“If I go to this tournament, I will have to stand behind a podium and argue against my own right to take a shit. I’ll have to argue against people who’ve never met a trans person. Who don’t know the first thing about who I am. Who believe everything J. K. Rowling posts on Twitter. I do daily backflips not to engage with these people. Almost no one at this school knows I’m trans, and for good goddamn reason: I wouldn’t be a person anymore. I’d be a political issue.”
Both Sides Now proved to be quite the surprise and I’m not mad about it. We follow Finch Kelly, a debate champion who wants to be the first trans congressman once he’s done with college. The only thing standing between him and high school graduation is the National Speech & Debate Tournament and Finch, together with his debating partner and friend Jonah is ready to let all hell loose. That is, until they get the topic they’re about to argue for and against: transgender rights to use the bathrooms of their choice. Suddenly, Finch finds himself having to argue against his own humanity to get a full-ride scholarship to college.
A powerful premise and even more powerful book, Both Sides Now had a lot going for it. Granted, I had some trouble getting into the book because the beginning was very much written as if you were supposed to know all these characters already and that left me feeling a bit like a fish out of water. Once the first third of the book was over, though, I finally had a grasp on Finch and really enjoyed the book. There is a lot of discussion of transphobia and people’s basic human rights being turned into a political issue instead of a human one and it’s a lot of food for thought.
Finch doesn’t have an easy life—on top of being trans and the way it impacts his body image, he also struggles with his family’s financial issues, living with parents who constantly fight and a sister who doesn’t want him to leave her alone with them once he’s off to college. But Finch is an incredible headstrong character who fights for what he believes in and clings to his dream of becoming the first trans congressman and I loved his tenacity.
There’s also a romance plot that made me swoon because I love friends-to-lovers situations and all the more so if these feelings are kind of obvious to everyone except the characters themselves. The love interest had such a journey in this book—and a horrible boyfriend to boot—and it was sweet to see Finch and them finding their way to each other. It added a lot to the already emotional story.
There were, however, a few moments between Finch and other characters, especially his friend Lucy that left me questioning just how good their friendship was. They both often say how important they are to each other but the way they treat each other sometimes felt counterintuitive—e.g. Lucy breaking up with Finch the second he comes out as transgender because she’s a lesbian and doesn’t want a boyfriend felt very harsh and made me wonder how that didn’t impact their friendship at all. That might just be me, but Lucy says a lot of things about Finch being trans that made me want to throttle her, so if you’re not into some of the stereotypical quips people come up with, then be warned of Lucy.
That being said, though, all the characters added something vital to the story and I really enjoyed the complexity of Finch and his struggles to make his way in the world. I think this book will mean a lot to readers, both young and old, and will definitely teach some valuable lessons.
Perfect for fans of The Politician on Netflix and The (Un)Popular Vote, Both Sides Now is a heartfelt, politically savvy story that exposes the ethicality of debate and shows that some issues—like human rights for all—should be no-brainers, always.
Both Sides Now is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of August 24th 2021.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
A witty and warm-hearted novel about a trans teen finding his place in the world perfect for fans of Red, White and Royal Blue
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.
