We chat with author A.J. Sass about Just Shy of Ordinary, which follows a thirteen-year-old nonbinary kid discovers that life doesn’t always go according to plan, especially when they start public school for the first time, in this heartfelt middle grade novel about family, friendship, LGBTQIA+ identity, and Jewish heritage.
Hi, A. J.! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Hi! My name is Andrew (he/they). I’m an author, figure skater, and cat lover, among other things. I grew up in various small towns throughout the Upper Midwest and the South, although if asked, I tend to say Rochester, Minnesota is my hometown (I lived there twice as a child). I moved to California for law school and have been pingponging my way between Sacramento and San Jose for the past decade. I currently call Oakland, CA home, where I live with my husband, skate on a San Francisco-based Theatre on Ice team, and visit indie bookstores to buy more books than I will never be able to keep up with reading.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
My parents gave me a paper journal for my seventh birthday, when I was in first grade. I’d just started reading on my own, so I was already in love with storytelling from a reader’s perspective. I suspect my parents thought I would use the journal to document events in my life, and I did—to an extent. But I was also embellishing the truth and adding flourishes to make my journal entries more interesting. After that initial trial run, I attempted writing my first novel in second grade. I don’t think I got past the fourth chapter, but I had a lot of fun with it. I discovered fanfic when I was 14 and would write my own stories (my fandom of choice was Buffy the Vampire Slayer) in a spiralbound notebook while I was babysitting on weekends after I’d put the kids to bed. Although my spark of inspiration to write has brightened and dimmed throughout my life depending on what else I have going on, it’s never fully gone out. Writing is a lifelong friend I always come back to.
With it now 2024, have you set any goals or resolutions for the year?
Honestly? I try not to make resolutions because I am a bit of a perfectionist and it feels devastating if I can’t hit them all. This especially applies to my writing and figure skating training. In the off-chance that I do make a resolution, I try to ensure it’s something I can actually control. I can’t guarantee my next manuscript will sell or whether I’ll win first at an upcoming skating competition, but I can control how much effort I put into writing my next story and how many times I show up at the rink to practice.
Beyond that, I try to make sure I expose myself to as many people, places, and new ideas and perspectives as I can each year.
Your latest novel, Just Shy of Ordinary, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Queer. Jewish. Neurodivergent. Wisconsin Northwoods.
What can readers expect?
Much like my earlier books, Just Shy of Ordinary is a contemporary story. It follows thirteen-year-old genderfluid Shai who has been struggling to manage their anxiety in the wake of the pandemic and their mom’s job loss, which has led them to move in with family friends to save money. Through all this, Shai has started to pick the hair on their arms. They don’t want to burden anyone else with their troubles, so they research online and discover that creating a new routine—or a “new normal,”—can sometimes help. Shai develops a plan, which involves coming out as genderfluid and switching from homeschool to public school. Except, Shai is thrown for a loop when their academic evaluation places them into ninth grade instead of eighth.
Readers can expect lots of queer characters who all have different relationships and comfort levels with their identities, a Project Runway-loving aspiring fashion designer, a rainbow pin of not-quite-initially-clear meaning, boat trips, references to pop instead of soda (this is set in Wisconsin, after all), and one fluffy, grey cat named Gilian Anderson.
Where did the inspiration for Just Shy of Ordinary come from?
At first, I really just wanted to write a story set in the Midwest, and in ‘The Island City’ of Minocqua in particular. It’s a town that my family used to visit during summers when we’d vacation at my grandparents’ cottage in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. It was always magical to drive across the bridge that connected the mainland to Minnocqua and visit the local shops around town.
I also knew I wanted to explore the dichotomy of being seen as academically gifted while hiding more internal struggles. I skipped a grade in high school when I was only a year older than Shai, then started college during my junior year, effectively graduating with an Associate of Arts degree at the same time I earned my high school diploma. My parents were very proud, but internally, I was struggling with intense anxiety and as-yet-undiagnosed autism, which impacted my social interactions with my peers, among other things.
Just Shy of Ordinary is my exploration of how an academically bright, neurodivergent kid might react to a multitude of life changes like the pandemic, an uprooted housing situation, and even deciding whether (or how) to come out in a small, insular Midwestern town.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
I loved writing Shai’s best friend, fellow homeschooler, and aspiring fashion designer, Mille Martel. My stories tend to explore experiences like coming out, friendship breakups, bullying, and mental health, which all have the potential to feel heavy, depending on how they’re approached. While Mille is going through his own challenges during the story, he was a breath of fresh air to write dialogue for. I always looked forward to scenes he would be in during the drafting process. From modifying Disney song lyrics to fit the situation or inadvertently flinging tuna noodle casserole across the table due to excitement, Mille brought levity to Shai’s story (and to me as its writer).
What do you hope your readers will take away from Just Shy of Ordinary?
I hope readers pick up on the message that coming out can look different for everyone, and sometimes it’s even different for people to come out about one aspect of their identity more than others. Also, no matter how successful you appear outwardly, that doesn’t negate your other struggles and it’s okay to ask for help when you need it.
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: Heidi by Johanna Spiri
- The one that made you want to become an author: Number the Stars and The Giver, both by Lois Lowry
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: When the Angels Left the Old Country by Sacha Lamb
What’s next for you?
I contributed a short story to the On All Other Nights: A Passover Celebration 14 Stories anthology, edited by Chris Baron, Joshua S. Levy, and Naomi Milliner. My story is about a nonbinary kid trying to figure out how to ask their family to use they/them/their pronouns for them when the whole family comes together at the Passover Seder. It releases on March 26, and I was so honored to be a part of this special collection.
In 2025, my debut picture book, Shabbat Is …, illustrated by Noa Kelner, is set to release. It’s about three kids who attend the same temple but all celebrate Shabbat in different ways. It also includes queer representation in a way that’s personally very meaningful to me. Also in 2025, I’ve contributed a nonfiction essay to the Athlete is Agender: True Stories of LGBTQ People in Sports anthology, edited by Katherine Locke and Nicole Melleby, where I talk about my experiences as a nonbinary figure skater who didn’t know I was nonbinary for decades in a sport I both loved and felt like I didn’t quite fit into the way I should.
Then in 2026, look out for No Brain The Same: Young Neurodivergent Activists Shaping Our Future, edited by Lindsay H. Metcalf, Kella V. Dawson, and Jeanette Bradley, and illustrated by Bradley. It introduces readers to young neurodivergent activists in prose and poems. I had the honor of writing a poem for queer, autistic activist Lydia X. Z. Brown, whose advocacy I’ve followed for years.
Lastly, are there any 2024 book releases that you’re looking forward to?
Oh my gosh, there are so many! Some I’ve already read and had the opportunity to blurb while others I’m just incredibly excited to get my hands on when they release.
Middle Grade:
- Maya Plays the Part by Calyssa Erb (March 5)
- Winnie Nash is Not Your Sunshine by Nicole Melleby (April 2)
- Linus and Etta Could Use a Win by Caroline Huntoon (May 7)
- Gooseberry by Robin Gow (May 14)
- Murray Out of Water by Taylor Tracy (May 21)
- Crushing It by Erin Becker
Young Adult:
- Flyboy by Kasey LeBlanc (May 14)
- Night Owls by A. R. Vishny (September 17)
