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)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


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.

Bitter End by Jennifer Brown

"He told me he loved me and I believed him.

When Alex falls for the charming new boy at school, Cole — a handsome, funny sports star who adores her — she can't believe she's finally found her soul mate . . . someone who truly loves and understands her.

At first, Alex is blissfully happy. Sure, Cole seems a little jealous of her relationship with her close friend Zack, but what guy would want his girlfriend spending all her time with another boy? As the months pass, though, Alex can no longer ignore Cole's small put-downs, pinches, and increasingly violent threats.

As Alex struggles to come to terms with the sweet boyfriend she fell in love with and the boyfriend whose "love" she no longer recognizes, she is forced to choose — between her "true love" and herself." (Barnes and Noble)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Alex Bradford has spent the last few years planning a trip to Colorado with her best friends Bethany and Zack. The trip to Colorado is supposed to give Alex answers about her mother's death. However, Alex's relationship with her best friends becomes strained when she starts dating Senior transfer student, Cole Cozens. At first Alex's relationship with Cole seems okay, it's only when his jealousy for Alex's relationship with Zack starts to show that she realizes something isn't quite right. Alex is so deep in her relationship with Cole that when the abuse turns physical, she immediately starts making excuses to herself about what happened. Alex finally gets the courage to tell when it is almost too late.

My thoughts:

Bitter End had my attention the entire time I was reading. I didn't want to put the book down because I had to know if Alex was going to be okay. I needed to know why Cole switched schools suddenly. I needed to know more. There were moments as  I read Bitter End when I could feel my heart racing with anticipation. I wanted Alex to be safe.

I think there are a lot of girls (and guys) out there who are in the same situation as Alex. There are so many unhealthy relationships out there, having a book where someone finds a way OUT even if it may come at such a costs is great.

Bitter End by Jennifer Brown has earned 4 dragonflies.

Stronger than You Know by Jolene Perry

" 'I'M JOY, THE GIRL WHO'S BEEN BROKEN. I'LL PROBABLY ALWAYS BE BROKEN.
Joy's fifteen. Her normal life just began three months ago. Before that was another life that she doesn' like to remember. When the police came, it was supposed to be all over.
But now, living with her aunt and uncle in this new family where everyone tries to understand, it's not over. Joy's got a whole list of reasons why she's crazy-- the panic attacks, the meds she's on, and the hard-to-breathe feeling she gets when she has to talk to someone new. Somehow it's even harder when the person is nice.
Yet hope has a way of taking hold, and Joy just might find a way to hold on . . ." (book jacket summary)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wow. When I picked Stronger than You Know off the shelf I could not have imagined how amazing the book would be. The first few pages of Jolene Perry's book drew me in and I could not put it down. I believe that Joy's hidden inner strength is present from the first pages of the book. For 15 years, Joy lived with her abusive mother and endless parade of other adults who did NOTHING to help the young girl, Joy had the strength to survive and open up when finally questioned.

I'm going to give this book 4 fireflies for the following reasons:

• Stronger the You Know is the kind of book that will stick with your for awhile. I finished reading this book on New Year's Eve and I couldn't help but think about it the next couple of days. 
• Joy's struggle to acclimate to her new reality is exactly what it should be -- a struggle. Fifteen years of abuse and neglect won't go away in the blink of an eye.
• The struggle of Joy's extended family is beautifully portrayed with each member of the family trying to find ways to interact with Joy and not cause her to panic.
• The relationship between Joy and her Uncle Rob is probably my favorite relationship of the entire book. From Joy's wariness and Uncle Rob's protective instincts it's a beautiful relationship.