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abbie_'s review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
3.25
Cute and I loved the idea that self-discovery is never something that's over - it's a constantly evolving journey. Sasha Masha's journey felt like it was just beginning at the end of the book and I liked that. But it all felt a bit rushed, I basically listened to the audiobook in one sitting and it was all over too fast. Still, I'd recommend it for something quick and sweet!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Transphobia
allthatissim's review against another edition
5.0
Trigger warning: transphobia, homophobic slurs
Note: I will be using he/him pronouns in this review, as that is what is used throughout the entire novel.
Oh Sasha Masha! Sasha Masha made a special place in my heart. I wish I could understand the way he felt trapped inside his body, for not knowing who truly he is and getting that frustration out on the world while trying to be a normal son, a normal friend, a normal boyfriend, and just a normal boy. I wish I could comfort him and hug him, for he deserves all the love.
Sasha Masha is a coming-of-age story of Alex, who is trying to figure out what he is. He is confused and couldn't quite place a finger on 'what's different about him'. He gets overwhelmed because of everyone's expectations of being a 'normal' boy. He is happy when Tracy becomes his girlfriend because he thinks that makes him a 'real boy'. But still, there is 'something' missing.
"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?"
At the beginning of the story, Mabel, Alex's best friend moves to different city and now they are communicating only via text and calls. While trying to figuring out himself, one moment with Mabel stuck to him where they had tried different dresses and makeup. Alex chose a name for himself at that time-Sasha Masha-and when someone in one of the queer events asks for his name, he tells them he is Sasha Masha. He felt more comfortable in this new name.
He finds Andre as a new friend and a whole bunch of queer people builds a support system around him and it was really heartwarming to see that. They accepted him for who he was and helped him in figuring out his identity. Sasha Masha's journey is quite powerful and moving. There is a lot of confusion going on in his head but it was amazing to follow him on the path of figuring himself out.
Borinsky has done an amazing job of including so many wonderful things in this little book and the audio narration by her is equally amazing. The ending of the book is something that took this book to another level. I wanted to know so much more, but I think it was good that she stopped the story there. I would totally recommend this to readers who are looking for a short, emotional and figuring-out-yourself story.
And the last thing, please read reviews by trans readers too, because no matter how much I loved it, I couldn't do justice to this book as much as an ownvoices trans reader can.
Thank you Libro.fm for the ALC.
Note: I will be using he/him pronouns in this review, as that is what is used throughout the entire novel.
Oh Sasha Masha! Sasha Masha made a special place in my heart. I wish I could understand the way he felt trapped inside his body, for not knowing who truly he is and getting that frustration out on the world while trying to be a normal son, a normal friend, a normal boyfriend, and just a normal boy. I wish I could comfort him and hug him, for he deserves all the love.
Sasha Masha is a coming-of-age story of Alex, who is trying to figure out what he is. He is confused and couldn't quite place a finger on 'what's different about him'. He gets overwhelmed because of everyone's expectations of being a 'normal' boy. He is happy when Tracy becomes his girlfriend because he thinks that makes him a 'real boy'. But still, there is 'something' missing.
"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?"
At the beginning of the story, Mabel, Alex's best friend moves to different city and now they are communicating only via text and calls. While trying to figuring out himself, one moment with Mabel stuck to him where they had tried different dresses and makeup. Alex chose a name for himself at that time-Sasha Masha-and when someone in one of the queer events asks for his name, he tells them he is Sasha Masha. He felt more comfortable in this new name.
He finds Andre as a new friend and a whole bunch of queer people builds a support system around him and it was really heartwarming to see that. They accepted him for who he was and helped him in figuring out his identity. Sasha Masha's journey is quite powerful and moving. There is a lot of confusion going on in his head but it was amazing to follow him on the path of figuring himself out.
Borinsky has done an amazing job of including so many wonderful things in this little book and the audio narration by her is equally amazing. The ending of the book is something that took this book to another level. I wanted to know so much more, but I think it was good that she stopped the story there. I would totally recommend this to readers who are looking for a short, emotional and figuring-out-yourself story.
And the last thing, please read reviews by trans readers too, because no matter how much I loved it, I couldn't do justice to this book as much as an ownvoices trans reader can.
Thank you Libro.fm for the ALC.
atruyu's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
zwiizwii's review
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
themoo003's review
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
maraafg's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
brandontscott's review
4.0
I simply adored Sasha Masha!
My only complaint with this novel was that it was a little too short. Because of this, I was unable to fully connect with any of the other characters aside from Sasha Masha.
However, there is so much more that I loved about this story! Sasha Masha was such a beautiful character, and I enjoyed reading from their perspective! My favorite part about this book was the exploration of identity. I haven't read many books where the main character is starting from ground zero when exploring their identity, so that was such a joy to read! We got to know Sasha Masha as they grew into their own, one realization of identity at a time.
There were some tragic elements of the story that truly broke my heart, but they were balanced with the sheer beauty of Sasha Masha coming into their own! It was a true celebration of self-love and identity. I highly recommend it for anyone who is looking for a short book about a young person coming into their own and finally loving themselves for who they are!
My only complaint with this novel was that it was a little too short. Because of this, I was unable to fully connect with any of the other characters aside from Sasha Masha.
However, there is so much more that I loved about this story! Sasha Masha was such a beautiful character, and I enjoyed reading from their perspective! My favorite part about this book was the exploration of identity. I haven't read many books where the main character is starting from ground zero when exploring their identity, so that was such a joy to read! We got to know Sasha Masha as they grew into their own, one realization of identity at a time.
There were some tragic elements of the story that truly broke my heart, but they were balanced with the sheer beauty of Sasha Masha coming into their own! It was a true celebration of self-love and identity. I highly recommend it for anyone who is looking for a short book about a young person coming into their own and finally loving themselves for who they are!
vickycbooks's review against another edition
Sasha Masha is a slice-of-life story about Sasha Masha who is trying to find words, context, an idea of who Sasha Masha is. It's not a coming-out story, but more of a figuring-yourself-out story. Fans of the coming-of-age atmosphere and slice-of-life vibes of Darius the Great Is Not Okay will definitely enjoy. (I know I did.)
Content Warnings:
Sasha Masha has to navigate a best friend just moving away, complicated parental relationships, a new girlfriend, and this feeling that creeps up sometimes. A feeling of discontent, of something not quite fitting. Sasha Masha finds it difficult to characterize, because how can you describe something you yourself barely even know what it is? How can you ask questions or ask for support, when you don't have the words to conceptualize it?
I absolutely loved how relatable this story was. The voice was fantastic and there were so many quotable lines that teen readers will really relate to. I really loved when we Sasha Masha contemplates what makes you a "real" person, or if there truly is a line between "real" people and not "real" people. I was also a big fan of the complicated family relationship Sasha Masha has, where everything is picture perfect, but Sasha Masha still feels like something's not quite right, that Sasha Masha thinks about running away sometimes.
It's contemplative and you can't help but want what's best for Sasha Masha. And we get to see moments of joy--Sasha Masha finding a whole new big queer community, Sasha Masha feeling accepted, Sasha Masha being happy that something fits. But there are moments of hurt and transphobia (and generally a lot of deadnaming, because this is a figuring-stuff-out kind of story), so please make sure you're in the right headspace to read!
I think Borinsky did a really great job of fitting so much in such a short story. I absolutely loved her audio narration of it (her voice is very calming!) and it really brought Sasha Masha to life.
Sasha Masha may be short, but it packs a big punch. I really enjoyed listening and I'd definitely recommend to readers looking for a quick, emotive figuring-yourself-out story!
Also, here's some links to some reviews by trans readers, because you really should be reading reviews by trans readers and not me! (Will update with more when I find them.)
- Here's a review by Grayson, who is also on Instagram @reading_with_pride!
Thank you to Libro.fm for the audiobook copy as part of the influencer program! Listened on 1.6x speed.
Finally, a quick note. I chose to avoid pronouns for Sasha Masha in this review, contrary to most reviews using he/him. I am not trying to be intentionally coy about this, but I don't think it's right for me as a reader to pick pronouns for Sasha Masha, nor do I get the impression that Sasha Masha is entirely comfortable with he/him pronouns either.
Content Warnings:
Spoiler
deadnaming (the story covers the time when Sasha Masha is questioning, so it's used a lot), transphobia (challenged), homophobic slurs (said by queer characters in a reclamation-way)Sasha Masha has to navigate a best friend just moving away, complicated parental relationships, a new girlfriend, and this feeling that creeps up sometimes. A feeling of discontent, of something not quite fitting. Sasha Masha finds it difficult to characterize, because how can you describe something you yourself barely even know what it is? How can you ask questions or ask for support, when you don't have the words to conceptualize it?
I absolutely loved how relatable this story was. The voice was fantastic and there were so many quotable lines that teen readers will really relate to. I really loved when we Sasha Masha contemplates what makes you a "real" person, or if there truly is a line between "real" people and not "real" people. I was also a big fan of the complicated family relationship Sasha Masha has, where everything is picture perfect, but Sasha Masha still feels like something's not quite right, that Sasha Masha thinks about running away sometimes.
"Maybe my life was just wasn't mine. Maybe it belonged to them [my parents]. It felt like my life would never actually be mine. My parents would keep tracking it and thinking about it and telling me what it was all about it until I got old and they got even older and one of us died."
It's contemplative and you can't help but want what's best for Sasha Masha. And we get to see moments of joy--Sasha Masha finding a whole new big queer community, Sasha Masha feeling accepted, Sasha Masha being happy that something fits. But there are moments of hurt and transphobia (and generally a lot of deadnaming, because this is a figuring-stuff-out kind of story), so please make sure you're in the right headspace to read!
I think Borinsky did a really great job of fitting so much in such a short story. I absolutely loved her audio narration of it (her voice is very calming!) and it really brought Sasha Masha to life.
Sasha Masha may be short, but it packs a big punch. I really enjoyed listening and I'd definitely recommend to readers looking for a quick, emotive figuring-yourself-out story!
Also, here's some links to some reviews by trans readers, because you really should be reading reviews by trans readers and not me! (Will update with more when I find them.)
- Here's a review by Grayson, who is also on Instagram @reading_with_pride!
Thank you to Libro.fm for the audiobook copy as part of the influencer program! Listened on 1.6x speed.
Finally, a quick note. I chose to avoid pronouns for Sasha Masha in this review, contrary to most reviews using he/him. I am not trying to be intentionally coy about this, but I don't think it's right for me as a reader to pick pronouns for Sasha Masha, nor do I get the impression that Sasha Masha is entirely comfortable with he/him pronouns either.
bethsbookshelf's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
sad
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? No
4.0
This is a lovely little book about gender identity and acceptance, found family, self discovery and friendship. I enjoyed listening to the audiobook. From a literary perspective, I would have liked some more depth and subplots, but otherwise, I can't critique this book. I think it's pretty sweet.