Book Review: None of the Above by I. W. Gregorio

Title: None of the Above

Author: I. W. Gregorio

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Publication date: April, 2015

Hardcover: 352 pages

Stand Alone or Series: At this moment, I’m under the impression that this is a stand alone novel.  But I wish that would change.

How I got this book: Galley from the publisher

Why I chose this book: A book that talks about issues, especially ones that are more uncommon and not very understood, don’t come around very often.  And when they do, they tend to either get a lot of praise, or become controversial.  I wanted to get my hands on a copy to figure out which of the two it would be.

Synopsis:

When Kristin Lattimer is voted homecoming queen, it seems like another piece of her ideal life has fallen into place. She’s a champion hurdler with a full scholarship to college and she’s madly in love with her boyfriend. In fact, she’s decided that she’s ready to take things to the next level with him.

But Kristin’s first time isn’t the perfect moment she’s planned—something is very wrong. A visit to the doctor reveals the truth: Kristin is intersex, which means that though she outwardly looks like a girl, she has male chromosomes, not to mention boy “parts.”

Dealing with her body is difficult enough, but when her diagnosis is leaked to the whole school, Kristin’s entire identity is thrown into question. As her world unravels, can she come to terms with her new self?

Review:

Man, it’s really hard for me to put into words how this book changed my perspective on a lot of things.  I’ll be the first to admit that I wasn’t very educated on what exactly intersex meant and what the people who are intersex go through.  And if you aren’t very educated about it either, that’s okay.  If this is your first introduction to the idea, or if you’re still trying to understand the concept, this will be a great learning tool for you.  And if you’re up to date on all the terms, and know everything about intersex, this will still be a great book for you.  It’s about a girl coming to terms with her life being completely flipped upside down.  A lot of people can relate to big changes in their lives, even if the changes themselves are not the same.

Kristin is a really good perspective to read from.  You understand exactly how she feels.  You root for her to discover herself and live a happy life.  You want to cry when everyone in the school mistreats her, including her boyfriend.  But through it all, she meets some great, amazing people–the kind of people that become friends for life.

The plot is very strong as well.  I was worried that the main plot point in the story would be Kristin’s discovery, and that the story would go still and stale from then on.  But more and more keeps happening.  And even though it may not all be as dramatic as questioning your gender, it still keeps you satisfied.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone.  It’s a book about discovering yourself, good and bad, and learning to live your life to the fullest.