IanG

No shame in being a mix of strength and weakness, that's true for me and everyone I know.

Our time isn't the first when people have questioned traditional gender roles. It happened when men went off to fight in both world wars and women took over jobs that had once been theirs. They didn't do it to prove a point but to keep the economy going until peace returned. It happened when women first got the vote. That said, some people were nostalgic for a happy time years before and so tried to resist or slow the process of change.

I agree that change must come from within rather than by changing appearances.

Its good that you're advising others in a similar situation, it shows courage and optimism. I hope things get better for you soon.

A convincing account of how a teenager would feel towards an absent parent. Love can exist outside of a biological family, people have found it when factors beyond their parents control, like war or natural disasters, have parted them.

When it comes to other families, people can have problems they don't share whether face to face or on social media.

Warm and plausible, well done.

The twist is good and took me by surprise. Just one thing, a twist needs to be prepared for without giving too much away. If your narrator says, while making up, that she seldom gets a chance to relax or have fun it implies that she has a tough job. If as you imply she goes undercover in dangerous situations, it anticipates the twist but holds some information back. Keep it up.

You could've told us more about what you and Charlie did together, games you played, music you listened to and so on. That would be a more subtle way of showing his character. That said, there are good descriptive passages here and the nostalga is heartfelt. Many people will relate to the theme of a warm but lost friendship.

I'm glad Wolf made it in the end.
I'd have put a little more suspense in the opening blurb. I'd have put 'will he turn his life around?' instead of saying he does. The actual story is good.