Up for Grabs 2: None of the Above

None Sentence Examples

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I think there's a fundamental flaw in the idea of trying to write a book "about" some issue. No book can sum up all experiences , and I feel like books of this type are trying. I also somewhat disliked how the main character builds friendship. I don't know, false? It doesn't come close to any experiences I've had as a marginalized person; in fact, it kind of feels like it's being written to appeal to people without any of these experiences.

I'm not judging the author here, but this is There's a weird event with a hate crime that I've seen a lot of people discussing as a negative, and I have to say I don't necessarily find it quite so inauthentic, but it's also And there's also the huge overuse of slurs for shock value. Here is a longer review with examples of the overuse of slurs. Most of these are considered negative, but I honestly wish some of it had just been cut?

Despite some important discussions of gender issues, what does this book offer to the genre of ya contemporaries? Beneath all the good, important conversations, there's a protagonist who's hard to relate to - even when you feel sympathy for her situation, you feel one step removed from the book.

There's also one of the most cookie-cutter romances I've read. Yes, here is a boy. He fell for this girl. He actually thinks of her as a girl. Is that all their relationship is based off of? Because it felt that way to me. There's also a dissatisfying ending. It's happy, which is sadly kind of unexpected, but it's far too abrupt.

Kristin isn't given the full time to recover and get back into her life. Again, the topics of gender and intersex issues are executed somewhat well. But that's the only thing about this book I genuinely liked. It's full to the brim of slurs, super formulaic-issues-book type, and everything was very View all 12 comments. The beginning was kind of generic, like a carbon copy of every YA contemporary out there, and I was worried this was going to be a disappointment.

I'm pleased to say that it was not. Once Krissy's intersex diagnosis came along, I couldn't stop reading. So on that note, None of the Above was a really informative and educative read. I actually learned a lot about the condition and what it entails. When Krissy's diagnosis is revealed to the whole school, we see a perfect example of human nature and its instinct to use ignorance as an excuse to be vile and cruel. Despite the more serious subjects, this book was a quick and easy read, and I'd recommend it to anyone looking to identify with an intersex character, seeking information, or wanting a capitivating story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy Jun 24, Samantha rated it it was amazing. None of the Above is one of those rare books that is not only important for its subject matter, but is a genuinely high quality entertaining book with a character I couldn't help but adore and root for. I fear that nothing I say can do it much justice, because it was just lovely, and necessary, and so incredibly well done. When we meet Krissy, things are going pretty great. She's doing great in sports and school, has a close group of friends, and a boyfriend who she is thrilled with.

So thrilled, None of the Above is one of those rare books that is not only important for its subject matter, but is a genuinely high quality entertaining book with a character I couldn't help but adore and root for. So thrilled, in fact, that she is thinking she's ready for some sexy time. But that's where things start to unwind for Krissy, because things don't really go as planned.

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I have to say, before moving on, that this was handled incredibly well. And that is one of the things that makes this book so incredible: Of course, as we know by the synopsis, it turns out that Krissy is intersex, due to a condition that causes her to have male chromosomes, but a mainly female appearance. Between the doctor and her incredibly supportive father, Krissy is able to find a group of women with the same diagnosis. Krissy is obviously nervous about the aftermath of her diagnosis, and when word gets out around school, her greatest fears come to life.

Most people in school are completely ignorant about what it all means, and are also very hateful toward Krissy. The author does such a tremendous job connecting the reader to Krissy, that my heart was absolutely breaking for her as she was rejected by her jerk of a boyfriend, and all the people she had thought were her closest friends. And these aren't just rumors, or talking behind her back, etc. We're talking straight forward hate and nastiness, and it is so hard to swallow. Of course, as much as Krissy wants to go to her room and hide, she must eventually go on. There are so many questions brought up along the way, from whether she should be allowed to compete in sports as a female and some really amazing examples of Olympians and high level athletes who've been through this , to how she will go about navigating her romantic life in the future.

The thing about this story that absolutely gutted me was that I don't think there was a single bit of it that was exaggerated for the benefit of the story. I do think that a lot of people would act like Sam and the rest of the school did. I do think that opposing teams would try to get Krissy banned from competing. I do think that the aftermath would be incredibly psychologically damaging, because how could it not be when not only has your whole identity been uprooted, but a majority of the people who you thought were on your side simply are not?

It sheds a light on what being intersex actually entails. But it also shows that she is a tremendously skilled author, because she is able to really define the condition in a way that absolutely everyone can understand. To be able to explain the condition from the point of view of the person who has it?

That is pretty fantastic. I find it so frustrating that this stuff still even happens, but sadly, it does. And while in this case, it is Krissy's intersex diagnosis that takes the brunt of the bullies, for so many young people, anything perceived as "not normal" can be fodder for bullies. Since we are getting an inside view of Krissy's thoughts, it's so very clear how hard the bullying is on her. It should make anyone stop and think about how they would behave toward someone who was going through a life changing event.

There's a very uplifting message for anyone who has been through a traumatic experience: Krissy's journey doesn't end with her diagnosis. She has choices to make, things about herself to uncover, lessons to learn. I cannot really say it enough. It's more than just a great story though it is that indeed: Jul 04, Jeann Happy Indulgence rated it really liked it Shelves: This review appears on Happy Indulgence. Check it out for more reviews! Looking for a diverse book?

None of the Above ticks all of the boxes - feminism, sexuality, gender identity, and what it means to be a hermaphrodite.

Now I thought being a transsexual and hermaphrodite were the same thing, but this book surely opened my eyes to what it meant to be intersex - or a female, with male reproductive organs. It starts off quite deceivingly, with Kristin being crowned the Homecoming Queen with her po This review appears on Happy Indulgence.

It starts off quite deceivingly, with Kristin being crowned the Homecoming Queen with her popular boyfriend. Soon after, Kristin finds out she has male testicles - that she's intersex. I'm not quite sure why it took her so long to find out - along with other bodily irregularities - she never had her period, which would definitely be a cause for concern. Kristin's doctor is pretty straightforward about her diagnosis, and refers her to support groups. She was a bit questionable though and later in the book, talks about another teenager's problems vividly. What happened to doctor-patient confidentiality?

Now it was really great to see Kristin's dad being supportive, searching for groups and doing research online. It was quite graphic in the anatomical and medical areas but it also dealt with the topic really sensitively, and definitely portrayed an intersex diagnosis realistically. Psychologically, Kristin dealt with it in the best way she could - with absolute shock and confusion for what that means about her gender identity. She slowly explored what being an intersex person meant - identifying what it means to be female and finding out that she's not transsexual which is when you're in the body of the opposite gender which you identify with.

The bullying in this book really broke my heart. People were afraid of what they didn't know, and they conveniently fell back on stigma to try and come to terms with it. Every single person who Kristin knew at school was completely and utterly mean.

None of the Above

They called her names, they bullied her, they posted mean photos of her on Facebook and they doled out hate. Even worse was Kristin's 'best friends' who isolated her in her time of need, and her boyfriend who pretty much broke up with her and publicly humiliated her after finding out about her status. Throughout all of this, Kristin managed to stay strong in the best way you could. Now imagine someone telling you the most life shattering news, that all of your hopes and dreams would fade away with a single diagnosis.

With all that considering, she did a pretty good job and dealt with it in a realistic and enviable manner. None of the Above is an incredibly diverse book that opened my eyes to the intersex population and what it meant to be one. It showed how cruel people could be when they didn't understand, but that you also need the right support network to help you get through it.

While the bullying, isolation and hate in the book was pretty terrible, it does a good job of educating us without prejudice.

What Does All of the Above Mean?

Definitely a great diverse read. The author is actually one of the main drivers behind the WeNeedDiverseBooks campaign and she's done wonderfully with spreading the word and writing a relatable diverse story. Apr 02, Aisha Saeed rated it it was amazing Shelves: So I finished this book and I cried. We need diverse books because we want to both be able to see ourselves in print and know our stories matter, but we ALSO want to learn about others who we may never otherwise know and see the fullness of their humanity.

It will be a powerful mirror for those who need to see someone with their own experiences in print, but it will also be an incredible window into the life of someone they may never otherwise know. A So I finished this book and I cried. A powerful read into what is not a very extensively written about topic in literature. Books like this are SO important. It raises awareness and that's important because not a lot of people in this book knew what being intersex meant and I think that's true in real life too. I didn't know what it meant until about 2 years ago ish when I watched a TV show called Faking It and I'm almost 22 now!

People didn't just bully Kirsten because they were mean bullies, they bullied her because they didn't understand. She was called names like "man-whore", "faggot", "hermaphrodite" and "tran Books like this are SO important. She was called names like "man-whore", "faggot", "hermaphrodite" and "tranny". All of those labels were extremely hurtful to her because she was trying to come to term with things herself and she had to deal with bullying too.

She considered herself to be a girl and yet there were people calling her a man.

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The book raises a lot of questions about what it means to call yourself a girl or a boy and what it means to be feminine or manly and I liked that. I really enjoyed reading this book. I liked Kirsten and the rest of the characters too. I liked the writing. Gregorio was really informed and I felt like she knew absolutely everything about intersex, surgeries etc.

I liked the friendship dynamic and the family dynamic, they were sweet. This was a good book. I would recommend it to everyone and I would read another book by Gregorio in the future. I'll write a full review closer to the release date but for now, here's a few thoughts. I loved this book! Though it's only early in the year, I can not only imagine its impact on me lingering for a while but it also being one of my favourite reads.

Rule #1: Test comprehension and critical thinking, not just recall

It was engaging enough to finish in just a few hours and I felt like I was going through everything with the protagonist. I learned a lot about being intersex with this book - it's my first time reading about it and I had only a faint knowledge on th I'll write a full review closer to the release date but for now, here's a few thoughts.

I learned a lot about being intersex with this book - it's my first time reading about it and I had only a faint knowledge on the details. Something I loved about None of the Above was how it handled the subject from different angles: While it mostly focused on the protagonist's experiences, it also showed the reactions to the people around her, particularly dealing with stigma and ignorance. My heart went out to Kristin when things were at their worst, and I really liked her, as well as some of the minor characters. I enjoyed the author's note at the end of the book.

I love reading them and finding out a book's origin, and it was an interesting read. I really appreciate what she did with this book and how she handled the subject. None of the Above is such an important book and I highly recommend it to everyone. Read this review and more on my blog Source: Edelweiss I received this book from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review Feb 08, Wendy Darling rated it really liked it Shelves: I wish some of the emotional stuff and plot points were smoothed out a bit, but it's definitely a book I'd recommend. No geral, um livro muito bom, cheio de representatividade, que carrega uma mensagem importante para os jovens leitores.

Apr 01, Lea rated it it was amazing Shelves: Maybe Shakespeare was preaching that it shouldn't matter if you were a man or a woman. But what if you were something in between? One of my teacher used to say that there were three absolute truths in life: Although I hated him, and after a lot of time spent trying to prove him wrong, I realized he was right. It's terrifying, really, to know that you can only be sure of three things in your life. So what if yo Maybe Shakespeare was preaching that it shouldn't matter if you were a man or a woman.

So what if you only had two?

Use none in a sentence | none sentence examples

What if you didn't know if you were a boy or a girl? None of the above tells the story of Kristin, a teenager who finds out she is intersex. In the span of one second, her whole life has changed. The next day, the world was the same. Nothing about me had changed, really. Yet everything was different. None of the above is a truly wonderful read that, under the pretense of discussing intersex, talks about fenimism, feminity, gender indentity, self-awareness and acceptance.

At the beginning of the novel, Kristin is lost. And who could blame her? That was when I realized that life was a multiple-choice test with two answers: And I was None of the Above. What do you do when you don't fit in? What do you do when you don't fully belong to a certain category? What do you do when you're neither gay nor hetero, what do you do when you're neither black nor white, what do you do when you're neither female nor male?

We've all felt like this at least once. Felt like we didn't fit in anywhere.

This is one of the reasons why None of the Above should be read by everybody. Not just to educate people on what intersex is, but because you might find a part of yourself in Kristin and her story. Little by little, she comes to realize that her chromosomes aren't what makes her a woman. Why aren't we real women- because we don't have uteruses? What about women who have hysterectomies? She comes to realize there's no real diffenrence between a girl and a boy.

The biggest difference between boys and girls is how people treat them- what color parents think their children should wear, what kind of activities they sign their kids up in for kindergarten. She comes to realize it doesn't matter what people think. Screw that gender essentialism bullshit.

Men have as much of a right to care about clothes as women. Girls can like sports and cars and guns too. So why does it even matter if you identify as a girl, a boy, or as neither? Guess who got an ARC? View all 7 comments. Mar 25, Renee Ahdieh rated it it was amazing. Read this book, not BECAUSE you've never read anything like it, but because it's a beautiful, beautiful story that anyone and everyone will relate to-- A story about finding out who we all are, beneath the surface.

Feb 10, Hazel Stay Bookish rated it really liked it Shelves: I just want to book-push this to everyone. I hope Ilene writes more wonderfully diverse books like this one. I've wanted to read this book for a while, and it didn't disappoint! I've read this in one sitting, and I don't do that often. The main character in this book finds out she is intersex. She struggles with the diagnosis, and soon, the whole school finds out. First of all, the author is a surgeon, so she knew what she was talking about.

I'm active on Tumblr and I'm a feminist, so I am familiar with LGBTQA, but this is the first time I've read about intersex, so I loved the doctor appointments, wher I've wanted to read this book for a while, and it didn't disappoint! I love reading contemporary about serious themes, so None of the Above was definitely my cup of tea. Because the author was informed, I had no issues with how the character handled her diagnosis. It broke my heart when two characters were having sex and the girl started crying because it hurt, but she turned her head so her boyfriend wouldn't see it.

I think this happens a lot in real life as well and I think it is important that girls are taught sex isn't supposed to hurt, not even the first time. I found that absolutely heartbreaking, probably because I could relate to it as well and it's not okay that girls should suffer to please there partner. Kristen struggles with accepting her diagnosis, and the reaction of others doesn't help. I'm glad that she didn't excuse their shitty behaviour.

It was immediately clear to me who would be her love interest and who would never be mean to her. It was so obvious and that's one of my main "cons", but I still liked them together, even though it was borderline cheating at one point, which is a big turnoff for me. I have two issues with this. It were single sentences, yet they bothered me. This is such a serious topic and I didn't like that someone else was her thriving force to make that choice. You run like a girl! This book was pretty predictable, but I loved how the author handled this topic, it was very professional.

I liked the main character, which is rare! I felt emotionally attached to her and my heart broke when something bad happened to her! I'm a sucker for contemporary that deals with serious topics, so I really liked it. I definitely would recommend it, I learned a lot, it's such a quick read and just check it out yourself: Nov 12, Gisbelle rated it really liked it Shelves: I've never quoted any lines from any advance copies I read, but this one is just too special not to share.

First Person Past Tense Setting: Young Adult GLBT My first time reading a book with a intersex character, and it blew me away by how emoti I've never quoted any lines from any advance copies I read, but this one is just too special not to share. Young Adult GLBT My first time reading a book with a intersex character, and it blew me away by how emotional this one was. I started reading this book without any expectations whatsoever. As I usually do or do not with most of the book I've read, I didn't read the synopsis. Besides the title, the cover was another thing that attracted me. It amazed me that the book was this good.

I was completely in love with just almost everything about it. The writing was exceptional. That's the least I can say about it. I felt the hurt Krissy was feeling and what she had to go through was just excruciating.

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Everything was on point. The pace and the flow were so wonderful it was a breeze reading it, except that the topic wasn't that breezy. At times it was really frustrating that so many people had to react the way they did, but that was somehow a beauty of this book; the ugly truth. I loved the ending. It was heartwarming, and after all the emotional, gut-wrenching, cruel scenes, I was so grateful for that.

The characters were all well-written. It was just some stood out than others, but in general I loved them all, even the ones I wish I could slap around a few times for being so mean. Krissy was an awesome character. She might not have been the kind of character I normally like, since I love my heroines fierce and all that, but I understood why she did what she had done when all hell broke lose.

In order not to spoil the book for anyone, I think I'll just stop here and say other characters such as Sam, Vee, Faith and Darren, added more dimensions to the story with their different character traits. In short, I truly enjoyed this book and am going to read more from this author in the future for sure. I think a lot of people will find this book a real good read. Sep 15, Edna L. If you haven't read this book then do yourself a favor and pick it up ASAP? I honestly did not expect to love this book as much as I did, and I'm still in awe. The book follows a girl who is diagnosed with AIS which is a variation of intersex , and her journey as the people around her discover her secret.

At first I was a bit nervous excited since the book had an intersex character. Like, an intersex character? I'm all for more representation. But at the same time WOW! But at the same time I was hoping this book wouldn't revolve around the girl finding out she's intersex and that being the limit of the story without any development, actual plot or anything. I really didn't know what to expect. Needless to say, this book definitely surprised me. Kristin was a great character to read and what I loved most about her was that she was in fact a normal girl.

She was a totally relatable character and her story made me care deeply for her. The story was really unique and it included elements of an amazing contemporary story and romance. Some were accepting, while most of them were not. The story really hit the prejudices and misconceptions that many people have about intersex teens while still being an intriguing story. Also great character development!

I could go on and on about the many things I loved in this story. However, one of my top things is the amount of information that this book has.

It appeared to have no companion in the universe--sporting there alone--and to need none but the morning and the ether with which it played. All these memories will be no more, none of them will have any meaning for me. He cast down his eyes and hurried out as if it were none of his business, careful as he went not to inflict any accidental injury on the young lady.

None of them, not even the middle-aged Dimmler, wanted to break off their conversation and quit that corner in the sitting room, but Natasha got up and Nicholas sat down at the clavichord. A good chessplayer having lost a game is sincerely convinced that his loss resulted from a mistake he made and looks for that mistake in the opening, but forgets that at each stage of the game there were similar mistakes and that none of his moves were perfect.

Then he again opened his eyes and said something none of them could understand for a long time, till at last Tikhon understood and repeated it. None of them knew anything, and Petya thought the officers were beginning to look at him and Dolokhov with hostility and suspicion. From the time they turned onto the Kaluga road to the day their leader fled from the army, none of the movements of the crowd had any sense. In her face there was none of the ever-glowing animation that had formerly burned there and constituted its charm. It was none of her business and she certainly didn't want to hurt Mary's feelings.

None of this would have happened if they hadn't been alone in the house. We asked about buildings; there were none , only corn in the four fields separated by the cross roads. None of us would admit it out loud, but each harbored the same thought. Our group conducted only three cases as we now called them and none were noteworthy.

None came close to the successful track record of those tips identified as coming from the notorious Psychic Tipster. There's a bunch of run away kids; I could try to pick the most likely but none of them look promising. He so insisted on multiple times that none of us either questioned him. She was surprised to see three people within, none of whom looked like they fit in the refined, elegant spaces of the parlor. None of them were in clusters, such as villages or towns, but each had ample grounds of its own, with orchards and gardens surrounding it.

They had fierce eyes and sharp talons and beaks, and the children hoped none of them would venture into the cavern. He tried first one plan and then another; but none of them proved anything at all. Imagine a thousand new arts, none of which are even invented yet, each with a thousand new great masters.

Of all the celebrated accomplishments of science, I think none is more significant than the end of certain diseases, especially the scourge of polio. The issues are difficult because fundamentally none of us knows the ultimate effects. The reasoning behind MAD was that if we can annihilate the Soviets or the Chinese and they in turn can annihilate us, then none of us will start a war. In military alliances, however, it is much likelier that when nations choose their friends, they create enemies where there were none before.

I did not need to go outdoors to take the air, for the atmosphere within had lost none of its freshness. I can't understand why he wants to go to the war, replied Pierre, addressing the princess with none of the embarrassment so commonly shown by young men in their intercourse with young women. None of them had yet seen the manifesto, but they all knew it had appeared.

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