{{Short description|2020 debut novel by Agnes Borinsky}} {{No plot|date=March 2026}} {{Infobox book | name = Sasha Masha | image = Sasha Masha.jpg | image_size = | author = Agnes Borinsky | illustrator = | country = | language = English | genre = {{plainlist| * Young adult novel * Coming of age}} | publisher = Farrar, Straus and Giroux | pub_date = November 10, 2020 | pages = 240 | awards = | isbn = 978-0-374-31080-6 | website = }} '''''Sasha Masha''''' is a coming of age young adult novel by Agnes Borinsky, published November 10, 2020 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux. It tells the story of a teenager Jewish girl who, with the help of members the queer community, tries to figure out who her true self is.
The book was shortlisted in 2021 for a Lambda Literary Award.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=Anderson|first=Porter|date=2021-03-15|title=The US-Based Lambda Literary Awards Program Names Its 2021 Finalists|url=https://publishingperspectives.com/2021/03/the-us-based-lambda-literary-awards-program-names-its-2021-finalists/|access-date=2022-01-01|website=Publishing Perspectives|language=en-US}}</ref>
== Reception == A review for the ''School Library Journal'' notes that the most interesting aspect of Borinsky's novel is its depiction of the "mental turmoil through [the main character's] neurotic, repetitive meditations on himself, the world, and what makes people 'Real.'" Despite that, the SLJ review was mostly critic of the novel, calling the plot "meandering", and mentioning the depiction of a drag queen as "verging on caricature".<ref>{{cite journal |title=Young Adult |journal=School Library Journal |date=October 2020 |volume=66 |issue=10 |page=80}}</ref> ''Kirkus Reviews'' commented on how the LGBT community and its history play a part on Masha's revelation of self and called the book a "sensitive and vulnerable story of self-growth."<ref>{{cite web |title=SASHA MASHA |url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/agnes-borinsky/sasha-masha/ |website=Kirkus Reviews |access-date=August 20, 2021 |language=en}}</ref>
''The Booklist'', which reviewed an audio version of the novel, said the author's "emotional connection with Sasha Masha creates a visceral listening experience" but criticized the tone used throughout the novel, which made it harder to tell which character was speaking at times.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Richey |first1=Alex |title=Sasha Masha |journal=The Booklist |date=January 2021 |volume=117 |issue=9–10 |page=87}}</ref>
''Sasha Masha'' was a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award for Children's and Young Adult Literature (2021).<ref name=":0" />
In 2022, a complaint was made to ban ''Sasha Masha'' in Clay County School District schools; however, it appears to have had no impact.<ref>{{Cite web |last=DeLuca |first=Alex |title=Updated List: Every Known Florida School District Book Ban, July 2021–June 2024 |url=https://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/more-than-350-books-banned-in-florida-schools-since-last-july-16817328 |access-date=2024-09-28 |website=Miami New Times |date=23 August 2024 |language=en|last2=Finkel|first2=Tom}}</ref>
== References == {{Reflist}}
Category:2020 debut novels Category:2020s LGBTQ novels Category:2020 LGBTQ-related literary works Category:Jewish novels Category:Farrar, Straus and Giroux books Category:Novels about transgender topics