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citrus_seasalt's review against another edition
4.0
I wish so badly I got to have this book as a middle schooler!! Ash connected with me so deeply. Like them, I was openly genderfluid in middle school, it took me very long to feel comfortable with the label “trans” because I wasn’t sure if that was actually me if I still felt comfortable being feminine part-time(spoilers: I use “trans” and “nonbinary” labels in the present day!), we both went through our own crisis of experiencing gender differently depending on the day but not being a label such as bi or pan so…how on earth would we address ourselves, and also, both of us perceive sound in a funky way!! (Ash clearly has synesthesia, I have no clue if I do, but sometimes I’ll be hit with colors mid-song, or flavor mid-feeling). Although I was a bit turned off by how long it took for Ash to not fit their different switches and forms of expression into different gender roles, half of that was justified by the attitudes towards their gender they’ve been shown(not saying it was right, there’s just a narrative reason for it), and thankfully, that was resolved by the end.
I also really enjoyed the character development! Ash and Daniel both mature as the story progresses, which is evident in the evolution of how they understand themselves, and how they can move on from their past. (With Ash, it’s their trauma, with Daniel, it’s taking responsibility.) I especially loved how Daniel’s emotional vulnerability/intelligence was handled, he sends a good message towards the readers of this book: recognize your emotions and feel them without ridicule, but don’t only consider your own feelings when others are involved. In the plot department, there’s not much going on, but Chewbarka was a good character to bring them together, and was very endearing, too.
My only other gripes with this story are that I felt pretty dysphoric reading Daniel’s POV for most of the book, he (unintentionally) frequently misgenders Ash as they try to make themselves more girly for him and it’s painful to read. I was scared for his reaction for when Ash came out, and thought I had some of that fear justified but I’m glad that his disappointment and anger didn’t come from Ash being genderfluid(..mostly), but from them hiding an important part of themself from him. For a middle grade, ”Both Can Be True” has a lot of heavy subject matter, which isn’t a problem but might make it harder to digest for its target demographic.
Graphic: Bullying and Deadnaming
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Homophobia, and Transphobia
Minor: Infidelity
february_friday's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I knew this was a book for me, a queer coming of age with no plot except for a dog named chewbarka. It was great, and I only cried twice, which is unprecedented. I loved how the conflict was resolved by something really simple called communication that is not often represented in books.
The only think I maybe didn't like was that the end felt a little rushed.
It also felt more YA than middle grade, considering that the characters were in fact teenagers and it dealt with a lot of hard topics surrounding transphobia in a more explicit manner. It didn't ruin my experience at all but sometimes it just makes me mad that publishing only considers YA the books that have main characters over 15 years old even though a lot of the people that read YA are tweens and early teenagers??
Graphic: Bullying and Transphobia
Moderate: Infidelity and Grief
tinytrashqueen's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Bullying, Transphobia, Outing, and Dysphoria
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Deadnaming, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Infidelity
betweentheshelves's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I loved this! The voice was on point, and just felt right for a middle grade novel. More to come in a full review next week!
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Hate crime, Panic attacks/disorders, and Transphobia
Moderate: Deadnaming and Infidelity
mezzarella's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
While reading the novel, I acknowledged that Machias' experiences create a very specific perspective of the gender nonbinary spectrum which is unique to the author. Ash feels a great deal of pressure from those they are close to and know about their gender identity to come out, even before the character has selected a label that they feel most comfortable with. The pressure to pick sides is stressful for Ash, describing themselves as Asher or Ashley at parts of the book, rather than one whole individual. The decision to choose which bathroom to enter is also a difficult one, even when gender neutral options are present. While these are all very valid and common experiences for trans and gender non-conforming people, many of Ash's pressures to identify themself came from external sources. Ash's ideologies surrounding the term gender nonbinary (that it "felt like a place people stay rather than actually are" and that it "wasn't a real thing") come from Ash's father, who places great interest in Ash picking one gender. Ash also feels pressure to choose a label from their friends also, even though past experiences that Ash has have shown how dangerous (emotionally and physically) it can be to do so. Ash's eventual identity selection culminates in a
Daniel's part of the story is mostly straight-forward. I appreciate that Daniel's emotions are shown to be a strength, but that he still struggles with overwhelming feelings of stress and anxiety throughout the book. Daniel's assumptions about Ash's gender identity was interesting, and it was great to see him grow into a more accepting individual over the course of the story. His responses to things outside of his comfort zone are sometimes laced with anger and harmful remarks, which made sense for his character and his own biases. Daniel exists in the story to add nuance to both gender norms, gender expression, and animal rights. While there is a lot going on in both Ash and Daniel's lives, I liked the grounding influence the two characters had on each others' lives. While there is romantic drama in the story which drives Ash and Daniel apart, a resolution is made that feels realistic and properly paced.
Overall, this story is a great one for a middle school classroom. Even if it misses some of the marks, it is great to have a realistic story which will allow other gender nonconforming kids feel seen and represented in literature.
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Hate crime, Panic attacks/disorders, Transphobia, and Excrement
Minor: Deadnaming, Infidelity, and Sexism