Maybe He Just Likes You
by Barbara Dee
Publication Date: October 1 2019
Publisher: Aladdin
Pages: 304
ISBN: 9781534432376
Genre: Middle Grade Fiction
Source: Library
Add to Goodreads
Available for Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Synopsis: Maybe He Just Likes You is a middle-grade fictional story that centers around the #MeToo movement. For 7th grader Mila Brennan, it all starts with a hug at lunch on the blacktop. Then the next day, it's another hug. Then the comments start, smirks, the whispering, and laughing behind her back. Despite Mila's protests, it keeps happening, in the halls, on the bus, in the band room, on the blacktop. Her friend Zara tells her that she is overreacting, and doesn't know what flirting is. But this doesn't feel like flirting -- so what is it? Other kids see it happening but don't say anything.
Mila is not comfortable talking to the male guidance counselor, and there is Mila is not comfortable talking to the male guidance counselor, and there is no way she can tell the principal because he's the boys' basketball coach and will take their side. Her friends don't seem to understand and are blaming her for it. But then Mila is pushed too far. She confides to an unlikely source, and together they label it as sexual harassment and find a way for it to stop.
Review: I've been anxiously awaiting this book for several months now and it did not disappoint. It's such a powerful read. It should be mandatory reading for all middle schoolers, faculty members, and parents. It tackles sexual harassment in an age-appropriate manner, but more importantly - in a realistic manner. The author did a fantastic job with the complexity of Mila's emotions and her confusion as to whether the boys were really doing anything.
“I opened my mouth to answer. But I didn't have any words. Because all the words I could think of -- bullying, teasing, flirting -- seemed too simple, too small, to hold all the hurt I was feeling.”
― Barbara Dee, Maybe He Just Likes You
It's a difficult topic but one that needs to be discussed. I felt like this book was hard to read at times because my heart broke for Mila, and as a mom of a daughter of a similar age, I could picture my daughter in her place. It's an emotional read, and gripping. I hope others who read this will feel empowered to get help, and that parents have these conversations with their kids. It's not just about telling your kid to keep their hands to themselves or to speak up when something is wrong. It's so much more than that, and Barbara Dee does a fantastic job of conveying that message.
Post a Comment