Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

I loved the story, the world building and meeting the different characters. I felt completely immersed in the story and couldn't stop reading it.

Being a cis white woman, I really enjoyed Both Sides Now. However, after reading some of the reviews by those who are trans, POC, or both, it seems as though this novel is offensive to and minimalizes their experiences. Though I think I needed another perspective from a life lived as a trans person, I don't think I can get behind Both Sides Now.

I really wanted to love this one but I did not finish. Nothing is wrong with it, it just reads a little younger than I typically go for. 5 stars because there's nothing wrong with this book, just not for me. I think a lot of others will enjoy though and I'm glad kids have this!

Finch Kelly is determined to become the first trans Congressman and to do that, he sets his sights on going to college at Georgetown in D.C.. Meanwhile, his goal is to win the National Debate Championship, along with his partner Jonah (whom he absolutely does NOT have a crush on!). However, this year's debate topic is very personal: should trans people be allowed to choose which restroom to use? As Nationals draw near, Finch's financial situation takes a turn for the worse, he realizes he's falling for his partner, and has second thoughts about whether he can argue against his own right to pee...

This book was everything I hoped it would be. Finch's voice is funny and honest and the rest of the characters shine in their own ways. While the plot was a little predictable as far as the romance and the ending, I still enjoyed reading the progression of events and Finch's growing feelings for Jonah. There is a lot of strong emotion in this book and the ups and downs felt realistic. I also appreciated that the text did not gloss over the struggles of a trans teen, but rather portrayed the topic with frankness and a little humor. Overall a great read--I laughed, I cried, I cheered--what more can you ask for?

This book is very stereotypical and racist. The main character is racist and ignorant and keeps putting POC characters down.

I was honestly expecting more, especially since it was compared to Red, White, and Royal Blue, one of my favorite books. I was very dissapointed.

2.5/5⭐ to Both Sides Now by Peyton Thomas, a debut Canadian author! A big thanks to the Penguin Teen (Canada) team for sending me an egalley to review! High School senior Finch Kelley has his sights set on a political career in DC, making history as the first trans congressman. In order to get the prestigious education needed to achieve this goal (hopefully Georgetown 🤞), he must first win the National Debate Championship. Much to his chagrin, the final debate topic hits a little too close to home: transgender rights, and he must debate both sides. I really grew to like Finch as a character, but also for what he represents. Sometimes in contemporaries, our MCs can be a bit flat or not have as much character growth but I found that as Finch went through this debate finals and started a relationship with our LI, he was really able to come into himself and mature, but also work on some of the things that were holding him back. For the romance, I don't know if I'm entirely convinced with how it came about, but I did really like them together once they figured out they liked each other and started to date. I think in terms of discussions around transness this book can open great conversations and I know there are going to be teens out there who see themselves in Finch's character. That all being said, other reviewers have pointed out a lot of issues this book had in its representation and portrayal of POC and Jewish characters. If you would like a more rounded view of this book, please check out those reviews as well.

After reading tons of reviews about this book being racist I just can’t get myself to read it.
Not the kind of book I would recommend.

Both Sides Now features a trans boy who is on the school debate team. When he has to argue trans rights in a debate tournament, he wonders whether arguing for his own humanity is worth the college scholarship he is hoping for. I had this book on Net Galley and listened to it on audio from the library. A good judge of an audio book for me is whether it holds my attention, and I did find myself zoning out on this one. Plus, I tend to agree with some of the lower ratings on Good Reads as it seems the characters of color and the main antagonist – who is Jewish – are described in stereotypical ways.

Transgender student, Finch Kelly is so close to being done with high school and all he wants is to get into Georgetown. He has the perfect opportunity to get their attention at the National Debate Tournament in DC - but this year’s topic is transgender rights which hits really close to home. Plus he’s starting to develop a crush on his debate partner AND his family is having issues, making this debate very challenging.

I wanted to love this one, and I did really appreciate Finch’s journey and the amazing LGBTQIA+ representation is in this book. I appreciated learning more about the challenges Finch faced and the debate aspect was a great storyline to educate without taking away from the characters and their experiences. However so many of the characters were unlikeable and there were some comments and exchanges that rubbed me the wrong way, and after reading other reviews, I’m not the only one who felt there were undertones of racism.

Loved this book a lot for the trans rep. As an #ownvoices reviewer, I saw a lot of myself in Finch. I loved the packing representation as well! This is the first book I have seen with trans rep to have a trans character who uses a packer, so it was super cool!

I cannot thank Penguin Teen enough for giving me an ARC of this! I absolutely adored Finch, Lucy, Roo, Jonah, and everyone else. It is so important to be talking about transgender issues and struggles in media.
This was a beautiful story and I have to admit I love romances + debate teams/clubs!!

I will be transparent and state that my original reading of this book was something I found enjoyable. However, since then I have read a lot of criticism about the way race, Semitic, and some queer discussions were handled that have led me to choose to give an average/neutral rating and avoid further promotion of this book. I do not know where I stand on this discussion, but I also recognise that it is largely not my place as a white, cis-gendered person to comment on the way certain experiences are portrayed and handled.

I do think that there is a discussion here about whether a story is problematic or whether a character is simply portrayed as problematic. They are not one and the same. However, I will be blunt and say that I am not sure where this book lies in this discussion.

Please, look to other reviews posted on Goodreads, and other platforms, from POC, queer, and Semitic reviewers. They are the voices we should be hearing in this discussion.

Great book about a teen who is on a debate teen having to debate their rights at a national championship. The journey that Finch went through trying to find himself and all the challenges along the way was beautifully written. I loved seeing his transformation of thinking that Georgetown was the only place for him to realizing that there was someplace that was perfect for him not too far from home with a wonderful support system. There was more than one moment that I was so frustrated with his parents that I almost threw my phone across the room, because they didn’t seem to understand what Finch’s perspective was on things, especially when looking at his surgery, but I think that these struggles definitely make Finch a stronger character. He’s had to overcome a lot of obstacles and I liked seeing that change in him while discovering his relationship with Jonah from partners to something more, because it was so pure and it felt like a kind of love that is only in the movies. There were some slightly alarming behaviors from Jonah’s boyfriend, but eventually they did get sorted once Jonah realized what was happening, with Finch there to lend a hand. I think that the writing is clever, and makes the reader think about the people they encounter in their everyday lives and the things they could be facing.

This was not what I expected, and I mean that in a good way. I was surprised by how much it was not actually about debate, but more a coming of age story. I loved the friends-to-lovers component, sometimes I find them lackluster, but here it was really genuine and shines through. I loved the exploration of that pre-college time in high school seniors. I would definitely recommend this to high school youth who aren't sure about where to go in this next phase of life. I believe they'll see themselves reflected in the main character and his struggles in this aspect, and take a lot of comfort from his story.

Finch is a debater and Finch is a dreamer. Finch is hoping to take home the gold trophy at the National Speech & Debate Tournament. Something he is sure will launch him into his first choice college in Washington D.C. and hopefully as the first trans person in Congress. Too bad there is a lot standing in his way.

"Both Sides Now" by Peyton Thomas is a YA novel about Finch who desperately wants to win the National Speech & Debate Tournament to receive a spot at his dream college in Washington, D.C., resulting in a history-making career as the first trans congressman. Unfortunately, this year's debate topic hits quite close to home: transgender rights.

I have mixed feelings about this novel. I liked that it shows the struggles that Finch has to go through as a trans person whose parents do not have a lot of money, who have a lot of struggles themselves. I think that's quite realistic for a lot of people.

But.. and believe me, I'm here for all trans books getting published, we needs tons and tons more of that...

...I feel like a lot of books with trans characters portray them in a very similar way and it makes it seem like there's just "one way to be trans". Not every trans person is able to afford or even wants to take hormones, wear a binder or go through some kind of surgery. I wish that would have been reflected upon.

There's so much transphobia in this book, it's full of trans pain and that's an important part to show, but I just want to warn my fellow trans readers that this might be too much pain to handle.

There's also a lot of racism, some of it addressed, some left unaddressed, in this novel. The ignorant behaviour of the white main character and the stereotypical behaviour of characters of colour is something that cannot be ignored.

That's why I cannot recommend this book.


content warnings: queerphobia, transphobia, racism, toxic relationship, anxiety

"Both Sides Now" is a diverse, romantic, coming-of-age novel that deals with heavy, but relatable themes for young trans teens.

Both Sides Now by Peyton Thomas; Dial Books, 304 pages ($17.99) Ages 14-17

....

An author-journalist based in Toronto offers a heartfelt, witty debut novel in this compelling coming-of-age tale of a trans teen coming into his own.

Finch Kelly and his debate partner and gay best friend Jonah Cabrera are furiously prepping to win the Washington State high school debate title and then the national title, a win that could secure Finch's admission to Georgetown University, which he sees as a step toward his dream of becoming the first trans person elected to Congress.

Finch, who is "five feet and five unremarkable inches tall, with a thatch of disobedient red hair," struggles with body issues: "My body will always be a barrier. I'll have to apologize for it every time I meet somebody new."

While Jonah has a boyfriend and a stable, supportive family, Finch is unsure about his sexual orientation and is dealing at home with parents facing financial crisis and fighting all the time. The narrative addresses issues of romantic attraction and self-esteem and the physical realities of transitioning from female to male. In an interesting side plot, Jonah, who is Filipino-American, must deal with Asian stereotypes in the school musical his boyfriend is starring in. Then at nationals, Finch and Jonah face a crisis of conscience when the question to be debated is bathroom access for transgender students.