The Princess of Baker Street

by Mia Kerick

When she was a child, Joey Kinkaid, assigned as a boy at birth—wearing Mom's purple sundress and an imaginary crown—ruled the Baker Street neighborhood with a flair and imagination that kept the other kids captivated. Day after day, she led them on fantastic after-school adventures, but those innocent childhood days are over, and the magic is gone. The princess is alone. Even Eric Sinclair, the Prince Eric to Joey's Princess Ariel, has turned his back on his former friend, watching in silence as Joey is tormented at school. Eric isn't proud of it, but their enchanted youth is over, and they've been thrust into a dog-eat-dog world where those who conform survive and those who don't… well, they don't. Eric has enough to deal with at home, where his mother has abandoned him to live in isolation and poverty. But Eric can't stay on the sidelines forever. When Joey finally accepts her female gender and comes to school wearing lip gloss, leggings, and a silky pink scarf, the bullies readily take the opportunity she hands them, driving Joey to attempt suicide and leaving Eric at a crossroads—one that will influence both their lives in not just the present, but the future. Is there a chance the two teens can be friends again, and maybe even more?

• ISBN10: 1640803955
• ISBN13: 9781640803954
• Publish Date: 22 January 2019
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Dreamspinner Press
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 180
• Language: English

Reviews

[Julie @ Struck by Stories]

Actual Rating: 3.5 stars

You guys know that feeling where you want to love a book so much, but it just doesn't quite click? Well, that was this book. When I went into this book, I expected to fall in love with it instantly. The title, cover, and synopsis *all* had me hooked! Unfortunately, the book didn't live up to that in the exact way that I had wanted.

Before I go into that too much though, let's just start with the synopsis. Joey Kinkaid has never really fit in. He was born as a boy, but doesn't identify with that gender. Growing up, this was never an issue for him. In fact, Joey would often lead his neighborhood friends in elaborate and whimsical fantasies, earning the nickname "The Princess of Baker Street."

Middle school, however, is a completely different story. Classmates begin to look at him weirdly when he starts dressing like a girl, and bullying begins to become more and more of a recurring problem.

Eric, meanwhile, is torn on this issue. After distancing himself from his ex-best friend Joey and becoming friends with Joey's tormenters, he's now stuck asking himself if he should let them continue or face off with them, knowing his reputation could be on the line.

I guess my number one issue with the synopsis is that it's a little misleading. I was thinking that we would get to see Joey's perspective (especially since he/she's the main character that is going through all of the changes) but the only perspective we get to see is that of Eric. Which wouldn't usually be an issue for me, except for the fact that it left the book with little-to-know plot.

However, other than that, I really had no other issues with the book! The character development (both of Eric and Joey) was fantastic, and I loved seeing how bravely Joey owned up to his/her sexuality. In addition, the book was split up into two different parts (middle school and high school) and featured snippets of some of Joey's adventures as the Princess of Baker Street, both of which I think added a great deal of depth to the story.

Overall, I would give this book 3.5 stars. Even with the issues I had, I would still recommend this book to anyone, especially those struggling with bullying or questioning their sexuality. Definitely be sure to check out The Princess of Baker Street, in stores now!