A review by notinjersey
Fight + Flight by Jules Machias

5.0

This was a lovely book about two girls with different sets of worries and how they support one another. Avery has Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and as this effects her joints, she is in a lot of pain, must go to physical therapy, and worries that she will lose her independence. Avery has two moms – one who is trans – and she is pansexual herself. ⁣Sarah’s aunt recently passed away and then her cousin and best friend moved. Now she worries about losing people she cares about and has panic attacks. She draws and journals and her parts of the book are illustrated as if they are pages from her journal. Sarah’s family is religious and her older brother is gay, which causes for some conflict in her house. ⁣The two become friends after an active shooting drill at school that was more real than kids should experience. Along with their friend Mason, who is biracial and has ADHD, they come up with plans to stop this type of live action drill from happening again. They have different ideas on how to achieve this goal – whether by resistance or by revenge. ⁣⁣Although the kids in this book were young, in some ways they seemed quite mature, especially Sarah, who found ways to deal with her panic on her own, rather than by getting help. The representation and themes in this book were great and it was a perfect read for Mental Health Awareness month. The author shared themself through Avery and has a post on how they are similar – I definitely recommend the author’s IG for more on Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, as well as on anxiety and panic. ⁣