None of the Above

With the beginning of summer vacation, I’ve put down the classic novels and turned to more recent fiction releases. None of the Above was not on my radar at all, but I was scrolling through ebooks offered by my library and it caught my eye, and the rest was history.

Here’s the brief summary that drew me in:

A groundbreaking story about a teenage girl who discovers she’s intersex . . . and what happens when her secret is revealed to the entire school. Incredibly compelling and sensitively told, None of the Above is a thought-provoking novel that explores what it means to be a boy, a girl, or something in between.

This book obviously took an interesting approach to bullying and intersex conditions, and actually got into a lot of detail, which might not be best if you’re squeamish. But it does a dutiful job of explaining the medical side of the condition and the realities of day to day life. That has to be applauded.

The bullying that Kristin endures is heartbreaking but unfortunately, pretty realistic. I really appreciated that while one “villain” was redeemed and the misunderstanding was explained,there was one major actor who didn’t have a redemption at the end.I loved how realistic that was. Sometimes people suck and they never apologize. That’s life. Not everyone gets a redemptive moment.

This is the first book I’ve read with an intersex character, and I enjoyed it for the most part. The plot was a little tired, but it made sense for the situation, I suppose.  I never got past the first ten pages of Middlesex, but I might check it out now.

I’ll give this book a solid three and a half stars for a great and important concept and just okay execution. It’s clear that the author is not an author by trade, but I can appreciate her foray into the craft and telling of such an undertold story.

Buy it here.