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Both Sides Now
Gilmore Girls meets Red, White and Royal Blue in this witty and warm-hearted novel about a trans teen finding his place in the world.
There's only one thing standing between Finch Kelly and a full-blown case of high school senioritis: the National Speech & Debate Tournament. Taking home the gold would not only be the pinnacle of Finch's debating career, but the perfect way to launch himself into his next chapter: college in Washington, D.C. and a history-making career as the first trans congressman. What could possibly go wrong?
Well, for starters, Finch could develop a teeny tiny crush on his very attractive, very taken, and very gay debate partner, Jonah. Never mind that Finch has never considered whether he's interested in more than just girls.
And that dream of college in DC? Finch hasn't exactly been accepted anywhere yet, let alone received the full-ride scholarship he'll need to make this dream a reality.
Worst of all, though, is this year's topic for Nationals: transgender rights. If he wants to cinch the gold, and get into college, Finch might have to argue against his own humanity.
People say there are two sides to every argument. But, as Finch is about to discover, some things--like who you are and who you love--are not up for debate.
There's only one thing standing between Finch Kelly and a full-blown case of high school senioritis: the National Speech & Debate Tournament. Taking home the gold would not only be the pinnacle of Finch's debating career, but the perfect way to launch himself into his next chapter: college in Washington, D.C. and a history-making career as the first trans congressman. What could possibly go wrong?
Well, for starters, Finch could develop a teeny tiny crush on his very attractive, very taken, and very gay debate partner, Jonah. Never mind that Finch has never considered whether he's interested in more than just girls.
And that dream of college in DC? Finch hasn't exactly been accepted anywhere yet, let alone received the full-ride scholarship he'll need to make this dream a reality.
Worst of all, though, is this year's topic for Nationals: transgender rights. If he wants to cinch the gold, and get into college, Finch might have to argue against his own humanity.
People say there are two sides to every argument. But, as Finch is about to discover, some things--like who you are and who you love--are not up for debate.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published August 24, 2021
45 people are currently reading
5228 people want to read
About the author
Peyton Thomas
2 books46 followersPeyton Thomas is an author and journalist based in Toronto. His debut novel Both Sides Now won the 2022 International Literacy Association Award for Young Adult Fiction. The New York Times called Both Sides Now a young adult book to watch for. The Globe and Mail named Both Sides Now one of the best young adult books of 2021 and the CBC named it one of the best Canadian young adult books of 2021.
Peyton is currently at work on his second novel, a contemporary interpretation of Little Women. You can read more about this forthcoming book in the New York Times and Oprah Daily.
Peyton's non-fiction has appeared in the New York Times and Vanity Fair, among other publications. He was a 2016 Lambda Literary Fellow and a 2014 recipient of the Norma Epstein Foundation Award in Creative Writing. He graduated from the University of Toronto in 2015, majoring in political science and sexual diversity studies. He is currently a candidate for the degree of Master of Liberal Arts in extension studies in the field of creative writing and literature at Harvard University. He is a proud member of the Louisa May Alcott Society and the International David Foster Wallace Society.
Peyton also hosts Jo's Boys, a podcast about Little Women and the novel's unsung queer and trans legacy.
Peyton is currently at work on his second novel, a contemporary interpretation of Little Women. You can read more about this forthcoming book in the New York Times and Oprah Daily.
Peyton's non-fiction has appeared in the New York Times and Vanity Fair, among other publications. He was a 2016 Lambda Literary Fellow and a 2014 recipient of the Norma Epstein Foundation Award in Creative Writing. He graduated from the University of Toronto in 2015, majoring in political science and sexual diversity studies. He is currently a candidate for the degree of Master of Liberal Arts in extension studies in the field of creative writing and literature at Harvard University. He is a proud member of the Louisa May Alcott Society and the International David Foster Wallace Society.
Peyton also hosts Jo's Boys, a podcast about Little Women and the novel's unsung queer and trans legacy.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 302 reviews
August 28, 2021
Personally I do not feel it is subversive to write about your white protagonist agonizing over how racist and ignorant his POC colleagues are being. In fact, it’s obnoxious. I could go on, but what’s the point. An absolutely soulless endeavor.
August 31, 2021
sorry but i don't really think it's progressive to have the protagonist be irish catholic and then have the main antagonist be a rich jewish girl who is often described as hairy and manly and include a super racist and misogynistic desi character to be called out by the white protagonist and his buddies of color for brownie points. there are so many passages of this book that make it very clear that there was not a single sensitivity reader and it's an indictment of the author's team that any of this made it through rounds of editing. and if that weren't bad enough it's poorly written too! just absolutely awful. would rate half a star if i could.
September 1, 2021
Very, very typical of a white queer narrative to be racist. There is nothing revolutionary about the righteousness of white people- frequently the narrator is portrayed to be "more woke" than his colleagues of color despite being L I T E R A L L Y white. Also horrible stereotype of a South Asian fuckboy, as in I can tell the author does not see people of color with any depth or life other than as a backdrop to their white-centric journey. Spare us next time and keep this kind of racist garbage to AO3. The publishing world does not need more of this.
September 2, 2021
read Peyton Thomas's book about a white 17 year old falling in love with another 17 year old boy who is a pee oh cee, I said. how bad can it be, I said.
there is a lot I hated about this book, but this is already long and I cannot cover everything I didn't like because there was a lot. spoilers ahead. tl;dr: peyton thomas thanks the south park guys in the acknowledgements. that's all you really need to know. don't waste your time!!! don't be like me!!!!!! I thought it would be fun!!!! it wasn't!!!
Peyton Thomas should not have attempted to tackle racism and the political sentiment of the youth of today, what with first of all having an awkward history of the former himself and second of all just fumbling the bag completely on both counts.
I'm not black, so I don't want to overstep here, but I cannot review this book without mentioning that Nasir is a real problem. here he is almost certainly dropping the n-word in the second chapter: "'Bout time," he shouts. 'Ready to get fucked up, my [hair-raising racial slur Nasir's got no business deploying][sic]s?'" (note the censoring and the ~quirky self-aware lampshading~~ comment, neither of which change the facts of this sentence written by a white man) and, just: "'Oh, Jonah, my man." Nasir plants a sympathetic punch on Jonah's shoulder. 'On God we gon'[sic] get you laid tonight.'" these were both completely unnecessary moments. these were the only two instances Nasir talks like this but they were enough to turn my stomach. it is not Peyton Thomas's place to make commentary about rampant antiblackness within nonblack communities of colour, except he doesn't even use these shitty out of place moments to do that! I cannot emphasise enough that both of these comments are completely swept past. Nasir assuming that Finch is a big drinker because he's Irish gets a bigger rise out of Finch than him using the n-word.
yes, you read that right, there is an unironic moment of reverse racism in this book!! Thomas even uses the five dollar word "Hibernophobia" and makes a reference to Ellis Island. I repeat: Nasir just dropped the n-word. Finch can be like "WOAH WOAH WOAH. WOAH!!! HOLD YOUR FRICKING HORSES BUDDY." about a comment about the drinking habits of Irish Americans, but not that? (also. I need to say this somewhere because Jesus Christ. Nasir is South Asian from what I understand. why the fuck would he make a snide comment about Jonah getting Asian flush??? is Nasir not Asian too??? make it make sense???? you cannot write a dickbag white guy and then give him brown skin. that's not how it works.)
let's get to Ari Schechter. Finch's numerous comments about how wealthy Ari's family is and how it is only due to that wealth that she got into Georgetown (which she then admits herself right at the end!) become incredibly gross in hindsight when, halfway through the book, we find out she is, in fact, Jewish! like, I get that he's 17 and upset about his Gerogetown deferral. 17 year olds are immature and bitter and beyond that his class position is a huge part of this book, but there comes a point where you have to think about what you're putting down on paper to be published lol. there are also various moments of hypocrisy where Finch (Ari at this stage still assumes he's cis, so to her, in this moment, she is alone in a room with 3 cis boys) implies that she should flash him and the other two boys in the room to prove that she is "really" a woman: "'Finch, if you ran this line of questioning in a real debate, I'd report you for sexual harassment.'
Jonah raps his knuckles on the table. 'So you admit that interrogating people about their junk is sexual harassment?'
[...] 'I'm waiting for my answer,' I say, feeling smug now; I've got her cornered. 'Please, Ms. Schechter, go ahead: prove to everyone here that you're a woman.'
'Well, no, Finch, I'm not going to lift my skirt and flash a roomful of teenage boys,' she says [...]"
Wow haha what a roast, Finch and Jonah! That really showed her! except, later in the same chapter, it's revealed that she might not even believe the point she's arguing for at all, which Finch himself has had to do in this book, and has already pointed out that this is something he likes about debate: that it makes you see every side of an issue.
let's talk about Adwoa! she buys Finch a plane ticket when his parents refund his original one. she tells him to go after Jonah when he crytexts her. she has a heart to heart with him about whether or not he's okay with debating the bathroom issue. she is there for him again and again in a way that he cannot be there for her, due to the dynamic of her being a college graduate/teaching figure to Finch. the fact that Finch has such a strong supporter when so much is crumbling around him would be sweet if not for the fact that she has to do it for very little in return. now, I think it would've been weird if he had fully reciprocated because he's 17 and she's, what, 23? but it speaks to an issue with the actual creation of the character where she inherently is putting in more than she gets in return. with Finch, Jonah, and Adwoa going to get coffee, and the three of them plus Jonah's boyfriend riding the bus back home, it really feels like at some point she was maybe supposed to be a classmate or something and then just... wasn't. but anyway, as such, this leads to Adwoa, the only black character in the main cast, essentially becoming little more than just a cheerleader or an emotional dumping ground for Finch by the end of the book.
now, I dared to dream at first. for a good two paragraphs after her first appearance, I dared to hope. she challenges her debate class's assumption that Obama was the opposing force of a good president when they come to the consensus that Trump is an outlier of plain, base evil to have held immigrant children in cages. I had the audacity to get excited about this moment! like, Christ, are we about to have an interesting discussion about whether it is possible to become the President of the United States and maintain any semblance of "good"ness? is it possible to ascend through the ranks of a murderous government of a murderous country and maintain your humanity? Nope! we get the question of if Obama "who's so much smarter than me, done so much more for the world than I'm ever gonna do--if he could miss something so obvious, what am I missing?", which is fucking weird because Central American kids being detained as they waited to be reunited with their parents was hardly, like, clandestine intelligence operations. I don't know how easy that is to "miss". Obama was probably aware what was happening. Thomas could've used a different example to make the same point more effectively. but anyway! how does that idea resolve? well! the resolution to that particular idea is, I shit you not, "Good people get talked into evil all the time." which is again used to emphasize the importance of debate. the idea that there was some little imp sitting on Obama's shoulder saying "Barack. Best friend. You have to put these children in concrete holding cells. It's good for the country. I know u want to do it." instead of Obama and Trump both simply fulfilling the role of their job, upholding the white supremacy that the USA was founded on, is a really fucking weird take. I think this exemplifies the weird somewhat naive trust that the main characters have in the core principal of U.S. government in the book, apart from Lucy whose entire shtick is that she's like a little anarchist.
you know what else sucked? during a conversation between Finch and Adwoa over the debate topic for Nationals, they have this exchange where, in another world, this isn't such a fucking white book, Aodwa's response would be kind of killer: "'I honestly don't know how you do it.' I can hear awe sneaking into my own voice. 'I never have the energy to engage with people like that.'
'Well, I have to "engage" whether I like it or not[.]'"
if her response had been left at this, it would've honestly made the following paragraph where his head does come back down to reality so much stronger (though it still would've needed a tighter edit and, maybe a sensitivity reader lmfao), because it would show, like, empathy and brain-having in Finch. however, Thomas decides this is a good moment to continue Adwoa's response, by just chucking in a mention of the death of Sandra Bland, and how Adwoa fears that she could one day become the person who needs to be advocated for. this leads to Finch realising how self-absorbed he's being over whether or not to go to Nationals, and he decides he can debate it after all. this moment of Aodwa's pain and fear followed by the reference to an actual real life black woman, an actual person with a history and a life and family, who died at the hands of police becomes a stepping stone for the white protagonist to get to the next stop on his emotional arc. and then just like that the scene moves pretty quickly back into a conversation with Jonah about silly coffee orders.
and I mean obviously the way this book tackles Jonah existing in the world as a non-white body is just. bad. all of it was bad. I thought Adwoa telling him that no white boyfriend was worth shrinking yourself for was a sweet moment, but I did also think it was weird that Peyton Thomas, as a whitey, had her be like "now I've dated many a whitey in my day and let me tell you" like... bit jokes innit, bit funny. I don't have much to say on this point, honestly, I just didn't like it particularly. Jonah deserved better. I didn't like that when Jonah tells Finch he can fight his own battles, Finch has to tell him to be harsh to him. why does Jonah need Finch's permission to tell Finch that him bringing up a painful discussion of racism that Jonah was avoiding having with Bailey was totally out of line? and I'm sure we've all read the "Kennedy from Calabarzon" snippet, but actually reading the book, it is made all the worse by Finch's constant noting of his own incredibly pale skin and the "elfin" and pale features of Bailey. it's weird and fetishistic.
the one thing I thought was genuinely interesting was the reveal that Finch adamant that he wasn't gay because it was a requirement to go onto hormones as a kid, because that wasn't shoved down our throats when it was revealed, and it made the little comments throughout make more sense, as good reveals should! but out of however many pages this book has, that was the only thing resembling a twist that worked at all. you do da math. also the very brief but concrete condemnation of Israel was bare-minimum but, y'know, nice--which is one thing it has over its spiritual sibling (Derogatory), RWRB.
anyway. I did not enjoy this book. it was nice to read about a trans character finding joy and love but also considering the path it took to get there it kind of cancelled it out lol. this book read like a fanfiction and was just generally quite shoddily written with a lot of telling not showing and just dialogue and tropes that really felt like they came right off of ao3. this is 6 hours of my life I'll never get back.
bonus petty notes speed round!
1) the phrase "terf[sic] talking points" is used twice in a noticeably short period of book. not TERF. not "trans exclusionary radical feminist". terf. i too love being in an informal internet space when reading a literal book?????? just say transphobic/transmisogynistic.
2) petty petty petty petty but it must be said. I JUST FEEL LIKE Bailey's breakdown would have happened on his Instagram story!!!!
3) the acknowledgements for Bill fucking Hader and the South Park guys and Natalie Wynn... not this <3
4) I never want to read another BreadTube reference in a published book ever again. OR an unironic Hamilton reference. why are they so fucking obsessed with Hamilton? is this 2016 twitter? where are we?
5) speaking of. why is Finch like "woaugh lucy wants to be a breadtuber but i dont get it xx" and then several chapters he's like "oooughhh babe wake up new contrapoints just dropped".
6) why is the entire audience shocked into rapture by Finch being like "no fuk u actually i kno im opposition but the bathroom issue isnt an issue bc of these good points" like yes he is objectively right but reading it was so weird because like the entire audience and the judges are like wowww he went against the grain.................. clap clap ... wiping tears......... like I'm sorry but his speech was not written viciously enough for the reaction it got
7) why did finch not know the flag of his best friend's country. what was that.
there is a lot I hated about this book, but this is already long and I cannot cover everything I didn't like because there was a lot. spoilers ahead. tl;dr: peyton thomas thanks the south park guys in the acknowledgements. that's all you really need to know. don't waste your time!!! don't be like me!!!!!! I thought it would be fun!!!! it wasn't!!!
Peyton Thomas should not have attempted to tackle racism and the political sentiment of the youth of today, what with first of all having an awkward history of the former himself and second of all just fumbling the bag completely on both counts.
I'm not black, so I don't want to overstep here, but I cannot review this book without mentioning that Nasir is a real problem. here he is almost certainly dropping the n-word in the second chapter: "'Bout time," he shouts. 'Ready to get fucked up, my [hair-raising racial slur Nasir's got no business deploying][sic]s?'" (note the censoring and the ~quirky self-aware lampshading~~ comment, neither of which change the facts of this sentence written by a white man) and, just: "'Oh, Jonah, my man." Nasir plants a sympathetic punch on Jonah's shoulder. 'On God we gon'[sic] get you laid tonight.'" these were both completely unnecessary moments. these were the only two instances Nasir talks like this but they were enough to turn my stomach. it is not Peyton Thomas's place to make commentary about rampant antiblackness within nonblack communities of colour, except he doesn't even use these shitty out of place moments to do that! I cannot emphasise enough that both of these comments are completely swept past. Nasir assuming that Finch is a big drinker because he's Irish gets a bigger rise out of Finch than him using the n-word.
yes, you read that right, there is an unironic moment of reverse racism in this book!! Thomas even uses the five dollar word "Hibernophobia" and makes a reference to Ellis Island. I repeat: Nasir just dropped the n-word. Finch can be like "WOAH WOAH WOAH. WOAH!!! HOLD YOUR FRICKING HORSES BUDDY." about a comment about the drinking habits of Irish Americans, but not that? (also. I need to say this somewhere because Jesus Christ. Nasir is South Asian from what I understand. why the fuck would he make a snide comment about Jonah getting Asian flush??? is Nasir not Asian too??? make it make sense???? you cannot write a dickbag white guy and then give him brown skin. that's not how it works.)
let's get to Ari Schechter. Finch's numerous comments about how wealthy Ari's family is and how it is only due to that wealth that she got into Georgetown (which she then admits herself right at the end!) become incredibly gross in hindsight when, halfway through the book, we find out she is, in fact, Jewish! like, I get that he's 17 and upset about his Gerogetown deferral. 17 year olds are immature and bitter and beyond that his class position is a huge part of this book, but there comes a point where you have to think about what you're putting down on paper to be published lol. there are also various moments of hypocrisy where Finch (Ari at this stage still assumes he's cis, so to her, in this moment, she is alone in a room with 3 cis boys) implies that she should flash him and the other two boys in the room to prove that she is "really" a woman: "'Finch, if you ran this line of questioning in a real debate, I'd report you for sexual harassment.'
Jonah raps his knuckles on the table. 'So you admit that interrogating people about their junk is sexual harassment?'
[...] 'I'm waiting for my answer,' I say, feeling smug now; I've got her cornered. 'Please, Ms. Schechter, go ahead: prove to everyone here that you're a woman.'
'Well, no, Finch, I'm not going to lift my skirt and flash a roomful of teenage boys,' she says [...]"
Wow haha what a roast, Finch and Jonah! That really showed her! except, later in the same chapter, it's revealed that she might not even believe the point she's arguing for at all, which Finch himself has had to do in this book, and has already pointed out that this is something he likes about debate: that it makes you see every side of an issue.
let's talk about Adwoa! she buys Finch a plane ticket when his parents refund his original one. she tells him to go after Jonah when he crytexts her. she has a heart to heart with him about whether or not he's okay with debating the bathroom issue. she is there for him again and again in a way that he cannot be there for her, due to the dynamic of her being a college graduate/teaching figure to Finch. the fact that Finch has such a strong supporter when so much is crumbling around him would be sweet if not for the fact that she has to do it for very little in return. now, I think it would've been weird if he had fully reciprocated because he's 17 and she's, what, 23? but it speaks to an issue with the actual creation of the character where she inherently is putting in more than she gets in return. with Finch, Jonah, and Adwoa going to get coffee, and the three of them plus Jonah's boyfriend riding the bus back home, it really feels like at some point she was maybe supposed to be a classmate or something and then just... wasn't. but anyway, as such, this leads to Adwoa, the only black character in the main cast, essentially becoming little more than just a cheerleader or an emotional dumping ground for Finch by the end of the book.
now, I dared to dream at first. for a good two paragraphs after her first appearance, I dared to hope. she challenges her debate class's assumption that Obama was the opposing force of a good president when they come to the consensus that Trump is an outlier of plain, base evil to have held immigrant children in cages. I had the audacity to get excited about this moment! like, Christ, are we about to have an interesting discussion about whether it is possible to become the President of the United States and maintain any semblance of "good"ness? is it possible to ascend through the ranks of a murderous government of a murderous country and maintain your humanity? Nope! we get the question of if Obama "who's so much smarter than me, done so much more for the world than I'm ever gonna do--if he could miss something so obvious, what am I missing?", which is fucking weird because Central American kids being detained as they waited to be reunited with their parents was hardly, like, clandestine intelligence operations. I don't know how easy that is to "miss". Obama was probably aware what was happening. Thomas could've used a different example to make the same point more effectively. but anyway! how does that idea resolve? well! the resolution to that particular idea is, I shit you not, "Good people get talked into evil all the time." which is again used to emphasize the importance of debate. the idea that there was some little imp sitting on Obama's shoulder saying "Barack. Best friend. You have to put these children in concrete holding cells. It's good for the country. I know u want to do it." instead of Obama and Trump both simply fulfilling the role of their job, upholding the white supremacy that the USA was founded on, is a really fucking weird take. I think this exemplifies the weird somewhat naive trust that the main characters have in the core principal of U.S. government in the book, apart from Lucy whose entire shtick is that she's like a little anarchist.
you know what else sucked? during a conversation between Finch and Adwoa over the debate topic for Nationals, they have this exchange where, in another world, this isn't such a fucking white book, Aodwa's response would be kind of killer: "'I honestly don't know how you do it.' I can hear awe sneaking into my own voice. 'I never have the energy to engage with people like that.'
'Well, I have to "engage" whether I like it or not[.]'"
if her response had been left at this, it would've honestly made the following paragraph where his head does come back down to reality so much stronger (though it still would've needed a tighter edit and, maybe a sensitivity reader lmfao), because it would show, like, empathy and brain-having in Finch. however, Thomas decides this is a good moment to continue Adwoa's response, by just chucking in a mention of the death of Sandra Bland, and how Adwoa fears that she could one day become the person who needs to be advocated for. this leads to Finch realising how self-absorbed he's being over whether or not to go to Nationals, and he decides he can debate it after all. this moment of Aodwa's pain and fear followed by the reference to an actual real life black woman, an actual person with a history and a life and family, who died at the hands of police becomes a stepping stone for the white protagonist to get to the next stop on his emotional arc. and then just like that the scene moves pretty quickly back into a conversation with Jonah about silly coffee orders.
and I mean obviously the way this book tackles Jonah existing in the world as a non-white body is just. bad. all of it was bad. I thought Adwoa telling him that no white boyfriend was worth shrinking yourself for was a sweet moment, but I did also think it was weird that Peyton Thomas, as a whitey, had her be like "now I've dated many a whitey in my day and let me tell you" like... bit jokes innit, bit funny. I don't have much to say on this point, honestly, I just didn't like it particularly. Jonah deserved better. I didn't like that when Jonah tells Finch he can fight his own battles, Finch has to tell him to be harsh to him. why does Jonah need Finch's permission to tell Finch that him bringing up a painful discussion of racism that Jonah was avoiding having with Bailey was totally out of line? and I'm sure we've all read the "Kennedy from Calabarzon" snippet, but actually reading the book, it is made all the worse by Finch's constant noting of his own incredibly pale skin and the "elfin" and pale features of Bailey. it's weird and fetishistic.
the one thing I thought was genuinely interesting was the reveal that Finch adamant that he wasn't gay because it was a requirement to go onto hormones as a kid, because that wasn't shoved down our throats when it was revealed, and it made the little comments throughout make more sense, as good reveals should! but out of however many pages this book has, that was the only thing resembling a twist that worked at all. you do da math. also the very brief but concrete condemnation of Israel was bare-minimum but, y'know, nice--which is one thing it has over its spiritual sibling (Derogatory), RWRB.
anyway. I did not enjoy this book. it was nice to read about a trans character finding joy and love but also considering the path it took to get there it kind of cancelled it out lol. this book read like a fanfiction and was just generally quite shoddily written with a lot of telling not showing and just dialogue and tropes that really felt like they came right off of ao3. this is 6 hours of my life I'll never get back.
bonus petty notes speed round!
1) the phrase "terf[sic] talking points" is used twice in a noticeably short period of book. not TERF. not "trans exclusionary radical feminist". terf. i too love being in an informal internet space when reading a literal book?????? just say transphobic/transmisogynistic.
2) petty petty petty petty but it must be said. I JUST FEEL LIKE Bailey's breakdown would have happened on his Instagram story!!!!
3) the acknowledgements for Bill fucking Hader and the South Park guys and Natalie Wynn... not this <3
4) I never want to read another BreadTube reference in a published book ever again. OR an unironic Hamilton reference. why are they so fucking obsessed with Hamilton? is this 2016 twitter? where are we?
5) speaking of. why is Finch like "woaugh lucy wants to be a breadtuber but i dont get it xx" and then several chapters he's like "oooughhh babe wake up new contrapoints just dropped".
6) why is the entire audience shocked into rapture by Finch being like "no fuk u actually i kno im opposition but the bathroom issue isnt an issue bc of these good points" like yes he is objectively right but reading it was so weird because like the entire audience and the judges are like wowww he went against the grain.................. clap clap ... wiping tears......... like I'm sorry but his speech was not written viciously enough for the reaction it got
7) why did finch not know the flag of his best friend's country. what was that.
September 1, 2021
Even your racist south park fan fiction can get published! We are constantly lowering the bar for books!
September 1, 2021
I cannot believe more people haven't commented on how wildly racist this book is. Having a white, Irish-Catholic main character who actually unironically accuses a Brown character of "hibernophobia" made me feel unhinged, and it was only downhill from there. I'm sick of white queer people prioritizing "queer representation" over the concerns of people of color, and I'm sick of white queer people overstepping their boundaries when it comes to race issues. Your queerness doesn't make you less white.
September 2, 2021
A stunning, brave portrayal of the ways in which surrounding yourself with people who refuse to criticise you will stunt not only your writing skills, but also your entire personality. Book sucks though, I'm desperate for a good trans story but not THIS desperate; didn't finish.
September 10, 2021
ohhhhhh boy.
i'm going to be honest about two things upfront. the first is that i absolutely went into this book with the intention to hateread it. i have been aware of the author's internet presence for a decade, and i have seen and read enough to know that his behaviour is abhorrent, his views are questionable, and his writing is mediocre at best. it would be a lie to say i started this book from an unbiased standpoint.
that said, the SECOND thing i am going to be honest about is this: as petty and as negative as i can be, i am willing to admit when people i dislike create something good. had this book ended up being a fantastic piece of literature, i would have hung my head in shame and admitted as such. it would have hurt me to do so, but i would have done it.
fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately depending on how you look at it, this was not the case. both sides now is hundreds of pages of cringey, tasteless, and frankly BAD writing that makes the twilight/gossip girl crossover fanfiction i wrote at age 12 seem like a masterpiece. getting through this was like stumbling through a jigsaw trap but even worse because there was no pay off at the end. all i got was the power to say i finished it and therefore could hate it rightfully because i knew the material. and what good is power if it comes at such a cost? what good are bragging rights if you had to waste precious hours of your life to do so? what good is the written word if it allows soulless endeavours like this to be published?
these are all questions i'd like the answer to, but i don't know if i'll find them. i certainly didn't find them in between these pages, squinting at the screen of the pdf because i love myself too much to spend money on this. my eyes are weak. my heart is crushed. my brain has less cells than it did a week ago when i started this horrific journey. i took a bullet for my friends by being the one to read this. and i think they'll have to take a literal bullet to make it up to me.
but without further ado, let's launch into the terribly conceived, written, and edited world of both sides now by peyton thomas, a novel that would surely infuriate joni mitchell if she knew her music was being used this way. (JONI MITCHELL ON BOOK BASED ON HER SONG: "IF PEYTON THOMAS IS GOING TO WRITE IT, GOOD LUCK.")
both sides now tells the story of finch kelly, a plucky young redheaded boy who loves debating and the us government and is also trans. many will say that he is just kyle broflovski of south park fame, given peyton's known history as a fan of the show, but peyton was clever enough to throw us off track by changing one major aspect: unlike the jewish kyle, finch is an irish catholic. of course, this is something he is bullied for, and given the source, you have to wonder if peyton thinks saying "irish people drink a lot" is as bad as violent antisemitism. you would be reasonable to wonder this, as the character who bullies kyle I MEAN FINCH for being irish is clearly based on cartman, except he's now...a brown boy. nothing else about his character was changed, mind you. peyton took the violent, racist, antisemitic, misogynistic, homophobic, transphobic character from south park, racebent him to throw people off trail and perhaps shoehorn in some mindblowingly offensive ""representation"", and called it a day. nasir is antiblack, makes snide comments about gay people, jokes about a character getting the "asian flush" (even though nasir himself is asian) and sees women as objects. finch objects to all of this, but only inwardly, because he may be a debater but that doesn't mean he calls out bigoted beliefs OFF the stage.
because finch kelly is an INCREDIBLY unlikeable protagonist, but peyton never seems to realise that. how could he, when finch is his self insert as well as being kyle broflovski? recognising that finch is selfish, shallow, rude, petty, misogynist, and so on, would require PEYTON to recognise these things in himself. and if there's one thing we've learned from a decade of callouts and no changed behaviour, it's that peyton is incapable of being self aware. and so we're given a protagonist who i never had any desire to root for.
i could spend HOURS criticising the awful characterisation, the offensive stereotypes, the rushed relationships, and the not so subtle sources of inspiration (finch's last name is kelly because this was also once it's always sunny in philadelphia fanfiction, because of course it was), but others have already done it better than me and are better suited to discuss the rampant racism and antisemitism. so i'll just close off this section by saying that jonah deserved far better than someone like finch, especially after recently ending things with his racist and controlling white boyfriend. jonah does not need someone like finch, who is driven by his unearned superiority and privileged status that is never fully tackled. as awful and disgusting as bailey is, i find it hard to believe that jonah would find safety in finch.
unsurprisingly, given peyton's centrist beliefs and the works he cites as inspirations for this book, the politics in this book are AWFUL. the stand out moment is perhaps when finch's debate teacher (adwoa, a black woman who seems to exist primarily to guide finch and help him with his struggles, while her own are only briefly touched upon) tells the debate team that debate is about seeing EVERY perspective. she asks them if anyone is fully evil, and when a student mentions trump and his horrific act of putting children in cages, adwoa counters that obama did the exact same thing. if you're like me, you might perhaps naively hope that peyton starts a good conversation for the first time in his life, and bring to light the war crimes and human rights violations caused by politicians regardless of their party. but no. instead, adwoa says that good people can do bad things, and obama was a smart and good man who was just misled. as if all the terrible things he did when he was president were just little mistakes. oops!
my mistake, apparently, was believing that the man who named his cat after hilary clinton despite being a canadian, would ever provide well earned criticisms of the american demoncrats.
it should be noted, that finch, who prides himself on being SO smart that he is a GENIUS and DESERVES to go to georgetown, was unaware of obama's crimes. this character, who we're supposed to believe is so knowledgeable about politics that his life goal is to move to washington and become the first trans person in congress (his belief that politicians are good people who cause good changes and "things happen" in washington is, of course, never contradicted), did not know that a president did shitty things when in power. this stuff isn't a secret, finch! you can know about it just by going on twitter! and i know you have twitter, because you go on it to read tweets from classmates about wanting to date shawn mendes! educate yourself, buddy, and maybe THEN you'll get into georgetown with ari!
but i digress.
unpacking every issue in this book would take a hundred years, and so i'm going to end this review with a more superficial aspect that i despised: the outdated and unfunny cultural references that were either stolen jokes but written worse, or things no teenager in 2021 would be saying. gamer girl bath water is two years old, dude. the princess diana bit is the most overdone john mulaney moment on the internet. and sure, things like hamilton and the bath & body works rant were references that i would have understood in high school - but i graduated five a half years ago. you would think that someone notorious for inserting himself into spaces dominated by minors would have some understanding of what teenagers like, but instead the most relevant cultural thing he talks about is riverdale. and i'm pretty sure that the only people who actually like riverdale are twenty somethings who defend it in the name of camp (myself included). finch kelly doesn't know obama committed war crimes but he DOES know that mitt romney tied his diarrhetic dog to the roof of his car back in 2012. SERIOUSLY? i only know that because of big fat quiz of the year. and i was old enough to use the internet in 2012, unlike finch.
god. anyway. do not read this book. do not buy this book. do not support this author. it's not even worth the hateread. there is not one single redeeming quality in this novel, because on top of being offensive and outdated, the writing is just BAD. peyton combined his #greatesthits tumblr posts, fetched some unfinished fanfiction out of his computer, stole some jokes, and threw it all together in a blender with a dash of centrist politics and decided to call it a book. and maybe it is, in the literal sense, but it shouldn't be.
absolute garbage. i'd give it no stars if i could. i should have run the moment i saw the south park creators being thanked in the acknowledgements along with bill hader and a comedy tumblr account.
my only suggestion to you, dear stranger, is that if you decide to read this book: play the drinking game i invented to get through it, and take a shot every time someone mentions georgetown. easy way to get hammered, which is what you'll be needing after this.
and on that note, i'm going to get a drink.
i'm going to be honest about two things upfront. the first is that i absolutely went into this book with the intention to hateread it. i have been aware of the author's internet presence for a decade, and i have seen and read enough to know that his behaviour is abhorrent, his views are questionable, and his writing is mediocre at best. it would be a lie to say i started this book from an unbiased standpoint.
that said, the SECOND thing i am going to be honest about is this: as petty and as negative as i can be, i am willing to admit when people i dislike create something good. had this book ended up being a fantastic piece of literature, i would have hung my head in shame and admitted as such. it would have hurt me to do so, but i would have done it.
fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately depending on how you look at it, this was not the case. both sides now is hundreds of pages of cringey, tasteless, and frankly BAD writing that makes the twilight/gossip girl crossover fanfiction i wrote at age 12 seem like a masterpiece. getting through this was like stumbling through a jigsaw trap but even worse because there was no pay off at the end. all i got was the power to say i finished it and therefore could hate it rightfully because i knew the material. and what good is power if it comes at such a cost? what good are bragging rights if you had to waste precious hours of your life to do so? what good is the written word if it allows soulless endeavours like this to be published?
these are all questions i'd like the answer to, but i don't know if i'll find them. i certainly didn't find them in between these pages, squinting at the screen of the pdf because i love myself too much to spend money on this. my eyes are weak. my heart is crushed. my brain has less cells than it did a week ago when i started this horrific journey. i took a bullet for my friends by being the one to read this. and i think they'll have to take a literal bullet to make it up to me.
but without further ado, let's launch into the terribly conceived, written, and edited world of both sides now by peyton thomas, a novel that would surely infuriate joni mitchell if she knew her music was being used this way. (JONI MITCHELL ON BOOK BASED ON HER SONG: "IF PEYTON THOMAS IS GOING TO WRITE IT, GOOD LUCK.")
both sides now tells the story of finch kelly, a plucky young redheaded boy who loves debating and the us government and is also trans. many will say that he is just kyle broflovski of south park fame, given peyton's known history as a fan of the show, but peyton was clever enough to throw us off track by changing one major aspect: unlike the jewish kyle, finch is an irish catholic. of course, this is something he is bullied for, and given the source, you have to wonder if peyton thinks saying "irish people drink a lot" is as bad as violent antisemitism. you would be reasonable to wonder this, as the character who bullies kyle I MEAN FINCH for being irish is clearly based on cartman, except he's now...a brown boy. nothing else about his character was changed, mind you. peyton took the violent, racist, antisemitic, misogynistic, homophobic, transphobic character from south park, racebent him to throw people off trail and perhaps shoehorn in some mindblowingly offensive ""representation"", and called it a day. nasir is antiblack, makes snide comments about gay people, jokes about a character getting the "asian flush" (even though nasir himself is asian) and sees women as objects. finch objects to all of this, but only inwardly, because he may be a debater but that doesn't mean he calls out bigoted beliefs OFF the stage.
because finch kelly is an INCREDIBLY unlikeable protagonist, but peyton never seems to realise that. how could he, when finch is his self insert as well as being kyle broflovski? recognising that finch is selfish, shallow, rude, petty, misogynist, and so on, would require PEYTON to recognise these things in himself. and if there's one thing we've learned from a decade of callouts and no changed behaviour, it's that peyton is incapable of being self aware. and so we're given a protagonist who i never had any desire to root for.
i could spend HOURS criticising the awful characterisation, the offensive stereotypes, the rushed relationships, and the not so subtle sources of inspiration (finch's last name is kelly because this was also once it's always sunny in philadelphia fanfiction, because of course it was), but others have already done it better than me and are better suited to discuss the rampant racism and antisemitism. so i'll just close off this section by saying that jonah deserved far better than someone like finch, especially after recently ending things with his racist and controlling white boyfriend. jonah does not need someone like finch, who is driven by his unearned superiority and privileged status that is never fully tackled. as awful and disgusting as bailey is, i find it hard to believe that jonah would find safety in finch.
unsurprisingly, given peyton's centrist beliefs and the works he cites as inspirations for this book, the politics in this book are AWFUL. the stand out moment is perhaps when finch's debate teacher (adwoa, a black woman who seems to exist primarily to guide finch and help him with his struggles, while her own are only briefly touched upon) tells the debate team that debate is about seeing EVERY perspective. she asks them if anyone is fully evil, and when a student mentions trump and his horrific act of putting children in cages, adwoa counters that obama did the exact same thing. if you're like me, you might perhaps naively hope that peyton starts a good conversation for the first time in his life, and bring to light the war crimes and human rights violations caused by politicians regardless of their party. but no. instead, adwoa says that good people can do bad things, and obama was a smart and good man who was just misled. as if all the terrible things he did when he was president were just little mistakes. oops!
my mistake, apparently, was believing that the man who named his cat after hilary clinton despite being a canadian, would ever provide well earned criticisms of the american demoncrats.
it should be noted, that finch, who prides himself on being SO smart that he is a GENIUS and DESERVES to go to georgetown, was unaware of obama's crimes. this character, who we're supposed to believe is so knowledgeable about politics that his life goal is to move to washington and become the first trans person in congress (his belief that politicians are good people who cause good changes and "things happen" in washington is, of course, never contradicted), did not know that a president did shitty things when in power. this stuff isn't a secret, finch! you can know about it just by going on twitter! and i know you have twitter, because you go on it to read tweets from classmates about wanting to date shawn mendes! educate yourself, buddy, and maybe THEN you'll get into georgetown with ari!
but i digress.
unpacking every issue in this book would take a hundred years, and so i'm going to end this review with a more superficial aspect that i despised: the outdated and unfunny cultural references that were either stolen jokes but written worse, or things no teenager in 2021 would be saying. gamer girl bath water is two years old, dude. the princess diana bit is the most overdone john mulaney moment on the internet. and sure, things like hamilton and the bath & body works rant were references that i would have understood in high school - but i graduated five a half years ago. you would think that someone notorious for inserting himself into spaces dominated by minors would have some understanding of what teenagers like, but instead the most relevant cultural thing he talks about is riverdale. and i'm pretty sure that the only people who actually like riverdale are twenty somethings who defend it in the name of camp (myself included). finch kelly doesn't know obama committed war crimes but he DOES know that mitt romney tied his diarrhetic dog to the roof of his car back in 2012. SERIOUSLY? i only know that because of big fat quiz of the year. and i was old enough to use the internet in 2012, unlike finch.
god. anyway. do not read this book. do not buy this book. do not support this author. it's not even worth the hateread. there is not one single redeeming quality in this novel, because on top of being offensive and outdated, the writing is just BAD. peyton combined his #greatesthits tumblr posts, fetched some unfinished fanfiction out of his computer, stole some jokes, and threw it all together in a blender with a dash of centrist politics and decided to call it a book. and maybe it is, in the literal sense, but it shouldn't be.
absolute garbage. i'd give it no stars if i could. i should have run the moment i saw the south park creators being thanked in the acknowledgements along with bill hader and a comedy tumblr account.
my only suggestion to you, dear stranger, is that if you decide to read this book: play the drinking game i invented to get through it, and take a shot every time someone mentions georgetown. easy way to get hammered, which is what you'll be needing after this.
and on that note, i'm going to get a drink.
September 1, 2021
3.99 star average rating? are you kidding me? are you people actually fucking kidding me?
September 1, 2021
Mmm this one’s a bummer. There is so much about this book that clearly comes from a place of expertise and passion, and there are SO many elements of it that could have led to a story I absolutely adored. I truly hope that people who read and enjoy it come out of it feeling affirmed or represented or empowered to interact with their trans peers, but god this was not the book for me.
At the bizarro moment very early on where an Iranian American character Microaggression Bullies the protagonist for being Irish, I should’ve just quit while I was ahead, but I kept being like. Surely it can’t get worse or weirder than that. BUT OH, DOES IT. It would be a joyless exercise and I would feel bad and shitty for going through and detailing every issue I had with this book with a fine-toothed comb, so I’m just gonna say: if we have similar taste in books I cannot rec this one in good faith. Ugh.
At the bizarro moment very early on where an Iranian American character Microaggression Bullies the protagonist for being Irish, I should’ve just quit while I was ahead, but I kept being like. Surely it can’t get worse or weirder than that. BUT OH, DOES IT. It would be a joyless exercise and I would feel bad and shitty for going through and detailing every issue I had with this book with a fine-toothed comb, so I’m just gonna say: if we have similar taste in books I cannot rec this one in good faith. Ugh.
September 8, 2021
going to think about this book whenever i need to feel better about my own writing
August 31, 2021
As a novel, I can understand and appreciate the fact that "Both Sides Now" is helping pave the way for LGBTQ protagonists and offers something of value to young trans people. That said, it wasn't the trans novel for me which largely felt due to the inauthentic portrayal of race. There are by no means an abundance of trans novels in the world, but there are enough innovative trans authors in recent years where I feel as if there isn't a need to settle on any LGBT book gracious enough to throw a handful of characters of color into the supporting cast.
When I say that this is a book that may offer something of value to young trans people, I do mean young white trans people. Yes, there are characters of color within the novel including Jonah, the main love interest, however, the additional of a few throwaway lines of Tagalog and references to food does not equal a well-written and nuanced Filipino character. Jonah falls within the same trap many white queer authors struggle with of fulfilling the role of the obligatory love interest of color. What are his interests outside of his current white boyfriend and future white boyfriend? Who's to say. We know that he's beautiful and smart and charismatic because the love interest of color will always embody these traits, but otherwise we're offered little other than some references to him liking Jughead from Riverdale or the fact that he's a teenager who somehow still owns a Hamilton sweatshirt.
Plots where the main character is in love with someone who is already in a relationship are not rare, but there's something disconcerting with the way it is set up for the two white rivals. Continuing on the theme of not knowing much about Jonah, we hear little of the actual details of his relationship or the flaws that are within it other than the problem of racism.
Throughout the book we get to witness Jonah struggle with the increasing racial tensions between himself and Bailey. Although the audience can infer that there are probably other issues within their relationship if it means that this single problem can cause a blowup this big, the point of focus is solely on Bailey's privilege and racist biases. That's not a plot I'm opposed to, but it does feel odd to have this character of color flee from racism to the safety of another white boy. It's not an enjoyable experience to consider that Finch only gets the opportunity to potentially date Jonah if their relationship fails due to Jonah facing racism.
Beyond that the choices around race are often just... odd. There's some small moments that leave you questioning why something like this would even be included, such as Finch's friend, Lucy, complaining about her mother's orientalist home decoration and Finch thinking to himself that he likes the decorations and doesn't think it's questionable. Or a truly bizarre scene of a Black student complaining that she is always put into the role of the oppressor during debate club more so than her other mostly white club members and the teacher (who is also Black) explaining that she does this because... evil isn't black and white and did you know Obama caged children? With the idea seeming to be that "good people can be talked into doing evil things" a concept that doesn't make sense and doesn't actually address the issue of a Black girl feeling targeted in her role.
Most egregious of all in a way that is outlandishly bad is just... Nasir. Whatever the hell was going on with Nasir and whatever thought process was present when deciding to create his character. The last thing I want to see in my novel is representation where the sole Iranian-American male character is a caricature-like figure who is idiotic, obsessed with trying to get women, constantly copying AAVE, and somehow also racist? The most blatantly and openly racist character is a person of color?
In the span of a few pages Nasir grants us privilege of watching him:
Nasir very much comes off like a character who was originally a white dudebro randomly racebent at the last second with a single line of Farsi thrown in to make sure the audience remember that he is not white. Something that in the process actually changes his character into its own racist stereotype of the Brown teen boy nobody likes, obsessed with pulling girls despite girls being disgusted by him, and poorly fitting in with his peers as he tries to hard through misusing slang. He successfully manages to not contribute a single thing to the plot other than allowing Finch to bond with another white character, Ari (who is given time, nuance, and character development unlike her schoolmate Nasir) over how stupid and embarrassing they find Nasir.
I just don't understand why the author would make this choice if I'm being honest.
I truly do believe that the author wrote Finch with a lot of love and care. His journey through gender, friendship, and family felt as if they came from a place that was deeply personal and I'm sure there are other nerdy white trans kids who will look at Finch and feel seen. But as a nerdy nonwhite trans person he just wasn't doing it for me.
Most of the character development felt rushed. The plot often slow where the most exciting part for me was actually the few times we were shown them debating. The debate tournament was by far the most compelling part of the novel which makes it feel odd that for a novel centered on debate there was... pretty much close to none in it.
I wish I could have found it funny, but there was only really two types of jokes throughout the entire novel: 1. Referencing some political event/person/concept to show how smart and well-informed the characters are (smart well-informed baby leftists who love history and yet somehow did not know that about the horrifying conditions under Obama's immigration policy) and 2. Some joke from tumblr. Doesn't matter which one. Gamer girl bathwater here, a John Mulaney quote there, maybe if things get spicy a whole meme will even appear!
As far as trans representation goes, there's little to complain about. Sure, it feels a bit weird to not really have it brought up in any serious discussion the depths of privilege Finch experiences by having early access to transition care and how this is barred to most trans people especially poor trans people of color. But it was, like, fine? I'm sure there is some white transmasc teen who sleeps with an "I'm With Her" pin under their pillow right next to their commemorative antifa membership brick who will fall head over heels for Finch and all that he has to offer, but he just didn't do it for me.
Overall, it was an unremarkable novel that felt perfectly tailored to appeal to an audience who in theory wants to read representation and anti-racist narratives, but only the kinds that are easily digestible within the scope of their own white normative worldview.
When I say that this is a book that may offer something of value to young trans people, I do mean young white trans people. Yes, there are characters of color within the novel including Jonah, the main love interest, however, the additional of a few throwaway lines of Tagalog and references to food does not equal a well-written and nuanced Filipino character. Jonah falls within the same trap many white queer authors struggle with of fulfilling the role of the obligatory love interest of color. What are his interests outside of his current white boyfriend and future white boyfriend? Who's to say. We know that he's beautiful and smart and charismatic because the love interest of color will always embody these traits, but otherwise we're offered little other than some references to him liking Jughead from Riverdale or the fact that he's a teenager who somehow still owns a Hamilton sweatshirt.
Plots where the main character is in love with someone who is already in a relationship are not rare, but there's something disconcerting with the way it is set up for the two white rivals. Continuing on the theme of not knowing much about Jonah, we hear little of the actual details of his relationship or the flaws that are within it other than the problem of racism.
Throughout the book we get to witness Jonah struggle with the increasing racial tensions between himself and Bailey. Although the audience can infer that there are probably other issues within their relationship if it means that this single problem can cause a blowup this big, the point of focus is solely on Bailey's privilege and racist biases. That's not a plot I'm opposed to, but it does feel odd to have this character of color flee from racism to the safety of another white boy. It's not an enjoyable experience to consider that Finch only gets the opportunity to potentially date Jonah if their relationship fails due to Jonah facing racism.
Beyond that the choices around race are often just... odd. There's some small moments that leave you questioning why something like this would even be included, such as Finch's friend, Lucy, complaining about her mother's orientalist home decoration and Finch thinking to himself that he likes the decorations and doesn't think it's questionable. Or a truly bizarre scene of a Black student complaining that she is always put into the role of the oppressor during debate club more so than her other mostly white club members and the teacher (who is also Black) explaining that she does this because... evil isn't black and white and did you know Obama caged children? With the idea seeming to be that "good people can be talked into doing evil things" a concept that doesn't make sense and doesn't actually address the issue of a Black girl feeling targeted in her role.
Most egregious of all in a way that is outlandishly bad is just... Nasir. Whatever the hell was going on with Nasir and whatever thought process was present when deciding to create his character. The last thing I want to see in my novel is representation where the sole Iranian-American male character is a caricature-like figure who is idiotic, obsessed with trying to get women, constantly copying AAVE, and somehow also racist? The most blatantly and openly racist character is a person of color?
In the span of a few pages Nasir grants us privilege of watching him:
Nasir very much comes off like a character who was originally a white dudebro randomly racebent at the last second with a single line of Farsi thrown in to make sure the audience remember that he is not white. Something that in the process actually changes his character into its own racist stereotype of the Brown teen boy nobody likes, obsessed with pulling girls despite girls being disgusted by him, and poorly fitting in with his peers as he tries to hard through misusing slang. He successfully manages to not contribute a single thing to the plot other than allowing Finch to bond with another white character, Ari (who is given time, nuance, and character development unlike her schoolmate Nasir) over how stupid and embarrassing they find Nasir.
I just don't understand why the author would make this choice if I'm being honest.
I truly do believe that the author wrote Finch with a lot of love and care. His journey through gender, friendship, and family felt as if they came from a place that was deeply personal and I'm sure there are other nerdy white trans kids who will look at Finch and feel seen. But as a nerdy nonwhite trans person he just wasn't doing it for me.
Most of the character development felt rushed. The plot often slow where the most exciting part for me was actually the few times we were shown them debating. The debate tournament was by far the most compelling part of the novel which makes it feel odd that for a novel centered on debate there was... pretty much close to none in it.
I wish I could have found it funny, but there was only really two types of jokes throughout the entire novel: 1. Referencing some political event/person/concept to show how smart and well-informed the characters are (smart well-informed baby leftists who love history and yet somehow did not know that about the horrifying conditions under Obama's immigration policy) and 2. Some joke from tumblr. Doesn't matter which one. Gamer girl bathwater here, a John Mulaney quote there, maybe if things get spicy a whole meme will even appear!
As far as trans representation goes, there's little to complain about. Sure, it feels a bit weird to not really have it brought up in any serious discussion the depths of privilege Finch experiences by having early access to transition care and how this is barred to most trans people especially poor trans people of color. But it was, like, fine? I'm sure there is some white transmasc teen who sleeps with an "I'm With Her" pin under their pillow right next to their commemorative antifa membership brick who will fall head over heels for Finch and all that he has to offer, but he just didn't do it for me.
Overall, it was an unremarkable novel that felt perfectly tailored to appeal to an audience who in theory wants to read representation and anti-racist narratives, but only the kinds that are easily digestible within the scope of their own white normative worldview.
September 1, 2021
This easily readable and bizarrely self-congratulatory little piece of YA drivel is perfect for uncomfortably self-aware John Green fans and smug white liberals who care more about being right than being compassionate or likable. The quippy dialogue flows like a CW writer's wet dream and the colorful assortment of racial stereotypes is bound to appeal to centrist, social justice-minded teens and adults desperately seeking validation from their peers.
November 8, 2021
Peyton Thomas' debut novel,
Both Sides Now
, gave me All. The. Feels.
Finch is an excellent debater. There’s nothing more he loves than to gather information on a subject or argument and explore both sides of it.
He and his debate partner, Jonah, are heading to the National Championships, and he hopes a victory will encourage Georgetown to take another look at him, offer him a scholarship, and start him on the path to becoming America’s first trans congressman.
But with his family’s financial status becoming more and more precarious—not to mention the state of his parents’ marriage—everything Finch wants is at risk. And in certain cases, he’s not even sure what he wants: his best friend is trying to convince him that he has feelings for Jonah, but what would that mean for Finch’s identity? Would Jonah even be interested in a trans guy?
When it’s announced that the debate topic for the National Championship is transgender rights, Finch realizes that he’ll have to stand on a stage and literally debate at times that he doesn’t deserve equal rights. Is possible admittance to Georgetown worth that?
I really enjoyed Both Sides Now and it gave me so many things to think about. It’s a fun and emotional read, and it showed me how quick we are to judge those around us without having any idea of their background or what they’re going through.
So good!!
Check out my list of the best books I read in 2020 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2021/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2020.html.
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/.
Finch is an excellent debater. There’s nothing more he loves than to gather information on a subject or argument and explore both sides of it.
He and his debate partner, Jonah, are heading to the National Championships, and he hopes a victory will encourage Georgetown to take another look at him, offer him a scholarship, and start him on the path to becoming America’s first trans congressman.
But with his family’s financial status becoming more and more precarious—not to mention the state of his parents’ marriage—everything Finch wants is at risk. And in certain cases, he’s not even sure what he wants: his best friend is trying to convince him that he has feelings for Jonah, but what would that mean for Finch’s identity? Would Jonah even be interested in a trans guy?
When it’s announced that the debate topic for the National Championship is transgender rights, Finch realizes that he’ll have to stand on a stage and literally debate at times that he doesn’t deserve equal rights. Is possible admittance to Georgetown worth that?
I really enjoyed Both Sides Now and it gave me so many things to think about. It’s a fun and emotional read, and it showed me how quick we are to judge those around us without having any idea of their background or what they’re going through.
So good!!
Check out my list of the best books I read in 2020 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2021/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2020.html.
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/.
September 2, 2021
maybe white people should just stop writing. have you ever considered that?
Read
April 24, 2022"Even his sneakers are the color of a bruise."
The amount of times Peyton uses "crowed" and "swallowed" etc instead of just saying said. The fixation on eating/not eating and feeling sick and throwing up (hello?). The unbearable main character. And of course, the racism. It all comes together into something that really should have stayed on AO3.
Some favorite moments:
- Having a panic attack because you're so horny after the guy who just got dumped touches your foot.
- Ripping the "romantic" head in lap moment straight from Maurice (1987) as if no one would notice.
- Again all of the racism which most people have commented on in their reviews
- Ending the book with a comrade joke.
- Wait you guys, Obama is BAD?????
- The obsession with proving again and again (to your teenage audience?) that you've read Capital in the Twenty First Century and Infinite Jest.
- The way every little thing mentioned felt like Peyton forcing things in to cross them off of his list of "Things I have to mention to seem woke."
- The embarrassing jokes-i-guess that are just references to other things that will not be relevant in 5 years (and mostly weren't relevant now even).
- The seven page long acknowledgement with mentions that makes you the easiest target for mockery in the world.
- Rose pedals in coffee hello help can anyone hear me it's so dark in here h
The amount of times Peyton uses "crowed" and "swallowed" etc instead of just saying said. The fixation on eating/not eating and feeling sick and throwing up (hello?). The unbearable main character. And of course, the racism. It all comes together into something that really should have stayed on AO3.
Some favorite moments:
- Having a panic attack because you're so horny after the guy who just got dumped touches your foot.
- Ripping the "romantic" head in lap moment straight from Maurice (1987) as if no one would notice.
- Again all of the racism which most people have commented on in their reviews
- Ending the book with a comrade joke.
- Wait you guys, Obama is BAD?????
- The obsession with proving again and again (to your teenage audience?) that you've read Capital in the Twenty First Century and Infinite Jest.
- The way every little thing mentioned felt like Peyton forcing things in to cross them off of his list of "Things I have to mention to seem woke."
- The embarrassing jokes-i-guess that are just references to other things that will not be relevant in 5 years (and mostly weren't relevant now even).
- The seven page long acknowledgement with mentions that makes you the easiest target for mockery in the world.
- Rose pedals in coffee hello help can anyone hear me it's so dark in here h
September 2, 2021
well this was not good! no character development, mediocre writing, too many winking pop culture references. ya isn't my fave but young adult readers deserve better than this. 1.5 stars bc it wasn't the worst thing i've ever read but definitely not great!
December 28, 2022
Edit: I've since read reviews by POC people and realized the damaging stereotypes in this book. As a white trans person, I apologize for not reflecting on how other identities were portrayed amd reccommend you read reviews from POC readers
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Finch was such a realistic trans teen. I love how he was incredibly smart, bus still allowed to make stupid teenager decisions. It made him feel really relatable. I also loved that this book commented on the privilege it takes to transition. Finch has the support, but not the money. I had the opposite as a teen. Its important to recognize the hoops trans people have to go through to exist. I also think it will allow trans teens to feel less alone since most don't get to transition till adulthood. Im a character driven reader, and I adore how this author writes characters they all have there own struggles and voices.
Also, I usually hate covers with photos but I will make an exception for miles mckenna, thank you for using a trans model
Rep: trans boy, gay, POC LI (asian), questioning, mlm, lesbian side
Own Voices
CW: transphobia, racism, misgendering, underage drinking, panic attack, vomiting,
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Finch was such a realistic trans teen. I love how he was incredibly smart, bus still allowed to make stupid teenager decisions. It made him feel really relatable. I also loved that this book commented on the privilege it takes to transition. Finch has the support, but not the money. I had the opposite as a teen. Its important to recognize the hoops trans people have to go through to exist. I also think it will allow trans teens to feel less alone since most don't get to transition till adulthood. Im a character driven reader, and I adore how this author writes characters they all have there own struggles and voices.
Also, I usually hate covers with photos but I will make an exception for miles mckenna, thank you for using a trans model
Rep: trans boy, gay, POC LI (asian), questioning, mlm, lesbian side
Own Voices
CW: transphobia, racism, misgendering, underage drinking, panic attack, vomiting,
Read
September 8, 2021i am genuinely a person that believes just because you sucked a lot a few years ago doesn't mean you suck now. people change and grow! this is especially true in your early/mid 20s. so it was entirely possible that the peyton i knew around tumblr was NOT the peyton who wrote this book.
well
i was wrong! it's incredibly clear that at no point in the past several years has peyton ever learned from his mistakes or grown out of his EXTREMELY manipulative personality type. this is filled with all the same racism and refusal to accept that he is wrong that made peyton well...peyton!
how's graceebooks doing, peyton? starting any more minor cults of personality about ships?
well
i was wrong! it's incredibly clear that at no point in the past several years has peyton ever learned from his mistakes or grown out of his EXTREMELY manipulative personality type. this is filled with all the same racism and refusal to accept that he is wrong that made peyton well...peyton!
how's graceebooks doing, peyton? starting any more minor cults of personality about ships?
September 2, 2021
Wild amounts of racism, but also just badly written cringe?
September 5, 2021
As a high school debate coach, I was really excited about this book. I've long since thought the epic highs and lows of debate would make perfect material for a YA novel, and so I was thrilled to see my dreams manifest into reality. Guys, I really wanted to like this one! I wanted to recommend it to my students! I was hype! But after reading this book, I cannot in good faith recommend it to anyone, especially teenagers.
Let's just say the handling of race in this book was... weird.
Needless to say, this one was a bummer to me. There was a lot in this book that had potential. The theme of what it takes for marginalized students to debate their own humanity? Something very close to my heart as a coach. Jonah's internal conflict about whether or not to rock the boat with his white boyfriend about the racist play he's in? One of the most interesting plots in the book to me (which is why it was something of a disappointment, albeit not a surprising one, to see it mostly used for love triangle fodder). Issues of classism in the debate world? Again, another criticism of debate culture I was excited to see brought up. But this book just needed a good sensitivity reader or another few rounds of editing or maybe just a different author (lol).
Side note, if you know where the allegations that this book is edited South Park fanfiction are coming from, please message me here. No idea if there's any weight behind that particular accusation because I've never seen the show... but man, what a weird thing to publish as YA if so.
Let's just say the handling of race in this book was... weird.
Needless to say, this one was a bummer to me. There was a lot in this book that had potential. The theme of what it takes for marginalized students to debate their own humanity? Something very close to my heart as a coach. Jonah's internal conflict about whether or not to rock the boat with his white boyfriend about the racist play he's in? One of the most interesting plots in the book to me (which is why it was something of a disappointment, albeit not a surprising one, to see it mostly used for love triangle fodder). Issues of classism in the debate world? Again, another criticism of debate culture I was excited to see brought up. But this book just needed a good sensitivity reader or another few rounds of editing or maybe just a different author (lol).
Side note, if you know where the allegations that this book is edited South Park fanfiction are coming from, please message me here. No idea if there's any weight behind that particular accusation because I've never seen the show... but man, what a weird thing to publish as YA if so.
September 20, 2021
i had heard that this book was weird and bad about race yet was still held up as a trans book so i figured it would be at least good and relatable at that..... nope. i'm really just infuriated about that too.
>>> Do Not tell trans teens a binder is going to Physically hurt their back and should be So Tight you can't breathe. Finch takes his binder off to take a shower and narrates, "for the first time today I can actually breathe: all the way in, all the way out." He is letting the water hit "the sorest spot" on his back. Hey, Finch?? your binder is too tight. Don't set this kind of example???? i'm so mad about this one
>>> Spoilers here: another debate student Ari, comes out to Finch when they are drunk at a party,, Ari says hey maybe I’m trans too and the next time they appear Ari is gendered as she/her like 40 times in one page and Finch doesn't even Think to not do that; obviously would make sense to still out loud use she/her for Ari but Finch doesn't even Think like should I use he or they or something else for Ari?? even in the sentence about that: "And here I was prepared to soothe Ari, to welcome /her/ into the trans community with open arms." Yeah??? really???
Then the romance is nothing, Finch's money problems are ridiculous like apparently the insurance his mom's bad job had was going to cover the Entirety of top and bottom surgery and only when she loses the job can he not get surgery,,, which,, ,, whatever. Finch already passes So Well that nobody at school even knows he's trans and it's not like he changed school systems sooooo??? this isn't relatable in that way. Whose trans experience is this???
The South Park roots with Bailey are too absurd you can't just have Cartman in your book like that's never going to work. Why is the school putting on 'Throughly Modern Millie" as "Throughly Modern Billie" but they can't take out the yellowface and there's no oversight from anyone in the drama department, no other students in this Entire school have a problem with it or raise any concerns and apparently its all the fault of Bailey no adults.
I could just keep going,, this is a truly baffling book to me I can't Imagine reading this and just saying wow what a good gay romance, its so nice to have a trans protagonist :) you don't have to hold up a truly awful book just because it's queer.
>>> Do Not tell trans teens a binder is going to Physically hurt their back and should be So Tight you can't breathe. Finch takes his binder off to take a shower and narrates, "for the first time today I can actually breathe: all the way in, all the way out." He is letting the water hit "the sorest spot" on his back. Hey, Finch?? your binder is too tight. Don't set this kind of example???? i'm so mad about this one
>>> Spoilers here: another debate student Ari, comes out to Finch when they are drunk at a party,, Ari says hey maybe I’m trans too and the next time they appear Ari is gendered as she/her like 40 times in one page and Finch doesn't even Think to not do that; obviously would make sense to still out loud use she/her for Ari but Finch doesn't even Think like should I use he or they or something else for Ari?? even in the sentence about that: "And here I was prepared to soothe Ari, to welcome /her/ into the trans community with open arms." Yeah??? really???
Then the romance is nothing, Finch's money problems are ridiculous like apparently the insurance his mom's bad job had was going to cover the Entirety of top and bottom surgery and only when she loses the job can he not get surgery,,, which,, ,, whatever. Finch already passes So Well that nobody at school even knows he's trans and it's not like he changed school systems sooooo??? this isn't relatable in that way. Whose trans experience is this???
The South Park roots with Bailey are too absurd you can't just have Cartman in your book like that's never going to work. Why is the school putting on 'Throughly Modern Millie" as "Throughly Modern Billie" but they can't take out the yellowface and there's no oversight from anyone in the drama department, no other students in this Entire school have a problem with it or raise any concerns and apparently its all the fault of Bailey no adults.
I could just keep going,, this is a truly baffling book to me I can't Imagine reading this and just saying wow what a good gay romance, its so nice to have a trans protagonist :) you don't have to hold up a truly awful book just because it's queer.
September 3, 2021
It is imperative to me that you know this is indistinguishable from any Stan/Kyle content on tumblr.
September 3, 2021
EDIT: Recently read through some reviews that brought of great points about some of the content in this book. I did not like this book when I originally read it, but now it seems there are some much deeper issues at hand than my dislike of the MC. I encourage everyone to read through some of the 1/2 star reviews that address some issues within the book.
Rating: 1/5
CW: Transphobia, homophobia, misgendering, racism, sexism, ableism, alcohol consumption/implied alcoholism
Thank you to Penguin Teen for providing me with an e-ARC of this title. All opinions are my own.
Both Sides Now follows Finch Kelly, a trans guy in his senior year of high school. Finch's passions are politics and debate, which he's definitely awesome at. Finch and his debate partner Jonah are taking the competitive debate world by storm as they move up and make it to nationals. However, when it's revealed that the debate topic is transgender rights, Finch isn't so sure that there are two sides to every argument anymore.
This book was pitched as Gilmore Girls meets Red, White, and Royal Blue, but I don't think that's the best comparison.
While we have the debate team (which isn't a huge plot of Gilmore Girls to begin with) and the "I want to go to an Ivy League school" plot line, the similarities end there. Not to mention Rory has rich, connected grandparents who can get her into Ivy League's while our MC does not. The vibe relating to Ivy League school applications/admissions was much more Dan from Gossip Girl.
The Red, White, and Royal Blue comparison also didn't click much with me. We have a lot of political references (of course), but the enemies/rivals to lover romance isn't there (which is basically what RWRB is). The romance is much more friends to lovers, which is a totally different vibe.
This book is definitely about more than debate and politics - our characters are dealing with family drama, boyfriend drama, and more. I liked how these topics were explored, but I just wasn't expecting them to be talked about as much as they were. A large majority of the book was Finch whining about needing to get into Georgetown, or any D.C. school, for undergrad. While his friends and family were telling him that he can do amazing things at an affordable in-state school (bc you know, his parents are literally broke and begging him to consider in-state), Finch insists that he will not be able to change the world politically unless he's in D.C. While this view point is remedied, it wasn't done soon enough for me. I was so annoyed with Finch that the book dragged for me and felt boring + repetitive at times. This was mainly what hindered my enjoyment and made me rate the book a bit lower.
I did really love a lot of the side characters, especially Jonah and Lucy who were honestly some of the most supportive and wonderful friends that Finch could have ever asked for. Jonah carried this whole book for me, tbh. The romance was also quite wholesome, but it just wasn't enough for me to love this book.
Rating: 1/5
CW: Transphobia, homophobia, misgendering, racism, sexism, ableism, alcohol consumption/implied alcoholism
Thank you to Penguin Teen for providing me with an e-ARC of this title. All opinions are my own.
Both Sides Now follows Finch Kelly, a trans guy in his senior year of high school. Finch's passions are politics and debate, which he's definitely awesome at. Finch and his debate partner Jonah are taking the competitive debate world by storm as they move up and make it to nationals. However, when it's revealed that the debate topic is transgender rights, Finch isn't so sure that there are two sides to every argument anymore.
This book was pitched as Gilmore Girls meets Red, White, and Royal Blue, but I don't think that's the best comparison.
While we have the debate team (which isn't a huge plot of Gilmore Girls to begin with) and the "I want to go to an Ivy League school" plot line, the similarities end there. Not to mention Rory has rich, connected grandparents who can get her into Ivy League's while our MC does not. The vibe relating to Ivy League school applications/admissions was much more Dan from Gossip Girl.
The Red, White, and Royal Blue comparison also didn't click much with me. We have a lot of political references (of course), but the enemies/rivals to lover romance isn't there (which is basically what RWRB is). The romance is much more friends to lovers, which is a totally different vibe.
This book is definitely about more than debate and politics - our characters are dealing with family drama, boyfriend drama, and more. I liked how these topics were explored, but I just wasn't expecting them to be talked about as much as they were. A large majority of the book was Finch whining about needing to get into Georgetown, or any D.C. school, for undergrad. While his friends and family were telling him that he can do amazing things at an affordable in-state school (bc you know, his parents are literally broke and begging him to consider in-state), Finch insists that he will not be able to change the world politically unless he's in D.C. While this view point is remedied, it wasn't done soon enough for me. I was so annoyed with Finch that the book dragged for me and felt boring + repetitive at times. This was mainly what hindered my enjoyment and made me rate the book a bit lower.
I did really love a lot of the side characters, especially Jonah and Lucy who were honestly some of the most supportive and wonderful friends that Finch could have ever asked for. Jonah carried this whole book for me, tbh. The romance was also quite wholesome, but it just wasn't enough for me to love this book.
September 2, 2021
— rethinking about this book, and they are really not good thoughts.
September 2, 2021
lol tumblr user lalondes wrote a shitty book
July 25, 2021
5/5 stars, I am in love with this story and some of the things it represents
Thank you Penguin Teen for the arc through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!
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.
Thank you Penguin Teen for the arc through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!
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.
December 28, 2022
I legitimately don’t understand how someone could write this book, edit it, send it to MORE people to read and edit, and then have some execs go yes let’s publish this now. Both Sides Now is a story about a trans boy who is in his school’s debate club. They end up going to nationals, but the topic for the debate is whether trans people should be allowed in public bathrooms that match their gender identities or not.
When I first heard about this book I thought the premise had promise to explore the “debate” around trans rights in public spaces. However, things quickly went downhill from there.
First off: Nasir. Keep in mind, both the main character and the author are white. Enter Nasir, pretty much the frat boy fck boy of your nightmares, except make him South Asian? Arab? We love white authors turning POC into a monolith :) In the first few chapters, Nasir proceeds to say the n-word, and then makes some questionable remarks toward East Asians. It feels so gross reading something a white author wrote about POC being racist toward other POC. Like guys. no. Either Nasir is a poorly represented Arab character (seriously guys, we can stop writing Arab men as lusty bodice rippers it’s not that original) or he’s a poorly represented South Asian person so either way it’s offensive. This whole character is deeply messed up, and it’s super gross how the whitest of white main characters is always “calling him out” on his racism toward OTHER POC LIKE SIR WHAT POINT WERE YOU TRYING TO MAKE
Anyway, next up we have the love interest/romance. Our main character Finch is trans, but for some reason he’s in complete denial of his own sexuality. I adore stories of trans people exploring their identities and sexualities, but this was not it. Finch’s ‘exploration’ consisted of many homophobic remarks toward other gay characters, and denial that was so poorly done it was almost comical. News flash, trans characters can still be homophobic.
Finally, we have the whole “race conversation” vibes of the book. It’s painfully obvious how racist the undertones of this book are, from the absolute train wreck of Nasir’s character to the weird fetishization of other POC characters to the absolutely tragic attempt to appear “woke”. I mean there are only so many comments about “white ppl with dreadlocks” and “hibernophobia” (because apparently we’re more concerned with discrimination against other white ppl than the gross stereotypes of POC we have) before I want to throw the book across the room.
Overall, this book was hugely offensive and prioritizes ONLY white queer narratives. It is a travesty because the ONLY good idea was the discussion of trans rights and when you have to “play both sides” by advocating against your own existence. However that was pretty much canceled out by the abject racism, homophobia, racism again, and general grossness of the author’s portrayals of POC characters.
Anyway go read The Henna Wars, Hani and Ishu’s Guide to Fake Dating, Darius the Great is Not Okay, Meet Cute Diary, You Should See Me in a Crown, Last Night at the Telegraph Club, etc if you want to read books abt queer ppl of color written by actual queer ppl of color instead of this “woke” mess!
(Edit: I updated some things to more clearly reflect my opinions on Nasir’s character from the MENA pov)
(MENA stands for Middle East North Africa btw)
When I first heard about this book I thought the premise had promise to explore the “debate” around trans rights in public spaces. However, things quickly went downhill from there.
First off: Nasir. Keep in mind, both the main character and the author are white. Enter Nasir, pretty much the frat boy fck boy of your nightmares, except make him South Asian? Arab? We love white authors turning POC into a monolith :) In the first few chapters, Nasir proceeds to say the n-word, and then makes some questionable remarks toward East Asians. It feels so gross reading something a white author wrote about POC being racist toward other POC. Like guys. no. Either Nasir is a poorly represented Arab character (seriously guys, we can stop writing Arab men as lusty bodice rippers it’s not that original) or he’s a poorly represented South Asian person so either way it’s offensive. This whole character is deeply messed up, and it’s super gross how the whitest of white main characters is always “calling him out” on his racism toward OTHER POC LIKE SIR WHAT POINT WERE YOU TRYING TO MAKE
Anyway, next up we have the love interest/romance. Our main character Finch is trans, but for some reason he’s in complete denial of his own sexuality. I adore stories of trans people exploring their identities and sexualities, but this was not it. Finch’s ‘exploration’ consisted of many homophobic remarks toward other gay characters, and denial that was so poorly done it was almost comical. News flash, trans characters can still be homophobic.
Finally, we have the whole “race conversation” vibes of the book. It’s painfully obvious how racist the undertones of this book are, from the absolute train wreck of Nasir’s character to the weird fetishization of other POC characters to the absolutely tragic attempt to appear “woke”. I mean there are only so many comments about “white ppl with dreadlocks” and “hibernophobia” (because apparently we’re more concerned with discrimination against other white ppl than the gross stereotypes of POC we have) before I want to throw the book across the room.
Overall, this book was hugely offensive and prioritizes ONLY white queer narratives. It is a travesty because the ONLY good idea was the discussion of trans rights and when you have to “play both sides” by advocating against your own existence. However that was pretty much canceled out by the abject racism, homophobia, racism again, and general grossness of the author’s portrayals of POC characters.
Anyway go read The Henna Wars, Hani and Ishu’s Guide to Fake Dating, Darius the Great is Not Okay, Meet Cute Diary, You Should See Me in a Crown, Last Night at the Telegraph Club, etc if you want to read books abt queer ppl of color written by actual queer ppl of color instead of this “woke” mess!
(Edit: I updated some things to more clearly reflect my opinions on Nasir’s character from the MENA pov)
(MENA stands for Middle East North Africa btw)
March 7, 2023
i think it's really very funny that a notorious tumblr weirdo wrote and published thinly-veiled south park fanfiction. I believe the influx of "queer" YA romance novels intended for women in their 20s-30s who refer to raphael's madonna del prato as "bible fan art" is the seventh seal being opened.
October 19, 2021
My review got deleted AGAIN, despite adhering PERFECTLY to Goodreads guidelines, and this time they didn't even send me an email to notify me, which is pretty fucked up, because I thought it was a pretty good review. Fuck you, Goodreads.
The review guidelines say this:
The review guidelines say this:
Harsh critical statements that apply to the book or the writing in it, such as "This guy can't write a lick," or "This book is absolute trash." Again, honest opinions about books are always going to be welcome and encouraged on Goodreads.which is obviously wrong, since they keep deleting reviews that adhere to these guidelines, but whatever. This book is absolute trash and this guy can't write a lick.
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