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Either Way: Story of a Gay Kid
A graphic novel that teaches teens about the history of gay rights in America while emphasizing the recurring theme that “It’s okay to be gay. Or not. Either way, it’s okay.”
From day one I knew there was something different about me. Cael sets out to find out who he is — something he wants to know more than anything. With the help of a trusted teacher, a new friend, and his favorite book, he discovers what he knew all along.
Inside you'll find three stories braided into a coming-of-age coming out story, a lesson on civil rights and marriage equality, and historical fiction about a gay man in the military. And you'll read about how Cael comes out as gay, comfortable with who he is and confident that it's okay.
2017 National Indie Excellence Award Winner for LGBTQ Fiction for Children and Young Adults
From day one I knew there was something different about me. Cael sets out to find out who he is — something he wants to know more than anything. With the help of a trusted teacher, a new friend, and his favorite book, he discovers what he knew all along.
Inside you'll find three stories braided into a coming-of-age coming out story, a lesson on civil rights and marriage equality, and historical fiction about a gay man in the military. And you'll read about how Cael comes out as gay, comfortable with who he is and confident that it's okay.
2017 National Indie Excellence Award Winner for LGBTQ Fiction for Children and Young Adults
96 pages, Paperback
Published October 17, 2016
About the author
Sandra Levins
9 books3 followersWhen Sandra Levins began writing children's books she fell in love with the message behind the stories and the notion that they can make a positive difference in the lives of children and families.
Sandra is the author of a graphic novel for young adults, four children’s picture books, and a Young Adult novel in eBook format. Her works have received the National Indie Excellence Award for LGBTQ Fiction for Children and Young Adults and twice received Mom's Choice Award for Children's Picture Books. She is a Gelett Burgess Children's Book and National Parenting Publications Awards Honors Winner. Her picture books have been translated into Chinese, Korean, and Arabic. A natural-born storyteller, Sandra writes about real-life issues like divorce, remarriage, honesty, LGBT questioning, and teen pregnancy.
Sandra lives with her husband, Jim, in Burlington, Iowa, a short hike from the Mighty Mississippi.
Sandra is the author of a graphic novel for young adults, four children’s picture books, and a Young Adult novel in eBook format. Her works have received the National Indie Excellence Award for LGBTQ Fiction for Children and Young Adults and twice received Mom's Choice Award for Children's Picture Books. She is a Gelett Burgess Children's Book and National Parenting Publications Awards Honors Winner. Her picture books have been translated into Chinese, Korean, and Arabic. A natural-born storyteller, Sandra writes about real-life issues like divorce, remarriage, honesty, LGBT questioning, and teen pregnancy.
Sandra lives with her husband, Jim, in Burlington, Iowa, a short hike from the Mighty Mississippi.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
April 9, 2017
This is an okay book for introducing maybe tweens to glbt issues. I initially did not like that it announced its focus in the subtitle. I mean, he's more than just gay, right? But his being gay is very much the point of the book, of course. It 's a conversation starter for kids, or a safe place for a young kid to find his feelings are okay, and so on.
It's positive, it's gentle, though it doesn't quite feel real, and it's more didactic than anything, but since such books didn't exist went years ago, this is an accomplishment, I guess. So for that kid, it could be THE important book in his life, but as for overall quality, I thought, eh.
Since I have three tweens living in this house, I invited them to read it. They all know what I never knew at their age: "out" kids who have happily announced they are gay and it is in a way no big deal, it's all good. But I'm living in a maybe remarkable place, where to be gay doesn't seem to be (I'm straight, so there may be things I don't know) particularly threatening to straight people (though there is sometimes harassment, too). I think of this book as for places where it is particularly not all that safe for kids to come out, for kids living in such places, to signal to them that there may be safe havens for them on the planet. And again, the fight seems very real in the USA as things that were accomplished in the Obama admin are getting rolled back, so books like these will need to get published still.
It's positive, it's gentle, though it doesn't quite feel real, and it's more didactic than anything, but since such books didn't exist went years ago, this is an accomplishment, I guess. So for that kid, it could be THE important book in his life, but as for overall quality, I thought, eh.
Since I have three tweens living in this house, I invited them to read it. They all know what I never knew at their age: "out" kids who have happily announced they are gay and it is in a way no big deal, it's all good. But I'm living in a maybe remarkable place, where to be gay doesn't seem to be (I'm straight, so there may be things I don't know) particularly threatening to straight people (though there is sometimes harassment, too). I think of this book as for places where it is particularly not all that safe for kids to come out, for kids living in such places, to signal to them that there may be safe havens for them on the planet. And again, the fight seems very real in the USA as things that were accomplished in the Obama admin are getting rolled back, so books like these will need to get published still.
May 22, 2017
So I mainly read this because the author is my mom's cousin.
I liked the meaning behind the book, and I thought the artwork was well done. It just seemed that story-wise, there wasn't much character development or plot or anything. I understand that the main message of the novel is that "it's ok to be whatever you are", but there are better ways to get a message across than just listing off facts and statistics. I wouldn't not recommend this book to anyone, but I think there are better done novels (both in graphic form and not) that get the same message across.
I liked the meaning behind the book, and I thought the artwork was well done. It just seemed that story-wise, there wasn't much character development or plot or anything. I understand that the main message of the novel is that "it's ok to be whatever you are", but there are better ways to get a message across than just listing off facts and statistics. I wouldn't not recommend this book to anyone, but I think there are better done novels (both in graphic form and not) that get the same message across.
December 18, 2016
This book is so achingly earnest that I feel guilty for finding it laughably bad. Three different storylines converge into a big pile of cheese. On track one, we have Cael struggling to come to terms with his sexuality and whether he should keep it secret. On track two, we have a classroom of kids giving presentations on the history of gay rights. On track three, we have the memoir of a gay soldier that Cael reads throughout the book. In the course of the book, a variety of characters keep saying this catchphrase: "It's okay to be gay. Or not. Either way it's okay." Over and over and over from character after character after character until I'm gritting my teeth every time a new character shows up because I know pretty soon it will come spewing out of their mouth. Again, there is good information and good intentions evident on every page, but as a whole it is too awkward for words. I sincerely hope that I'm just the wrong age or audience or something and that there is someone to whom this book will be a revelation.
November 18, 2016
While this graphic novel is an interesting mix of coming-of-age story and the history of civil and political rights, the repetitiveness of "either way" was demeaning to the intelligence of the reader. The ending was also too perfect and forced.
May 3, 2017
This book was okay. It didn't have a particularly captivating plot and the characters didn't have much depth but the art was cool and I think it would be a good tool to introduce/address LGBTQ+ issues to 10-14 year-olds.
March 3, 2023
*2.5 stars rounded up for Goodreads scoring*
I wanted to like this so much but I had so many issues with this one. One issue I had was the illustration style; it was just too messy and inconsistent for me and at times, I found it difficult to find the MC because all the characters looked practically the same other than some shading. Narratively I found this a struggle. You have the coming out story of a young boy interspliced with LGBTQ+ historical events and it’s supposed to all come together in the end but I found it incredibly clumsy and messy as a storytelling device. There isn’t really any time to get to know the MC other than the fact that he is closeted. I felt that was kind of problematic since the historical stories told were interesting and cool but the actual “story of a gay kid” was so poorly constructed that even with the heartfelt author’s note (the author isn’t gay but was inspired by close gay friends) this story felt too rainbow capitalistic for me.
All of that said, I think it’s important that there are books like this for young kids because it can be a great conversation starter. However, as someone who identifies as queer, I wouldn’t recommend this for any young kids in my life.
I wanted to like this so much but I had so many issues with this one. One issue I had was the illustration style; it was just too messy and inconsistent for me and at times, I found it difficult to find the MC because all the characters looked practically the same other than some shading. Narratively I found this a struggle. You have the coming out story of a young boy interspliced with LGBTQ+ historical events and it’s supposed to all come together in the end but I found it incredibly clumsy and messy as a storytelling device. There isn’t really any time to get to know the MC other than the fact that he is closeted. I felt that was kind of problematic since the historical stories told were interesting and cool but the actual “story of a gay kid” was so poorly constructed that even with the heartfelt author’s note (the author isn’t gay but was inspired by close gay friends) this story felt too rainbow capitalistic for me.
All of that said, I think it’s important that there are books like this for young kids because it can be a great conversation starter. However, as someone who identifies as queer, I wouldn’t recommend this for any young kids in my life.
July 20, 2017
This was a great book for anyone coming out! I loved how it was about someone going through the hard struggle of coming out but at the same time it taught you about some of the LGBTQ history. I loved how it hit on all the important issues that happened in our community. I also loved how it seemed to flow freely between the lessons and the main character coming out. This is a book that everyone should read to either learn something from it or to show you that its normal and nothing to fear.
Being gay is normal and something that cannot be changed. Be who you are and be proud of it! There is no one that can be a better you than you!
Being gay is normal and something that cannot be changed. Be who you are and be proud of it! There is no one that can be a better you than you!
July 24, 2018
Omg.... this might be THE cringiest LGBTQIA+ book I’ve ever read. With the constant phrase “you know kid it’s ok to be gay. Or not. Either way” thrown at the reader as the focus of every subplot from his bus driver to the shopkeeper at a fishing store, it’s hard to get into the main character at all. The only thing going for him is his gayness which apparently he projects as glaringly as Times Square 🙄ugh there is zero subtlety in this book.
While I believe the author meant this to be a positive presentation (I’m not even going to get into the authors note), it comes off as naive, even delusional at times.
While I believe the author meant this to be a positive presentation (I’m not even going to get into the authors note), it comes off as naive, even delusional at times.
August 26, 2023
As a queer person I hated reading all the sad + violent things my fellow LBGTQAIs encounter. What a bummer.
This straight author meant to create an affirming book, but it had the opposite effect: it was a litany of anti-gay slogans, bullying, and discriminatory policies.
I couldn’t give this to any queer youth in my life, for these reasons.
This is what too often happens when someone in the majority writes from the perspective of a marginalized person: they focus on the bad/oppressions to PROVE they “get it”. At the cost of their queer readers who already know the scary stuff we face as a community.
And who would not like to spend our free/reading time immersed in the negative.
This straight author meant to create an affirming book, but it had the opposite effect: it was a litany of anti-gay slogans, bullying, and discriminatory policies.
I couldn’t give this to any queer youth in my life, for these reasons.
This is what too often happens when someone in the majority writes from the perspective of a marginalized person: they focus on the bad/oppressions to PROVE they “get it”. At the cost of their queer readers who already know the scary stuff we face as a community.
And who would not like to spend our free/reading time immersed in the negative.
March 24, 2017
This book was fine. It didn't tug at my heartstrings or tell me anything I didn't already know, but it wasn't bad. The story is pretty straight forward - the main character is talking about how he learned he was gay and how he dealt with it, interspersed with scenes from a book that helped him along the way and a classroom setting where high schoolers are learning about gay rights. He ends the book by coming out. The main point, which is repeated so often that it would be impossible to miss it, is that being gay is okay. This book is okay too. It won't be at the top of any of my recommended gay reading lists though.
January 14, 2018
I was excited to start this comic but dang it left me pretty unsatisfied. The writing was pretty cringey in parts and it’s like the bare minimum of queer stories. There was nothing to the main character other than that he’s gay and starting to come out. It was written by a straight woman who’s the mother of a gay man and that definitely shows. I don’t think I’d even recommend this to a kid who’s questioning their sexuality or an introduction to queer issues because there’s just way better things out there and this adds nothing new or does anything interesting.
February 26, 2020
Was an ok graphic novel . See it more target to kids and young adults who are just coming out or who may happy to have an lgbtq+ friend that is just coming out. The art style is a bit messing and not exactly to my liking but it was again ok. I was not a massive fan of how all the stories came together. It feels so forced and contrived. Overall it was still enjoyable to read though feel that there are way better ones that give across the same message in a less forced/in your face sort of way.
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February 17, 2021Overall Opinion:Another random pick from my library. This is a great introduction to the history of gay marriage in the United States, but it also tells about a young boy struggling with homophobia and his sexuality. I liked how the story was interwoven between Cael's coming out and his history class recounting the laws surrounding gay marriage. It was a fast read that didn't have much substance to the writing, so I feel like many people could pick this up and learn something.
October 10, 2017
Too much for too little of a book. Perhaps it was the graphic novel style, but I felt like it was very jumpy. From laws to the soldier to our main character, Carl. All great story lines and I like how the laws were part of the story, just too jumpy for me as a reader. I’d like to share this with kids and see what they think. Maybe not jumpy at all to them.
February 17, 2019
A very educational and helpful graphic novel about discovering feelings and sexualities when you're young. If you know of anybody going through the confusing and, most of the time, frustrating process of figuring out their feelings toward people then I would recommend this book. Wish I had it when I was younger.
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June 26, 2022This book is a great read especially for a teen wanting to come out but is afraid. It reads like a comic but its a graphic novel. I would have loved to have this book when I was a child. It was hard for me coming out. I am glad to have Sandra as an Ally and friend. Thank you Sandra for the great book. Everyone needs a copy for themselves or their Child.
September 30, 2022
I didn't enjoy the book as much since it was mostly repeating over and over. But I like how he was able to conform he was gay in front of his friends and family. I like how he finally decide to stop hiding and become himself. Overall the book has a great story and connection but it is not just for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 5, 2018
This book is just right - I was worried it would be pedantic but felt the informational chapters were just right for teens and alternating those (and the classroom chapters) with Cael's journey and the gay soldier (who, magically, ends up being married to Cael's teacher! ..nice touch) was perfect!
January 13, 2020
This is a sweet story, but it's intended for a much younger audience. It's simply written and only covers the basics of being in the LGBTQ community. Not really for me, but for a kid who needs some exposure, it's cute enough.
October 21, 2021
I love the message behind the book and I even learned a lot, but as a STORY it was not that great and was super cheesy with the repeated phrase BUT I get that the point was most likely just to get the I do out there. Also, super cheesy about the teacher being the guy from the book…
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 26, 2017
Yes, it's earnest and a little simple... But I'm not the target audience. For tweens and young teens, it does a nice job. I'm happy it's out there for those kids to read.
January 22, 2018
A fantastic story, and a great way of educating kids on LGBTQ+ issues, especially the U.S. history of LGBT rights. The story was also fantastic! Absolutely a great read!
January 25, 2018
This is a great book about discovering that you are gay. It is an easy read and well worth it.
February 17, 2018
This book just missed the mark.
March 5, 2018
Younger YA. Classroom bits didn’t swing. Good art, good endnotes
April 1, 2019
It reads more like a LGBTQIA+ informational booklet for children than a graphic novel, but it wasn't horrible. Just a bit information-heavy, and had some glaring pacing issues.
October 2, 2019
Regardless of other reviews. It was refreshing to see a LGBT book end with parents being fully accepting and not just pretending.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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February 2, 2020very supreme courty and heteronorm stuff
December 20, 2020
Important resource for the LGB community.
May 29, 2021
Written by a straight woman and dedicated to straight readers wanting to understand their queer friends. Not for me.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews