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luci_08's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
stuckinafictionaluniverse's review against another edition
3.0
3 1/2 stars.
None of the above follows Kristin, a popular and happy girl whose life is going just the way she wants it to. She’s on the school’s track team, madly in love with her boyfriend and can't wait to graduate. The only bad thing is that her mother isn’t alive to witness it.
After a painful experience with her boyfriend, Kristin is taken to a doctor and discovers that she is intersex. Kristin, who has never even imagined she’s anything but a girl and now wonders if she’s suddenly a boy.
Before she has let that sink in, her secret is leaked to her whole school. As our narrator struggles with questions that only she herself can answer, she wonders what will happen to her scholarship and friends - friends who suddenly want nothing to do with her.
Kristin's biggest concern is that she now doesn't know what gender she is. Is she a boy or a girl? Can you be both?
None of the above is a very informative book that still keeps a personal tone. You can feel Kristin’s frustration and confusion.
I love how supportive her dad was and that it's therapy-positive.
It's very much a character- driven book about Kristin's inner struggles and accepting who she is. Her classmates bully her and it makes her feel like she has to prove her femininity.
The ending is satisfying and it felt like a complete story without loose ends.
Cons include that some side characters weren’t fleshed-out enough and melted into the background.
This is the first book I’ve read about an intersex character, and I’m glad it exists - especially since it's YA and we need to spread more info about topics like these.
Recommended to anyone who interested in the plot and look for a contemporary with the right amount of ups and downs.
P.S I use female pronouns in my review when talking about the MC because she identifies as female and goes by she/her. :)
None of the above follows Kristin, a popular and happy girl whose life is going just the way she wants it to. She’s on the school’s track team, madly in love with her boyfriend and can't wait to graduate. The only bad thing is that her mother isn’t alive to witness it.
After a painful experience with her boyfriend, Kristin is taken to a doctor and discovers that she is intersex. Kristin, who has never even imagined she’s anything but a girl and now wonders if she’s suddenly a boy.
Before she has let that sink in, her secret is leaked to her whole school. As our narrator struggles with questions that only she herself can answer, she wonders what will happen to her scholarship and friends - friends who suddenly want nothing to do with her.
Kristin's biggest concern is that she now doesn't know what gender she is. Is she a boy or a girl? Can you be both?
None of the above is a very informative book that still keeps a personal tone. You can feel Kristin’s frustration and confusion.
I love how supportive her dad was and that it's therapy-positive.
It's very much a character- driven book about Kristin's inner struggles and accepting who she is. Her classmates bully her and it makes her feel like she has to prove her femininity.
The ending is satisfying and it felt like a complete story without loose ends.
Cons include that some side characters weren’t fleshed-out enough and melted into the background.
This is the first book I’ve read about an intersex character, and I’m glad it exists - especially since it's YA and we need to spread more info about topics like these.
Recommended to anyone who interested in the plot and look for a contemporary with the right amount of ups and downs.
P.S I use female pronouns in my review when talking about the MC because she identifies as female and goes by she/her. :)
leafblade's review against another edition
4.0
I had two main issues with this book:
First of all I'm quite sex repulsed and some things went just too far for me. Yes I know and I understand that sex in YA is important, and in this particular book it really is beause we need to take the taboo out of i, and I'm really glad most teens can read about sex and not bat an eye, but that's just not me.
Second, Krissy just believed too much in people. Sam was a fucking horrible person to her and she stills wants him to love her and she tries to talk to him several times. Vee insults her really bad and it's Krissy that apologies because she thought that it was her who told Sam, and Vee doesn't say anything when it was her who called her a fucking faggot. I can't remember Wu's name sorry I only remember her last name I suck but she was the one who told Sam about Krissy and she doesn't say anything to her because she "can't stay mad at her". I say fuck it, Krissy. Stop believing in people that much. Make them eat shit, make them know that they did something wrong. One of your best friends basically ruined your life and you aren't saying anything. Stop being so naive for fuck's sake.
But yeah, it was pretty good. I hadn't read anything about intersex people (in fact I pretty much didn't KNOW anything about intersex in the first place) and this helped me understand it better. I suffered with Krissy. And I fucking love Darren he's so cute and supportive and kind and gold-hearted and pure and I just YES KEEP HIM KRISSY
First of all I'm quite sex repulsed and some things went just too far for me. Yes I know and I understand that sex in YA is important, and in this particular book it really is beause we need to take the taboo out of i, and I'm really glad most teens can read about sex and not bat an eye, but that's just not me.
Second, Krissy just believed too much in people. Sam was a fucking horrible person to her and she stills wants him to love her and she tries to talk to him several times. Vee insults her really bad and it's Krissy that apologies because she thought that it was her who told Sam, and Vee doesn't say anything when it was her who called her a fucking faggot. I can't remember Wu's name sorry I only remember her last name I suck but she was the one who told Sam about Krissy and she doesn't say anything to her because she "can't stay mad at her". I say fuck it, Krissy. Stop believing in people that much. Make them eat shit, make them know that they did something wrong. One of your best friends basically ruined your life and you aren't saying anything. Stop being so naive for fuck's sake.
But yeah, it was pretty good. I hadn't read anything about intersex people (in fact I pretty much didn't KNOW anything about intersex in the first place) and this helped me understand it better. I suffered with Krissy. And I fucking love Darren he's so cute and supportive and kind and gold-hearted and pure and I just YES KEEP HIM KRISSY
tishywishy's review against another edition
2.0
I really really wanted to give this book a better rating. I get it, my expectations of her were a bit too high and I appreciated the reality of her ever-evolving and conflicting emotions. I was happy to finally get my hands on a book with someone who is intersex as the lead (a rare find), as well as learning more about issues facing intersex persons. What I couldn't get over were the flimsy stories of her high school friendships, the lack of more in-depth analysis on the issues presented and how bad the audio book was at speaking anyone else other than Kirstin (it was truly awful).
cxppatee's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
drridareads's review against another edition
5.0
Not own voices but in my opinion there is great intersex representation!
Also it's written by a doctor (GOALS)
_____
I read this book yesterday, it was so good i couldn't put it down.
The best part is how it explores that it's not what you are that matters but who you are. I never knew about intersex before reading this book and thank you for introducing me to it. It's one of those rare books that's not only informative but also entertaining.
It's the book that everyone should read.
Also it's written by a doctor (GOALS)
_____
I read this book yesterday, it was so good i couldn't put it down.
The best part is how it explores that it's not what you are that matters but who you are. I never knew about intersex before reading this book and thank you for introducing me to it. It's one of those rare books that's not only informative but also entertaining.
It's the book that everyone should read.
ottolee's review against another edition
4.0
In an attempt to find more LGBT+ books, I stumbled across this book and, while it didn't focus on non-binary gender like I had hoped it would, given the title, I was pleasantly surprised to find a story about an oft-forgotten part of the LGBT+ community, intersexuality. More than that, I was pleasantly surprised at how genuinely I.W. Gregorio conveyed Kristen and her struggles with understanding her gender after finding out that she is not biologically female. It is heartbreaking watching her life fall apart and watching her try to piece things together and it is heartwarming how, even in her darkest moments, there are still people who are there for her, even if she's not ready for the support they provide.
Also, I love how the book deftly addresses how biological sex =/= gender identity =/= sexual orientation through the people who surround Kristen. A woman is a woman even if she has XY chromosomes. A woman is a woman even if she cannot conceive a child. A woman is a woman even if she's dating another woman. All of this is true because what makes a woman is the way she identifies. And that is very refreshing to see addressed.
Also, I love how the book deftly addresses how biological sex =/= gender identity =/= sexual orientation through the people who surround Kristen. A woman is a woman even if she has XY chromosomes. A woman is a woman even if she cannot conceive a child. A woman is a woman even if she's dating another woman. All of this is true because what makes a woman is the way she identifies. And that is very refreshing to see addressed.
freadomlibrary's review against another edition
5.0
This was amazing.
This review was originally posted at https://freadomlibrary.wordpress.com/
Critically
Plot – 4 out of 5 stars
This is honestly one of the most powerful and eye opening books I’ve ever read. It’s one of those contemporaries that’s important not only for it’s content but for the way it presents that content. It’s honest and deals with identity, loss, bullying, friendship and what gender is all about. There’s a lot of raw moments that make you sit and think twice while there’s also very typical teenage screw ups and decisions that are not the best or the smartest but make sense for the situation the main character finds herself in.
Writing Style – 4 out of 5 stars
The best part about this author’s writing style is that she has personal knowledge on this type of condition because she treated a patient with it. She took the time to research and make sure to have all the facts traits which makes the feeling of this story accurate but also relatable in a way that nothing is too confusing. It’s a very emotional read, not heavy, but one that deals with life changing infomation. It’s informative and descriptive without taking away from the emotional and mental effects this kind of situation has on a realistic person.
Characters – 5 out of 5 stars
Characters are what make or break a book for me and the characters in this book are some of my favorites. When it comes to the main character, Kristin, she’s strong in a way that you don’t see coming. After she has her diagnosis, she’s very unsure and emotional about a lot of things: her life, her gender, her identity and her future. And with so much upheavel she did have a tendency to be childish and immature at times when it came to her decision making. But what I really loved about her was her hopefulness. She slowly but surely started to see her new world and what it could offer her. She was very family oriented and began to take steps into acceptance not only for herself but also for her father. The rest of the side characters are part of a range of real and honest types of people. They’re interesting in how they manage Kristin’s condition because it’s something that you’re never prepared for and while I don’t want to say that the ugly comes out when things get tough, you really do find out who your friends really are when you are thrown a curveball in life.
Emotionally
The plot is eye opening. We follow Kristin who after an attempt to have sex with her boyfriend, which ended upbeing more painful than she thought, she finds out she has AIS (Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome) meaning she is intersex. I don’t feel comfortable trying to explain what that really means but I can recommend this book until I die because I feel like everyone should be informed and knowledgeable. But obviously, her life turned completely upside down once everyone finds out about it. A lot of awful things happen because of the reveal of her condition, with her boyfriend and her friends and her classmates that resulted in not only bullying but also isolation. I love that this story is more about her personal growth and her understanding of herself than everything else. She has so much to learn about who she is and how she wants to identify herself. There’s so much to learn and discover and find out. Not only coming to grips with her condition but with what her future is going to be. There’s up and downs, bad decisions and a lot of emotional reactions but it’s such an important story to tell. And my favorite part of it is that it comes from a real place and a real situation that the author briefly saw.
Kristin is a solid character. She didn’t necesarily blow me away or make me fall in love with her and her personality but I was more focused on her circumstances and how she dealt with them which was the center of the story. But what I really liked about her was her voice. She had childish and immature moments, she shut herself out from the world but her thoughts were honest and real. Things that you would never think about, she had to because her world changed forever. And it makes the reader think, what if I had to deal with this? How would I react? How can I judge her actions in a such a crazy situation if I’ve never been there?
The side characters all served a purpose and they were not as represented as with usual in contemporaries but that didn’t make them any less fleshed out and real. I think when it comes to plots like this where such an insane things happens, the “bad” sides of people come out. People push you away, they abandon you and they react in a way that’s not as supportive as you want them to be. But that’s real, even your closest friends don’t know what to do with such a big change. And the people that you pay less attention to, who know you less may be open and accepting and you’d never known it before. Something I just wanted to mention really quick is that this book has little to no romance, which may turn off some people. I can’t reiterate this enough, this is about the condition, about what that means to someone and how that affects them and those people around them.
I love this book and I want absolutely everyone to read it because it’s so important.
This review was originally posted at https://freadomlibrary.wordpress.com/
Critically
Plot – 4 out of 5 stars
This is honestly one of the most powerful and eye opening books I’ve ever read. It’s one of those contemporaries that’s important not only for it’s content but for the way it presents that content. It’s honest and deals with identity, loss, bullying, friendship and what gender is all about. There’s a lot of raw moments that make you sit and think twice while there’s also very typical teenage screw ups and decisions that are not the best or the smartest but make sense for the situation the main character finds herself in.
Writing Style – 4 out of 5 stars
The best part about this author’s writing style is that she has personal knowledge on this type of condition because she treated a patient with it. She took the time to research and make sure to have all the facts traits which makes the feeling of this story accurate but also relatable in a way that nothing is too confusing. It’s a very emotional read, not heavy, but one that deals with life changing infomation. It’s informative and descriptive without taking away from the emotional and mental effects this kind of situation has on a realistic person.
Characters – 5 out of 5 stars
Characters are what make or break a book for me and the characters in this book are some of my favorites. When it comes to the main character, Kristin, she’s strong in a way that you don’t see coming. After she has her diagnosis, she’s very unsure and emotional about a lot of things: her life, her gender, her identity and her future. And with so much upheavel she did have a tendency to be childish and immature at times when it came to her decision making. But what I really loved about her was her hopefulness. She slowly but surely started to see her new world and what it could offer her. She was very family oriented and began to take steps into acceptance not only for herself but also for her father. The rest of the side characters are part of a range of real and honest types of people. They’re interesting in how they manage Kristin’s condition because it’s something that you’re never prepared for and while I don’t want to say that the ugly comes out when things get tough, you really do find out who your friends really are when you are thrown a curveball in life.
Emotionally
Spoiler
This is one of the most important books that I’ve ever read and it’s so amazing to me that it’s Young Adult literature.The plot is eye opening. We follow Kristin who after an attempt to have sex with her boyfriend, which ended upbeing more painful than she thought, she finds out she has AIS (Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome) meaning she is intersex. I don’t feel comfortable trying to explain what that really means but I can recommend this book until I die because I feel like everyone should be informed and knowledgeable. But obviously, her life turned completely upside down once everyone finds out about it. A lot of awful things happen because of the reveal of her condition, with her boyfriend and her friends and her classmates that resulted in not only bullying but also isolation. I love that this story is more about her personal growth and her understanding of herself than everything else. She has so much to learn about who she is and how she wants to identify herself. There’s so much to learn and discover and find out. Not only coming to grips with her condition but with what her future is going to be. There’s up and downs, bad decisions and a lot of emotional reactions but it’s such an important story to tell. And my favorite part of it is that it comes from a real place and a real situation that the author briefly saw.
Kristin is a solid character. She didn’t necesarily blow me away or make me fall in love with her and her personality but I was more focused on her circumstances and how she dealt with them which was the center of the story. But what I really liked about her was her voice. She had childish and immature moments, she shut herself out from the world but her thoughts were honest and real. Things that you would never think about, she had to because her world changed forever. And it makes the reader think, what if I had to deal with this? How would I react? How can I judge her actions in a such a crazy situation if I’ve never been there?
The side characters all served a purpose and they were not as represented as with usual in contemporaries but that didn’t make them any less fleshed out and real. I think when it comes to plots like this where such an insane things happens, the “bad” sides of people come out. People push you away, they abandon you and they react in a way that’s not as supportive as you want them to be. But that’s real, even your closest friends don’t know what to do with such a big change. And the people that you pay less attention to, who know you less may be open and accepting and you’d never known it before. Something I just wanted to mention really quick is that this book has little to no romance, which may turn off some people. I can’t reiterate this enough, this is about the condition, about what that means to someone and how that affects them and those people around them.
I love this book and I want absolutely everyone to read it because it’s so important.