I really love the coming-of-age genre because I feel like I’m still in a transitional moment in my life, but this film always hits my heart in a different way. It’s powerful, honest, and brave in portraying the cruel experience of being a thirteen-year-old girl. I think it captures so precisely what happens to two young girls trying to adjust to this new stage of life (full of personality) who end up in conflict because of a boy. Who hasn’t been there? I definitely have, just minus the Jewish part. The moments when we see Lydia’s embarrassing scenes remind me so much of my own experience. The film isn’t afraid to dive in and show that at thirteen we’re not exactly adults, but we’re also far from feeling like children anymore. Thirteen is a cruel limbo, full of doubts and Barbie haircuts with scissors. But if you have that one special girl by your side, everything becomes a little easier to deal with. The final scene where they hug always moves me deeply. I waited ten years to have the hug of my special girl again, but honestly? I would have waited ten more years if I knew that, in the end, everything would turn out okay. I will always dedicate those good feelings of companionship, identification, and love so strong when we grow up to my special girl. Isinha, eu amo ter vivido os 13 ao teu lado, bem como os 23/24/25 e todas as outras idades que estão a chegar. Você tornou, e torna, a experiência de crescer tão linda. Te amo.