Sasha's Sense of Self

Note: Sasha was a teenager who chose to identify as non-gender, or genderqueer, meaning Sasha preferred not to be identified as either boy or girl. Because of that choice, Sasha is referred to with the pronoun “they” in the book and in this study guide.

While every person has the right to self-expression, Sasha's individuality, personality, and experiences greatly impacted their sense of self and contributed to how Sasha identified and expressed themselves as an older teen. Slater, the author, included information about Sasha's childhood, parents, and friends. These individuals, combined with some other factors, affected how Sasha chose to behave and to express themselves personally and with others.

Sasha was born a boy named Luke and diagnosed with Asperger's at a young age. As a form of autism, Sasha's parents, Karl and Debbie, were warned that their child would have limited options ahead, and...