A review by chibiloki
Both Can Be True by Jules Machias

emotional hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing 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

As a genderfluid musician who loves animals, I was naturally drawn to this book. While it's written for a middle school audience, it was still an enjoyable read as an adult. Ash, the genderfluid/nonbinary main character doesn't feel the need to lable themself, which is cool. Their assigned sex at birth is never brought up, something that worked well in this story. As they are in middle school and on puberty blockers, secondary sex characteristics don't leave everyone putting them into a box quite so readily as the world does to most of us. The ideas of misgendering and deadnaming were dealt with in an age appropriate way. Ash spends most of the story with some pretty black and white thinking about what it means to be a girl or a boy, from the clothes they wear to the words they use to what music they listen to. A lot of these ideas come from adults, especially their dad. Their revelation that both can be true is beautiful.

The other main character, Daniel, is a boy with a big heart who is constantly told he is too emotional. He and his twin brother have a lot to process, including their parents being on trial separation, and they handle it differently. Daniel and Ash bond over an elderly dog he recues. Their friendship and romance are heartwarming.

Overall a sweet, hopeful story about two teens helping a dog and learning to accept themselves.
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