O! M! Gawdddddddd!!! Both Sides Now was such an incredible book! I honestly had to FORCE myself to go to sleep while reading, instead of finishing it. You know the book is good when you can bypass sleeping for it. Because, Booboo, I LOVE MY SLEEP! 😂

Finch was such a relatable character. He’s graduating high school soon. His family is going through money troubles and yet, he goes to school with a lot of rich kids, so everything feels so unfair. Especially seeing as how no one at school knows he’s trans.

There is a lot of talk about race, sexuality, gender, and social justice, which I was so happy to find in a YA book. I honestly could have read another 200 pages, that’s how much I was enjoying it. I can’t wait to see what else Peyton Thomas has in store for us in the future!

Go read this book! I mean it! Like… NOOOOOOOOWWWW!!!!

Finch Kelly is a trans boy determined to win the National Debate Championship and secure a scholarship that will turn his life around. The only problem? He has to argue against his own human rights. BOTH SIDES NOW is a book that will leave you feeling warm! Beautifully executed conversations surrounding trans people coming into themselves, learning to love our bodies the way they are, finding trans joy in a society that wants to wipe us from existing, and juggling transphobia on top of everyday life. Finch Kelly was a protagonist I fully understand and empathize with. I admire the growth he shows throughout the novel, as it took me 21 years to learn the lessons he comes to understand in a month. The side characters were all amazing individuals I'm *still* rooting for. The romance left me in tears. Trans people, we are worthy of love!! Overall, Peyton Thomas knocked this out of the park! You will walk away from this with your heart bursting with trans joy.

CWs/TWs: Internalized transphobia, internalized homophobia, JKR mention, misgendering of a trans person, transphobia, racism.

This is a really special book. I absolutely flew through it. If I could’ve, I probably would’ve read it all in one sitting.

Thomas already has such a clear and distinct voice, a focused sense of humor, and a knack of creating realistic, flawed characters that you simultaneously root for and want to shake for saying or doing the wrong thing.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, current YA readers have so much access to stories I wish I’d had access to when I was younger. Reading a story where the main character just IS trans, he’s not figuring out if he is or not, it’s just an accepted part of his life is still so incredible to me. And the conversations about sexuality and race feeling so natural and organic as opposed to shoe-horned in to preach talking points? Masterful.

Needless to say, I absolutely adored this book and can’t wait to read more from Peyton Thomas.

First of all, thank you so much to Penguin Teen for supplying me with an ARC of this book! It was absolutely incredible and left me feeling inspired, educated, and excited to make a difference in the world. This book follows Finch, a closeted trans boy on the debate team, as he finds his place in the world. And his number one focus? Getting into his dream school, Georgetown University, and going on to be the first trans congressman. That is until he starts to develop a small crush on his (taken) gay debate team member, Jonah. Now, questioning his sexuality as well as trying to get into his dream school, he learns the topic for Nationals: transgender rights. But if he wants to take the national title and a scholarship to Georgetown, which he'll need to get in, he may have to argue against his own rights. This book kept me up reading until late hours of the night and putting it down was virtually impossible. One of my favorite things about Thomas' writing was how multi-dimensional all of his characters were. I instantly fell in love with all of them although I do have a special place in my heart for Lucy, Finch's best friend. I loved how fun and fiery she was while also being so empathetic sometimes. I just had so much fun watching them all grow and find themselves. His writing was fast-paced and captivating and never let my attention waver. This beautiful coming-of-age story is perfect for anyone learning to find themselves and/or looking to become more educated on the trans community!

When I first began the debut book by author, Peyton #BothSidesNow , I was intrigued. The premise involved a debate team and a transgender male, named Finch, who has to debate in a National Debate Competition. The topic….Transgender Rights. This book tackled important issues facing the transgender community, such as the bathroom debate, the top surgery and of course, societal perception of transgenders. I appreciate that this book used the debate team as a device to dive deeper into these topics using the important tool of communication. This in turns leads to the characters in the book being able to discuss and debate a variety of topics ranging from whether or not a person should preserve a play built on racist principles, defining who you are based on who you love, and even a look into privilege when one character gets into a top school due to a large parent donation.

As a character driven reader, I feel the characters are so well-written that they add tremendous substance to the overall story! I couldn’t stop reading this book, in fact I read it in two sittings! Definitely a brilliant debut by author, #PeytonThomas …I will definitely be on the lookout for the author’s next book.

Thank you Penguin Teen for sending me an ARC E-Book through NetGalley!

TW: Instances of Transphobia, Racism

Rating: 4.5/5

I loved this book. I really appreciate the types of stories that are told involving trans lives, and I always find something new to love about this book, Peyton Thomas is a great writer, and I loved the characters growth and development.

BOTH SIDES NOW by Peyton Thomas is excellent. It's one of my favorite YA novels of 2021 so far and is one of the best YA novels I've ever read with a trans main character. This novel is a perfect example of the difference it makes when a writer and main character share some lived experience. In BOTH SIDES NOW, Finch being trans was never in question; it was fact. Because of this baseline, there was more room to explore the nuances of being trans. I did have a few quibbles with some elements of the story being dropped/forgotten or solved too easily in the end. However, the characters, situations, and relationships are strong and well developed. I am so thrilled to have this story for my trans students. In addition to recommending the book, I'll also be using it in some of my creative writing classes, ranging from middle and high school school kids as well as LGBTQIAP+ community writing groups.

Thank you to Penguin Teen and Netgalley for an eARC/physical ARC of this in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Finch Kelly has big hopes for his senior year of high school: going to college in Washington D.C., becoming a Nationals Debate Champion, and paving his way to becoming the first transgender Congress person. However, there's a lot standing in his way: he hasn't been accepted anywhere or gotten any scholarship offers, and the Nationals topic is transgender rights and bathrooms.

There were so many great parts of this book and I absolutely loved most of this, but let me start out with the part that really bothered me: the lack of awareness for multi-spectrum attraction. Finch is unsure if he is attracted to people besides girls, and this comes up several times with his best friend. But the options presented time and time again are that he either likes girls or he likes boys. First off, bisexual and multi-spectrum identities exist. Plus so do nonbinary identities. Like this whole do you like only girls or only boys was very frustrating especially coming from a queer book. Also the fact that asexuality or aromanticism never came up was sad, especially because I got some vibes from Finch that he could definitely be aspec.

The rest of this book was really amazing. I loved Finch and his group of friends. I loved how close he was with his best friend and the relationship he had with his debate partner Jonah. These two were super adorable and I loved that their relationship developed from a friendship. All of the debate scenes were exhilarating and also quite terrifying! My anxiety was like !!! the whole dang time. I also kind of want to join a debate team now.

This book is incredibly powerful. It has a lot to say about trans and nonbinary rights, but I wish it had been more inclusive to the rest of the LGBTQIAP2S+ community. The ending had me in my feels though and I definitely almost cried at Finch's final speech. Thomas nails the emotional side of the character consistently throughout this story and had my heart leaking all the tears and love.

Rep: Poor trans male MC with anxiety, Filipino gay male love interest, lesbian side character, Black female side characters, Jewish questioning side character.

CWs: Alcohol consumption by adults and minors, dysphoria, mental illness (anxiety), outing, panic attacks/disorders, transphobia, toxic relationship, vomit, antisemitism, racism, alcoholism (MC's father).

Both Sides Now is a heartwarming book about a trans boy figuring out that what he wants is not always what he needs. Finch wants to win the National Speech & Debate Tournament but he might have to argue against his own rights in order to win and make it into Georgetown.

The amount of times I teared up while reading this was probably matched by the amount of times I laughed. This book flew by with me growing to love Finch's character more and more, especially him being such a dimensional character. Being trans is not his only "personality trait" and I just found this to be such a beautiful story. The element of having to see all sides to each argument in debate made it so hard to watch him have to fight against himself. Also, Jonah was so perfect. I loved the progression of their relationship that had built over so many years. Oh man, I wish I could have heard young Jonah debate and win with his lisp. I also liked how the book showed the difference between a family who has accepted something and a family who not only accepts but loves because of. For me, this book was a 5/5. I think it's something everyone should read.

If you like debating, adorable characters who clearly have feelings but deny them, or just want a good book that will touch your heart, this is the one for you.

I received a digital copy of this book free from Penguin Young Readers Group and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Both Sides Now by Peyton Thomas
Overall rating: 5/5
Characters: 6/5 (I don't care if that's not a rating I can do what I want)
Writing: 5/5
Plot: 5/5
Pacing: 5/5

Huge thanks to Penguin Teen for the ARC!

As soon as I saw the synopsis of this book I knew I had to read it, and I had a feeling I was going to love it. (Spoiler alert - I did)

I fell head over heels in love with all of the characters (except you Bailey. I hate you). One of my pet peeves with books written about high school students is that they’re not very realistic - sometimes authors drop sooo many cultural references to make the characters seem hip and young and it always falls flat. But these characters seem so real it felt like I was looking through a portal to an actual high school with real people and real events. These kids are high schoolers, and Thomas shows us exactly that - they’re not perfect people and they each come with flaws. They’re figuring out who they are and what they want and they don’t always do or say the right thing. Every single side character is a developed and complex individual with their own dreams and goals. No matter what they're always there to support and uplift each other, and the love this group (Jonah, Ruby, Adwoa, & Ruby) has for Finch is so unconditional and beautiful.

Finch is such a beautiful main character. He’s not a “chosen one YA protagnist” with unstoppable skills and strength - he’s just human. Seeing him find his inner strength and voice while battling all the obstacles the world is throwing his way was the highlight of my week. He's such a brave person and has no fears about standing up for others and doing the right thing. Obviously, I don’t want to give any spoilers, but the ending to this book had me in tears. It definitely was not what I was expecting at all but it wrapped up Finch’s story so perfectly.

I thought this book was a beautiful look into the trans experience, but I’m cis so I can’t speak to how “real” the trans rep is. However, the Asian rep and experience in this story was so genuine that it felt like this book was giving me a warm hug. (MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD SPOILERS AHEAD) Seeing Jonah finally get the courage to but Bailey in his place was AMAZING and I had the biggest smile on my face reading that scene. I feel like Bailey’s microaggressions and the little comments he makes are so much more common than we think, and I’m so glad that he was eventually called out on them. (END SPOILERS)

I always have to talk about pacing a little because it's a huge thing for me (if a book starts off slow I immediately like it a little less - I have the attention span of a squirrel and I must be ENTERTAINED). It's semi-rare that I can sit down with a book and then not want to move until I've finished, but this was one of those books. It was one of those books where you actually lose track of time when you get into it - I think I started around 3pm and when I finished I looked outside and the stars were out. There were no dull moments, no chapters that I had to force myself to get through. In fact, I was racing through certain sections because I couldn't wait to see how the plot unfolded.

I think this is the longest review I've ever written but I don't care because I honestly don’t know how to express how much I loved this book. It was a beautiful story with perfectly imperfect characters that you won’t be able to stop thinking about. Both Sides Now will make you smile, cry, scream, and cry again. PLEASE buy it when it comes out and I promise you will not regret it. I'm even going to buy it when it comes out just so I can have a physical copy of it. If I'm spending my money buying a book I've already read I think it's a sign you should too.

Overall: funny, realistic, & relatable characters, fast pacing, beautiful story
Read if you like: romance, LGBTQ+ stories, Red White & Royal Blue, political stories, & literally anything else because I promise you that you’ll like it no mater what

This book is everything I didn't know I needed. I didn't know that high school debate teams could be this interesting (I'll admit, I was that kid in high school who thought, "Why would you waste time arguing about random stuff?"). I didn't know that I could fall so deeply in love with two characters in a book. Most importantly, I did not have any idea of the struggles facing our trans teens today.

As an educator working with at-risk teens in a small, middle-of-nowhere town, I have interacted with a few of the trans teens in our high school. I was there when the discussions about bathrooms began. I was proud of our school district when the decision was made to allow students to use the bathroom of their choice. But I really did not truly understand how much these young people still struggle.

Peyton Thomas takes us on a beautiful journey throughout this book. The friendship between Finch and Jonah as debate team partners is effortless and genuine. Seeing that friendship evolve over the course of the book, as Finch examines his sexual orientation and Jonah begins to reevaluate his own romantic relationship with Bailey, is captivating and leaves the reader fully invested in these characters.

The supporting cast is fully-developed and adds so much to Finch and Jonah's story. Ruby, Finch's sassy little sister, is loveable and totally believable as a younger sibling dreading her older brother's flight from the nest and the change in their relationship that will bring. Finch's parents are loving and supportive of Finch, which is so good to see when I know that far too many trans teens do not have that kind of parental support. The other debate team friends (and foes) are engaging and add much to the story, especially Adwoa, the team's advisor and source of love and so much wisdom.

One thing I especially love in this book is the fact that these teens are allowed to be flawed. They make mistakes and have to deal with them. In my job I deal with teens every day, and I can say that all these characters come through as authentic.

I encourage everyone to read this exceptional story (and will be recommending it to everyone who will listen), and have already pre-ordered a physical copy of the book because I know that it will be a frequent re-read for me in the future. I give Both Sides Now a very enthusiastic five stars.

Thank you to Penguin Teen and NetGalley for providing a copy of this book for review.

4.5/5 rounded up

*Thank you to Penguin Teen and NetGalley for sending a ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

This was a pretty highly anticipated read, so I was absolutely ecstatic when I received a copy, and I ended up loving it!

Finch Kelly is a trans student in his Senior year of High School. In order to get a scholarship to his dream school, Finch needs to bring it in debate team this year. But, when the topic for nationals is revealed to be trans rights to use a bathroom, Finch has to make a decision to debate his own humanity, or give up his dreams for the future. Also...his debate partner is incredibly cute...and taken.

This book may be a ya contemporary with a great romance plotline, but fair warning that this is not a romcom. This is a heavy book, and while a lot of the moments are lighthearted and cute, Thomas discusses some pretty heavy stuff, and I definitely recommend checking out the trigger warnings before reading.

One thing I think was done really well is Thomas' discussion on parents and supporting their kids. Finch's parents are relatively supportive about him, but that doesn't mean that they get it right all the time. They hurt him. They make mistakes. Jonah also has struggles with his queerness and his family, feeling as if he owes it to them to be perfectly happy because they were so kind and supportive of him coming out. There's also a discussion on the monetary difficulties that transitioning includes, like costs of surgeries.

Now the romance was absolutely TOP TIER. I adore friends to lovers and this one is adorable. Jonah and Finch have my heart. They aren't perfect, but they are great at talking through things, which makes them so much healthier than some of the other relationships portrayed in this book. This story talks a lot about toxic relationships, and I think that was also done really well.

Content Warnings: transphobia, homophobia, misgendering, racism, toxic relationship, parental discord (and discussions of divorce), HIV (mention), anxiety, panic attacks, alcohol consumption (underage)

I reviewed this book in an egalley provided by the publisher. Thanks #NetGalley #SLJDayofDialog #PenguinYoungReaders #DialBooks #BothSidesNow

I was looking through the virtual new books in the booth at SLJ Day of Dialog. I thought the description sounded interesting, so I clicked on the excerpt. And read all of it before I went back to the other books. I requested the e-ARC and sat down to read just another chapter -- and stayed up all night to finish the book.

The writing is compelling and the characters' voices are believable, which is a plus in any YA fiction. There are a few situations that are not very realistic, but overall, it rings true. Some people will take issue with the ending, but I liked it.

Finch Kelly is a debate team star. His family is facing financial difficulties and he's counting on winning the State Championship to improve his scholarship and admission chances. And that is where the story begins -- at the State Finals. In addition to his concerns about his future, Finch's life is becoming more complicated...is it possible he's developing feelings for his debate partner? Or that his arch-rival debater is flirting with him? He's living as a boy but few people know that he is trans. He's always avoided dating as being "too complicated" despite his best friend's suggestions. Is everything about his life about to change?

Recommended.

EVERYONE NEEDS TO SHUT UP AND GO PRE-ORDER THIS BOOK BECAUSE I DON'T THINK I HAVE LOVED A BOOK SO MUCH RECENTLY!

I received a physical copy of this novel as an ARC from Penguin Teen, so thank you Penguin Teen! Any and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Finch Kelly is a trans student at his school, being heavily involved in his school's debate team with teammate Jonah, and aims to be the first transgender congressman in the United States. However, as the National debate competition looms over their heads, it gets revealed that the topic of debate this year is the right for transgender students to use the proper bathroom of their gender. Will Finch fall under the pressure of debating against his own right to pee? Or will his slight crush on his debate mate get in the way?

I would like to preface this by saying that this story covers some pretty heavy themes, as hinted at with just the plot alone. Peyton Thomas covers everything from the HIV pandemic in the 90s to poverty and home issues and transphobia and toxic relationships. It's a lot. But I feel like the author included just enough at the right times that it didn't feel too overwhelming in specific parts, and adding enough wholesome moments between Jonah and Finch that it allows for a breather before diving into the next heavy topic. It's so well done.

One of my favorite aspects of this story was the discussion of toxic relationships. This story showed the gradual progression of realizing how bad a relationship is and how exactly to get out of it. But it also shows the negative impact on the person who gets victimized and pushed down because of the toxic individual, which I related to so much.

That being said, I absolutely loved the blooming romance between Jonah and Finch as the story progresses. It was the friends to lovers I have always wanted to read, and comes along with it's own message of growth and supporting one another. It also delves into discussions of what falling in love with a transgender person really means, and how to get past the fear and push back one may receive for loving a transgender person, and tackling stigmatization on the issue. This conversation does happen much later in the story, but it was important to be included. However, even though Jonah is still kind of coping for reasons I won't get into cause spoilers, I can't really determine if the lovey dovey ending could have been more of a promise of taking things slow instead of already vowing the "I Love You's."

Every single character in this book was one I loved. Ruby, Finch's sister, had such a believable sibling dynamic, and I loved her as an individual. I will absolutely die for Jonah. Adwoa was so supportive and I love her with all my heart. Although Jonah was my favorite of the bunch, I do think Finch has a slight edge. You love him for his passion, his commitment, his caring personality. But he does have his flaws in the book that he seeks to have a conversation about and wants to grow from it. Example, a beautifully done discussion about white people speaking over BIPOC voices when it comes to matters that specifically impact BIPOC voices, like racism. Even with his flaws and the fact Finch isn't perfect, you still love him. That, to me, is the definition of a great main character.

The ending was open-ended but in the best way that makes you think that everything will be okay. And I don't think it was really shoved in your face, either, especially when it comes to Finch's family. Regardless, it makes you really believe that Finch and Jonah will get through this okay.

Both Sides Now is probably one of the most important LGBTQ+ books out there today, with writing that will have you crying and laughing on the same page and characters that will steal your heart. Please pre-order this book!

A heartwarming story that touches on so many issues and reminds you of the best of humanity. I adored Finch! He was an anxious, confused teenager dealing with way too much weight on his shoulders, yet he shined as a character. Each character was well-crafted and thought out in such a way that they were real people. A memorable story that touched my heart!

Thanks to NetGalley, SLJTeen Live, and Penguin Young Readers Group for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of this book!

I absolutely loved Both Sides Now. The blurb describing it as a mix of Red, White & Royal Blue and Gilmore Girls was spot on. I was definitely making connections to both of those as I read. I think the strength of all three of these stories is their characters and their aspirations. We get to know many of the background characters, their dreams, and what motivates them. It also challenges our internal biases by showing us that people are complicated.

I picked up this book and I couldn't stop. I LOVE when that happens! This is another book like To All The Boys I Loved Before where despite the story wrapping up nicely, I could easily see it picking up right where it left off in a sequel. I want to see Finch's dreams get realized!

This story is following Finch Kelly who dreams of going to college in DC. In order to do so, he and his debate partner Jonah, need to win the National Speech & Debate Tournament. However, the final debate topic is trans rights which means he might have to debate against his own rights.
This books has amazing friendships that give me the warm fuzzies. The characters all feel so real in their flaws and strengths. I also appreciated the great Filipino representation in Jonah's character.

“My body is my house, I want to tell him. It’s where I live. I haven’t felt safe in it for a long, long time.”

Both Sides Now was a joy to read. I fell in love with Finch and Jonah from the first page. They were such authentic and messy and vulnerable characters. The opening itself was hilarious, and the book never lost that charm even while tackling family troubles, messy relationships, and questioning sexuality. This book had very much ‘Do I want to be you or be with you’ energy, and I loved it.

At the heart of this book was a teen thinking that he knew what he wanted and realizing that maybe he doesn’t know at all. Whether it’s in regard to his sexuality or his life plans, Finch had to roll with the constant punches societal norms and pressure put on us to conform. Doubt can completely throw the well constructed life you’ve built for yourself, so I really appreciated seeing Finch’s journey. There’s something so tiring about debating your existence, especially when you’re questioning things about yourself, and the author nailed that sentiment perfectly. The whole trans debate was so reminiscent of taking a scroll on Twitter that it gave me a visceral reaction.

The side characters were so good in this book, and I loved seeing their interactions with Finch. Jonah was my absolute fave. I felt like a feral dog every time he was mistreated because I wanted to fight. I also loved the spark Finch’s sister brought to the story, and I just wanted better for her. I needed someone like their debate coach when I was in high school cause she was so supportive but also wasn’t afraid to push. Also, Lucy was such a prickly friend and yet I realized that I’m her as a friend, so I truly couldn’t comment negatively on the way she put pressure on Finch sometimes. I did love the way their relationship was so natural though. Throughout the story, there definitely was a theme of wanting to support your best friend but also hating the decisions they make which felt very realistic.

The only thing that would have made this book better is if it didn’t end. I can’t recommend this book enough. Trans people deserve to live their lives like everyone else, so I’m glad teens will have an affirming book like this.

“If I go to this tournament, I will have to stand behind a podium and argue against my own right to take a shit. I’ll have to argue against people who’ve never met a trans person. Who don’t know the first thing about who I am. Who believe everything J. K. Rowling posts on Twitter. I do daily backflips not to engage with these people. Almost no one at this school knows I’m trans, and for good goddamn reason: I wouldn’t be a person anymore. I’d be a political issue.”

Both Sides Now proved to be quite the surprise and I’m not mad about it. We follow Finch Kelly, a debate champion who wants to be the first trans congressman once he’s done with college. The only thing standing between him and high school graduation is the National Speech & Debate Tournament and Finch, together with his debating partner and friend Jonah is ready to let all hell loose. That is, until they get the topic they’re about to argue for and against: transgender rights to use the bathrooms of their choice. Suddenly, Finch finds himself having to argue against his own humanity to get a full-ride scholarship to college.

A powerful premise and even more powerful book, Both Sides Now had a lot going for it. Granted, I had some trouble getting into the book because the beginning was very much written as if you were supposed to know all these characters already and that left me feeling a bit like a fish out of water. Once the first third of the book was over, though, I finally had a grasp on Finch and really enjoyed the book. There is a lot of discussion of transphobia and people’s basic human rights being turned into a political issue instead of a human one and it’s a lot of food for thought.

Finch doesn’t have an easy life—on top of being trans and the way it impacts his body image, he also struggles with his family’s financial issues, living with parents who constantly fight and a sister who doesn’t want him to leave her alone with them once he’s off to college. But Finch is an incredible headstrong character who fights for what he believes in and clings to his dream of becoming the first trans congressman and I loved his tenacity.

There’s also a romance plot that made me swoon because I love friends-to-lovers situations and all the more so if these feelings are kind of obvious to everyone except the characters themselves. The love interest had such a journey in this book—and a horrible boyfriend to boot—and it was sweet to see Finch and them finding their way to each other. It added a lot to the already emotional story.

There were, however, a few moments between Finch and other characters, especially his friend Lucy that left me questioning just how good their friendship was. They both often say how important they are to each other but the way they treat each other sometimes felt counterintuitive—e.g. Lucy breaking up with Finch the second he comes out as transgender because she’s a lesbian and doesn’t want a boyfriend felt very harsh and made me wonder how that didn’t impact their friendship at all. That might just be me, but Lucy says a lot of things about Finch being trans that made me want to throttle her, so if you’re not into some of the stereotypical quips people come up with, then be warned of Lucy.

That being said, though, all the characters added something vital to the story and I really enjoyed the complexity of Finch and his struggles to make his way in the world. I think this book will mean a lot to readers, both young and old, and will definitely teach some valuable lessons.

Perfect for fans of The Politician on Netflix and The (Un)Popular Vote, Both Sides Now is a heartfelt, politically savvy story that exposes the ethicality of debate and shows that some issues—like human rights for all—should be no-brainers, always.

5/5 stars, I am in love with this story and some of the things it represents

<i> Thank you Penguin Teen for the arc through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review! </i>

This was an amazing story, I loved every second of it and the debate aspect was really unique. The story follows trans high schooler Finch, as he hopes to win the debate championship so he can get into Georgetown. But he finds out that the subject for debate finals is trans students and bathrooms, which hits really close to home for him. As he struggles with this, he also has to deal with family problems and potentially falling in love with his gay debate partner Jonah. The story was constantly talking about / showing important topics, and handled it all very nicely in my opinion. It was hard to read at times and I think that's what makes it all the more special to me, it was impactful.

This book handles a lot of topics very effectively, especially because they use debate as a way to show all these problems within the world. There is so much going on, and a lot of it is actually nuanced. Some are left up for interpretation for the reader but looking back I believe most of it was given good thought and explanation for how it is harmful. The book characters deal with homophobia, racism in media, transphobia, struggling with self-identity, trans-rights issues (especially in bathrooms), family issues (such as class & money), struggling for your future, and bad relationships.

One of my favorite parts was how Finch and all the other high schoolers felt like real teens, too often I think stories try too hard. Finch and his friends didn't go around talking about pop culture 24/7, although they did talk about some lesser-known niche sort of things, they had real conversations and it was really nice. They truly honestly felt like people I would hang out with or people that I would know. The best part about how they all felt like true teens, was that it turned out to be an outstanding character piece. The backdrop of the things this book handles with the teens, really showed them confronting all of their flaws. In my opinion, it is super important to show teens stumbling and messing up because too often such high standards are placed on their shoulders. They are still learning just like the rest of us, and making mistakes is part of their journey.

Finch and Jonah were both amazing and standout characters, I loved being able to hear their story. They kicked butt at debate every time they were up on the stage, and that was honestly so wonderful to see. The romance slowly grew from friends to lovers, and it was great to see such a solid base of friendship between the two. It made the payoff all the more emotional and satisfying. They always had each other's backs, and each time they interacted my heart beat a little faster. They're so amazing as friends and lovers and I was so happy to read their story.

Personally, this was such an impactful read for me and I was so in love with it through its entirety. I didn't expect to enjoy the debate backdrop as much as I did, but it really allowed for certain ideas to shine through. All of the characters felt very real and being able to see the progression of the romance made me so happy. A must-read for anyone who loves contemporary and young adults.