The book follows Dean who has realised that he is a trans guy - not the lesbian everyone, including his girlfriend think he is. He gets cast as Romeo in the school play as a ‘non traditional’ cast choice, which helps him to realise how he truly feels and how much he wants to come out sooner rather than later.

The book shows bullying, challenges surrounding dysphoria, unsupportive family and friends and coming out in high school which comes with its own challenges.

As a straight girl, I cannot speak for the LGBTQIA+ rep, however since the author is a part of the community, I would hope that this book is not harmfully written.

I really enjoyed this book seeing the theatre aspect alongside Dean finding his true identity and finally feeling comfortable in his skin. It shows who really cares when you are truly yourself which can be very hard to deal with but so powerful to show that you are the most important person in your life.

I do think Dean’s reaction to some people saying it takes time to adjust was unfair. The other character never said they weren’t supportive, they just said it was hard to adjust to using he/him pronouns and referring to Dean as a boy. It also meant that labels would be changed within their relationship, which while I can see that for Dean it may not have been such a big thing as the relationship was the same, for the other person it was obviously a lot to process. It’s one thing if someone is misgendering or using the wrong pronouns constantly, but sharing that it takes time to adjust isn’t meant to be harmful. However, I am not transgender so I can’t fully understand how this situation would affect someone so please don’t take this comment negatively.

This is such an important, beautiful and inspiring ownvoices-story showing that there are many ways to be queer and trans, and how important it is to find your own voice and be your fullest self. Between Perfect and Real is honest and raw, but also so full of hope, and with amazing characters that have completely captured my heart! This heartfelt coming-of-age story about the struggles of a transgender teen boy deserves to be read by everyone!

The story follows high school senior Dean Foster, who knows he’s a trans guy, but to everyone else, including his girlfriend Zoe, is seen as a lesbian girl. But when he gets casted as Romeo in the school play, he realizes that he wants everyone to see him for who he really is. Not just on the stage, but everywhere in his life.

I completely rooted for Dean from the very first second and my heart ached for him through all his struggles and doubts. This story was so real and didn’t shy away from any of the difficulties Dean faced, such as body dysphoria, anxiety, self-doubt, transphobia, bullying and all other highs and lows of coming out as trans and the struggles when not everyone close to you can accept the change. The way Dean’s mother reacted and how she kept dead-naming him made me so angry I wanted to scream out loud at times… But it was nevertheless a hopeful and inspiring story about self-discovery and acceptance, about making it possible to live out your true self and to be loved for who you are.

One of things I loved most about this book was how it showed that there is not just one way to be trans, but that being queer and trans comes with infinite possibilities to find your own voice. I also really loved the beautiful friendships and support from Dean’s friends and his support group. There were so many wonderful characters that I rooted for almost as much as for Dean. Especially his best friend Ronnie completely stole my heart away in the way he unconditionally supported Dean and helped him find a way to express himself via his clothes.

All in all, Between Perfect and Real was an absolutely wonderful and heart-wrenching story with an important message and authentic and relatable characters to root for. I am so glad that Ray Stoeve wrote this book to give more nuances to the narrative about transness and to show that there are so many more ways of being trans and queer. I hope that many readers will feel empowered and seen by this book and the way it shows how no one should have to conform to anyone else’s standards of sexual identity or gender, but that we are all free to be who we are. I highly recommend it and know that Dean and his moving story will stay with me for a very long time!

4.5 heartfelt stars rounding up to 5!

Thank you NetGalley and ABRAMS Kids for the eARC and the possibility to read this wonderful book! All opinions are my own and I am leaving my honest review voluntarily.

🌿BOOK REVIEW🌿

Between Perfect and Real by Ray Stoeve

This novel follows Dean who is a high school student struggling with their identity. Everyone around them thinks Dean is a lesbian, including his girlfriend Zoe. Coming out to his parents and peers at schools was a difficult process as it was and now he has come to terms with the fact he is a trans guy. Dean is cast to play a ’non-traditional’ Romeo in a school production and his teacher allows him to play the role as he sees fit, Dean decides to play Romeo as a boy.

Between Perfect and Real was an extremely powerful book about identity and the pain that can come along with being different. I think the author did an excellent job at portraying how cruel teenagers actually can be… However, he does find comfort in a group that his friend signposts him to that is for trans people. Here he meets other people like himself who offer a huge amount of love and support as they have been through it all before. It also showed the difference it can make when someone has a teacher at school who fights their corner with them, and through the support of his teacher Dean decides to change his pronouns in his bio.

On a darker note, this book does explore how damaging things like dead naming and outing people can be. Dean’s mother really struggled to come to terms with the fact that her child was a lesbian and when Dean reveals that he is trans she flat out rejects this. She continues calling him by his given name and will not accept the fact that he is a boy. There are also some cases of Dean being outed by friends to his other friends, and it highlights how important it is to let someone move at their own speed and to own their own coming out process!

This book gives a lot of food for thought and really emphasises the importance of being open minded, respecting pronouns and encouraging those around you to find their voice!

⚠️CW// transphobia, homophobia, violence, deadnaming

CW: transphobia, homophobia, misgendering, deadnaming, gender dysphoria, reference to off page past trans person's suicide, one scene of unsafe binding (recognized as unsafe on page)
BETWEEN PERFECT AND REAL is about Dean, a high school senior who is ready for his last high school play, Romeo & Juliet, and he got the lead role of Romeo. The problem is, he’s not out as a trans guy. The book follows his coming out experience.
Being in theater is really the perfect way of showing a coming out journey. From costumes to bios to getting along with cast members, it was all done so well. The first time Dean tried on his costume was heart-wrenching.
I loved the main cast. They were such over-dramatic theater kids, it really reminded me of my experience. But none of them are perfect when Dean comes out to them, which I appreciated. They were all overall supportive, but the slip-ups were realistic.
On that note, big shout out for having a YA book dealing with what it’s like to be in an established relationship at the start and have to deal wit such life altering changes like realizing your trans. It was a rough journey, but I’m glad trans kids have this book because of that.
Thank god for a YA book talking about college applications in a realistic way! With early decision and syncing plans with friends. I would’ve liked a little more near the end, but I’m just glad I’m seeing more books that talk about it.
I will say, I would’ve liked it advertised that Dean is the first out trans person at his school, so when he comes out, he has to deal with his classmates reacting and the administration fumbling as well. The bullying scenes were very hard to read.
I just didn’t vibe with the writing style. It just felt a little stilted and rushed in places.
I rated this book 3.75 stars!

Dean is a lesbian who realizes he is really a trans male when cast as Romeo. This book follows his struggles with coming out as trans to his friends, girlfriend, family and high school.
Opinion
What drew me to this book is that I have had multiple students come out as trans to me the past few years. While I will never fully understand them, this book (and others like it) can help me to be a better ally.
I feel this book is important for people of all sexualities to read. By reading this, people are able to make connections to their own experiences and keep open minds in real life. Obviously it is important for the book to be out there for those who are going through something similar. Seeing your life reflected in books validates yourself.
This book was truly a great Own Voices book.
Many thanks to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Amulet Books for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book, it was really gripping and interesting, I felt really connected to each character and it was beautiful to see so much inclusion in this book, I can't wait to see what's next for this author.

Between Perfect and Real is easily one of my most favorite reads of the year! I loved this YA story about a trans boy finding his voice through theater! Dean gets cast as Romeo in a high school production and he realizes how affirming it is to be seen as a boy on stage. Dean has a huge cast of friends and supporters who help him with understanding his identity. I especially loved that Dean found a support group to go to for other teens who are exploring their gender. It's great to normalize seeking support and help and this book does it so well.

Dean does get some pushback from some people in his life. His parents don't quite understand why he wants to transition and his girlfriend also struggles with the news. The author provides such a thoughtful exploration of first love, romanticizing your partner, and accepting who someone really is. Dean and his girlfriend, Zoe, must explore their new relationship after Dean decides to transition. Stoeve makes it clear that it won't always be easy but it's worth it to be true to yourself.

Dean is also harassed at school by a transphobic student and his mom deals some heavy words to Dean too. Dean's friends and teacher stand up for him and try to protect him. The author makes sure that the reader knows that Dean deserves love and support regardless of if people understand his reasons for transitioning. This book will be affirming and powerful for teen readers who can empathize with Dean.

Finally a book that allows a straight person to discover what it can be like for trans youth. I am so grateful to Ray Stoeve that allowed me to learn more about the journey one takes and what they can through during the toughest years of their life.

Note: I am not trans myself so own voices reviews will be much more equipped to discuss the topics in this book.

This book follows Dean who has never felt quite like they fit in in with the box society has made for them. When Dean gets cast as Romeo this leads to a catalyst of events which makes them realise that as Romeo is the most themselves they've felt. The book uses the play and rehearsals to structure the plot of the story which I think was a fantastic way to show how much acting means to Dean and help tell the story.
Within the book there are a whole cast (literally) of wonderful characters who help to add to the story and make Dean the person they are. I loved being able to imagine the group of friends and seeing each individual character contributing to Dean.
There were a lot of timely references within the book (vloggers, spotify) which helped make the setting and plot more realistic and added to the depth of the book but also I think would help anyone reading this book realise the wealth of resources available without having to reach out initially?
I really enjoyed Stoeve's style of writing and once I got started found I read the book so quickly, not wanting to put it down!

This book made me feel so many things. It was a really beautiful story depicting Dean’s struggle with his identity, and the reactions from his friends, classmates, family and girlfriend. There was so much emotion in this story and I found myself desperately wanting Dean to be happy and for those in his life to be more understanding. It was hard to read at times, especially knowing the truth and reality behind these reactions and the hardships that trans people face on a daily basis. It definitely felt incredibly real rather than fictional.

It was evident from the first couple of chapters that this story was going to be predictable, with identity and family struggles and yet I didn’t care. The story was told in such a lovely way that none of this mattered. The main characters were unique, and so diverse, and I was really pulled into their story.

The way with which this story weaved in and out with that of Romeo and Juliet was done wonderfully, with references and quotes, even matching the five act structure that was used to split up the book. It was all done very cleverly and it really worked.

There were a lot of characters, and I did find myself getting mixed up between them, particularly at the start, which got confusing and originally took me out of the story but this became clearer as the story went on. I just think it could have benefited from a few less characters as some of them didn’t seem to add to the story. There were also moments when it began to get a bit repetitive, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

The ending, whilst uplifting, left me wanting a bit more. I wanted glimpses into the future, where Dean was in New York living his best life a couple of years down the line, but I’m happy in the knowledge that things are starting to look up for him and he may achieve these things regardless.

Between Perfect and Real is a moving story of gender euphoria, coming into yourself and finding your place in the world. Following a trans boy cast as a “non traditional” Romeo in his school’s theatre performance, Stoeve’s debut takes readers through the highs and lows of coming out as trans while exploring privilege, community and gender.

I really enjoyed this book! Dean had such a strong voice and it was so easy to connect with him and empathise with what he was going through. I really loved his development, as he went from being unsure and full of self doubt to really coming into himself and learning to trust himself. I also loved his relationship with his friends, especially Ronnie, who was just the sweetest! This book also explored some more difficult relationships and the struggles Dean went through as not everyone in his life was accepting which wasn’t always easy to read but read very authentically. Theatre has never been something I personally enjoy but Dean’s narration made his love of it so clear and I really enjoyed reading about why it meant so much to him and the role it played in his self discovery.

Something I really appreciated in this book was the discussions surrounding privilege and, in particular, showing cis queer people as being just as capable of transphobia and getting things wrong as non-LGBTQ+ people. This is such an important narrative to explore and I felt that Stoeve handled it really well. Additionally, I loved the emphasis placed on online communities and resources for learning about the transgender experience as this is such a key part in people discovering their LGBTQ+ identities (it certainly was for me!) and felt very authentic to include. Another thing I loved was the acknowledgement of the need for trans spaces and community while coming into and accepting this identity, and the friends Dean found there.

My only faults of the book were that there were a lot of characters and I found it quite difficult to keep track of them all in the beginning. I also thought that the ending was quite abrupt and quick and would have loved to spend a bit more time on it.

Between Perfect and Real is an incredible coming of age story that I’m sure is going to become an important book for so many trans readers. Dean’s journey of finding himself and coming into his identity is at once universally relatable and deeply personal and one that I highly recommend!

I want to leave a quick note here to say that I am not transexual so please do consider reading own-voice reviews as they will be far more equipped to speak of the topics brought up in this book.

There are so many little things that I ended up loving in this book. This review may end up being all over the place in my excitement.

The whole of Dean's journey from start to finish is not an easy one and not everything can go his way but the way he learns about himself, comes to accept himself and confront the people around him was a pleasure to read.

Stoeve's writing style was something that I admit I struggled with at the beginning. It felt very detached and almost too straight forward for such a personal and sensitive subject matter and for the first one hundred pages I was finding it hard to connect to any of the characters. Then something happened within the book and it all just clicked for me, the flow seemed perfect for the story that was being told and I felt the pacing, the book's short chapters, allowed me to experience just how all of this was happening for Dean in such a short amount of time.

I want to say this is the second book this month that I have reviewed with a play helping to move the plot and this book did a far better job; I cannot tell you how much I, as an actor myself, enjoyed the way Dean was able to find confidence with himself in the role of Romeo. His first proper male role. I also adored the fact that he took what he needed from the part but was able to eventually see his and Romeo's differences too.

Dean's ensemble were all diverse and wonderful people who brought a lot to Dean's character development, while still being interesting in themselves. How each accepted Dean while also helping to push him forward for his own good felt realistic. On that point I want to say that I think this book does a good job of showing the different resources that can be available to trans people; Dean used a variety of things, YouTube, books but I think the most important advice he was given was by his friend Ronnie who, while still supporting Dean, encouraged Dean to go to a trans support group.

This though is one of the problems I did have. The book set's itself in a very particular time and place. With things like YouTube and Spotify, even Steven Universe, being mentioned and specific places within Seattle, I am just hoping that a book that is so powerful, asking and answering so many important questions will still be accessible in ten, even five years, for any trans person.

Another couple of things being discussed in the book that I loved, as a queer person myself, were the intersectional aspects of being queer. Trying to discover your place and your sexuality and gender and how those two can influence each other, in Dean's case was he a butch lesbian or a trans man. I also loved the discussion of how Dean was outed throughout this book, how it is not always malicious but still frightening and lastly, how you just do not stop coming out, and just how tiring that is.

Finally, the thing I loved the most, and what I will leave you on, was the huge sense of community and just how intricate being transexual is. There is no perfect queer person; how much you want to transition, and the importance of what gender means to the actual person is far more important than 'passing' or societies standard of gender. It is not just about pronouns or hormones. It’s about ‘what makes you feel like yourself’ as Nina from the book says and I think that’s such an important thing for people to know and feel comfortable with, trans and cis alike.

I read this book in almost one sitting, which is something I haven't done in months. Stoeve's writing flows so well and is so soothing, I couldn't put the book down!
Between Perfect and Real is the kind of coming of age book I wish I had had when I was a teenager.
I loved Dean so much, he felt so real and relatable. Following his journey, his doubts and fears, his sadness and anger, his acceptance and love and joy, it was wonderful. And I adored his relationships with all his friends, especially with Ronnie. The love and support, and feeling of found family was so beautiful.
It's a beautiful book that shows you that perfect isn't real and not everything goes the way you planned, but that the world is still full of possibilities.
If you like heartwarming YA contemporary about trans & queer teens and theater, I highly recommend Between Perfect and Real.

Content warnings: transphobia, homophobia, bullying, misgendering, deadnaming, forced outing, gender dysphoria, unsafe binding, mention of suicide

When I finished Between Perfect and Real in one sitting, I think I just held this book to my chest and whispered to myself: this book is going to save lives. What a stunning, earnest, and affirming book Between Perfect and Real is. I loved this book whole-heartedly, and it is a fantastic addition to young adult trans literature that speaks to its vulnerable yet powerful personal truth.

The story follows Dean, who realises that he is a trans boy. When he is cast as Romeo at his school play, Dean grapples with coming out as trans to his friends, his girlfriend Zoe, applying to go to college in NYU, and coming out to his parents, particularly his mother that was hesitant to accept when he came out as a lesbian.

The story begins with Dean realising that he’s a trans boy; he’s watched all the YouTube videos and when he plays Romeo, he feels more at home and more like who he really is. Dean’s gradual coming out is the force that drives the story, as he must navigate what it means to come out as a trans boy and who he comes out to. In addition, he also struggles to find the vocabulary for his coming out, and the process is daunting, scary, new. I enjoyed that Dean’s feelings about his identity, and how he explores those feelings, are centered in the story. I also loved that Dean joins a support group for trans and nonbinary people, which is a space where he can learn more about himself in an affirming and safe space, which in turn provides readers, especially trans and nonbinary readers, a safe space to learn and reflect.

To be clear, Between Perfect and Real isn’t a ‘fluffy’ contemporary book. There are fluffy moments, yes, especially when Dean is surrounded by his supportive friends at school and his new friends at the support group, but it also plainly portrays the challenges that he faces when coming out. Though there is no explicit deadnaming in the book (Dean is referred to as Dean the entire time), there are characters who deadname and also misgender him after he comes out as trans (though these are challenged or portrayed in a negative light consistently). One character in particular bullies Dean and expresses anti-queer and anti-trans sentiment, and Dean does experience some dysphoria. Though Dean’s journey of coming into his trans identity is not always perfect and wholesome, there is trans joy as well. Specifically, the joy he feels when he feels comfortable and happy in his body after binding for the first time, when he figures out the pronouns that makes him feel at home in his own skin, and also finding acceptance and love from his friends – and most importantly, himself.

The friendships and relationships in this book were fantastic and beautifully developed. Dean has a friend group that support him, including his friend Frankie, a Black queer teen, and his girlfriend Zoe, a white lesbian. While Frankie becomes an anchor and steadfast place of support and unconditional love for Dean, coming out as trans complicates his relationship with Zoe. Between Perfect and Real isn’t a romance story per se, but it does portray the love that Dean and Zoe share and how their relationship is changed by Dean’s coming out. I thought Dean and Zoe’s relationship was brilliantly written – part loving, part bittersweet, and real in the way it honestly portrays teens in love. Sometimes we may love a person, but change may take us on a different path in life, different to those who we love.

Dean’s relationship with his parents is a significant conflict in this novel. While Dean’s dad is more supportive and understanding, Dean hesitates to tell his mother that he’s trans, especially after she struggled to accept him initially coming out as a lesbian. Discussing and exploring parental relationships can be challenging to read at times, particularly for queer readers who may have experienced conflict or less than open acceptance for their queer or genderqueer identities. With Dean’s mother in particular, Dean reflects on the chasm between his mother’s heteronormative expectations of him and the trans boy who he really is. Though Dean’s relationship with his parents, especially his mother, is fraught and rocky, Dean’s feelings are centered throughout the story – and there’s hope by the end as well.

Between Perfect and Real is, at its very core, a personal book; it reads personally, like a love letter that Stoeve wrote to themself and to those who this book will resonate with. It’s a story that shows that self-acceptance and being true to yourself may not always be easy, that it may be fraught with challenges and people who won’t accept you, but it also offers light and hope to trans and non-binary readers. Moreover, I loved that Between Perfect and Real illuminates on the many ways that people can be trans; that even being trans comes with expectations, but there’s no one right way to be trans – what is right, rather, is being your authentic self and taking the time to discover who that person may be.

Between Perfect and Real is an earnest and gorgeous book that celebrates trans identity and the self-love that comes with living your truth. I adored this book; adored its tender storytelling, its moments of vulnerability, but also its fierce and resolute in its hope and joy. Between Perfect and Real is a wonderful book, one that I will recommend for many years to come.

Dean knows who he is but others .... they don't see him, the REAL him.
But after getting cast as Romeo in his senior play, he realizes that it's time that others find out that he is an HIM.
Dean shows the struggle to come into his skin, find acceptance, and deal with the hurt he never expected. This book gives a small insight into an experience some of us won't experience and gives us a chance to experience the vulnerability, and it hit my heart hard.

The struggle that those around Dean come to terms with was also interesting. Well, I don't agree with his mother's views on sexuality or her reaction to finding out (as I personally can't understand not being supportive). I appreciated the view of seeing someone come around as they learn and get better. I also thought it was good to see Dean's girlfriend and their relationship end; it hurt when they still loved each other so much, but who they are as people didn't work anymore. It showed that not everything would end well, and sometimes LGBTQ stories will give too happy an ending or too sad; this had a balance that made it so real!

I adored that the ending has a little clarity for others in Dean's group and their lives. They were his family and helped him in their own way, and they were a part of him, and he was a part of them and not enough books give that little ending to us readers.

I cannot say enough how grateful I am to NetGalley, Ray Stoeve & ABRAMS Kids/Amulet Books for allowing me to read this digital arc. This book is going to stay with me for a very long time!

⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

trigger warning: transphobia, forced outing, bullying, physical bullying, suicide, homophobia, deadnaming, death, biphobia, gender dysphoria, body shaming.

Thank you to Netgalley and Amulet Books for the E-ARC of Between Perfect and Real in exchange for an honest review.

Between Perfect and Real is a YA debut about Dean Foster who is a trans boy finding his identity. Dean is a senior in high school who has adopted theater into his bones since he was a kid. Though Dean knows he is trans everyone at school, his girlfriend Zoe, and his theater director think he's a lesbian. Dean struggles with the idea of keeping who he truly is bottled down until college and makes the decision that he doesn't want to hide who he is until then.

This book was a solid three stars and I honestly struggled slightly with determining that rating because I did love this story but it dwindled out for me towards the end.

Dean is a very relatable character and as someone who is genderfluid, I could truly feel the depth of his character and struggle to find his identity and voice. I loved that Dean was written to be very complex and emotional. He felt very fleshed out to me, but his friend group? Not so much.

I loved Zoe, I found her character to be as real as Dean's. Did I enjoy her outing her boyfriend? No. Even so, she was sincere about her mistakes, and given her circumstances, I felt she was very naive, and given the chance to be educated she would have been a better character.

Ronnie was a sweetheart, Allison really irritated me because she just wasn't present much and when she was, I felt as if she was so passive. The support group Dean meets was probably my favorite, though Jade was kind of annoying with all of the negative advice or outcomes Dean could face. Yes, it's realistic that not everything is sunshine and rainbows but personally I didn't feel it was the best solution every time Dean came looking for advice. So that leaves me with how I felt about their blossoming relationship - not a fan.

Blake... that was so confusing. I feel like there was a lot of potential there plot-wise and it just fell off.

I felt the same way with the theater themes as well. We know that theater is a big part of Dean's life but we don't spend a lot of time in the theater or Romeo's role as Dean. I just expected a lot more from that.

Aside from that Dean's journey is fresh and realistic. That's why it's a solid three stars, I just didn't enjoy the ending all that much.

Between Perfect and Real is a wonderful coming of age story of self-discovery. Dean is such a likeable protagonist, and the author writes in a way that really lets his voice shine. It feels very personal and real. Things don't go down the 'perfect path' Dean envisages, but the overall message is that that is ok, which I really love. Everything is left open and hopeful for the future.

Recommended for people who might identify with the idea of finding yourself and the labels that do/don't fit, as well as those looking for a different perspective on life than their own. This story really puts you in the shoes of the protagonist in a raw and honest, but still light-hearted, way.

Thank you Netgalley for an arc of this. I am crying.

This book is everything. A story about self-acceptance of a trans boy coming to terms with his identity while navigating through life. Dean is an amazing protagonist, he's unsure about who he is but once he knows what he wants, he doesn't let anyone guilt trip him into conforming to something he's not. He was delt with a lot shit through this book, but he knows who he is and what he's worth. I can't even count how many annotation I made for "YES DEAN" moments in this book. He's definitely one of my favorite YA protagonist.

This is also the ONE time I don't mind Shakespeare play being used as a metaphor for the book's plot. Because it feels like the role of the character Romeo fits into Dean's story instead of Dean's story being shuffled into the play.

This is the first book I read where the discussion of a lesbian girl dating a trans boy comes up. With Dean's transition, his relationship with his girlfriend is changing as well. I think the cover is misleading, since this book is by no means a romance heavy book. Instead it feels very much like a story purely of self-acceptance. The decision Dean made by the end is so mature and realistic.

Ronnie is the real MVP of this story. Dude definitely deserve best friend of the year award.

I feel like this story is special for me because it doesn't end with YA typical happy ending where everything seems to be resolved. Instead the moral is much more - it's okay to be sad for now, but it is a true sadness, and the future is infinite when you are your true self.

I really do mean it when I say I truly loved this story. I loved how Stoeve touches on the LGBTQ community, specifically on those who fall under the transgender category. Senior year of high school is already challenging itself, with college acceptances and having to say goodbye to your childhood. But then you''re also confused about your sexuality and identity? That definitely adds more challenges, and my heart broke for Dean through the many circumstances that were being witnessed throughout the story. It is really tough when boys like Blake exist, and they get away with their behaviour just because they represent the dominant white male. I am glad Dean had Ronnie and Jared, Nina and Jade to support him. Is it weird that I have a major crush on Jared? HAHAA. Definitely a wonderful read.

Between Perfect and Real is one of those books that I read and I know it’s good, I can tell that, but I just don’t enjoy reading it. That sounds harsh but all I mean is that it’s not for me. It’s a book that another reader may — and I’m sure will — love, but that reader wasn’t me.

The story follows Dean, who is grappling with the knowledge that he is trans. Being cast as Romeo in the school production as Romeo and Juliet gets him thinking though — is it really best to wait until college to come out, or does he want everyone to see him as he is now?

I want to preface the actual review by repeating that everything I have to say here is an explanation of why I didn’t enjoy this book. That doesn’t mean you won’t! In fact, please do disregard this review completely and still read it.

That being said…

I think what struck me most about this one is that I was bored by it. There isn’t really that much plot — a lot of what happens happens internally to Dean. Which is fine, if that’s your thing. But that’s not really my thing. I don’t really like books which are mostly introspective, so this one didn’t do it for me in that sense. (It was also somewhat basic, which isn’t really a complaint, because everyone needs basic coming of age stories. But given what I had been reading, etc etc…)

Then there was the way that Zoe, Dean’s girlfriend, came across. This is a hard one to explain, to be honest, because some of what she was doing or saying was gross and transphobic. But I think that the way the narrative treated her tangled this up with the fact that she’s a lesbian a bit much. Let me try explain this clearly: Zoe being a lesbian means she’s not attracted to men. Dean is a man. So I don’t think Zoe should be demonised, or framed badly, for breaking up with Dean about that. She gave their relationship a go, and came to the conclusion it couldn’t continue. That, to me, is absolutely fine. And I get that this is thorny, especially when it comes to Dean’s feelings on the matter. But Zoe was breaking up with Dean because she’s a lesbian, not because he’s trans. At times, it felt like the narrative didn’t do enough to disentangle that decision from the transphobic things Zoe was doing.

On the whole, it did feel at times like there was a very black-and-white approach taken to issues that I would have said had more nuance (of course, that could easily just be me). Towards the end, it did pick up on this nuance more, but at times it felt a little… inflexible in its views.

And then there was the background cast. There’s this one memorable (in the wrong ways) scene which happens just after Dean’s been beaten up by someone (which, also while we’re here, please be aware that happens, around 60% through I think?, because I wasn’t and that was a bit of a nasty shock), where the Black character suggests calling the police on this guy. It went like so:

Black character: Let’s call the police on this guy
non-Black character: I thought you didn’t like the police
Black character: I don’t but I can make an exception
non-Black character: well you know they wouldn’t do anything with him, he’s rich and white and cishet, they only go after LGBT and POC folks

To me — and I want to stress to me, because I know opinions may differ — that read a little like the non-Black character explaining police brutality-slash-prejudice to the Black character. So that was a bit of a ...what moment.

But it wasn’t just that about them, but the fact that, while there were four (or so) background friends — two white, two not — the non-white friends appeared mostly to prop Dean up and support him, while the white friends could converse with Dean about things other than how Dean was doing and how their parents had taken their coming out. This could easily have been coincidental, mind, it’s just it seemed after a bit to have become somewhat of a pattern. It was one of those things that, once you start noticing, you can’t stop. (Although, on the whole, most conversations Dean had with his friends revolved around Dean. I’m not sure I could tell you a whole lot about the background characters really. They weren’t as fleshed out as Dean by a long way.)

So all of this contributed to me not really enjoying this book. It wasn’t bad by a long shot, and it didn’t annoy me like another book I’d read just days before, but I didn’t like reading it. I thought, for a while, that maybe I could rate it 3 stars, but in the end, I couldn’t. But, all that said, please don’t let this review put you off this book. You may find you love it.