Title: Both Can Be True
Author: Jules Machias
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication date: June 8, 2021
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Summary
After moving to a new school, Ash is sure they can be themselves. However, it’s hard when Ash isn’t quite sure of their identity. Sometimes, they feel like a girl, other days they feel like a guy. All they want is to find a place where they can fit it.
Daniel is someone who feels emotions too strongly. At least, that’s what everyone else tells him. When he rescues a puppy from the vet’s office where he works, he finds himself in a bit of a bind. Since his mom said he’s not allowed to have a dog.
Both Daniel and Ash bond over the little dog, they find they might be more than friends. Even if they don’t fit into the world’s binaries.
Review: Both Can Be True
Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for an advanced copy of this to review! This is a middle grade novel that caught my eye one day while browsing NetGalley, and I’m so happy I read it! It definitely fills a much needed hole in middle grade literature.
Machias absolutely nails the voices in this book. The narration switches between Daniel and Ash, which means we get to see inside both of their heads. They both really struggle with how the world views them because they don’t fit into expectations. I think a lot of middle grade readers will relate to both Ashe and Daniel. Middle school can be so brutal, and they’re lucky that they find each other.
We get a wide variety of parental figures in this book, too. First, we have Ash’s mom, who is supportive of them being whoever they want to be. Then we have Ash’s dad, who thinks he’s helping Ash, but isn’t really. Daniel’s mom tries tough love, where Daniel just needs to be told it’s okay he feels so hard. And Daniel’s dad is a little absent, but can be supportive when he needs to be. It’s important for readers to see all of these sides of adults, because like kids, no adults are the same.
There are a lot of great discussions in this book about gender roles and toxic masculinity and how it can harm teens. I love that this forces you to challenge how you think about gender, and it’s absolutely something that all middle grade readers need on their shelves.
4.5/5 stars