When You’re Brave Enough

When I was in eight grade, I decided I was done being seen as a nerd. I would become a popular girl with loads of friends (who still got very good grades). The grand plan? Attend a sleep away camp where nobody knew me, use my acting skills to achieve celebrity status by scoring a lead role in the play, and otherwise wow people with my coolness. After all, none of them knew me. If I pretended I was one of those popular people who ruled my school, then why wouldn’t they believe me? It worked for about three days. I did get a major part in the play, and continued to do so every summer, but I just wasn’t interested in the topics required for a girl to maintain status in the “it” crowd- boys, hair straightening techniques, and brand name athletic wear. Turns out you can’t really change you entire persona in a month, nor is it advisable to try. Too bad I don’t have a time machine to explain all this to my bewildered younger self. Next best thing? Rebecca Bendheim’s debut Middle Grade novel, When You’re Brave Enough, which will hopefully spare some teens my tragic fate that first summer.

Lacey has been pigeon holed with the same best friend, Grace, ever since birth. Their parents are close, and while Lacey enjoys Grace’s friendship, she finds their joint families over exuberance somewhat mortifying when compared to all the other chill kids at school. Grace, whom the reader quickly suspects is neurodivergent, is more comfortable in her own skin than any middle schooler I’ve ever met. She brushes it off when various crushes very publicly turn her down, and pursues her own interests even when they bring her ridicule from her Classmates. Like most of us, Lacey is not made of such stern stuff. When her father announces the family is moving to Rhode Island, she’s more relieved than upset. Life in Austin has become disorienting. Here is her chance at a fresh start in a school that revolves around one of her major interests – musical theater.

Lacey is thrilled to be cast in a starring role in the middle school production of Bye, Bye, Birdie, although her peers are horrified that both female leads were given to students who transferred in that year. A frenemy relationship begins, with Lacey never sure if she is in or out with the popular girls, who are pressuring her to keep up the longstanding school tradition of two lead roles kissing in the final performance.

The girls obsess over this kiss in a way only middle schoolers can, each trying to convince Lacey which boy she should choose, only for Lacey to realize that she doesn’t want to kiss either of the boys because she’s a lesbian. Say what you will about the girls behavior – their ulterior motives in befriending Lacey are not pretty – they are very supportive of her coming out, as are her mom, sister, and best friend from home. The conflict comes in the form of Lacey’s Dad, who has always been a queer ally but must now face the scary reality of having his own child come out, and Lacey’s determination not to kiss someone “just for traditions sake.” There’s some heartbreak that Lacey overcomes admirably, a very sweet love story, and growth from a parent which is always nice to see in middle grade. My favorite part though? Lacey realizes that sometimes old friendships are not the problem, but rather our preconceived notions of both our friends and our self are. Lacey is not the only middle schooler realizing she needs to reexamine her prior relationships in this story, and I enjoyed the side plot in which another girls breaks free of bad influences. This was probably what my younger self needed to learn – the only thing holding me back was myself, and there’s no reason to feign interest in things just because the popular kids are.

Lacey also faces some religious pressure. In one scene, her new “friends” misunderstand that fasting on Yom Kippur is not a chore that she would rather avoid but a spiritual experience that she actually finds meaningful. She also decides to have her previously cancelled bat mitzvah, and forms a real connection with her Rabbi and new Synagogue. Again, the true friends prove themselves but not only showing up for the party, but also taking an interest in Lacey’s Torah chanting and what this day actually means for her.

You can’t change your entire personality in a summer, nor should you. When You’re Brave Enough reminds readers that sometimes finding the courage to be brave, to be yourself without embarrassment or hesitation, is actually the only real change that’s needed.

Note: BookishlyJewish received an e-arc of this book from the books publicist.

---

Find It: Amazon | Bookshop