Both Can Be True

by Jules Machias Narrated by MW Cartozian Wilson, Kirby Heyborne

Overview

*An Indie Next List Pick, a Top Ten Rainbow Book for Young Readers, and one of Bank Street Children's Best Books of the Year!*

Jules Machias explores identity, gender fluidity, and the power of friendship and acceptance in this dual-narrative story about two kids who join forces to save a dog . . . but wind up saving each other.

Ash is no stranger to feeling like an outcast. For someone who cycles through genders, it's a daily struggle to feel in control of how people perceive you. Some days Ash is undoubtedly girl, but other times, 100 percent guy. Daniel lacks control too-of his emotions. He's been told he's overly sensitive more times than he can count. He can't help the way he is, and he sure wishes someone would accept him for it.

So when Daniel's big heart leads him to rescue a dog that's about to be euthanized, he's relieved to find Ash willing to help. The two bond over their four-legged secret. When they start catching feelings for each other, however, things go from cute to complicated. Daniel thinks Ash is all girl . . . what happens when he finds out there's more to Ash's story?

With so much on the line-truth, identity, acceptance, and the life of an adorable pup named Chewbarka-will Ash and Daniel forever feel at war with themselves because they don't fit into the world's binaries? Or will their friendship help them embrace the beauty of living in between?

Editorial Reviews

JULY 2021 - AudioFile

Alternating narrators MW Cartozian Wilson and Kirby Heyborne capture the struggles of two middle school students who are trying to settle into their authentic identities. Daniel is a sensitive eighth grader who tries but fails to fit the masculine mold people expect. Ash is a gender-fluid seventh grader who presents as a girl. When they become friends, they start to develop romantic feelings, but Daniel doesn’t know that Ash vacillates between “girl mode” and “guy mode.” Heyborne shines in his nuanced portrayal of Daniel’s emotions, conveying hope, compassion, and sorrow with heartbreaking realism. Wilson’s gender-neutral portrayal of Ash does not change even as Ash’s gender identity does, reflecting the important theme in the story that one’s gender does not change who they are on the inside. S.C. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine

Publishers Weekly

05/03/2021

Musician Ash, a 13-year-old synesthete, is trying to choose a single gender after starting at a new Ohio school. It’s what their transphobic father wants, and Ash hopes that identifying consistently as either a boy or a girl will keep them from being bullied, as they were at their previous school. Meanwhile, animal enthusiast Daniel, Ash’s classmate, wishes he could live up to his mother and twin brother’s pressure to be less emotionally sensitive. When the two join forces to keep an elderly Pomeranian named Chewbarka from being euthanized, a tentative romance develops, and both begin coming to terms with who they are. Alternating between the two white protagonists’ first-person perspectives and accompanied by illustrations of Ash’s synesthesia, Machias’s debut handles both realistic emotional journeys with compassion, while offering a nuanced portrayal of the benefits and limitations of labels. While the two voices are overly similar, and a threatened public outing of Ash’s gender identity is perhaps not treated with the seriousness it deserves, Ash’s and Daniel’s different but intertwined experiences with gender identity and stereotypes lead to a celebration of allyship and fluidity that’s a joy to read. Ages 8–12. Agent: John Cusick, Folio Jr./Folio Literary Management. (June)

From the Publisher

"The novel grapples with the impact of society’s overly simplistic messages. An optimistic journey of self-acceptance." — Kirkus Reviews

"Machias’s debut handles both realistic emotional journeys with compassion, while offering a nuanced portrayal of the benefits and limitations of labels. A celebration of allyship and fluidity that’s a joy to read." — Publishers Weekly

"A sweetly affirming story at its core. A must for middle schools and high schools, this story is an inspiring celebration of living authentically." — School Library Journal (starred review)

“Layered characters, written with compassion and courage. Ultimately a story about claiming your own identity in the face of opposition.” — Booklist

Booklist

Layered characters, written with compassion and courage. Ultimately a story about claiming your own identity in the face of opposition.

Booklist

Layered characters, written with compassion and courage. Ultimately a story about claiming your own identity in the face of opposition.

School Library Journal

★ 05/14/2021

Gr 5–8—In this heartfelt debut, Machias deftly explores the tension of middle school. Eighth grader Daniel, who is white, feels pulled between his own authentic self—who cries readily and cares deeply for others—and a mold of tough, unfeeling manhood that society, and his family, is pressing him into. Ash, who is also white, feels this tension doubly so as they explore their gender identity. Some days they are perfectly comfortable in "girl mode," but soon "guy mode" reappears. Though Ash's mother is affirming, their father pressures them to "choose a side" and prioritize the comfort of other people over their own. When Daniel rescues a lovable, elderly Chihuahua from being euthanized and quickly finds himself in over his head, Ash steps in to help, and the two develop a close friendship with possible romantic feelings. Although Ash experiences some bullying related to their identity, this is a sweetly affirming story at its core, and readers will applaud the blossoming relationship between Daniel and Ash, as well as their growing realization that it's okay to carve an identity outside of others' expectations. VERDICT A must-buy for middle schools and high schools, this story is an inspiring celebration of living authentically.—Catherine Cote, John Champe H.S., Aldie, VA

JULY 2021 - AudioFile

Alternating narrators MW Cartozian Wilson and Kirby Heyborne capture the struggles of two middle school students who are trying to settle into their authentic identities. Daniel is a sensitive eighth grader who tries but fails to fit the masculine mold people expect. Ash is a gender-fluid seventh grader who presents as a girl. When they become friends, they start to develop romantic feelings, but Daniel doesn’t know that Ash vacillates between “girl mode” and “guy mode.” Heyborne shines in his nuanced portrayal of Daniel’s emotions, conveying hope, compassion, and sorrow with heartbreaking realism. Wilson’s gender-neutral portrayal of Ash does not change even as Ash’s gender identity does, reflecting the important theme in the story that one’s gender does not change who they are on the inside. S.C. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine

Kirkus Reviews

2021-04-14
Debut author Machias’ novel explores genderfluidity and gender nonconformity as elements of navigating middle school.

Told in two alternating narrative voices, the story follows Ash and Daniel, a pair of Ohio seventh graders who are on a shared mission to rescue an old dog the world doesn’t seem to have room for, a not-so-subtle metaphor highlighting the vulnerabilities faced by all abandoned souls. Throughout their growing kinship, Ash and Daniel struggle with the divergent expectations of those around them: Ash with shifting gender presentations and Daniel with his emotionality and sensitivity. Entering a new school and feeling pressured to pick and disclose a single gender, Ash’s conflicts begin with trying to decide whether to use the boys’, girls’, or gender-neutral bathroom. The school’s diverse Rainbow Alliance is a source of support, but Ash’s parents remain split by more than divorce, with a supportive mom and a dad who tries but fails to understand genderfluidity. Daniel, who has a talent for photography, is a passionate animal lover who volunteers at a local kennel and initially believes Ash is a girl. Ash’s synesthesia amplifies the tension as Ash and Daniel discover a mutual romantic interest. The novel grapples with the impact of society’s overly simplistic messages, but the characterizations at times lack depth, and there are missed opportunities to explore the subtleties of relationships. Main characters are White.

An optimistic journey of self-acceptance. (Fiction. 10-13)

Product Details

BN ID:	2940172740329
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	06/08/2021
Edition description:	Unabridged
Age Range:	8 - 11 Years

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