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, 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. I have to say, before moving on, that this was handled incredibly well. The author could have glossed over it, and then had Krissy end up at the gynecologist, but she didn't. And that is one of the things that makes this book so incredible: It is honest, and it is real.
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. Her whole life she has identified as female, and her doctor assures her that she is female, because that is how she identifies. 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. I won't lie, this is hard to read. 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?
None of the Above manages to do several things with a ton of grace and class:
- It sheds a light on what being intersex actually entails. The author is a doctor, and it shows. 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. In a way that Krissy can understand. To be able to explain the condition from the point of view of the person who has it? That is pretty fantastic.
- It also really delves into how bullying can affect someone, not just an intersex person, but anyone perceived as "different". 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: life will go on. Krissy's journey doesn't end with her diagnosis. She has choices to make, things about herself to uncover, lessons to learn. She finds people both inside and outside the intersex community who love her because she is Krissy, regardless of her DNA.
Bottom Line: Read. This. Book. I cannot really say it enough. It's more than just a great story (though it is that indeed): it's the absolute epitome of what a book about diversity should entail.
*Copy received for review*
This review was originally posted on It Starts at Midnight