Why read Between Perfect and Real?

Book cover of Between Perfect and Real

Book description

A moving YA debut about a trans boy finding his voice--and himself

Dean Foster knows he's a trans guy. He's watched enough YouTube videos and done enough questioning to be sure. But everyone at his high school thinks he's a lesbian--including his girlfriend Zoe, and his theater director, who just…

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Why read it?

2 authors picked Between Perfect and Real as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

A.M. Kirsch

Author

It’s really hard to find trans girls represented in contemporary YA literature, but when I read Between Perfect and Real, I realized that the plot matters more than the gender.

The closeted trans-masc protagonist, Dean, looks like a lesbian on the surface, and he was a mirror for me, appearing as the closeted trans-femme straight opposite. I couldn’t help but see and love the high school nerds I met in my own high school.

From A.M.'s list on The best trans coming-of-age books.

S.M. Stevens

Author

A high school production of Romeo and Juliet isn’t the focus of this plot, but the book still makes my shortlist. The concept of a trans guy acknowledging his gender identity after having been cast as a girl playing the boy Romeo is profound. Dean questions his gender as rehearsals progress. By showtime, he decides to use the production’s program to publicly announce he is trans. Friend and parental issues arise, so there’s plenty of drama on and off the stage in this one.

Theater Quotient: Medium. Gender identity is the focus, but rehearsals and performances figure prominently.

From S.M.'s list on The best novels for tweens, teens and young adults who love theater.