in this book, but there was so much love as well.
It's really touched my heart.
There were judgemental jobsworth characters masquerading as care givers for mentally ill children in this book, but there was so much love as well.
It's really touched my heart.
March 2, 2019
It takes a very strong writer to capture what it’s like to live in a spectrum, of gender identity or sexual orientation or indecision or of feelings, but Nina captures it beautiful. A powerful book that demonstrates that sometimes where we are broken is where the light comes in and that healing is always possible.
December 5, 2018
Queer teen mama
There was so much good in this story, even though so much of it was heartbreaking. The cast of characters were real and it was amazing how much of the Pacific northwest I could feel in the description of where they went.
There was so much good in this story, even though so much of it was heartbreaking. The cast of characters were real and it was amazing how much of the Pacific northwest I could feel in the description of where they went.
June 23, 2022
Kudos to Nina Packebush for including all sorts of diversity but not making it preachy or contrived. Banjo and her friends and family were the perfect balance of sympathetic, believable, and messy. Definitely recommend.
January 15, 2018
This book is so needed and important and I'm so glad that it exists in the world.
November 11, 2018
This one tugged at my heartstrings a bit. I love the characters.
July 4, 2021
This was a good book, just really heavy.
September 17, 2021
Lovely, sad, and empowering.
Read
August 7, 2019Genre: realistic fiction, YA
3 LGBTQ main characters: 1 genderqueer, 2 self-identified as queer
3 LGBTQ side characters: 1 gay, 2 lesbian
Importance of identities to plot: 4/5
Romance: 3/5
Coming out: no
Disabled character(s): Banjo, main character
Disability type: mental illness
Notes: TW suicide, self-harm, mental breakdowns. 1 LGBTQ MC is Ethiopian and adopted; story focuses on teen pregnancy and grieving a loved one’s suicide.
3 LGBTQ main characters: 1 genderqueer, 2 self-identified as queer
3 LGBTQ side characters: 1 gay, 2 lesbian
Importance of identities to plot: 4/5
Romance: 3/5
Coming out: no
Disabled character(s): Banjo, main character
Disability type: mental illness
Notes: TW suicide, self-harm, mental breakdowns. 1 LGBTQ MC is Ethiopian and adopted; story focuses on teen pregnancy and grieving a loved one’s suicide.
April 26, 2023
Updated rating on second read: 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Rating on first read: 3.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Rating on first read: 3.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
October 21, 2024
Characters were so compelling, great writing style, couldn't put it down.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews