Sasha Masha by Agnes Borinsky (review)

While going through a pile of bestie Mabel’s aunt’s old clothes, Alex comes across a green dress and jokingly creates a character named Sasha Masha. Sasha Masha is everything Alex isn’t—sensual, bold, mischievous; certainly not the good student, stay-in-your-lane, quiet Jewish boy that Alex has always been. Months later, juggling school, parents, and his first girlfriend, Alex can’t get Sasha Masha out of his head. This is a transition story at its conception, with Alex wondering what the significance of his persona is, why it’s suddenly so important to him, and why he can’t just be a “real person.” As he flubs up his relationship with girlfriend Tracy and begins spending more time at the local queer teen space and with new friend/love interest André, Alex constantly wonders if he’s losing himself or finding someone better. Borinsky’s YA debut will no doubt resonate with queer kids, particularly those just beginning to understand their sexualities and gender identities. The book refreshingly ends without Alex defining his gender, pronouns, or path forward. However, the reader leaves knowing that Alex is surer in himself and ready to embark on a journey to a better, truer future. This #ownvoices novel is a reminder that “transitions” don’t always have a definite endpoint and an uncertain identity is not an invalid one.