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Just Like Everyone Else

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Thirteen-year-old Aidan can't breathe in his crowded family home. Running is his only respite from four loud sisters and involved, touchy-feely parents. Then his mum makes an announcement: she's having another baby. Only, this time it's not for her; she will be a surrogate for gay couple Justin and Atif. Aidan is incensed. As if his family wasn't embarrassing - or big - enough already. But he's also scared. Aidan thinks he might be gay, and he's really struggling to accept this possibility. He's definitely not ready to come out, but what if being around Justin and Atif exposes him as gay? If only he was just like everyone else.

320 pages, Paperback

First published May 3, 2023

4 people are currently reading
200 people want to read

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Sarah Hagger-Holt

12 books45 followers

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5 stars
69 (40%)
4 stars
67 (38%)
3 stars
29 (16%)
2 stars
6 (3%)
1 star
1 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
Profile Image for Noah de Campos Neto.
294 reviews
August 27, 2023
Skimmed through the last chapter, couldn't handle more. Started okay, a young gay boy's identity struggle. But his internalized homophobia overwhelmed me. He turned into a total jerk at some point, then abruptly became nice again in the end. The book's focus confused me. Was it his mom being a surrogate, his struggles, or his running? It felt like a bunch of nothing, leaving me questioning its purpose. Granted, it's middle grade, maybe I overanalyzed.
Profile Image for Nandini Nathan.
206 reviews1 follower
August 1, 2023
I would honestly give this book 4.5⭐️s but I guess you can’t do that on Goodreads so 🤷‍♀️.
Profile Image for Manon the Malicious.
1,307 reviews69 followers
July 24, 2023
I was provided an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Aidan, 13, is the oldest sibling in a family of five kids and the only boy. His parents have always been about openness and communication but he likes to keep some things to himself, like how he thinks he might be gay.
When a gay couple comes into their life, he doesn't want people to know about it, he's ashamed, he wonders what would people say, especially when his mom tells the kids that she will be a surrogate for them. Like, how weird is that? People will talk for sure...

This wasn't bad but it was slow. Honestly, not much happened. I had trouble staying properly focused and getting through the book but overall, I don't have proper criticism except that the main character was acting like a brat for most of the book and yes, he is a kid but all of his younger sisters were much less annoying. I liked his best friend though, his sister Beth, his aunt and Justin and Atif were pretty cool. I also enjoyed the surrogacy talk but Aidan was so insufferable through most of it, I had some trouble with the book as a whole. I did get better by the end though and, overall, I'm still glad to have read this.
Profile Image for Amy.
28 reviews188 followers
May 29, 2023
This was such a lovely heartfelt read which I devoured in a few sittings! I found the story of Aiden's Mum stepping up to be a surrogate fascinating as I don't think I've ever seen that representation in a book before, let alone a YA. It's so important for spreading awareness, especially amongst a YA audience. I just found this to be a really interesting book. I loved Aiden's character development and I desperately want to be friends with Bells. A great read!
Profile Image for Jas K (bookgramer__).
300 reviews24 followers
June 12, 2023
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this heartfelt piece, savoring it over a few sessions! The narrative of Aiden's mother taking on the role of a surrogate was captivating, particularly since such representation is rarely encountered in literature, especially within the young adult genre. It holds significance in terms of raising awareness, especially among young adult readers. I found this book to be truly fascinating, with Aiden's personal growth and my strong desire to befriend Bells.

Overall, it was an exceptional reading experience!
Profile Image for Tiffany Fox.
101 reviews5 followers
January 12, 2024
As a parent, I really loved this book. It’s a warm, endearing and gentle look at being a young teen and struggling to find your path, while navigating the worries of being different, or being bullied, or standing out or standing up. While the main character, Aiden, is coming to terms with his sexuality while also being an introverted teen to extroverted parents, there is a lot here for any YA reader who has ever felt out of step with the world around them.
Profile Image for Karen.
252 reviews
October 16, 2023
Zo'n lief verhaal over de hardlopende Aidan: een jongen met een grote familie. Zijn moeder besluit een bevriend koppel te helpen met hun kinderwens. Aidan twijfelt aan zijn geaardheid en vindt de hele situatie maar ingewikkeld.
Profile Image for Anne Boyere.
40 reviews3 followers
May 15, 2023
Thirteen-year-old Aidan can feel overwhlemed in his busy family home. He's got four loud sisters and parents who want ot talk about everything - Aidan doesn't want to talk so he goes running. Then one day his mum announces that she's going to have another baby, but not a new brother or sister... She will be a surrogate for a gay couple.
Aidan doesn't understand - why his mum is doing this, why his family is like it is. Things are changing too fast. Aidan is also scared. He thinks he might be gay and he's struggling to come to terms with what that means. If only he was just like everyone else.

This was a really interesting story - seeing the family going trhough the process of taking the decision to help Justin and Atif becoming a family by way of surrogacy and how everyone deals with the situation. Aidan's character feels very 'real' - there's no sugarcoating his anger, fears and clashes with those he loves, including his best friend Jack. It's lovely to see him grow throughout the book.
76 reviews5 followers
May 8, 2023
I am a huge fan of Sarah Hagger-Holt and have already introduced Nothing Ever Happens Here and Proud of Me to my school library. I love the way she normalises different relationship types and yet at the same time shows the whirlwind of emotions that can be felt by teenagers as they try to work out who they are. In this book Aidan's mum decides to offer to be a surrogate for a gay couple who are friends with Aidan's aunt. At school, Aidan's best friend, Jack, is having a hard time as one of the teachers is picking on him for not being masculine enough. Aidan just wishes that his mum and Jack would be just like everyone else and stop drawing attention to themselves. Aidan just wants them to fit as. he's worried about what might happen when other people realise that he's different too. Because he might be, but he's not sure and he doesn't know who to talk to. I would definitely recommend this book and any of Sarah Hagger-Holt's other books to anyone who is looking to improve the representation in their school library and to start conversations in the classroom. Buy it!
Profile Image for Reader.
13 reviews
April 30, 2025
Reading the synopsis to this book made me feel physically sick! How this has been printed land is a children’s book is beyond me? The clue is in the title, Just Like Everyone Else.’

If it really was ‘ just like everyone else’ then the couple mentioned in the synopsis would be having a child naturally as I did with my wife. We became one flesh (Genesis 2:24). So it is quite clear that it is not ‘Just Like Everyone Else,’ far from it. For a same sex couples to ‘have’ a child is wrong on every single level. It is actually an act of complete selfishness without any consideration for the child whatsoever. When you look at surrogacy a baby then becomes a commodity to be traded and that cannot be right.

Put another way:

The beauty of the natural v the ugliness of the unnatural.

Promoting an ideology that goes against biology cannot be right. To know that this story is based on what is happening in society today is truly heartbreaking and we’ve got to stop it and start putting children first.

This book is fiction, but if you want to read a non-fiction book then read ‘Setting Love in Order’ the true story of Mario Bergner who got set free from homosexuality and is now married and had five children naturally. Truth is better than fiction.
Profile Image for Rebecca R.
1,476 reviews33 followers
June 5, 2023
Thirteen-year-old Aiden has four younger sisters, embarrassing parents and a noisy overcrowded house, and he just feels the need to escape sometimes. Fell running is Aiden’s passion, a passion he shares with his aunt who is planning on running the London Marathon.

When Aiden’s mum tells him that she is going to be a pregnancy surrogate for a gay couple, Justin and Atif, Aiden is mortified. He wishes his family would just be more like everyone else. And with Justin and Atif spending more time with the family, he is worried that someone will work out his biggest secret – that he thinks he might be gay too.

‘Just Like Everyone Else’ is a wonderfully sensitive and authentic exploration of a young teenager coming to terms with his own identity. Sarah Hagger-Holt is brilliant at writing clear and sensible explanations of complicated situations and creating empathy for everyone involved, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen surrogacy represented in a teen book before. Aiden’s warm and supportive relationship with his best friend Jack is particularly well-drawn.

A thoroughly engaging and informative read about friends, family and growing up. Loved it!
Profile Image for Emily (letmebeanerd).
22 reviews3 followers
June 17, 2023
Just like Everyone Else by @sarahhaggerholt

⭐⭐⭐⭐

taylorswift song: You Need to Calm Down 🤣🤣

So... I finished this book today. I also started it today.

I don't remember the last time I read a whole book in 1 day 😭😭 (other than short novellas ofc)

This book and the writing made it so easy to binge. Sarah Hagger-Holt is so talented when it comes to writing. Every single one of her books have been quick, fun, bingeworthy reads, and I love every second of them.


For this book in particular, I loved how real it was. I loved how it felt like this was actually someone's story. I'm sure it probably is someone's story, and it really opened my eyes to see how much people can really be hiding. I'm not going to expand any more on that, and I don't want to spoil the book !!

Also, for once, I actually liked all the characters that the reader is supposed to like. When two of the main characters got into an argument, I genuinely couldn't pick a side because I loved both the characters so much, and they were both putting out such great points !!

Overall, I loved this YA read. I definitely recommend !!

(PS: I want to be a part of Team Taylor or Team Rainbow 😭😭)
Profile Image for Lisa S.
142 reviews
May 27, 2025
A really lovely book aimed at YA, the story follows Aidan as he tries to navigate high school.

He's the only boy in the family with 4 sisters and his mum's just agreed to be a surrogate for a gay couple. Not only is this embarrassing but Aidan thinks he might be gay too and his best friend's being bullied for being a theatre kid.

All he really wants is to just be like everyone else - and who doesn't especially at that age? Anything considered different or unusual will get you singled out at least for attention and at worst for bullying.

The story is written from Aidan's POV which really helps to get an understanding of what he is thinking and feeling. He struggles with wanting to be more mature and considered more grown-up, while also struggling with emotions and feelings and hormones and everything else going on.

I think the author has done a lovely job of handling the subject matter in a really sensitive way and tries to consider different perspectives in a non-judgemental way.
Profile Image for WallofText.
844 reviews5 followers
January 9, 2026
I was very absorbed by this story. The plot is unique and Aidan dealing with internalised homophobia was very well depicted. A lot of people wrongly think that queer struggles are over and that adults and kids today "have it easy" when it comes to coming out, but Just Like Everyone Else shows how finding yourself is still a struggle, and that homophobia is still very real. Aidan is a complicated character and the book doesn't shy away from that. Most middle grade books I've read with queer characters have them already out and proud, or actively dealing with a crush/romance, while this book focuses a lot on the pressures the outside world puts on kids to conform, and how ingrained gender roles and heteronormativity is. Alongside Aidan's journey we have the surrogacy plot which was well done and definitely educational for younger readers. I liked the British setting (Weetabix mention!) and the way Aidan's emotions were very visceral throughout. A few things were a bit over the top but still this was a very solid read.
Profile Image for Kayleigh Panton.
64 reviews2 followers
June 10, 2024
I am a long time fan of @sarahhaggerholt and I’m so happy to read another great family-based book that is inclusive and engaging for young people.

The story follows Aidan, thirteen years old and questioning his sexuality, deal with a bombshell announcement. His mum is having baby number six, except she’s not keeping it - she’s being a surrogate for gay couple Justin and Atif.

Aidan goes through a lot of turmoil and doesn’t deal with it well, let’s say he becomes quite an unlikeable character at times. However, best friend Jack, sister Bells and Auntie Jo give balance to the story.

There are so many talking points within the book, especially for schools. Touching on bullying, friendship, identity, self-acceptance, this isn’t just about surrogacy. It’s completely relevant for young people today and would be a gentle read for tweens.

We’ve all had that feeling where we want to be just like everyone else. But what happens when we choose to be ourselves?
Profile Image for Wendy Bamber.
685 reviews17 followers
June 28, 2024
A student read Nothing ever happens here and came and asked me if we had anything else like that. This was on my local library display for pride week and I was surprised by some of the comments I read on Goodreads and nervous that this kid was going to be a character I really didn’t like. He was just a pre teen boy who was coming to terms with the fact that he was gay and wasn’t sure how and when he wanted to tell his close family and friends. They have so much going on already with his 4 siblings, then his parents decide they will be surrogates for a gay couple his auntie is friends with - won’t this just draw attention to him? The reverse happens, it means he can see that everyone around him has no problem with gay people. He’s a lucky boy. This is written with a lot of heart and empathy for young people in this situation. Not every family is so understanding and supportive.
Profile Image for Vanessa Nunn.
54 reviews1 follower
June 22, 2023
Aidan is one of 5 siblings, the only boy and the only one with a secret. Thirteen years old and living amongst his chaotic sisters, cross country is the only means of escapism. But that's not always easy when you're an introvert at heart.

Jack, his best friend, is having trouble with some bullies at school and Aidan just plods along beside him.

And if that wasnt enough, his mum is having another baby! Except, this time she's becoming a surrogate for Justin & Atif - a gay couple they met at a BBQ...

Aidan is a really well written character in this book. From start to finish, I was so invested in his journey of finding himself, standing up for his best friend and dealing with the new addition to his 'family'. Some hard hitting topics in here, but such an easy read. Definitely one to learn from!
Profile Image for Maggie-Grace.
131 reviews
August 22, 2023
Just like Everyone Else
Sarah Hagger-Holt

“If you use your strength to hurt people, then it’s not real strength, just weakness in disguise.”

Okay. I have very mixed opinions about this book. Like, on one hand it was sweet and wholesome, but other times, it was quite frustrating. I felt as if Aidan was quite an ungrateful person, maybe it was because he was thirteen, but that’s not an excuse. Sometimes, I felt that he was a homophobic gay person. I don’t think it was but it’s how it came across.

Also, there was a big deal about how Aidan was going to tell his mum that he was gay, but we never really saw it. Which was such a shame.

There were obvious themes in this book such as LGTB and family. But it focuses on self-acceptance. Especially when Aidan has to accept the fact he is gay.

3 ⭐️
Maybe 2.75 ⭐️
Profile Image for Katharine.
133 reviews5 followers
February 2, 2025
🏃 A really lovely YA novel. I don't think I've read a book from the perspective of a teenager whose parents are becoming surrogate parents; there were a lot of complex emotions explored.
🏃 Having a teenage narrator questioning his
identity is not uncommon, but this was explored without a lot of the shallow commentary that often comes with them!!
🏃 The teenage narrator enjoys fen running - I don't really know much about it but was interesting.
👎 Sometimes the teenager was a bit of a brat and acted slightly too young for me to believe fully that that was his age.
Profile Image for Alison.
82 reviews1 follower
June 1, 2023
A story about a beautiful and supportive family. But also about no matter how supportive the family and friends being different to the norm is still terrifying. A story about battling with yourself so much the battle spills over and gets aimed at those you love. A first person account of the struggle to find oneself and realise that you don’t have to be or behave the way you think other want you too.

There’s also a nice smattering of running in the mix too.
Profile Image for John Ryan.
161 reviews
February 22, 2024
Another fun light hearted read. And it's quite original without the normal teen romance angsty trope stuff that a lot of LGBTQIA+ teen books follow.

There are 2 stories intertwined here, the main character figuring himself out & a story of a gay couple's desire to have a child through surrogacy. How there Worlds collide and maybe everything works out in the end !!

Get your hands on this fun easy read. Available FREE in Irish Libraries.
Profile Image for Jo Bardgett.
93 reviews5 followers
June 19, 2023
Just like everyone else
By Sarah Hagger-Holt
Published by Usborne Publishing Ltd

Sarah Hagger-Holt writes from the heart with love, compassion and honesty.
This coming-of-age story for tweens explores love, feelings and identity as Aidan the main character struggles to breathe in his own family.
So he runs.
And he runs.
Away from his loud, annoying sisters.
Away from his ‘ask lots of questions’ parents.
Away from his mates, who only want to care.
Then his mum announces she is having another baby, but not for her, as a surrogate mum for Justin and Atif, a gay couple.
Aiden can not believe what is happening to him, his family or his feelings.
He lives everyday with pure embarrassment!
If only he could be like everyone else!!

This fabulous storyline could not be more moving, questioning or needed in today’s 21st century world.
I hope all children get to read, listen and know that they are represented.
No matter what they feel or the make up of their family unit - they are all loved and cared for. Thank you Sarah - every classroom NEEDS a copy of this.

Joanne Bardgett - teacher of littlies, lover of Children’s literature.

#Netgalley
#usborepublishing
16 reviews
May 18, 2025
I read this book in one week it was so captivating. Its probably my favourite single book thats not in a series for now at least. I love the relationship between Atif and Adian at the end of the book. I almost cried over this book and I never cry over books enless its pjo. overall I recommend if your looking for a cute little LGBTQ book.
6 reviews
January 15, 2024
Although this book is aimed at young adults I really enjoyed the storyline. You really felt for the characters and was such a lovely ending but I feel like Aidens story isn’t quite finished.

It’s heart warming and great to hear from the children’s perspective on life. Definitely worth a read!!
Profile Image for Lucas.
84 reviews2 followers
February 26, 2025
4,5/5
Onverwachts vond ik dit echt een heel leuk boek! Eindelijk een keer een minder standaard boek over een jongen die erachter komt dat hij gay is. Ik vond de gedachten van Aiden heel realistisch opgeschreven. Love de verhaallijn over het rennen!
Profile Image for Sara Rothery.
208 reviews1 follower
March 11, 2025
What can I say. It's written for kids and it covers surrogacy and a lad who is gay. I'm sorry it's not thrilled me as nothing really happens. It's a jump into a story and then it ends. Characters are ok, yeah it's ok.
1 review
May 14, 2025
this book was honestly one of the best books ever read in a long time. it made me really think about a lot of things, I also really relate to the main character, Aiden. juat all around this book was amazing, and I loved it so much that I would definitely read it again.
Profile Image for Rhiannon Grant.
Author 11 books48 followers
May 18, 2025
Lovely and loving story with two central plot arcs: coming to terms with being gay, and creating a family through surrogacy. Warm and caring but not without conflict - social pressures and differing needs. Highly recommended.
179 reviews2 followers
August 14, 2025
I really liked what this book tried to do, I just really disliked the protagonist. About halfway through the book an important scene was built up, and then fizzled out as the author backed out. At the 80% Atif comes out and really saves the story(I like Atif and the last 20%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews

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