Ash

Ash

Ash by Malindo Lo, ISBN 0-316-04009-6, Little, Brown and Company 2009

Plot Summary:

Ash is a young girl who suddenly loses her father, leaving her in the care of her harsh and violent stepmother. To cope, Ash reads fairy tales left over from a book her mother gave her before dying. Ash dreams that someday fairies will take her away from her new family so that she can be happy elsewhere. Ash meets Sidhean, a dark and mysterious fairy prince. She soon begins to believe that her dreams have come true and Sidhean will fulfill her fairy tale fantasies. After spending time with Sidhean, Ash meets Kaisa, the King’s huntress. Kaisa and Ash spend more and more time together. Kaisa teaches Ash how to hunt, and Ash’s feelings begin to change. She has deep feelings for Kaisa, but Sidhean has already claimed Ash as his own. She is then faced with the decision to either follow her fairy tale dreams or take a chance on true love, no matter how forbidden it may be.

Critical Evaluation:

Ash is clearly a lesbian retelling of the classic fairy tale Cinderella. Even the names of both main characters describe their beginnings. Cinders and ash both represent the spark of a fire, which is the spark that leads each protagonist to find true love. In Ash’s case, however, true love does not come in the form of the prince but in the huntress. While the idea is clever, the execution lacks something to be desired. When Ash meets Kaisa, it’s clear that the reader is meant to root for this relationship as a triumph of good over evil. However, Ash clearly has two options and neither is the “wrong” choice. Sidhean might be a mysterious fairy, but he showers Ash with gifts and helps her with her chores. Their relationship blossoms early and fast, and their conversations are marked with gorgeous language. The reader can plainly see why Ash has feelings for Sidhean. Choosing Sidhean would not have been choosing evil. When Kaisa enters Ash’s life, she is stoic and there is no real moment shown of Ash falling in love with her. She has a choice to make and it seems as though she chooses Kaisa simply because the author wants the story to end with the lesbian relationship rather than the heterosexual one. The language is beautiful and the choice Ash makes is certainly (in traditional literature) the unconventional one, but the reader is left wondering why she made one choice over the other.

Reader’s Annotation:

Ash is torn between two loves: one that she’s been wishing for all her life and one that she never knew she wanted. Where will her heart lead her?

Information about the Author:

From the author’s website:

Malinda Lo is the critically acclaimed author of several young adult novels, most recently the duology Adaptation, a Bank Street College Best Children’s Book of 2013, and Inheritance, winner of the 2014 Bisexual Book Award. She is the co-founder of Diversity in YA, a project that celebrates diversity in young adult books. She lives in San Francisco with her partner and their dog.

Genre:

Fantasy, Teen Fiction, Romance

Curriculum Ties:

LGBTQ issues, classic literature retold

Challenge Issues:

The book might be challenged because of its central lesbian relationship.

Creating a Defense:

• Make sure you have thorough knowledge of the library’s selection policy as well as a copy on hand. Your insight as well as pointing out specific portions of the policy will be helpful in discussion with the patron.
• Always have the library Bill of Rights close to show the patron your library’s commitment to providing all kinds of information.
• Have some reveiws on hand, both good and bad, from respected sources like YALSA or Amazon so both you and the patron can gain an understanding of both sides of the issue.
• Make sure you’re familiar with the books that might be challenged. Be prepared to discuss the book’s intended audience, its educational significance, purpose, and also some alternative titles to read.
• Don’t get defensive. The librarian can’t take the challenge personally and either party getting upset will cause the discussion to devolve into a fight.
• LISTEN. Even if you don’t agree with the patron, their views are as valid as yours and should be respected.

Reading Level:

Grades 9-12

Booktalking Ideas:

Do you think it’s possible to love two people at the same time? How would you ever choose?

Why is the material included?

I love a good retelling of a classic, and this seemed to be a fun twist on a story that’s well known. LGBT centered fiction definitely has a place on YA book lists.

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