Sasha Masha is a peculiar story. It definitely was not what I expected and I think that’s why I enjoyed it all the more?
There are a lot of fantastic YA novels that have trans protagonists (like Felix Ever After and Cemetery Boys), individuals who are very certain about their gender identity, or those who have already transitioned, but I think this was the first time I read about the journey to that assuredness in your gender identity. It was honestly so refreshing and gripping to read about Alex trying to understand why he feels different, trying to determine why he feels uncomfortable in his own body, why it feels too big and yet confining, and what it is that he wants to do about it, including joining a queer group that his best friend Mabel used to go to, experiments with a different name, and tries out make-up and puts on dresses. Alex – Sasha Masha – is trying to understand something about himself that doesn’t yet have a name but demands attention.
What won me over with this one is the convoluted sense of the narrative because it felt very on par with Alex’s initial confusion. This isn’t a clear-cut story; Alex has a girlfriend for some of the book and while he likes her and enjoys spending time with her, he also has this internal sense of wrongness that almost translates into annoyance and anger when the two of them are together. Similarly, he knows that his parents are trying their best and love him and yet he doesn’t know how to tell them about what’s going on because he doesn’t know what’s going on. While many trans people know from an early age that their given gender identity is not right, it’s also important to note that this isn’t always the case, that sometimes, this exploration and acknowledgement takes longer and can come in later years and I think Sasha Masha captured that confusion and doubting yourself quite accurately.
There’s a lot of frustration for Sasha even after he has chosen a different name, who will he tell that he feels this name fits him more? Does he want to change his pronouns? Does he want to experiment with doing drag? Does he like boys and girls? It’s murky and confounding and one of the strong points of the novel that we get to experience his confusion because, above all, Sasha Masha is someone who’s struggling to put into words what he feels, and we’ve all been there.
I think this is a great addition to anyone’s bookshelf, really. Sasha Masha is a quiet, yet insightful novel, chronicling the confusing stages of understanding and exploring your gender identity and shows that gender is a spectrum and that it’s okay to not know where you land on it just yet. That it’s okay to experiment and find what feels right for you and that there’s no rush to put a label on it.
Sasha Masha is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of November 10th 2020.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
Alex feels like he is in the wrong body. His skin feels strange against his bones. And then comes Tracy, who thinks he’s adorably awkward, who wants to kiss him, who makes him feel like a Real Boy. But it is not quite enough. Something is missing.
As Alex grapples with his identity, he finds himself trying on dresses and swiping on lipstick in the quiet of his bedroom. He meets Andre, a gay boy who is beautiful and unafraid to be who he is. Slowly, Alex begins to realize: maybe his name isn’t Alex at all. Maybe it’s Sasha Masha.
