Just Shy of Ordinary
A.J. Sass
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars
4.00
· 7 ratings · 384 pages · Published: 30 Jan 2024
Thirteen-year-old Shai is an expert problem-solver. There’s never been something they couldn’t research and figure out on their own. But there’s one thing Shai hasn’t been able to logic their way through: picking at the hair on their arms.
Ever since their mom lost her job, the two had to move in with family friends, and the world went into pandemic lockdown, Shai’s been unable to control their picking. Now, as the difficult times recede and everyone begins to discover their “new normal,” Shai’s hoping the stress that caused their picking will end, too.
After reading that a routine can reduce anxiety, Shai makes a plan to create a brand new normal for themself that includes going to public school. But when their academic evaluation places them into 9th grade instead of 8th, it sets off a chain of events that veer off the path Shai had prepared for, encouraging Shai to learn how to accept life's twists and turns, especially when you can't plan for them.
Tagged as:
- lgbtq+ 3
- contemporary 3
- realistic 2
- non-binary mc 2
- children 2
- women loving women 1
- family 1
- religion 1
- coming of age 1
- Add topics
- format - reader age
- middle grade 3
- young adult 3
- audiobook 2
- content warnings
- mental illness 3