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Alex As Well
by
What do you do when everybody says you’re someone you’re not?
Alex wants change. Massive change. More radical than you could imagine.
Her mother is not happy, in fact she’s imploding. Her dad walked out.
Alex has turned vegetarian, ditched one school, enrolled in another, thrown out her clothes. And created a new identity. An identity that changes her world.
And Alex—the othe ...more
Alex wants change. Massive change. More radical than you could imagine.
Her mother is not happy, in fact she’s imploding. Her dad walked out.
Alex has turned vegetarian, ditched one school, enrolled in another, thrown out her clothes. And created a new identity. An identity that changes her world.
And Alex—the othe ...more
Paperback, 224 pages
Published
January 30th 2013
by Text Publishing
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Sabina
yes, i enjoyed reading it alot
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May 28, 2016
Bogi Takács
rated it
it was ok
Recommended to Bogi by:
Found on one of the GR intersex book lists
Shelves:
readproud-challenge-gold-2016
I read this book for two different reasons:
1. I am trying to read one intersex-themed book a month
2. For Week 1 of the #readproud challenge
This is a book with a teen protagonist who is both trans and intersex! Who is made to take hormones! I am so glad this kind of representation exists in YA fiction - right?
Right?
....Sadly no. This is a very misinformed take on both being trans and intersex, on many counts.
The author was not very clear on the difference between being trans and intersex, so don' ...more
1. I am trying to read one intersex-themed book a month
2. For Week 1 of the #readproud challenge
This is a book with a teen protagonist who is both trans and intersex! Who is made to take hormones! I am so glad this kind of representation exists in YA fiction - right?
Right?
....Sadly no. This is a very misinformed take on both being trans and intersex, on many counts.
The author was not very clear on the difference between being trans and intersex, so don' ...more

Jan 06, 2015
Maja (The Nocturnal Library)
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
arc-2014,
contemporary-fiction,
alternating-povs,
netgalley,
young-adult,
lgbt,
reviewed-in-2015
In this day and age, very few topics are more important than intersex and/or transgender children. The world is changing right now and diverse books will certainly help us reach a positive outcome. Aside from being a beautiful book, Alex as Well is also a step in the right direction. I can’t remember any other recent YA books about intersex teens, and we can’t deny the necessity.
Alex was born with intersex condition, anatomically both female and male. Her parents were advised to watch her caref ...more
Alex was born with intersex condition, anatomically both female and male. Her parents were advised to watch her caref ...more

I honestly feel let down by this book. It held so much potential in terms of characters and story, but it didn't deliver. Such a disappointment.
The whole book felt rushed. And with a subject like gender, identity, sexuality etc, you can't rush it because there's a lot to explain. And this book didn't really explain anything. We knew Alex was intersex and identified as a girl but her parents had made her a boy. It went into some detail on this but not enough.
The characters also seemed a bit 2D. ...more
The whole book felt rushed. And with a subject like gender, identity, sexuality etc, you can't rush it because there's a lot to explain. And this book didn't really explain anything. We knew Alex was intersex and identified as a girl but her parents had made her a boy. It went into some detail on this but not enough.
The characters also seemed a bit 2D. ...more

There was so, so many things I disliked this book.
I should have put it down after the first chapter. We're introduced to "The Alexs" at the mall. Girl Alex gets a makeover and buys some makeup then tries on some clothes. The whole time she talks to Boy Alex. It's not hard to realize at this early point that the two Alexs are the same people. In the dressing room after Girl Alex tires on some clothes, Boy Alex decides to get off on how good she looks. Should have dropped the book right then.
Firs ...more
I should have put it down after the first chapter. We're introduced to "The Alexs" at the mall. Girl Alex gets a makeover and buys some makeup then tries on some clothes. The whole time she talks to Boy Alex. It's not hard to realize at this early point that the two Alexs are the same people. In the dressing room after Girl Alex tires on some clothes, Boy Alex decides to get off on how good she looks. Should have dropped the book right then.
Firs ...more

This is an enjoyable story about an intersex person,Alex. She finds herself to be a girl but she has both male and female parts. This story revolves around her finding herself and her relationship with her family. I would say it wasn't much of a happy ending but the ending was still good. Alex did get what she wanted in the end.
This story was also funny-with Alex, saying funny things here and there.(I laughed aloud in class HAHA) I also admired her for stepping up to her parents. Though I must ...more
This story was also funny-with Alex, saying funny things here and there.(I laughed aloud in class HAHA) I also admired her for stepping up to her parents. Though I must ...more

Alex has never liked herself. She didn’t like herself in kinder, so she pushed the other kids down. She hated herself at that boy’s school, especially after the incident. And she hates who she is at home – having to follow mum and dad’s rules, taking their damn pills.
So maybe it’s time for Alex to change herself, by being herself.
Alex has never felt like herself because she’s always been told that she’s a boy. But she doesn’t look like a boy, and she doesn’t feel like a boy. But all that’s about ...more
So maybe it’s time for Alex to change herself, by being herself.
Alex has never felt like herself because she’s always been told that she’s a boy. But she doesn’t look like a boy, and she doesn’t feel like a boy. But all that’s about ...more

To see motion in its full giffy glory click here.
Introduction:
This Motion arises from another hellish reading experience by the writer of said motion. Once again, I am seeking the Book Court to remedy a horrible situation. Rather, than forgetting this POS, I wish to have the Court force this book to change its blurb so that people (like yours truly) won’t get tricked into reading it and wanting to pound fictional characters as a result of this-I hear this effect is called being a Book Hulk. The ...more
Introduction:
This Motion arises from another hellish reading experience by the writer of said motion. Once again, I am seeking the Book Court to remedy a horrible situation. Rather, than forgetting this POS, I wish to have the Court force this book to change its blurb so that people (like yours truly) won’t get tricked into reading it and wanting to pound fictional characters as a result of this-I hear this effect is called being a Book Hulk. The ...more

Dec 13, 2014
Kristen Cansler
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
net-galley,
blog-review
Alex As Well was a rollercoaster that I did not want to get off of. It blew me away and rendered me speechless. While reading, my mind was constantly churning a million thoughts about Alex, gender identity, and the effects that our parents can have on us and us on them. There are so many elements woven into the very fabric of this story. I'm in awe of Alyssa Brugman.
Usually whenever I'm blown away by a book, I'll gush and post a million gifs. But it would feel silly to do that for Alex As Well ...more
Usually whenever I'm blown away by a book, I'll gush and post a million gifs. But it would feel silly to do that for Alex As Well ...more

ALEX AS WELL is a 2013 release from Australia finally making its way to our shores. The protagonist, Alex, was raised as a boy but has recently realized that she identifies as a girl. Her gender identity is complicated by the fact that she's intersex and doesn't fit neatly into either category.
I liked that ALEX AS WELL gets beyond the usual struggle focused on in books about gender dysphoria. Alex knows she's a girl and is quite firm about it. Her struggles are more about her relationship with h ...more
I liked that ALEX AS WELL gets beyond the usual struggle focused on in books about gender dysphoria. Alex knows she's a girl and is quite firm about it. Her struggles are more about her relationship with h ...more

1.5
Well, it was readable. However, I can't say that I enjoyed reading it.
Every character was so two dimensional and unlikable. I believe that Alex was supposed to be around fifteen, but she acted like she was about twelve years old. It was hard to connect to her as a protagonist, beyond feeling pity for her awful home situation. Even though it was told from her perspective, we didn't get much of her internal thoughts or feelings, outside of her (typically snarky) reactions to things happening i ...more
Well, it was readable. However, I can't say that I enjoyed reading it.
Every character was so two dimensional and unlikable. I believe that Alex was supposed to be around fifteen, but she acted like she was about twelve years old. It was hard to connect to her as a protagonist, beyond feeling pity for her awful home situation. Even though it was told from her perspective, we didn't get much of her internal thoughts or feelings, outside of her (typically snarky) reactions to things happening i ...more

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.

Jan 29, 2015
haley
rated it
did not like it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
so-very-disappointing,
never-finished
DNF at page 133.
I'm more than halfway done through this fairly short book, but you know what? I don't have the patience to continue reading. I have way too many other books to be reading, and since I need to return Alex As Well to my library, I'm DNFing.
I am so disappointed by this, because books about transgender and/or intersex people are so important, and there are so few of them. But I didn't like this very much. First of all, there are so many misunderstandings between Alex and her parents ...more
I'm more than halfway done through this fairly short book, but you know what? I don't have the patience to continue reading. I have way too many other books to be reading, and since I need to return Alex As Well to my library, I'm DNFing.
I am so disappointed by this, because books about transgender and/or intersex people are so important, and there are so few of them. But I didn't like this very much. First of all, there are so many misunderstandings between Alex and her parents ...more

It's time to get a little bit personal here on my blog. Regular readers of my reviews know that I am happily taken by a girl named Emily, who sometimes graces this blog with her own book reviews. What most of you don't know, is that Emily has struggled with gender identity issues for a long, long time. It is because of her and the charming cover, I admit, that I picked up Alex as Well. Though of course I acknowledge that this book is one of fiction, I do believe it has helped me process some thi
...more

Okay. Mixed feelings about this. First things first: the author probably meant well, and there are definitely good things about this book: Alex's thoughts about gender and the conviction she had about who she was were definitely plusses. That's a part of the book that has value, and is helpful. (It's not ownvoices. Which is not a bad thing, in and of itself, but it's something you should know.)
As for the rest of it.
This book was, according to the copyright info page, "submitted as the creative c ...more
As for the rest of it.
This book was, according to the copyright info page, "submitted as the creative c ...more

This looks like another new YA book about a transgender teen that seem to be coming out by the bucketload. Instead, the main character is intersex. I didn't find the book convincing since it was set in the current day. I can't imagine the approach in Australia would be that different than in the US. The main character, Alex, has no idea that he is intersex until well into the book. He just knows he wants to be a girl. In real life, this kid would have been undergoing surgeries and going through
...more

This quick, simple book is not the greatest work of literature that I’ve read this year, but it is important. I’m not sure if I know anyone who is intersex, but Alex and her counterpart are such authentic characters that I feel like I do now. Written from the point of view of a fourteen year old with ambiguous genitalia but raised as a boy, Alex as Well explores what could happen when said teenager stops taking their medication and begins to explore the possibilities of living as their genuine s
...more

I am not a fan of YA but couldn't put this intelligent, insightful, well written book down! Brugman has captured the essence of what it must be like to have, not two personalities as you might think upon delving into the first few pages of this book, but two physical identities. And she's done it masterfully, writing so well and so bravely in this area of young adult fiction, and choosing here a topic fraught with difficulties. It's a spine tinglingly real world Alex inhabits and Brugman transpo
...more

Alex is funny, strong-willed, sometimes she can be a downright brat. The story is witty, infuriating, but hopeful. If there's any book that will help show you how crappy it is to live in a society obsessed with a strict gender binary when you don't quite fit, this is it. Loved it.
...more

3.5* What a weird reading experience.
We meet Alex, a 14-year old boy according to the parents, but who identifies as a girl. After being bullied and humiliated she is ready to leave life as a girly boy behind and start over as a girl. Only her parents, who knew this day could come, are not ready at all.
In the beginning it was strange that Alex refers to him-/herself as plural and had conversations with the boy part and the girl part of her personality. Only after a few chapters it became clear ...more
We meet Alex, a 14-year old boy according to the parents, but who identifies as a girl. After being bullied and humiliated she is ready to leave life as a girly boy behind and start over as a girl. Only her parents, who knew this day could come, are not ready at all.
In the beginning it was strange that Alex refers to him-/herself as plural and had conversations with the boy part and the girl part of her personality. Only after a few chapters it became clear ...more

My review is followed by a student review by sophomore Danielle.
Grade Range: 10-12 grade
Genre: Realistic
Literary Merit: Good
Characterization: Good
Recommendation: Recommended
For as long as he can remember, Alex has felt more like a girl than a boy. It’s like there are two Alexes sharing one body, and, ever since he stopped taking his pills, the feminine Alex is finally in the driver’s seat. Starting over at new school allows Alex to present herself as a girl for the first time. However, the oth ...more
Grade Range: 10-12 grade
Genre: Realistic
Literary Merit: Good
Characterization: Good
Recommendation: Recommended
For as long as he can remember, Alex has felt more like a girl than a boy. It’s like there are two Alexes sharing one body, and, ever since he stopped taking his pills, the feminine Alex is finally in the driver’s seat. Starting over at new school allows Alex to present herself as a girl for the first time. However, the oth ...more

REVIEW BY LILY 8:3 (2014/15)
I have just finished reading Alex as Well, a controversial read filled with emotion. I have been reading this book over the course of 6 weeks and have been engrossed in it every time I pick it up.
The book is about Alex, who is known as a boy to Alex's parents and Alex has to take tablets to pursue Alex's life as a boy. However, Alex knows that inside there is a feeling that identifies 'him' as a girl. Alex stops taking the tablets and finally feels right, but then th ...more
I have just finished reading Alex as Well, a controversial read filled with emotion. I have been reading this book over the course of 6 weeks and have been engrossed in it every time I pick it up.
The book is about Alex, who is known as a boy to Alex's parents and Alex has to take tablets to pursue Alex's life as a boy. However, Alex knows that inside there is a feeling that identifies 'him' as a girl. Alex stops taking the tablets and finally feels right, but then th ...more

A story of bravery and independence, Alex As Well follows 15 year old Alex Stringfellow, a transgendered "boy" who identifies as a girl.
Alex has two personas: boy Alex and girl Alex. The contrast between their opinions and ethics really highlights the struggle Alex faces on a day to day basis and the effect it has on her family.
The chapters are split, mostly seen from the point of view of Alex but occasionally are in the format of an online parenting forum where her mother voices her views on ...more
Alex has two personas: boy Alex and girl Alex. The contrast between their opinions and ethics really highlights the struggle Alex faces on a day to day basis and the effect it has on her family.
The chapters are split, mostly seen from the point of view of Alex but occasionally are in the format of an online parenting forum where her mother voices her views on ...more

Alex As Well deals with teenage intersex issues and I can't help but compare it to the recently published Golden Boy, which deals with the same subject. Whereas Golden Boy dealt a lot with the medical side of things and was very honest and realistic about being intersex, Alex as Well reads more like a teen novel. Seen from the point of view of the fourteen year old Alex, the novel can sometimes read a little immature. The adult characters are portrayed as having slightly more depth than a carica
...more

I wasn't impressed with the writing. This novel had such great potential when I picked it up, but it let me down quite hard. There were some excellent parts, some clever writing, but it was all tangled up in an ill executed plot and a hasty ending that didn't actually provide any kind of closure. All of the character, aside from Alex, lacked depth and development. (Although I think the point of Alex's mother was not to develop as a character.) I didn't like Alex, but I don't think you need to li
...more

Alex As Well tackles a tricky subject that has barely been mentioned in the majority of YA books, but I feel as if it barely scratches the surface of what it means to be intersex. It is a very juvenile book; I should've expected this because of it being for teens. Alex and her parents are very hotheaded characters and the parents in particular act in a way that is too cruel and mean spirited to be believeable. The characters are all competing to be the most pitied. Alex's voice annoyed me, and t
...more

I wouldn't lie I had great expectations for this book. May be that is why I was a little let down by how it turned out.
The story follows an intersex character who's been raised as a boy but wants to be a girl. This aspect of the book I enjoyed. However, the drama coming from the parents seemed.... how to say it- underdeveloped.
I expected more. The book could've received more stars if the writing style was better. If I recall it right, there was only one sentance that I wanted to underline.
Any ...more
The story follows an intersex character who's been raised as a boy but wants to be a girl. This aspect of the book I enjoyed. However, the drama coming from the parents seemed.... how to say it- underdeveloped.
I expected more. The book could've received more stars if the writing style was better. If I recall it right, there was only one sentance that I wanted to underline.
Any ...more

this was a cute read. alex was a great character it was great seeing the character growth as the book went on.

You can see my full review here!
I was expecting to really like this book. An intersex main character finding who they were? sign me up. I was willing to ignore the dated song references and such, but the majority of this book was confusing for me. There was also the fourth wall breaks that were jarring for me. But overlooking that, I just had so many questions. Basically, in this book, parents weren't need. You want to register yourself into a new school? Forge your mothers signature in front of ...more
I was expecting to really like this book. An intersex main character finding who they were? sign me up. I was willing to ignore the dated song references and such, but the majority of this book was confusing for me. There was also the fourth wall breaks that were jarring for me. But overlooking that, I just had so many questions. Basically, in this book, parents weren't need. You want to register yourself into a new school? Forge your mothers signature in front of ...more

Alex talks as if they are two characters which, realistically, is what it sounds like. When born, Alex did not have obvious male genitalia so was assigned female. However, months later, there appears to have been a change in thinking (no, I’m not quite sure how that works) and the birth certificate was annulled, a new one issued declaring Alex was male and, since then, Alex has been taking medication.
When we first meet Alex we don’t know the extent to which parents knew of/were involved in this ...more
When we first meet Alex we don’t know the extent to which parents knew of/were involved in this ...more
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Alyssa Brugman was born in Rathmines, Lake Macquarie, Australia in May 1974. She attended five public schools before completing a Marketing Degree at the University of Newcastle.
Alyssa has worked as an after-school tutor for Aboriginal children. She taught management, accounting and marketing at a business college, worked for a home improvements company and then worked in Public Relations before b ...more
Alyssa has worked as an after-school tutor for Aboriginal children. She taught management, accounting and marketing at a business college, worked for a home improvements company and then worked in Public Relations before b ...more
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