Book Details
Title: Just Ash
Author: Sol Santana
Publisher: Carolrhoda Labs
Publication Date: October 5, 2021
Genre(s): Young Adult, LGBT, Contemporary
Pages: 210
Bookshop Purchase Link: https://bookshop.org/a/67041/9781541599246
Title: Just Ash
Author: Sol Santana
Publisher: Carolrhoda Labs
Publication Date: October 5, 2021
Genre(s): Young Adult, LGBT, Contemporary
Pages: 210
Bookshop Purchase Link: https://bookshop.org/a/67041/9781541599246
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Reading Details
Finish Date: January 6, 2022
Format: Physical
Representation: Intersex
Trigger/Content Warnings: Child abuse, bullying, intersexphobia
Finish Date: January 6, 2022
Format: Physical
Representation: Intersex
Trigger/Content Warnings: Child abuse, bullying, intersexphobia
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Rating: 4.5/5
Favorite Quote/Scene:
"I have to! I'm the only one who does it anymore."
Review:
I try to read books with all sorts of identities. I've read two previous books featuring an intersex character but this book, is the only one I know of, I could be wrong, written by an intersex author. I am very thankful to the publisher for sending me a copy so I could read and review it.
Ash is an absolute sweetheart. He's not an infallible character, stumbling sometimes as a teenager learning more about the world, but I love him. He knows who he is, and he gets angry when people seem to discard his own thoughts on his life and body. He definitely ranks as a character I would protect against the world.
The side characters were a more diverse bunch in terms of my feelings about them. Ash's sister was amazing. She was clearly trying her best and willing to do whatever it takes in order to make sure that Ash is safe and happy. Ash's parents are not like that. I won't spoil anything beyond the fact that they are just genuinely terrible people, both of them. Some of my personal favorite people, even if we don't see a whole lot of them, is the Intersex support group members that Ash meets. They're an interesting bunch with a lot of different personalities and thoughts. It's impressive that even though we don't spend a lot of time with them, each character still felt unique and identifiable from what we were shown.
I had a hard time getting through the first half of the book. It could be due to the fact that I was reading this after reading for about 20 hours prior, it could be that I just found it slow-paced, or it could just be because the subject matter is a heavy one. Either way, it took a bit. However, the second half flew by. I was constantly flipping pages trying to figure out what was going to happen next.
One thing I need to talk about is how the author wrote Ash's emotions. Santana did a great job at it. I was crying by the end of the book because of the raw emotions. Ash's joy and sadness and anger. It was all so good. Ash was a character you wanted to root for, so it wasn't hard to feel connected to his emotions.
This book is amazing! I loved it so much and thought that it was absolutely fabulous writing. The author did a great job crafting a sympathetic character as he deals with the world around him trying to stop him from being himself. Take this as my recommendation!
Favorite Quote/Scene:
"I have to! I'm the only one who does it anymore."
Review:
I try to read books with all sorts of identities. I've read two previous books featuring an intersex character but this book, is the only one I know of, I could be wrong, written by an intersex author. I am very thankful to the publisher for sending me a copy so I could read and review it.
Ash is an absolute sweetheart. He's not an infallible character, stumbling sometimes as a teenager learning more about the world, but I love him. He knows who he is, and he gets angry when people seem to discard his own thoughts on his life and body. He definitely ranks as a character I would protect against the world.
The side characters were a more diverse bunch in terms of my feelings about them. Ash's sister was amazing. She was clearly trying her best and willing to do whatever it takes in order to make sure that Ash is safe and happy. Ash's parents are not like that. I won't spoil anything beyond the fact that they are just genuinely terrible people, both of them. Some of my personal favorite people, even if we don't see a whole lot of them, is the Intersex support group members that Ash meets. They're an interesting bunch with a lot of different personalities and thoughts. It's impressive that even though we don't spend a lot of time with them, each character still felt unique and identifiable from what we were shown.
I had a hard time getting through the first half of the book. It could be due to the fact that I was reading this after reading for about 20 hours prior, it could be that I just found it slow-paced, or it could just be because the subject matter is a heavy one. Either way, it took a bit. However, the second half flew by. I was constantly flipping pages trying to figure out what was going to happen next.
One thing I need to talk about is how the author wrote Ash's emotions. Santana did a great job at it. I was crying by the end of the book because of the raw emotions. Ash's joy and sadness and anger. It was all so good. Ash was a character you wanted to root for, so it wasn't hard to feel connected to his emotions.
This book is amazing! I loved it so much and thought that it was absolutely fabulous writing. The author did a great job crafting a sympathetic character as he deals with the world around him trying to stop him from being himself. Take this as my recommendation!
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