This article was written by Kyla Baker of Richard Montgomery
Mason Deaver’s heartbreaking debut novel “I Wish You All the Best” is an essential read for anyone and everyone, especially those who hope to better understand the LGBTQ community. The novel follows Ben DeBacker, a nonbinary teen, through a series of experiences no teenager—or anyone, for that matter—should ever have to go through. I Wish You All the Best is a story of heartbreak, hope and love in its rawest form.
After coming out to their parents, Ben is kicked out and has no option but to move in with their older sister, Hannah, and her new husband, Thomas, after not having any contact with them for years. Ben then transfers to a new school near Hannah’s house, where Thomas happens to be a teacher. Here, Ben meets Nathan Allen, who’s charisma and sense of humor serves as a bit of an annoyance to Ben at first. Over the course of their senior year, Ben’s entire life does a complete one-eighty, and everything they once knew is questioned.
I Wish You All the Best was the first book I’ve read with a non-binary main character, and the third piece of media I’ve consumed with a non-binary character at all. (The first being the Netflix Originals One Day at a Time, and the second She-Ra and the Princesses of Power). Mason Deaver, who wrote I Wish You All the Best, is non-binary themself, making Ben’s story far more authentic and realistic than most other stories about transgender characters.
Deaver’s novel insightfully depicts a narrative that is far too overlooked and ignored today, and it displays the heartbreaking reality that is faced by many transgender teenagers worldwide. As a queer person myself, Ben’s internal monologue when debating whether or not it’s the right time to come out to their parents was all too familiar and all too terrifying, as was most of the story.
On the topic of Ben’s internal monologue, it’s incredibly well written, and it gives the reader a glance into the fleeting thoughts and crucial moments throughout each of Ben’s interactions, specifically in their interactions with Nathan, who they’re terrified of coming out to. In addition to being insightful, Deaver has a distinct writing style that is consistent and well-rounded throughout I Wish You All the Best, from the witty banter between Nathan and Ben to the heartfelt discussions Ben has with their best friend, Mariam, who also happens to be nonbinary.
Not only does this novel have nonbinary representation, it also has characters from many different backgrounds. Nathan, though his ethnicity and race are not specified, is dark-skinned, as depicted on the cover. Ben’s internet best friend, Mariam, is a hijab-wearing Muslim who also happens to be an internet sensation.
Between Mariam and Ben, Deaver also single-handedly dismantles the outdated argument that writing nonbinary characters using ‘they/them’ pronouns is too hard and confusing. Overall, the novel sends a massive signal to any reader, especially those who are transgender and nonbinary, that they can write their own stories. Even more so than that, Deaver shows nonbinary people like themself everywhere that there they still have a lot to offer, even in the face of adversity.
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