[Purchase XY from Amazon]

Fifteen-year-old Jesse lives in a society where babies are born neither male nor female – gender is assigned at birth. Will the secret she closely guards be found out? Boyfriend Zeus, mother Ana’s Natural Souls, and new friend Ork, leader of We Are One, pull Jesse in different directions, forcing her to make her own mind up about who she really is.
4.5 out of 5 lattes

I was introduced to Shanta Everington’s literary works through her wonderful YA novel, BOY RED. I loved that story because Everington drew me in from the very start, gave me well-developed characters to care for, and paced her story in such a way that I had to read to the end in one sitting.

She does the same thing for me in her YA novel, XY. You can read the book description to learn what the story is about. Here, I just want to say this: Everington does a wonderful job of bringing serious subjects to light in her works, and she does so in a way as to not preach and turn a novel into a “message” for the reader.

In XY, we are once again brought into a story regarding identity, with a main character (in XY, 15-year-old Jesse) who struggles with her identity and through the obstacles faced in the story, comes not only to learn who she is but also to embrace that identity.

If you are a fan of quick reads that offer important topics, great characters, and writing that leaves you satisfied as a reader and a thinker (of said important topics), then do yourself a favor and pick up Everington’s XY.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.