Reviews with content warning for Homophobia - Both Can Be True

Reviews tagging 'Homophobia'

Both Can Be True by Jules Machias

10 reviews

random_being's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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c_dmckinney's review

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challenging emotional hopeful sad tense fast-paced

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

4.75

The only reason I am not giving this a five star rating is because I absolutely hated how the original owner of Chewbarka was made out to be cruel for taking a senior dog with a deteriorating quality of life and fairly involved special needs to be put to sleep. He was wrong for lying to his family about what happened to Chewbarka, but I have a lot of sympathy for someone who cannot for whatever reason provide the right kind of ongoing care to an aging dog. Euthanasia is not always cruel or wrong.

That said this book was absolutely beautiful and I wish everyone with queer young people in their lives would read it. Honestly I would recommend it to everyone, maybe especially people who don't have (or don't think they have any) genderqueer people in their lives.

I found the author's exploration of understanding one's gender and gender roles very considerate and sincere. It was raw and tender and not too neat. It was compassionate to a perspective that I have never previously seen explored well at all much less in middle grade fiction.

This was a very sweet young romance set in the backdrop of the trials and tribulations of middle school where identity and fitting in is perhaps the hardest in any young person's life.

Also this is somewhat unrelated but I can tell the author spends A LOT of time in various online communities. There's a lot of language that is definitely not used offline. I found it terribly endearing, but that is because I also use online lingo offline sometimes.

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citrus_seasalt's review against another edition

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4.0

I can write a review now, I’m not in horrifying pain! Finally!! (I finished this while in the trenches of healing from my wisdom teeth surgery.)

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.

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james1star's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

In ‘Both Can Be True’ we follow the dual-POVs of Ash who is struggling to come to terms with their gender identity, and Daniel who’s more emotional then his fellow middle-schoolers. I guess the central plot is how Daniel is put in the predicament of caring for an adorable old Pomeranian Chewbarka and how he can’t tell anyone of her whereabouts without dire consequences, and to his aid comes Ash who’s roped in on saving the aforementioned ’doofy floof’ too. But outside of this storyline, Machias lets these characters try to deal with their ‘flaws’ in a world where there’s a gender binary of girl or boy and one that shames male-presenting people for showing emotion. I loved how this book can act as a way to tell those struggling with similar questions (and the family, friends, educators, etc of them) and to see themselves represented. To further this, I found the representation across queer and racial lines to be great with a very diverse and inclusive cast of characters. They’re all pretty much likeable too, albeit with nuance, with Ash and Daniel being great MCs to follow along with, both so kind and real. I did really like this and I was for sure being pulled forward by the character interactions (the plot too but less so) and just very happy the messages or discussions are taking place in a book aimed at a middle grade audience - there’s topics like bullying and trans(umbrella)phobia which I think was again handed with nuance in an age-appropriate manner.

I did find the discourse on the use of labels to maybe lack the nuance it deserves. There are a couple of times where labelling someone or thinking about it is negated as unnecessary, mostly by Ash. I totally understand for them it was something they battled with, finding certain labels to be confining and not allowing for their true identity to express freely. And likewise, for many labels can cause harm. BUT (a big one, yes) labels can be really helpful and important for some people too - Ash’s longtime best friend Griffey does feel comfort and pride in being gay and I felt he added some nuance, but overall I got the sense there was more of an anti-label stance being put forward by Ash… and Machias too. Another problem I thought could’ve been questioned a bit more was maybe the reasoning for Daniel’s ‘over-emotional’ tendencies - I’m not saying it’s not ‘normal’ (whatever that means) to show emotions but from personal experience I feel there’s possibly something else going on with his mental health, such as the breakdown of his parent’s marriage for starters but others too. It’s definitely possible he is ‘fine’ but just so happens to be more in tune with his emotions and letting them be expressed but it’s a question not asked where it could’ve been useful to do so. Last negative point was that I felt some parts dragged and were rehashing the same thoughts/messages over and over which could’ve been omitted.

Overall, I would still really recommend this book and it was an enjoyable read. The fact anything like this explicitly exploring gender identity, gendered stereotypes and more aimed at children is being published is really great. I hope people can find this and see themselves represented so thank you Jules for writing this. I mean read this quote that perfectly summarises the cusp this book is trying to tell readers:

‘Really, nothing about how it feels to be alive is strictly a one-or-the-other game: happy or sad, scared or mad, hopeful or despairing. Introvert or extrovert. Boy or girl. Kid or teenager. There's a little of each one in its opposite, and that's what makes life so complex and interesting. More painful, yeah, but also... richer. More real.’

P.S. Chewbarka is just the cutest ever like wow! ADORABLE!!

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careinthelibrary's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

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greenlivingaudioworm's review

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.5

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imstephtacular's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

Content Warnings

emordnilap's review against another edition

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challenging tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

The characters are LGBTQ+ diverse, but not very race diverse.
I had a few problems with this book, but I will start with the good things:
1. I liked the representation of neurodivergency
2. I liked how the agab of Ash and Sam were not shared with readers. This is how to write genderqueer characters.
3. Representation of internalized homophobia/transphobia(to a point, I will revisit this in the problem-era).
Here are the problems:
1.

Bella was a horrible character. She blackmailed Ash and forced them to come out even though Ash was not really ready. I'm scared that since this is a middle grade novel, people will think that this is ok behavior and that Bella was not in the complete wrong

2. Toxic masculinity without really consequences. Bad. From both of the main characters. I don't like how it was handled.
3. The internalized transphobia from Ash created external transphobia where they behaved in a way that harmed other characters.

Also Esma being used as a weapon to go against Bella.

4. OUTING OTHER PEOPLE IS NOT GOOD. BEING OUT IS NOT ALWAYS THE BEST OPTION. They really skimmed over Griffey's home situation with religious-caused homophobia. The message to kids with this book is that being out is good and there's not really any problems etc. etc. BUT that is not always the case. Being out is not all rainbows and unicorns.
5. The two main characters were very similar in too many ways. You always want main characters to be similar, but these were too similar. Did not like it.
Ok that's it.

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leahjanespeare's review against another edition

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medium-paced

4.5

Please keep in mind I am a cis-gender person reviewing a book that deals with gender identity and my review should be received with that lens.

Ash is struggling with their gender identity (throughout the book their pronouns change and include he/her/them) this process is made complicated by internalized social binary norms more than mere clothing or appearance, and also parents who mean well but end up creating some harm. Ash works through examining limiting labels like ‘gender fluid’ and ‘non binary’ searching for one (or multiple!) that fit them.

The other pov is Daniel, a young boy who is extremely empathetic to the core and deals with toxic masculinity messages which stifle his heart and tears. He and Ash become good friends and more, and as he learns more about Ash, he learns more about himself as well.

Also, there is a dog. This dog is saved from euthanasia by Daniel, and she is a geriatric Pomeranian named Chewbarka and I am here to tell you do not worry, she does NOT die. She is a precious floof of adorableness and has a happy ending.

This middle grade book feels emotionally mature for the target audience. This is not to say it’s not appropriate for young readers (8-12) but what these kids deal with is intense and multifaceted: bullying, misgendering, deadnaming, separated parents; it’s not a ‘safe’ environment for these kids to discover themselves and explore their identity. In that sense it’s much like the real world, and it could be triggering for some readers. I would recommend parents reading this story as well, either along with a kid or even just to expand empathy for genderqueer youngsters.

Overall reading this was reminiscent of If I Was Your Girl - in the sense of a queer kid who is not out to the person they fall for. A lot of the plot hinges of that kid reaching a point of trust to come out, and be comfortable enough in their own feelings to be vulnerable. I know in recent years Russo and her work has become a little controversial, but I think its existence opened the doors in publishing for books like this to thrive.

Even though this book deals with heavy themes, it DOES ultimately have a good and hopeful ending, thank goodness.

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obscurepages's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Wow wow wow.

This book is all kinds of beautiful and heartfelt. 🥺 From Ash's journey into accepting who they are, to discussions about gender and how people always unnecessarily gender things and even emotions, to asking for forgiveness, to seeing another point of view in someone else's shoes and understanding them, to themes of friendship and family, and more. Above all, this book is also a testament to how parents/adults have such a big impact on children, especially when it comes to their identity, their gender, their sexuality.

This is just so, so wonderful, and so damn relatable for me too (although, that is a story for another day, and a lot of self-reflection is needed 😂). Overall, this book is incredible, one that should be read by both kids and adults.

Thank you so much to Harper Collins/The Shelf Stuff for sending a copy my way! This, of course, did not affect my overall opinion of the book.

CW: bullying, deadnaming, transphobia, animal deaths/injury

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