A. J. Sass

Shai has been struggling after some big changes in their life. After looking up ways to help themselves (as to not add to their mother's burdens) they come up with the concept of a new normal, which involves switching from home schooling to public school. Just before the term begins they get told they will actually be skipping a grade, the first of many unexpected stumbling blocks that mean that all the mental preparations they have made don't quite work how they hoped. We see how their show more struggles about coming out (would their friends and that teacher who wore a rainbow pin only on the first day be supportive?), a massive project about their Jewish heritage (which they are struggling to get their mother to talk about), more homework than they have ever know, strained relationships with old friends as they try grow new friendships collide and are only magnified by their anxiety.

I don't read much middle grade fiction but this makes me want to seek out more! I ended up enjoying this more than the YA books I've been picking up lately, which surprised me a bit. Although maybe the fact that I could see parts of myself in Shai helped with that! (I'm glad they had people who supported them and intervened when I didn't really get that).

The book deals with some difficult topics, but I feel like the author wraps them up in an almost heart-warming way, while not losing the severity of the issues being discussed. I don't know how much that is because of the age range and me usually reading books for an older audience, but I did appreciate how gently issues were treated (again, without losing the essence of the various struggles and issues explored). I do wish that the ending had been a bit longer though. I would have loved to have seen how the aftermath of the events towards the end played out. The ending has promises of things getting better, but we aren't quite there yet. While that is fine and realistic (healing takes a long time), I do wish there were one or two threads that were taken a little further. (For example, although he made the right choice, revealing secrets like SH can (temporarily) destroy trust and relationships, for example. Especially since they were already on shaky ground.) I would definitely be interested in reading another book about them should the author choose to write another!

I find it so incredible that queer kids get to see books about themselves! I wish I had books like this when I was younger. It would really have helped me figure myself out earlier. show less

I liked how this book was very detailed about skating, without being boring or alienating to someone who doesn't know about the sport. I feel like I learned a lot about the work that goes into it! Ana was very easy to connect with as a narrator, and I liked watching her process of figuring out who she is, even if it was painful at times. The added pressure she faces about her mother's finances when it comes to wanting to change her program due to the dysphoria was a good detail, and I like show more the way this book highlights the difference between Ana and the more affluent skaters without making her seem like a target for pity. I was happy that ultimately she gets support at the end, and I like the analogy of taking a transition like learning a new choreography - working it out one step at a time. I like that Ana's story wasn't a cookie-cutter trans narrative in that, by the end, she hasn't decided entirely what she wants in terms of pronouns or coming out to others, or what skate division she'll skate in. The most important step was figuring herself out and telling those she loves. I also like how Ana faces regular tween problems, like navigating friendships, in addition to her gender struggles. I thought the supporting characters were great as well.  show less

Understanding self-identity is beautifully incorporated into this astonishing coming-of-age story.

Ellen Katz and Laurel McKinley have been best friends forever. Now in high school, Laurel is interested in gymnastics, cheerleading, boys, makeup, and fitting in with the popular girls. Ellen, autistic and learning successful coping methods to deal with daily life, feels Laurel is drifting away from their friendship. Both girls are signed up for a school trip to Barcelona with their Spanish show more class, and Ellen is looking forward to the trip renewing their former close, comfortable relationship. She’s also glad to have her father along on the trip as one of the class’s parent chaperones.

A new student joins the group at the airport. Isa Martinez is a fresh face, not only because of coming from the Bronx or the purple hair but because Isa uses the pronouns “they/them” in their introduction to the class. She is a positive and bold spirit.

When the group arrives and settles into their hotel in Barcelona, the students are assigned to smaller groups with an adult chaperone. Ellen and Laurel discover they have been assigned to different teams. Ellen must step outside the comfort of her safe relationship with Laurel to work with her new team: Isa and two boys, Andy and Gibs, on the trip assignment – a scavenger hunt through Barcelona with clues to the locations they must find in Spanish. Ellen must reassess her understanding of friendship and how relationships can change over time while dealing with the sensory overload she experiences in the vibrant and busy tourist town. As her beliefs about friendship are tested, she is also awakened to the reality that not everyone fits neatly into the categories society has created to classify people.

Ellen Outside the Lines is a warm and wonderful story of an autistic teenager coming-of-age while on a summer school trip to Barcelona. The view inside Ellen’s thoughts and feelings had me enthralled from the first page as I witnessed how the world appeared to her. The support and understanding of her experiences by her closest classmates were astonishing to me, and I hope it is true-to-life because I didn’t expect that level of caring and compassion from schoolmates of that age. Of course, there were examples of those that weren’t so caring or compassionate. I ached for Ellen’s disappointments and missteps but cheered as she recognized where she went wrong or could have done better.

Besides her journey through her relationships with others, including her father, the story presented intriguing glimpses into her family’s life and religious observations of the Jewish faith. Her mother and her hobbies while husband and daughter were away provided fun little side surprises. I particularly liked the inclusion of the Hebrew language sprinkled throughout the dialogue between father and daughter.

The setting in Barcelona was exotic, vivid, and exciting. I loved the Spanish teacher’s device of the scavenger hunt to get his students out experiencing the city and expanding their vocabulary rather than just shopping and hanging out at the beach.

The characters are a wonderful yet cohesive mix of diverse individuals who were very relatable. I found the author’s use of language delightful and feel it will resonate exceptionally well with young readers.

I recommend ELLEN OUTSIDE THE LINES to YA and middle-grade audiences or adults wanting a better understanding of what it means to be autistic or neurodivergent.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from TBR and Beyond Tours. show less

Very cool to read a story so embedded in high level competitive ice skating -- felt like a very realistic depiction and seems to be based on author's experience. Also a very cool and realistic exploration of a young person coming into their identity and figuring out what that might be. in this case, Ana is 12 and discovering that she is nonbinary, as an overly feminine skating costume and routine and a new trans friend prompt her to figure out why things feel off. Really well written, a bit show more on the long side. show less