BOTH CAN BE TRUE

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 [Published: JULY 2021]