HOW TO BECOME A PLANET - Nicole Melleby

5 stars

Poignant, important, and all about discovering your own space--your space within yourself, your space amongst other people, and your space in the world. (Puns, yes, but serious meanings? Also yes.)

Characters: ★★★★★
Emotional resonance: ★★★★★
Handling of topics: ★★★★★

Pluto is going through a difficult time. Recently diagnosed with depression and anxiety, it's not exactly what she had planned for the end of her seventh grade experience. 13-year-olds don't have to deal with this, do they? And if they do, why can't Pluto seem to handle it better? (Those are Pluto's harsh questions for herself.)

Not only is Pluto navigating her own struggle and trying to figure out how to get through it--her dad, located in New York City, thinks he knows what's best and wants Pluto to come to the city in order to get better.

Pluto doesn't want to leave her mom, and she doesn't want to go to the city. So it's time to make a list of what she needs to do in order to be "Pluto" again. If she can find herself and act like she used to, then she can stay...right?

Pluto is about to discover just what it means to be herself. And how, at the end of the day, she can chart her own path through the stars.

, My thoughts:
Wow, is this book filled with heart. I cried, I ached, I laughed, I smiled. Pluto's journey through love, self acceptance, and personal growth was something special to witness.

One of the poignant elements to me was Pluto's support system. Unlike other novels I've read, where the main character(s) might occasionally be unmoored without a robust group of loved ones around them, How to Become a Planet showcased a loving group of folks around Pluto wishing her the best, trying to help her, and helping her each step of the way in the best way they could. I found that added to the story immensely and left me with a feeling of warmth and safeness. I can only imagine how this would resonate with younger readers going through similar circumstances.

This is an important novel for young LGBT+ teens, and especially those at the younger end. I look forward to having this in my arsenal for book recommendations for children and parents alike.