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ladymacbeth2024's review
5.0
4.5 stars
Sweet, kind, lovely Ash!
The first part of this book is very hard: Ash is surrunded by ignorant, awful, hurtful people. His mother is probably the worst of them all.
I felt so sorry for Ash, little by little his world crumbled around him and his life got more and more hard.
I was so happy when finally, he found the strenght to escape and to fight for himself. He looked for allies and, thankfully, not every person in his life was bad, there were really supportive people too.
It was a difficult but beautiful journey, especially because he got to know a lot about himself that didn't imagine before and because he found a community and didn't feel so lonely anymore.
What prevented me from giving 5 full stars:
I'm aware that this is a YA story, but I'm a little disappointe that there wasn't an epilogue telling us more about Ash's life as an adult.
I'm really glad I read this book, because I learned a lot of things about intersexuality that I didn't know. I really appreciate when a book has something to teach me.
Absolutely recommended.
Sweet, kind, lovely Ash!
The first part of this book is very hard: Ash is surrunded by ignorant, awful, hurtful people. His mother is probably the worst of them all.
I felt so sorry for Ash, little by little his world crumbled around him and his life got more and more hard.
I was so happy when finally, he found the strenght to escape and to fight for himself. He looked for allies and, thankfully, not every person in his life was bad, there were really supportive people too.
It was a difficult but beautiful journey, especially because he got to know a lot about himself that didn't imagine before and because he found a community and didn't feel so lonely anymore.
What prevented me from giving 5 full stars:
I'm aware that this is a YA story, but I'm a little disappointe that there wasn't an epilogue telling us more about Ash's life as an adult.
I'm really glad I read this book, because I learned a lot of things about intersexuality that I didn't know. I really appreciate when a book has something to teach me.
Absolutely recommended.
allzen_nochill's review
emotional
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
This very much reads like a first novel. Ash's voice doesn't exactly match his age (simple language, yet says "fuck" every other word exactly like a 16 year-old would) and the pacing could be better. But also, more stories with intersex main characters is a good thing. I hope this sparks many others of this experience to take up a pen (keyboard?).
sunscanid's review
emotional
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? It's complicated
4.0
binged this in one night. wasn't the biggest fan at first but then i couldn't put it down:)
lilstinkerguy's review
4.0
I’ve never read a book where the main protagonist is intersex so that was really interesting and refreshing. however it was extremely dark and tragic which made it hard to read at times.
jcburcham's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
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? It's complicated
4.0
Combination of physical book (received from Banned Books Box subscription) and audio (Libby). Wow, this was such an incredibly important perspective I'd never heard before, told with a rawness and believability that can only be achieved by a writer who has both talent and an intimate familiarity with the subject matter. My heart ached for Ash and the way he was treated. Although parts of this book were hard to read, the undercurrent of hope and endurance of the human spirit were strong and kept me going. The backdrop of location (Salem, MA) and its cultural significance were well played.
clamon's review
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
tense
fast-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? No
3.5
listener's review
3.0
Though I really liked the rep in this, I feel a bit like anything that could go wrong for our MC did, as a principle. I listened to the audiobook though, Avi Roque, all my love.
jugglingpup's review
1.0
To see more reviews check out MI Book Reviews.
I got an ARC of this book.
I really wanted to love this book. I got so excited to see an intersex character. Then when I learned that it was an ownvoices novel I was beyond excited. That is pretty much all I can really say that I liked about the book.
I never got into it. It was just so slow and disjointed. I had to forced myself to read and even then it was only a page or two at a time. I didn’t like a single character, I didn’t like the attempts at romance, I didn’t like that sexual assault was played off (how are they still friends?). I don’t like pretty much anything I read.
There was some basic plot, but it was constant interrupted about the Salem Witch Trials. If your setting takes away from the story, don’t use it. If this were a story that felt like it was telling the connected or complementary stories, then it would have been cool. Instead it really came off as the location taking over the plot over and over again.
I am sad that I didn’t like it, but it really wasn’t for me. We need more books with intersex characters and more openly intersex authors getting the spotlight.
I got an ARC of this book.
I really wanted to love this book. I got so excited to see an intersex character. Then when I learned that it was an ownvoices novel I was beyond excited. That is pretty much all I can really say that I liked about the book.
I never got into it. It was just so slow and disjointed. I had to forced myself to read and even then it was only a page or two at a time. I didn’t like a single character, I didn’t like the attempts at romance, I didn’t like that sexual assault was played off (how are they still friends?). I don’t like pretty much anything I read.
There was some basic plot, but it was constant interrupted about the Salem Witch Trials. If your setting takes away from the story, don’t use it. If this were a story that felt like it was telling the connected or complementary stories, then it would have been cool. Instead it really came off as the location taking over the plot over and over again.
I am sad that I didn’t like it, but it really wasn’t for me. We need more books with intersex characters and more openly intersex authors getting the spotlight.
anushka_adishka_diaries's review
4.0
“If I had to become somebody else to be accepted, what good was that? Why wasn’t I any good the way I already was?”
⚽
The first vivid recollection I have of intersex representation in the media is from a Hindi series based on true stories (I can't recall the name of the series), where a child born to a rich family was abandoned by the father, after the baby's genitals have been examined by the doctor.
I was 13 or 14 when I watched the scene play & I couldn't understand why the baby was discarded like their life never mattered. I did not know about the term "Intersex" then, nor were the people around me could explain what was happening, except that the child was different & the discussion ended.
It took me 5 years to learn about Intersex community & another 5 years to read a book with an Intersex character from an own voices author.
Let me tell you, we need more books like these. We need more people who read this. We need greater conversations centred around it. We need to educate ourselves & be a worthy ally.
Just Ash is an empowering read, filled with hope, strength & courage. You feel Ash's frustrations & pain seeping through the pages & all you want for him is to find his happy place & people who would stand by his side.
I loved this book with all my heart. It has to be one of my favorite YA reads!
The way it starts conversation around the Intersex community, the necessity for a support group & how to be a genuine ally is just wholesome.
As much as this book gives strength, it's equally heartbreaking to witness the society forcing its binary standard, based on one's genitalia, the surgery intersex kids are forced into to fit the societal gender norms of man & a woman and the insensitivity of people whom you once trusted.
This book is an important read & you'll be doing yourselves a favor reading it.
I'm glad this book exists out here & the power of information it holds for its readers around the world..
⚽
The first vivid recollection I have of intersex representation in the media is from a Hindi series based on true stories (I can't recall the name of the series), where a child born to a rich family was abandoned by the father, after the baby's genitals have been examined by the doctor.
I was 13 or 14 when I watched the scene play & I couldn't understand why the baby was discarded like their life never mattered. I did not know about the term "Intersex" then, nor were the people around me could explain what was happening, except that the child was different & the discussion ended.
It took me 5 years to learn about Intersex community & another 5 years to read a book with an Intersex character from an own voices author.
Let me tell you, we need more books like these. We need more people who read this. We need greater conversations centred around it. We need to educate ourselves & be a worthy ally.
Just Ash is an empowering read, filled with hope, strength & courage. You feel Ash's frustrations & pain seeping through the pages & all you want for him is to find his happy place & people who would stand by his side.
I loved this book with all my heart. It has to be one of my favorite YA reads!
The way it starts conversation around the Intersex community, the necessity for a support group & how to be a genuine ally is just wholesome.
As much as this book gives strength, it's equally heartbreaking to witness the society forcing its binary standard, based on one's genitalia, the surgery intersex kids are forced into to fit the societal gender norms of man & a woman and the insensitivity of people whom you once trusted.
This book is an important read & you'll be doing yourselves a favor reading it.
I'm glad this book exists out here & the power of information it holds for its readers around the world..
wrenl's review
This book is so so very important. The struggles Ash goes through as an intersex person were very eye opening for me. I could feel his pain and hurt, and it was heartbreaking.
The only qualm I have is the pacing. The book rushes through its second and third acts. It ends abruptly. I wish we could have seen more of Ash's life in Boston, a city I'm know quite well. I wish there was a stronger connection to the witch trials because that's interesting as well. Still a great book
The only qualm I have is the pacing. The book rushes through its second and third acts. It ends abruptly. I wish we could have seen more of Ash's life in Boston, a city I'm know quite well. I wish there was a stronger connection to the witch trials because that's interesting as well. Still a great book