Tash Hearts Tolstoy by Kathryn Ormsbee

Tash Hearts Tolstoy

by Kathryn Ormsbee

From the author of Lucky Few comes a “refreshing” (Booklist, starred review) teen novel about Internet fame, peer pressure, and remembering not to step on the little people on your way to the top!

After a shout-out from one of the internet’s superstar vloggers, Natasha “Tash” Zelenka suddenly finds herself and her obscure, amateur web series, Unhappy Families, thrust in the limelight: She’s gone viral.

Her show is a modern adaptation of Anna Karenina—written by Tash’s literary love Count Lev Nikolayevich “Leo” Tolstoy. Tash is a fan of the 40,000 new subscribers, their gushing tweets, and flashy Tumblr gifs. Not so much the pressure to deliver the best web series ever.

And when Unhappy Families is nominated for a Golden Tuba award, Tash’s cyber-flirtation with a fellow award nominee suddenly has the potential to become something IRL—if she can figure out how to tell said crush that she’s romantic asexual.

Tash wants to enjoy her newfound fame, but will she lose her friends in her rise to the top? What would Tolstoy do?

Reviewed by layawaydragon on

4 of 5 stars

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I liked:
-->Tash's heteroromantic asexual depiction.
-->Tash. Mostly.
-->Her family's origins, how it effects them, and make it work
-->Jack. Mostly.
-->Paul. Mostly.
-->The logistics and stuff with filming a web series. Pretty cool.
-->The cast and they're dynamics.
--> Easy to read. Liked the flow.



Things I didn't like:
-->I wish the term allosexual was used instead of "normal" etc.
-->The ending...I don't get Tash's sudden rush. Maybe I'm just more like Jack. You already left so...
-->Tash's "oh I don't want to talk about weight, I know I'm 30 pounds overweight per Cosmopolitan" UGH
-->Tash's "Oh I was confused and now I'm lazy and suck at religion." UGH.
-->Something about Jack's portrayal bugs me but I can't pinpoint it. She doesn't feel real or fit exactly. Most of the blog plot moving forward is because of her, not Tash and it ends up seeming...convenient? IDK. I just feel like there's a missing piece or whole extra story behind her.
-->I don't like not understanding what is going on with Klaudie.
-->And I'm sorry but I've been reading Tash like ash the WHOLE time. Didn't even realize her full first name was Natasha until the end and can't read it like "tosh" now.
-->The cover using old Tolstoy and not the one on her poster. (Personal preference is all.)

Quotes from Reading:
Sometimes directing is like babysitting preschoolers--it requires a lot of patience, a sturdy set of lungs, and the ability to coax egomaniacs into doing what you want.


Jack's never really cared what anyone thinks, to the point that whenever she suspects someone like a teacher actually has a good opinion of her, she'll sabotage herself by cussing in class or purposefully failing a test.

----->Tash, THAT BEHAVIOR DOESN'T MEAN WHAT YOU THINK IT MEANS. Fuck man, help your friend!

The remains of the Pop-Tart I ate for breakfast sprouts wings and take flight in my large intestine.


"No, I get that. I've never had the urge to stand in a public square and say, 'I wanna do the dirty with menfolk."


To throw out my lack of sexuality when Jay is getting harangued every day for the expression of his own? It seems so insensitive. It's not like people are telling me I can't get married or that I'm going to hell.

-------->Okay, I get this but at the same time I have to say shits fucked up for aces too like they deny your existence or think you're just confused or try to fix you, which happens a lot to others in the QUILTBAG community so....

We've ordered four boxes of extra large Papa John's pizzas.

------------>Well, this hasn't aged well at all. FUCK PAPA JOHNS. Just saying.

"Look, I can't get mad at you for effing up up coming out when I've never had to do it myself."

----------->Trying to say something here, Jack?!?

"All I mean is you're doing everything you can to help, and I'm kind of glad you can't do more. "

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