ARC Book Review | None of the Above by I.W. Gregorio

Format: e-ARC
Source: Publisher via Edelweiss
Publisher: Balzer & Bray
Publication Date: April 7, 2015
My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

A groundbreaking story about a teenage girl who discovers she was born intersex . . . and what happens when her secret is revealed to the entire school. Incredibly compelling and sensitively told, None of the Above is a thought-provoking novel that explores what it means to be a boy, a girl, or something in between.

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, Kristin's entire identity is thrown into question. As her world unravels, can she come to terms with her new self?

Review

Something to Note: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Why Did I Want To Read None of the Above: I knew that I wanted to read None of the Above as soon as I read the summary.  I love the out of the ordinary, tough subject books and this one definitely fit that.

The Characters: Kristin, our main character, was very easy to like.  When we first meet her she seems to have it all, she has a great boyfriend, Sam, awesome friends, Vee and Faith, and she's the star of the track team.  But when Kristin and Sam decide to take their relationship to the next level, it leads to a string of events that will change Kristin's life forever. 

Like I said, I really liked Kristin, she was such a sweet girl and she had her life planned out, she was going to college on a scholarship for track, but when she gets her diagnosis, she doesn't know what to do anymore.

Aside from Kristin, there weren't many other characters that I cared for.  I absolutely hate to see anyone get bullied, and that's exactly what happens to Kristin once her diagnosis gets leaked to the entire school.  No one seemed to take the time to understand, instead they assumed they knew what being Intersex was.  They choose to make Kristin feel like a freak for being different, and that was the hardest part of this book for me.  I wanted to insert myself right beside her and defend her, and maybe punch a few people.

However, there were a few gems in the mix, and not everyone was treating her like she had the plague.  Darren was amazing, Kristin's dad and aunt were very understanding and they were there to help Kristin.

My Overall Thoughts: None of the Above is a book that should be required reading in school.  It's a book that I believe everyone should read.  It shows us that there are actual people on the other side of a diagnosis, and it's never okay to treat someone the way that some of Kristin's classmates were treating her.  Our actions and our words matter, and they affect more than just us.  They can have consequences, and some of those consequences you can't come back from.

The writing was fantastic, I felt like I was right there with Kristin, and I felt the same things she did when she got her diagnosis and as she was coming to terms with what it meant.  I felt that shock, that denial, the self doubt and that anger right along with her.

Kristin goes through a life changing experience and I loved seeing her journey, and seeing her grow.  I was rooting for her the entire time, and all I wanted was for her to see that she was still the same person, she still was the girl who loved to run, she was still the sweet girl she always was, and she still had the same dreams, she just needed to realize it.
 

One Line Wrap Up: A touching and emotional journey about learning to accept yourself for who you are.

I Would Recommend For Those: Who want something a little different.