Rick is a quick, informative read that addresses bullying and some of the hardships kids endure when questioning their personal gender identity.  This coming of age book explores preferred pronoun usage, questions regarding sexual orientation and, most importantly, acceptance. 

It bothers Rick that his best friend, Jeff, (and sometimes his own father, too) objectifies girls and is often unkind to Rick, making fun of him.  Rick decides he doesn’t appreciate or approve of Jeff’s behavior anymore and conjures up the courage to stand up for himself and his new friends from the LGBTQ+ Alliance Club at school.

Rick exudes bravery and while at times the author uses fairly explicit language, this is a very sweet story for the middle-aged audience. It focuses on  a crucial, under publicized topic of our time. This was an enjoyable and eye-opening read.