Editorial Content for None of The Above
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Kristin “Krissy” Lattimer is a senior in high school and everything is going her way. She has earned a full scholarship to college for her hurdling skills, she was just voted homecoming queen and she has a boyfriend who she loves. Krissy has decided that she is ready to take the next step in her relationship with Sam and have sex on the night of the Homecoming dance. It goes nothing as Krissy planned; in fact, she experiences the most excruciating pain she has ever felt. She makes an appointment with an ob-gyn a few days later and that is when life as she knows it begins unraveling --- she is diagnosed with Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome (AIS). Krissy is a hermaphrodite, or the preferred term, intersex. This news causes Krissy’s world to crumble around her; even though she is the same person she has always been, she feels completely different.
Krissy struggles with whether or not to tell her friends and her boyfriend. At a party, Krissy decides to tell her best friends. Unfortunately, the news spreads around the school and Krissy is devastated. She feels like she loses all her friends in one swoop and school becomes unbearable as she is bullied and harassed by her classmates. Krissy gets some support from members of an AIS support group, and takes a leave of absence from school.
Krissy’s diagnosis leads her to experience things that we all struggle with, such as fitting in and figuring out who we are.
While the primary conflict in NONE OF THE ABOVE is Krissy’s intersex diagnosis, it is not the only conflict. Krissy’s diagnosis leads her to experience things that we all struggle with, such as fitting in and figuring out who we are. Gregorio writes in a relatable way, and creates a protagonist that all readers will be able to connect with.
NONE OF THE ABOVE has a pleasing mixture of humor, emotions and romance. It is not a typical book for teens, but it includes much of what teens and readers of young adult fiction are looking for in a great read. It is a fast paced book that is difficult to put down and there is enough predictability to feel comfortable, but not so much as to be boring.
Teaser
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. 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. Dealing with her body is difficult enough, but when her diagnosis is leaked to the whole school, Kristin’s world completely unravels.
Promo
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. 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. Dealing with her body is difficult enough, but when her diagnosis is leaked to the whole school, Kristin’s world completely unravels.
About the Book
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 world completely unravels. With everything she thought she knew thrown into question, can she come to terms with her new self?
Incredibly compelling and sensitively told, NONE OF ABOVE is a thought-provoking novel that explores what it means to be a boy, a girl, or something in between.
