By Nico
Homeschooler Shai has grown up with their struggling mom and their best friend, Mille. Life hasn’t always been easy, but their family and friends have supported them through everything, including coming out as genderfluid a few months ago.
But back when COVID started, Shai started picking at the hair on their arms—and even though lockdown is long over, they haven’t managed to stop. Luckily, they have a plan to break the habit: they’ll strike out and make a new normal for themself. A new normal that includes going to public school for the first time.
Their plan, though, doesn’t predict her entering as a ninth grader instead of an eighth grader when her test scores place her ahead. Or her growing distance from Mille as she gets to know new friends at school. Or a project that leaves them exploring their Jewish heritage for the first time.
As public school turns out to be a little more than Shai bargained for, they’ll have to find a normal for themself that’s not just new, but right, too.
I’ve loved every book A. J. Sass has written, and Just Shy of Ordinary is not just no exception—it might be my favorite yet! Thoughtful, authentic, and hopeful, this book quite literally feels like it’s about me a few years ago, and every inch of it rings true. Quiet but incredibly compelling, I particularly loved its exploration of identity and how different facets of our lives intersect to make us who we are.
A lot of middle-grade books, particularly those centered on evolving friendships, can feel a bit drama-prone, but this was the opposite, instead encapsulating the day-to-day challenges and changes of middle and high school with an impeccable and irresistible realism. I loved Shai; their anxiety, stubborn self-sufficiency, and reactions to public school made me instantly connect with them, and watching them grow and learn was so much fun. The feeling of change was so palpable in this book, and so were all the things it triggers—anxiety, uncertainty, struggles—but throughout it all the sense of hope ties together this story into something not just uplifting, but beautiful. I highly recommend Just Shy of Ordinary to readers ages ten and up, particularly those who love middle-grade realistic fiction or fell in love with Ana on the Edge.
Homeschooler Shai has grown up with their struggling mom and their best friend, Mille. Life hasn’t always been easy, but their family and friends have supported them through everything, including coming out as genderfluid a few months ago.
But back when COVID started, Shai started picking at the hair on their arms—and even though lockdown is long over, they haven’t managed to stop. Luckily, they have a plan to break the habit: they’ll strike out and make a new normal for themself. A new normal that includes going to public school for the first time.
Their plan, though, doesn’t predict her entering as a ninth grader instead of an eighth grader when her test scores place her ahead. Or her growing distance from Mille as she gets to know new friends at school. Or a project that leaves them exploring their Jewish heritage for the first time.
As public school turns out to be a little more than Shai bargained for, they’ll have to find a normal for themself that’s not just new, but right, too.
I’ve loved every book A. J. Sass has written, and Just Shy of Ordinary is not just no exception—it might be my favorite yet! Thoughtful, authentic, and hopeful, this book quite literally feels like it’s about me a few years ago, and every inch of it rings true. Quiet but incredibly compelling, I particularly loved its exploration of identity and how different facets of our lives intersect to make us who we are.
A lot of middle-grade books, particularly those centered on evolving friendships, can feel a bit drama-prone, but this was the opposite, instead encapsulating the day-to-day challenges and changes of middle and high school with an impeccable and irresistible realism. I loved Shai; their anxiety, stubborn self-sufficiency, and reactions to public school made me instantly connect with them, and watching them grow and learn was so much fun. The feeling of change was so palpable in this book, and so were all the things it triggers—anxiety, uncertainty, struggles—but throughout it all the sense of hope ties together this story into something not just uplifting, but beautiful. I highly recommend Just Shy of Ordinary to readers ages ten and up, particularly those who love middle-grade realistic fiction or fell in love with Ana on the Edge.
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