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Fight + Flight
Avery Hart lives for the thrill and speed of her dirt bike and the pounding thump of her drum kit. But after she’s diagnosed with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a disease that affects her joints, Avery splits her time between endless physical therapy and worrying that her fun and independence are over for good. Sarah Bell is familiar with worry, too. For months, she’s been having intense panic attacks. No matter how much she pours her anxiety into making art, she can’t seem to get a grip on it, and she’s starting to wonder if she’ll be this way forever.
Just as both girls are reaching peak fear about what their futures hold, their present takes a terrifying turn when their school is seemingly attacked by gunmen. Though they later learn it was an active shooter drill, the traumatic experience bonds the girls together in a friendship that will change the way they view their perceived weaknesses—and help them find strength, and more, in each other.
Just as both girls are reaching peak fear about what their futures hold, their present takes a terrifying turn when their school is seemingly attacked by gunmen. Though they later learn it was an active shooter drill, the traumatic experience bonds the girls together in a friendship that will change the way they view their perceived weaknesses—and help them find strength, and more, in each other.
400 pages, Hardcover
First published May 24, 2022
13 people are currently reading
3198 people want to read
About the author
Jules Machias
4 books115 followersJules Machias is the author/illustrator of the novels Both Can Be True (an American Library Association Rainbow Booklist Top Ten Title for Young Readers, a Bank Street Children’s Best Book of the Year, and an Indie Next List Pick) and Fight + Flight.
Jules has worked for veterinarians, marketing firms, construction companies, a car parts warehouse, and schools for kids with disabilities; they now own and operate Red Pen Refinery, an editing business. Jules lives in Cincinnati with their family, a bunch of lizards and pythons, a herd of discount-rack dogs, and a garage full of dirt bikes and art supplies. Visit Jules on Instagram for ridiculous dog pictures.
Jules has worked for veterinarians, marketing firms, construction companies, a car parts warehouse, and schools for kids with disabilities; they now own and operate Red Pen Refinery, an editing business. Jules lives in Cincinnati with their family, a bunch of lizards and pythons, a herd of discount-rack dogs, and a garage full of dirt bikes and art supplies. Visit Jules on Instagram for ridiculous dog pictures.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews
July 12, 2022
Considering this is a MG book, there is a lot of topics packed into it that are heavy...I preordered it right when I found out one of the characters has ehlers danlos. I've never ever ever seen EDs represented. Huge thank you to the author for giving those with EDs a voice in these pages. That was a big plus for me. My grade school kids tend to read MG books, but I'm not sure I would have this out for them just yet. Middle school is a much more appropriate age group to handle the subjects. Even then I would make sure that kid's know that conversations are totally open if there are questions or concerns when reading. HSPs may have a harder time. Maybe even reading it with your kids would be a good idea. Kids have to go through so much. It's heartbreaking. This book presented so many different topics beautifully. The representation is A+. I would recommend for teens and adults.
June 29, 2022
I wrote this book based on:
❤️ My experiences with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and generalized anxiety disorder
🧡 My kid's (and their friends') experiences with school shooter drills
💛 A desire to reach kids who are dealing with adversity on many fronts at once
💚 Lots of confusing junior high feelings I couldn't put into words back then and kept hoping to find in the fiction available at the time but did not
This book is for:
💙 Kids with chronic illness who are looking to see their experiences reflected in stories
💜 Kids who are struggling with significant anxiety and need help handling it
💗 Kids who are questioning their sexuality and identity and unsure of where they fit
❤️ Grown-ups who want to help these kids
🧡 People who like art and Spirograph
If you enjoyed the book, please help spread the word about it! If you didn't, I'd love to know why so I can get better at arranging words into sentences and scenes and stories and novels aimed at reaching kids who feel left behind.
🏳️🌈 Thank you! 🏳️🌈
❤️ My experiences with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and generalized anxiety disorder
🧡 My kid's (and their friends') experiences with school shooter drills
💛 A desire to reach kids who are dealing with adversity on many fronts at once
💚 Lots of confusing junior high feelings I couldn't put into words back then and kept hoping to find in the fiction available at the time but did not
This book is for:
💙 Kids with chronic illness who are looking to see their experiences reflected in stories
💜 Kids who are struggling with significant anxiety and need help handling it
💗 Kids who are questioning their sexuality and identity and unsure of where they fit
❤️ Grown-ups who want to help these kids
🧡 People who like art and Spirograph
If you enjoyed the book, please help spread the word about it! If you didn't, I'd love to know why so I can get better at arranging words into sentences and scenes and stories and novels aimed at reaching kids who feel left behind.
🏳️🌈 Thank you! 🏳️🌈
May 28, 2022
A middle grade book about two friends whose lives are rocked by an active shooter drill at their school - one they didn’t realize was a drill.
Living in Canada I’ve never had to do drills like these at school and it makes me so sad this is a real part of life for children in America - a literal matter of life or death 😢
The important message in this book is how damaging these drills can be for children when they don’t realize they’re just simulations. The psychological effects of having kids think there is someone with a gun in their school are almost unimaginable for me! Having to deal with an ACTUAL shooting though?? So much worse!!😡😡
Americans need to do better! How many more children need to die before something changes?? 😓😓😓
Sadly I don’t have any answers but books like Fight + Flight are great to help make us think about the bravery of young children being forced to deal with this.
The mental health, disability and queer rep in this small book were truly phenomenal. I also REALLY liked how the author interspersed coping strategies for anxiety right into the story. If you’re looking for your next great middle grade book I can’t recommend this one enough!
Living in Canada I’ve never had to do drills like these at school and it makes me so sad this is a real part of life for children in America - a literal matter of life or death 😢
The important message in this book is how damaging these drills can be for children when they don’t realize they’re just simulations. The psychological effects of having kids think there is someone with a gun in their school are almost unimaginable for me! Having to deal with an ACTUAL shooting though?? So much worse!!😡😡
Americans need to do better! How many more children need to die before something changes?? 😓😓😓
Sadly I don’t have any answers but books like Fight + Flight are great to help make us think about the bravery of young children being forced to deal with this.
The mental health, disability and queer rep in this small book were truly phenomenal. I also REALLY liked how the author interspersed coping strategies for anxiety right into the story. If you’re looking for your next great middle grade book I can’t recommend this one enough!
December 22, 2021
I love how many LGBTQ+ stories there are now for middle grade readers. Fight + Flight follows Avery & Sarah and their growing friendship and feelings for one another. When they experience a very real feeling active shooter drill at school they grow closer together while facing new challenges.
The book is told in dual perspective, switching between Avery and Sarah’s POV. I thought the way the different POVs were written helped both girls have their own distinct voices. Avery’s chapters are told in a traditional narrative while Sarah’s chapters are journal entries that include drawings. They also have unique personalities, this definitely isn’t a book where I ever mixed up which POV I was reading from. I enjoyed seeing the exploration of hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome through Avery and anxiety and panic attacks from Sarah.
At times it did feel like the book was trying to tackle too many different topics. And some of the humor or references didn’t feel natural for modern middle schoolers. But overall this was a lovely book. I really enjoyed seeing the journey that the characters went on in order to grow and learn to stick up for themselves and also to listen to what others need. I’ll definitely read more from Jules Machias in the future.
Thank you to the publisher for providing an advance copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The book is told in dual perspective, switching between Avery and Sarah’s POV. I thought the way the different POVs were written helped both girls have their own distinct voices. Avery’s chapters are told in a traditional narrative while Sarah’s chapters are journal entries that include drawings. They also have unique personalities, this definitely isn’t a book where I ever mixed up which POV I was reading from. I enjoyed seeing the exploration of hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome through Avery and anxiety and panic attacks from Sarah.
At times it did feel like the book was trying to tackle too many different topics. And some of the humor or references didn’t feel natural for modern middle schoolers. But overall this was a lovely book. I really enjoyed seeing the journey that the characters went on in order to grow and learn to stick up for themselves and also to listen to what others need. I’ll definitely read more from Jules Machias in the future.
Thank you to the publisher for providing an advance copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
August 14, 2023
This was cute, and I really enjoyed the narration. Both characters were voicy in the best way. The story was a bit tedious in its repetition at the time, and while I liked the general portrayal of Sarah’s anxiety, Im not a fan of the fact that, in the under two months in which the book takes place, she is able to get it from completely out of control to manageable with no help, no therapy, and only a single google search’s worth of CBT exercise. That’s not something a 12 year old can do alone, and I think it may do more harm than good to make it out as if that’s achievable to any 12 year olds with anxiety disorders. I know if I had read it at 12, when my anxiety was out of control, I’d have felt like a failure for not being able to do what Sarah did.
July 12, 2022
Loved this one so much omg!!!
Rep: white pansexual cis female MC with hEDS, white sapphic-questioning cis female MC with anxiety, white gay cis male side character, white sapphic cis female side character, white sapphic trans cis female side character, Black biracial cis male side character with ADHD.
CWs: Ableism (internalized and external), panic attacks, grief, school shooting drill (kids are not told it's a drill), bullying, gun violence, chronic illness (hEDS), mental illness (anxiety). Moderate: Death, death of loved one (aunt), terminal illness, religious bigotry. Minor: Homophobia/homomisia, transphobia/transmisia.
Rep: white pansexual cis female MC with hEDS, white sapphic-questioning cis female MC with anxiety, white gay cis male side character, white sapphic cis female side character, white sapphic trans cis female side character, Black biracial cis male side character with ADHD.
CWs: Ableism (internalized and external), panic attacks, grief, school shooting drill (kids are not told it's a drill), bullying, gun violence, chronic illness (hEDS), mental illness (anxiety). Moderate: Death, death of loved one (aunt), terminal illness, religious bigotry. Minor: Homophobia/homomisia, transphobia/transmisia.
November 21, 2023
Rep: pan mc with hypermobile Ehlers Danlos syndrome, sapphic mc with anxiety, trans sapphic character, sapphic character, Pakistani character, gay side character, biracial Black side character with ADHD
October 23, 2022
This book has so much heart - and is so beautiful as well! Avery and Sarah are both dealing with big challenges. Avery has a disease that impacts her ability to do the physical activities she loves so much, not to mention the future she might possibly have. Sarah is struggling with her first panic attacks - signs that she might have anxiety. The girls are brought together by a fake active-shooter drill at their school, which is so well written it had me holding my breath. Each character is so lovingly written, and Sarah's entries include beautiful illustrations done by the author. I love how Jules handled sensitive topics, from gender and queerness to anxiety, living with illness/disability, and religion. Yet even while the book handles Big Topics, it is still enjoyable to read and not at all heavy-feeling. I would put this into the hands of any pre-teen, confident they'd love Avery and Sarah and would have a good time following their story.
June 27, 2022
I loved seeing the disability/chronic illness representation in this !! It's sapphic as well. Such important representation especially for middlegrade books.
We follow two POVs. Avery who has hEDS but she has such a strong personality and know she likes girls. She has two moms. Sara is a bit more insecure and she deals with panic attacks/anxiety and has a very religious family.
We follow the two main characters while and after a very traumatic shooting drill in their middle school. So definitely trigger warnings for that. It's all a test/drill but it's very realistic which traumatises the kids and makes the parents very upset and have divisive opinions about.
They become friends and they both have romantic feelings for eachother and it was lovely to read. The book deals with heavy topics but it's not heavy overall and there are many lovely moments and it's very funny as well
We follow two POVs. Avery who has hEDS but she has such a strong personality and know she likes girls. She has two moms. Sara is a bit more insecure and she deals with panic attacks/anxiety and has a very religious family.
We follow the two main characters while and after a very traumatic shooting drill in their middle school. So definitely trigger warnings for that. It's all a test/drill but it's very realistic which traumatises the kids and makes the parents very upset and have divisive opinions about.
They become friends and they both have romantic feelings for eachother and it was lovely to read. The book deals with heavy topics but it's not heavy overall and there are many lovely moments and it's very funny as well
September 6, 2022
Avery Hart has recently been diagnosed with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a disease that affects her joints so instead of riding her dirt bike or playing her drum kit she splits her time between endless physical therapy and worrying that her fun and independence are over for good. Sarah Bell is familiar with anxiety for months she's been unable to control hers through either art of praying and she's starting to worry she's stuck that way forever. Just as both girls are reaching the peak of their fears their school is seemingly attacked by a gunmen. While they later learn it was just a drill the traumatic experience bonds them together and leads down new paths for dealing with their perceived weaknesses.
May 24, 2022
DRC provided by Quill Tree Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Representation: pansexual disabled white protagonist with hEDS, queer white protagonist, lesbian trans white secondary character, Black secondary character with ADHD, bisexual white tertiary character, Pakistani-English tertiary character, gay white tertiary character, tertiary character of colour.
Content Warning: anxiety, panic attacks, trauma, bullying, mentions of death, racism, transphobia.
Fight + Flight by Jules Machias is a dual point-of-view middle-grade contemporary novel about fear and the ways to confront it, living in the present, about living with anxiety and living with chronic pains, and the traumas active shooter drills cause.
Avery is a bubbly middle-grade student, an energetic tornado inhabiting a body with Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. She is recovering from shoulder surgery when her school decides to do an active shooter drill which traumatise the whole student body and even some of the faculty. What happens during the drill leads Avery through a dangerous path as she plans to take matters in her own hands and prank the headmaster.
Sarah is the total opposite of Avery. She is shy and anxiety-ridden. After her aunt’s passing and the departure of her best-friend and cousin, she wants to make another friend and thinks Avery might be a good candidate. The girls start to bond after the drill, helping each other seeing issues from a different perspective and spurring each other to ask for what they need.
I liked this book. I liked reading the experience of a young girl starting to cope with hEDS and I liked her emotional development both in regards to her own condition and the way she relates to others. I preferred Sarah’s chapters to Avery’s though. Probably because they were written in the form of journal entries and there were lots of delightful artworks in-between the written parts and that really helped me to remain focused more than I normally am.
Representation: pansexual disabled white protagonist with hEDS, queer white protagonist, lesbian trans white secondary character, Black secondary character with ADHD, bisexual white tertiary character, Pakistani-English tertiary character, gay white tertiary character, tertiary character of colour.
Content Warning: anxiety, panic attacks, trauma, bullying, mentions of death, racism, transphobia.
Fight + Flight by Jules Machias is a dual point-of-view middle-grade contemporary novel about fear and the ways to confront it, living in the present, about living with anxiety and living with chronic pains, and the traumas active shooter drills cause.
Avery is a bubbly middle-grade student, an energetic tornado inhabiting a body with Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. She is recovering from shoulder surgery when her school decides to do an active shooter drill which traumatise the whole student body and even some of the faculty. What happens during the drill leads Avery through a dangerous path as she plans to take matters in her own hands and prank the headmaster.
Sarah is the total opposite of Avery. She is shy and anxiety-ridden. After her aunt’s passing and the departure of her best-friend and cousin, she wants to make another friend and thinks Avery might be a good candidate. The girls start to bond after the drill, helping each other seeing issues from a different perspective and spurring each other to ask for what they need.
I liked this book. I liked reading the experience of a young girl starting to cope with hEDS and I liked her emotional development both in regards to her own condition and the way she relates to others. I preferred Sarah’s chapters to Avery’s though. Probably because they were written in the form of journal entries and there were lots of delightful artworks in-between the written parts and that really helped me to remain focused more than I normally am.
July 12, 2024
3.4
Kinda good but also kinda mid. Enjoyed some bits but other bits didn't really vibe? I also didn't feel like the world was 3D, unlike both can be true. But still, decent.
Kinda good but also kinda mid. Enjoyed some bits but other bits didn't really vibe? I also didn't feel like the world was 3D, unlike both can be true. But still, decent.
August 10, 2022
At first glance, I was surprised to see a main character with such a strong grasp of who she is. Avery is a kid learning to live with her hEDS (hypermobile Ehler-Danlos Syndrome) while being openly queer and assertive in her identity. Middle grade heavily relies on not knowing, and trying to figure out what kind of person you’re supposed to be. This inevitably ends in some sort of life lesson about being who you are and being nice to others, etc. I was pleasantly surprised to find her not conforming to those norms. Other than all of that drama Avery also has a crush on a girl in her class, Sarah…
Avery and Sarah switch perspectives from chapter to chapter. Sarah’s consciousness is channeled through her journal pages, beautifully inscribed with drawings. It was an ironic contrast to her struggle with anxiety. We learn this very early on and throughout the story, she continues to find methods to quell her mind. The other function of her character was her relationship with Christianity and how it both hurts and helps.
I was stupid to not read the synopsis at the back of the book before starting. Their school is simulating shooter drills. Unexpectedly, the school goes on lockdown. Avery and her best friend are terrified by the noises they hear and they rush to find a safe place. Avery’s friend is scared because he is multiracial and there is a visceral concern for his safety. Avery hurts her leg in the drill and keeps going anyway for the fear of getting shot. When it turns out it was only a drill everyone is shaken and there is strong backlash from the parents. Not reading up on the background made me experience it strongly and empathize with the characters about their trauma.
From the point of the shooter drill forward, Fight + Flight explores different people’s stances on the issue of school systems traumatizing their students. And consequently effective ways of raising awareness and being an activist. With this serious topic in mind, it still finds a way to not make every moment feel heavy, and fill them with shenanigans instead.
There were some things I didn’t agree with, specifically referring to a trans person with the wrong pronouns in the past tense. That exists in this book, but there are also necessary discussions, figuring out how to be a good friend, a cute dog, and a happy ending. In this day and age, we all need more happy endings.
—-Thank You High Five Books For This ARC—-
Avery and Sarah switch perspectives from chapter to chapter. Sarah’s consciousness is channeled through her journal pages, beautifully inscribed with drawings. It was an ironic contrast to her struggle with anxiety. We learn this very early on and throughout the story, she continues to find methods to quell her mind. The other function of her character was her relationship with Christianity and how it both hurts and helps.
I was stupid to not read the synopsis at the back of the book before starting. Their school is simulating shooter drills. Unexpectedly, the school goes on lockdown. Avery and her best friend are terrified by the noises they hear and they rush to find a safe place. Avery’s friend is scared because he is multiracial and there is a visceral concern for his safety. Avery hurts her leg in the drill and keeps going anyway for the fear of getting shot. When it turns out it was only a drill everyone is shaken and there is strong backlash from the parents. Not reading up on the background made me experience it strongly and empathize with the characters about their trauma.
From the point of the shooter drill forward, Fight + Flight explores different people’s stances on the issue of school systems traumatizing their students. And consequently effective ways of raising awareness and being an activist. With this serious topic in mind, it still finds a way to not make every moment feel heavy, and fill them with shenanigans instead.
There were some things I didn’t agree with, specifically referring to a trans person with the wrong pronouns in the past tense. That exists in this book, but there are also necessary discussions, figuring out how to be a good friend, a cute dog, and a happy ending. In this day and age, we all need more happy endings.
—-Thank You High Five Books For This ARC—-
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November 1, 2022This is heavy for a middle grade and I'd definitely recommend it for older middle grade. That being said I think that it would be remiss and irresponsible to make the claim that kids are not familiar enough with these topics to handle a story about them. They are living it every single day.
This book is about two middle school girls, one who is a daredevil and who is constantly looking for the next big adventure. She is queer and comfortable in her queerness (which is amazing). She has queer parents, two moms one of which is trans which is extra fun representation. She also has EDS. EDS is a condition which basically means that it's really easy to hurt yourself and tear ligaments and muscles and break bones etc. Avery has just hurt her shoulder and a dirt bike incident that she was not supposed to be riding dirt bike and the story follows her recovery for her shoulder will also dealing with chronic pain and additional pain from EDS
Then there is Sarah. Sarah is from a very religious conservative family and she has pretty severe anxiety and panic attacks. After being told to just pray her panic away, she becomes kind of persistent on finding a way to help herself since no one is willing to help her.
When a school shooting drill gets a little too real, Both girls have some realizations about their own behavior and how they can move forward.
Some of the heavier themes discussed are school shootings, racism, ableism, homophobia, queerness and religion, etc.
Sarah and Avery end up kind of teaming up to get back at the principal for tricking them with the school shooting drill and Sarah ends up realizing that maybe she's got some feelings for Avery that go beyond friendship and Avery has to figure out how to prioritize a crush with her friendships and her idea of justice.
It is a lot but I think it is really well done It's a fantastic book and I would definitely recommend.
Disabled (EDS) Pansexual MC , Disabled (anxiety) questioning sapphic MC, secondary gay character, sapphic moms, trans mom
This book is about two middle school girls, one who is a daredevil and who is constantly looking for the next big adventure. She is queer and comfortable in her queerness (which is amazing). She has queer parents, two moms one of which is trans which is extra fun representation. She also has EDS. EDS is a condition which basically means that it's really easy to hurt yourself and tear ligaments and muscles and break bones etc. Avery has just hurt her shoulder and a dirt bike incident that she was not supposed to be riding dirt bike and the story follows her recovery for her shoulder will also dealing with chronic pain and additional pain from EDS
Then there is Sarah. Sarah is from a very religious conservative family and she has pretty severe anxiety and panic attacks. After being told to just pray her panic away, she becomes kind of persistent on finding a way to help herself since no one is willing to help her.
When a school shooting drill gets a little too real, Both girls have some realizations about their own behavior and how they can move forward.
Some of the heavier themes discussed are school shootings, racism, ableism, homophobia, queerness and religion, etc.
Sarah and Avery end up kind of teaming up to get back at the principal for tricking them with the school shooting drill and Sarah ends up realizing that maybe she's got some feelings for Avery that go beyond friendship and Avery has to figure out how to prioritize a crush with her friendships and her idea of justice.
It is a lot but I think it is really well done It's a fantastic book and I would definitely recommend.
Disabled (EDS) Pansexual MC , Disabled (anxiety) questioning sapphic MC, secondary gay character, sapphic moms, trans mom
July 10, 2023
I was too young to remember my first dislocations. All I remember is my mom telling my older cousins that they weren’t allowed to touch my arms or else they’d “fall off” (which is how my tiny brain translated the phrase from Korean). The first dislocation I actually remember happened when I was 6 or 7. I woke up one morning with my head stuck to one side, screaming in pain. I remember it hurting, and I remember being afraid my head would be stuck like that forever, and I also remember going to school as soon as my dad got my neck sorted out. Not long after that, I broke a bone doing something that normal kids would have walked away from unscathed. I made it through the rest of elementary school with only minor injuries (and a lot of barfing), but at puberty, everything went downhill fast. Still, I carried on, embarrassed by what was happening to me, scared to be taken to a doctor, and afraid of being called dramatic. I never saw a doctor for any of my symptoms until, at 15, I had to have surgery to fix a break that (again) wouldn’t have happened if my body was “normal.” Seeing Avery go through what I experienced was painful, but also healing. This is the book 13-year-old me needed. I would have related so hard to Avery. When your body and your future feel so out of control, it’s natural to try to control everything else about your life. It healed my inner child to see how much Avery’s friends cared about her and wanted to understand what she was going through.
August 1, 2022
I loved everything about this book! I could relate to both Avery ( having EDS myself.. different type though) and Sarah ( anxiety ). I love that both characters found ways to help each other when they needed help. Avery had brought up a good point about feeling like a burden because of her disease.. ( tbh i felt the same way for a long time and that feeling will never go away even if your loved ones say you are not a burden ).
i'm so grateful/thankful for the author for writing a character that has EDS. We need more representation!!!!! i hope this also can get a discussion going about invisible diseases/syndromes because lots of people look at us like we have 3 heads when we say we have a rare syndrome and have to constantly explain what it is.
i'm so grateful/thankful for the author for writing a character that has EDS. We need more representation!!!!! i hope this also can get a discussion going about invisible diseases/syndromes because lots of people look at us like we have 3 heads when we say we have a rare syndrome and have to constantly explain what it is.
September 3, 2023
As an adult who has hEDS and a mother of three hypermobile teens, I could relate to Avery on many levels. The variety of topics covered in this book hit close to home for many reasons. Such a great story. I wish my kiddos had the opportunity to read it when they were in upper elementary/ middle school.
July 8, 2023
i did really appreciate the hEDS rep! and also the way avery had to accept her own disability/how that affects her life as she gets older. not a fan of the religion aspects, though that’s coming from a personal bias.
September 16, 2022
There is SO much to unpack in this middle-grade read, I'm afraid it might be too overwhelming for its intended audience. The entire book focuses on heavy topics, such as mental health, disabilities, LGBTQ issues, religion, and active shooters. I listened to the audio (which features two narrators) and even I felt my anxiety start to go up just hearing Sarah speak. I appreciate the author's ambition, but I feel the book sort of distracts from itself...if that makes any sense. I might put this in the hands of a high-schooler, but as for the middle-graders I encounter daily, it's a no-go.
February 17, 2025
I wish I'd had this book when I was 13, but I'm so grateful to have it at 31 🧡
September 19, 2025
Popsugar Reading Challenge 2025: A Book that features an unlikely friendship.
Want to read
January 17, 2022I see "disability MG" and zoom to add it SO FAST lol
May 23, 2022
Was so excited for this book! I loved Both Can Be True so I expected another great book from the author. And you know what? Jules Machias just knows how to bring stories to life. This book perfectly sums up how it's like to be kids experiencing a a bunch of things all at the same time, how to feel everything slip right out of your control, how fear controls us, especially when it comes to kids and young teens in today's world.
I also love how this book shed light in a couple of societal issues and representations. From the disease that affects Avery's joints, to the anxiety that grips Sarah, the queer and trans rep, and a whole lot more.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
This book is so good and so thoughtful, and a perfect combination of comforting and inspiring. This is out tomorrow! 🥺 Go add it to your TBRs, preorder/request on your library, or gift it to your own kids, siblings, or more. They need a story like this one 💜
Exact rating: 4.5/5
Full review (hopefully soon!)
Find me elsewhere: Instagram | Twitter | Blog
I also love how this book shed light in a couple of societal issues and representations. From the disease that affects Avery's joints, to the anxiety that grips Sarah, the queer and trans rep, and a whole lot more.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
This book is so good and so thoughtful, and a perfect combination of comforting and inspiring. This is out tomorrow! 🥺 Go add it to your TBRs, preorder/request on your library, or gift it to your own kids, siblings, or more. They need a story like this one 💜
Exact rating: 4.5/5
Full review (hopefully soon!)
Find me elsewhere: Instagram | Twitter | Blog
March 14, 2022
I really wanted to like this more than I did. To put things in perspective, this book probably isn't one that I would have picked up on my own based on its premise, except for the fact that one of the main characters has hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, which I have as well. My experience has been pretty different from Avery's - I wasn't diagnosed until college and my dislocations are less frequent, for starters - but it was still so cool to see something like that on page, and there were passages I found myself nodding along with. Hopefully this book's existence helps more people become aware of EDS.
I also thought that the dual perspectives were done in an interesting way, with one being written like a typical book and one in a journal style. However, speaking of the perspectives, there's only so much I can take of going back and forth between "I'm going to make an obviously horrible decision" and "my mom is telling me to pray about my anxiety." Neither of those plots really worked for me, although I thought the climax was done really well.
CW: school shooting drill that is believed to be real, injuries, anxiety and panic attacks, transphobia, racism, homophobia, potential incarceration, past bullying, past surgery, past family member death
I recieved an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I also thought that the dual perspectives were done in an interesting way, with one being written like a typical book and one in a journal style. However, speaking of the perspectives, there's only so much I can take of going back and forth between "I'm going to make an obviously horrible decision" and "my mom is telling me to pray about my anxiety." Neither of those plots really worked for me, although I thought the climax was done really well.
CW: school shooting drill that is believed to be real, injuries, anxiety and panic attacks, transphobia, racism, homophobia, potential incarceration, past bullying, past surgery, past family member death
I recieved an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
August 10, 2022
I’m not gonna lie, I wanted to like this book. It had good biblical foundations, such as “Perfect love casts out all fear” and harnessing righteous anger against fear. It would’ve been a three-star, maybe even a four-star, if there hadn’t been so much LGBTQ+ crap in the book. The fact that the characters had a gay crush on each other completely ruined the story. It turned it from a good story about fighting against fear into a LGBTQ+ fanatic, which didn’t sit right with me.
For those of you calling me a transphobe or a homophobe, I’m just gonna say that LGBTQ+ and God don’t go together. The Bible strongly commands against homosexuality and transgenderism and for good reason. Go search up Genesis 1-2 if you don’t believe me.
I’m sorry, but this book is a good story turned woke. I really wanted to like this one, but I couldn’t. And the fact that Jules identifies as a “they” doesn’t sit right with me either.
I’m not trying to preach. I’m just warning any pure Christians out there against this book. :(
For those of you calling me a transphobe or a homophobe, I’m just gonna say that LGBTQ+ and God don’t go together. The Bible strongly commands against homosexuality and transgenderism and for good reason. Go search up Genesis 1-2 if you don’t believe me.
I’m sorry, but this book is a good story turned woke. I really wanted to like this one, but I couldn’t. And the fact that Jules identifies as a “they” doesn’t sit right with me either.
I’m not trying to preach. I’m just warning any pure Christians out there against this book. :(
Want to read
February 10, 2023Bumping this up my TBR for Personal Reasons (got told I probably have EDS by someone who has it based on what I thought was being double-jointed and not leaving the house enough but is apparently instead hyperextension and oddly translucent skin so. guess we'll see what the doctor says.)
April 26, 2024
every time i sat down to read this book i cried. every time oh my god. yes it's a book for kids but it was so specifically targeted to my experiences i feel like it healed a little piece of me.
September 13, 2025
This book got me through so many different struggles, and I was amazed to get to see myself in both Avery and Sarah ❤️. Words don’t describe how much this book means to me.
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