Reviews

Sasha Masha by Agnes Borinsky

silodear's review

5.0

I wish I’d had this book to read as a young person. Give it to every young person that you know! The world is full of infinite possibilities, even when it’s also small.

isabelisalright's review

4.0

CN: Transmisia, Queermisia, Deadnaming, Coming out themes

This was a beautiful story of exploring gender identity, coming out, finding where you fit and more.

Arc provided by libro fm ALC

loy127's review

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

auburnedge's review

4.0

I hope you are ready to bawl your eyes out and have a lot of feelings. This book hits you right in the feels. It delves deep into what it means to be yourself and also finding that self. The development of the plot and character was well done. While this wasn't the happiest of books I feel it is a necessary book to read.

alexisnasya's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

sweet_dee_reads's review

4.0

Thank you to @libro.fm for an ALC of this one in exchange for my honest review!

Sasha Masha tells the story of Alex’s struggles with identity. He’s never felt comfortable in his body and always felt like something was off. This book follows the beginning of his journey into finding out who he truly is.

Narrated by the author, Agnes Borinksy, Sasha Masha was a beautiful listen. I always love when an author narrates their work. And listening to stories like this one make my heart happy. When I hear stories of someone figuring out who they are or what they want from life, my heart gets all happy!! This one gets 4 stars and I definitely recommend the audio! It’s a quick and beautiful listen!!

reptilianreader's review

5.0

HELLO EVERYONE??? new favorite book oh my gosh i loved this so so much

ani_a_1's review

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

nadia's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated

3.25

This was a lovely little audiobook. I think this is the first time I've read a book from this perspective and so I very much appreciated that aspect of the story and I will be seeking out similar literature for sure. Ultimately, I think the novel lacked a little something for me. Perhaps I was hoping for a little more depth, or a little more character development. It was over so quickly! Still, it's definitely worth a listen if the themes of gender identity and sexuality, and especially figuring those out as a teenager, appeal to you!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Transphobia

emeelee's review against another edition

4.0

Could I be trans? Could that be what the whole Sasha Masha thing was about? The thought seemed ridiculous at first. That wasn't a word I'd ever thought about applying to myself. I was a boy--a clumsy, pudgy, soft-spoken boy. A boy who smiled and everyone liked. But something was wrong. There was a high wall inside of me and it made me angry, it made me stuck. There was a self on the other side. Was this now the thing I'd failed to see: that in my heart of hearts I wasn't a boy after all?

Sasha Masha is the #ownvoices story of an AMAB teenager questioning his identity. When Alex's best friend moves away, he is in need of a new social circle which prompts him to examine who he is. He finds a community in a queer teen group where he introduces himself as Sasha Masha. The name feels right, but he's not totally sure why yet. Meanwhile he's dealing with a girlfriend frustrated by his secretiveness and parents who don't see him as anything other than a heterosexual boy.

This is a very short, character-driven story-- the audiobook is only 3 hours long (and read wonderfully by the author). Sasha Masha's thought processes and identity crisis felt relatable and genuine, and I loved the Questioning rep. So often books with trans and nonbinary characters feature characters that already know their gender identity and their story is more focused on coming out or being out, rather than figuring it out. Those stories are important, but so is Sasha Masha's. By the end of the book, he hasn't definitively claimed the term "transgender" or changed his pronouns, but he's settling into the idea that he might not be a boy and that exploring other options is okay. I found it to be very heartfelt and refreshing. 3.5 stars

TW: brief scene of transmisia, slurs d*ke and f****t used by queer folk

All quotes come from an advance copy and may not match the final release. Thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with this eARC via Edelweiss and ALC via Libro.fm in exchange for an honest review!