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

"WHAT IF EVERYTHING YOU KNEW ABOUT YOURSELF CHANGED IN AN INSTANT?

 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, Krisitn's entire identity is thrown into question. As her world unravels, can she come to terms with her new self." (book jacket)

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Kristin's journey through her diagnosis is not an easy journey. She has to decide whether or not to have her internal testes removed, who to tell (if anyone) and home school or traditional school after her secret is leaked. When Kristin's secret is leaked, her high school piers start to make her life a living hell and her track season is jeopardized because of complaints from other schools about her intersex status. Kristin's life seems to fall apart, but a few people stick by her side throughout her journey.

I picked up None of the Above by I.W. Gregorio shortly after I finished reading George by Alex Gino (my review of George can be found here), and I was curious. I.W. Gregorio's debut novel was a great way for me to delve into a world in which I have no practical knowledge. Growing up I had heard of people who were intersex (which there was a more offensive word used then), but being a person who was born a woman, I have female hormones,  I had no practical knowledge of this condition. Being able to learn with Kristin about her body was really cool.

4 dragonflies. I think None of the Above is an excellent book to use as a way to approach the issue of intersex people. Thankfully I have not had to deal with the issue in my personal life,  I can't imagine how difficult it must be, I'm glad that the intersex community can have a voice through None of the Above by I.W. Gregorio. For more information on intersex, check out Gregorio's website.