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Shae
A queer coming-of-age novel about addiction, belonging, and loving a place that doesn’t always love you back.
When sixteen-year-old Shae meets the slightly older Cam, who is new to their rural small town in West Virginia, she thinks she has found someone who is everything she has ever wanted in a companion. The two become fast friends, and then more. But when Shae becomes pregnant, Cam begins a different transition—trying on clothes that Shae can no longer fit into and declaring female pronouns. Shae is unsure of what to think or feel, but Shae tries to be fully supportive as Cam becomes the person she wants and needs to be.
After a traumatic C-section and the birth of their daughter, Eva, Shae is given opioids to manage the intense pain. During the first year of Eva’s life, Shae’s dependence shifts from pain management to addiction, and her days begin to revolve around getting more pills. In the heart of rural West Virginia, opioids are dispensed as freely as candy, and Shae is just one of many to fall victim to addiction. Meanwhile, Cam continues to transition. Embracing her true self, new life, and new relationships means she must quickly face the reality of being a trans woman in rural America.
Shae is as much about these two young women as it is about the place they both love despite its limitations. Following the acclaimed Sugar Run and Perpetual West , this is Mesha Maren’s most emotional and accessible novel yet.
When sixteen-year-old Shae meets the slightly older Cam, who is new to their rural small town in West Virginia, she thinks she has found someone who is everything she has ever wanted in a companion. The two become fast friends, and then more. But when Shae becomes pregnant, Cam begins a different transition—trying on clothes that Shae can no longer fit into and declaring female pronouns. Shae is unsure of what to think or feel, but Shae tries to be fully supportive as Cam becomes the person she wants and needs to be.
After a traumatic C-section and the birth of their daughter, Eva, Shae is given opioids to manage the intense pain. During the first year of Eva’s life, Shae’s dependence shifts from pain management to addiction, and her days begin to revolve around getting more pills. In the heart of rural West Virginia, opioids are dispensed as freely as candy, and Shae is just one of many to fall victim to addiction. Meanwhile, Cam continues to transition. Embracing her true self, new life, and new relationships means she must quickly face the reality of being a trans woman in rural America.
Shae is as much about these two young women as it is about the place they both love despite its limitations. Following the acclaimed Sugar Run and Perpetual West , this is Mesha Maren’s most emotional and accessible novel yet.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published May 21, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
September 2, 2024
This story is horrifyingly brutal yet wonderfully written, taking you directly to small town West Virginia. Sixteen-year-old Shae thinks she's found a new friend in Cam, who is a year her senior, when they meet at school. Soon she and Cam are hanging out, listening to music, and parking by the town lake. Suddenly Shae is pregnant, and everything she planned for her life changes. At the same time, Cam starts changing, wearing Shae's clothes and makeup. Shae's birth story goes terribly wrong, requiring an emergency C-section, and the doctors cut her bladder during the procedure. She's given opiates for the pain, and her whole world tilts.
The oxy blurs Shae's frayed edges, helping her cope with being a teenage mother and with the fact that Cam is transitioning. Shae can't confront reality or change, including Cam's transition. She's unable to talk to Cam, her mom, or anyone, really. As Cam transitions, she pulls away from Shae's small life: going to college, making friends, moving away. But Shae, she's stuck in her rural little life, running with the wrong crowd and increasingly hooked on drugs.
Maren illustrates how drug use and addiction can unravel a person's life. She does so starkly and in terrifying detail, introducing us to the cast of small town lowlifes who help keep Shae hooked on drugs and displaying how easy it is for them to find opiates--and eventually what lengths they'll go to keep their supply up. It's horrible that Shae's addiction stems from her teen pregnancy and subsequent botched C-section. She loves her daughter dearly, but she's not enough to get Shae away from the drugs. Neither is Cam.
Cam does not always come across as sympathetic, but she's the foil to Shae: she comes from a background of even greater poverty, with a harder road due to her transition. But Cam works hard to better herself, be authentic, and to give Eva the best care possible. Watching her grow and flourish while Shae regresses only makes the situation more depressing.
This book is difficult to read sometimes because it's so real and so sad. This is a powerful read about young motherhood and the hold addiction carries. 4.5 stars.
The oxy blurs Shae's frayed edges, helping her cope with being a teenage mother and with the fact that Cam is transitioning. Shae can't confront reality or change, including Cam's transition. She's unable to talk to Cam, her mom, or anyone, really. As Cam transitions, she pulls away from Shae's small life: going to college, making friends, moving away. But Shae, she's stuck in her rural little life, running with the wrong crowd and increasingly hooked on drugs.
Maren illustrates how drug use and addiction can unravel a person's life. She does so starkly and in terrifying detail, introducing us to the cast of small town lowlifes who help keep Shae hooked on drugs and displaying how easy it is for them to find opiates--and eventually what lengths they'll go to keep their supply up. It's horrible that Shae's addiction stems from her teen pregnancy and subsequent botched C-section. She loves her daughter dearly, but she's not enough to get Shae away from the drugs. Neither is Cam.
Cam does not always come across as sympathetic, but she's the foil to Shae: she comes from a background of even greater poverty, with a harder road due to her transition. But Cam works hard to better herself, be authentic, and to give Eva the best care possible. Watching her grow and flourish while Shae regresses only makes the situation more depressing.
This book is difficult to read sometimes because it's so real and so sad. This is a powerful read about young motherhood and the hold addiction carries. 4.5 stars.
May 2, 2024
4.5 Stars
Set in a small town in West Virginia, Shae is sixteen when she first notices Cam, who is new in town. They quickly become friends, and eventually, more than friends, which results in a pregnancy. Not long after, Cam begins wearing Shae’s clothes, and begins their own transition as a female.
When Eva, their daughter, is born following an agonizingly painful C-section, it changes everything as Shae is given opioids to manage her pain, and as time passes, she needs more to manage the pain, and becomes addicted, which just escalates as time passes. Meanwhile, her life is falling apart in other ways, as Cam begins to keep a distance between them, and eventually that distance grows even more.
This is a story about family, home, loss and pain. Physical pain as well as emotional pain, and the cost of losing the life they had planned.
Pub Date: 21 May 2024
Many thanks for the ARC provided by Algonquin Books
March 31, 2024
Once again Maren has given us a story of queer life in West Virginia. This is a short and simple story, the kind that makes no attempt to hide how things are going to end up. The plain prose fits our first person narrator, Shae, who is 16 as the novel begins.
A lot of things in this story are quiet, everything told with a kind of frankness that makes it feel like it's nowhere near what it is. Tone is everything here, Shae's story is the kind that could be a melodrama, could be a morality tale, could be all kind of things but in her own words it is simply what happened to her.
I often don't like teenage narrators but I found myself entranced by Shae. She is a real teenager, not always understanding how she feels, not saying the things she should say, choices she made feel more like things that just happened. And the queerness of the novel feels like modern teenage queerness, Shae never refers to herself with any particular label. Her girlfriend's transition is the only time we have a more typical queerness narrative on the page, and in the story the real purpose it serves is to show us how Shae and Cam are not able to communicate their feelings to each other. (Very little in the way of queer suffering here, ftr.)
This stripped down style suits Maren, I would love to see more of it from her.
A lot of things in this story are quiet, everything told with a kind of frankness that makes it feel like it's nowhere near what it is. Tone is everything here, Shae's story is the kind that could be a melodrama, could be a morality tale, could be all kind of things but in her own words it is simply what happened to her.
I often don't like teenage narrators but I found myself entranced by Shae. She is a real teenager, not always understanding how she feels, not saying the things she should say, choices she made feel more like things that just happened. And the queerness of the novel feels like modern teenage queerness, Shae never refers to herself with any particular label. Her girlfriend's transition is the only time we have a more typical queerness narrative on the page, and in the story the real purpose it serves is to show us how Shae and Cam are not able to communicate their feelings to each other. (Very little in the way of queer suffering here, ftr.)
This stripped down style suits Maren, I would love to see more of it from her.
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May 29, 2024See full review on the Atlanta Journal-Constitution website:
Duke University professor Mesha Maren’s third novel “Shae” is an aching Appalachian coming-of-age story about a relationship between two teenagers who navigate a raw and courageous journey through the crossroads of identity and addiction. As much an homage to her home state of West Virginia as a nod to those who have struggled to survive small-town limitations, Maren delivers a profoundly intimate study on alienation and how the catastrophic impact of pain and dependency ripples through communities...
https://www.ajc.com/things-to-do/appa...
Duke University professor Mesha Maren’s third novel “Shae” is an aching Appalachian coming-of-age story about a relationship between two teenagers who navigate a raw and courageous journey through the crossroads of identity and addiction. As much an homage to her home state of West Virginia as a nod to those who have struggled to survive small-town limitations, Maren delivers a profoundly intimate study on alienation and how the catastrophic impact of pain and dependency ripples through communities...
https://www.ajc.com/things-to-do/appa...
May 24, 2024
Residing in a small West Virginia town, sixteen year old Shae is a shy high school teen who feels awkward around her peers. One day she meets Cam, a newcomer to the town, who lives with his grandfather. The two become close and soon enough, Shae finds out she's pregnant. Though Cam is supportive during the pregnancy, he quickly meets another man. At the same time, Shae realizes that Cam is undergoing a transition. As soon as Shae gives birth to her daughter, her live falls apart. Birth complications result in Oxy prescriptions. She's quickly hooked and her daughter is abandoned during her care or left to be cared for by her mom. A deeply disturbing and dark novel, one that unfortunately acts as a mirror for thousands of addicts.
September 27, 2024
This book is real and raw. Having grown up in the same region as the book's setting (Eastern Kentucky, close to the border of West Virginia), I feel this was an authentic exploration of sexuality, substance misuse, culture, parenthood and survival in Appalachia. I found myself attached to Shae (the character) from the beginning, and empathetic to her journey. I, too, am a gay person in Appalachia who is emotionally invested in the issues that Maren explores. This one gets five stars, not just because it touched my heart but also because of its vivid details, reflective moments, and characters who are imperfect but relatable.
September 5, 2025
Poignant and succinct, read this all in one sitting for a forthcoming NCLR review (so more articulate thoughts to come lol). Shae’s inner monologue is so wrenchingly honest that it gives this piece a lovely clarity of purpose, even as her own life seems to fold back on itself. Such a treat also to see Carter’s name in the acknowledgements and his review on the back cover! It always makes me smile to see wonderful local writers in kahoots :)
January 1, 2024
It was great! I read it fast. Very much a page turner. The style of this book is more similar to Mesha’s first book Sugar Run than her second Perpetual West. The character development of both Shae and Cam drew me right in. When I wasn’t reading the book I was wondering what these characters were doing! I couldn’t put the book down.
June 21, 2024
While the book reads fast, the reader finds themselves in the strange slowness and disconnect of Shae’s life. It is remarkable writing to convey her aching emptiness and the heavy fullness of her existence—the rash, ill-considered decisions, against the careful, tender ones.
June 5, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley and Algonquin for the eARC!
"Shae" by Mesha Maren is a poignant exploration of the intersection of poverty, teen pregnancy, medical trauma, and opioid addiction, set against the evocative backdrop of the American Rural South. Mesha Maren's novel follows the tumultuous life of Shae, a 16-year-old girl who becomes fixated on Cam, a fellow outcast. As Shae navigates her feelings for Cam, a transfemme teen, the narrative unfolds into a raw and compelling journey of love, struggle, and survival.
Shae and Cam’s relationship is the heart of the novel, marked by an intense connection and Shae’s compassionate yet confused adaptation to Cam’s transition. Maren’s portrayal of their bond is deeply moving, capturing the essence of youthful love complicated by the harsh realities of their lives. Shae’s acceptance of Cam is beautifully rendered, highlighting her deep-seated need for love and security, despite the overwhelming obstacles they face.
One of the most striking elements of "Shae" is its unflinching depiction of poverty and its ramifications. Maren paints a vivid picture of the relentless challenges faced by those living in poverty, particularly focusing on the neglect and exploitation experienced by low-wage workers. The novel delves into the chaos of parenting in such conditions, especially poignant as Shae herself is still a child grappling with the responsibilities of motherhood. Her love for her daughter Eva is palpable, yet overshadowed by the haze of her addiction, a tragic consequence of the pervasive opioid epidemic.
Maren’s writing shines in its atmospheric evocation of the Rural South. The descriptions of pine trees, dirt roads, and cicadas immerse the reader in Shae’s world, enhancing the narrative’s authenticity. However, as Shae’s addiction deepens, the narrative begins to lose focus, mirroring her descent into self-destruction. This narrative choice underscores the devastating grip of substance abuse, illustrating how it can spiral out of control, particularly in the absence of financial resources and adequate support systems. Maren’s portrayal of Shae’s addiction is both compassionate and harrowing, providing a sobering look at the impact of the opioid crisis.
The novel is not without its flaws. The ending, while powerful, leaves the reader with a sense of unresolved tension as Shae’s life continues to unravel. Despite this, Shae’s strength and her unwavering sense of self shine through, making her a memorable and compelling protagonist. Her journey, marked by moments of love, despair, and resilience, is a testament to the human capacity to endure, even in the face of overwhelming adversity.
"Shae" is a vital read, offering a deeply human perspective on issues that are often marginalized or misunderstood. It is a story of love and survival, of the desperate lengths people go to for a semblance of security and the devastating consequences of systemic neglect. Maren’s novel is a heart-wrenching yet essential exploration of the complexities of life in poverty, particularly through the lens of those most vulnerable. For readers interested in stories that highlight political liberation themes and diverse representation, "Shae" is a compelling and necessary addition to your reading list.
📖 Recommended For: Readers drawn to stories of resilience in the face of adversity, fans of gritty portrayals of poverty and addiction, supporters of LGBTQ+ narratives, enthusiasts of contemporary Southern fiction, and those interested in the impact of the opioid crisis on marginalized communities.
🔑 Key Themes: Intersection of Poverty and Teen Pregnancy, Medical Trauma and Opioid Addiction, LGBTQ+ Identity and Transfemme Experiences, The Harsh Realities of Low-Wage Labor, The Struggles of Young Motherhood.
Content / Trigger Warnings: Homophobia (minor), bullying (minor), death of a parent (minor), medical trauma (severe), transphobia (moderate), animal death (minor), substance abuse (severe), abandonment (minor), infidelity (minor), child abuse (minor), overdose death (severe), self harm (minor), burglary (minor), incarceration (minor).
"Shae" by Mesha Maren is a poignant exploration of the intersection of poverty, teen pregnancy, medical trauma, and opioid addiction, set against the evocative backdrop of the American Rural South. Mesha Maren's novel follows the tumultuous life of Shae, a 16-year-old girl who becomes fixated on Cam, a fellow outcast. As Shae navigates her feelings for Cam, a transfemme teen, the narrative unfolds into a raw and compelling journey of love, struggle, and survival.
Shae and Cam’s relationship is the heart of the novel, marked by an intense connection and Shae’s compassionate yet confused adaptation to Cam’s transition. Maren’s portrayal of their bond is deeply moving, capturing the essence of youthful love complicated by the harsh realities of their lives. Shae’s acceptance of Cam is beautifully rendered, highlighting her deep-seated need for love and security, despite the overwhelming obstacles they face.
One of the most striking elements of "Shae" is its unflinching depiction of poverty and its ramifications. Maren paints a vivid picture of the relentless challenges faced by those living in poverty, particularly focusing on the neglect and exploitation experienced by low-wage workers. The novel delves into the chaos of parenting in such conditions, especially poignant as Shae herself is still a child grappling with the responsibilities of motherhood. Her love for her daughter Eva is palpable, yet overshadowed by the haze of her addiction, a tragic consequence of the pervasive opioid epidemic.
Maren’s writing shines in its atmospheric evocation of the Rural South. The descriptions of pine trees, dirt roads, and cicadas immerse the reader in Shae’s world, enhancing the narrative’s authenticity. However, as Shae’s addiction deepens, the narrative begins to lose focus, mirroring her descent into self-destruction. This narrative choice underscores the devastating grip of substance abuse, illustrating how it can spiral out of control, particularly in the absence of financial resources and adequate support systems. Maren’s portrayal of Shae’s addiction is both compassionate and harrowing, providing a sobering look at the impact of the opioid crisis.
The novel is not without its flaws. The ending, while powerful, leaves the reader with a sense of unresolved tension as Shae’s life continues to unravel. Despite this, Shae’s strength and her unwavering sense of self shine through, making her a memorable and compelling protagonist. Her journey, marked by moments of love, despair, and resilience, is a testament to the human capacity to endure, even in the face of overwhelming adversity.
"Shae" is a vital read, offering a deeply human perspective on issues that are often marginalized or misunderstood. It is a story of love and survival, of the desperate lengths people go to for a semblance of security and the devastating consequences of systemic neglect. Maren’s novel is a heart-wrenching yet essential exploration of the complexities of life in poverty, particularly through the lens of those most vulnerable. For readers interested in stories that highlight political liberation themes and diverse representation, "Shae" is a compelling and necessary addition to your reading list.
📖 Recommended For: Readers drawn to stories of resilience in the face of adversity, fans of gritty portrayals of poverty and addiction, supporters of LGBTQ+ narratives, enthusiasts of contemporary Southern fiction, and those interested in the impact of the opioid crisis on marginalized communities.
🔑 Key Themes: Intersection of Poverty and Teen Pregnancy, Medical Trauma and Opioid Addiction, LGBTQ+ Identity and Transfemme Experiences, The Harsh Realities of Low-Wage Labor, The Struggles of Young Motherhood.
Content / Trigger Warnings: Homophobia (minor), bullying (minor), death of a parent (minor), medical trauma (severe), transphobia (moderate), animal death (minor), substance abuse (severe), abandonment (minor), infidelity (minor), child abuse (minor), overdose death (severe), self harm (minor), burglary (minor), incarceration (minor).
September 6, 2024
I received a free copy of this book through a program that I’m in, hard to explain so I won’t, but I wanted to be fully transparent about how I ended up reading this one. I get free books from a variety of sources because I have spent years cultivating relationships that got me here. I sincerely appreciate every book I have ever received, even if I don’t love it.
This one, however, I did love. I’m pretty sure this author wouldn’t have been on my radar otherwise, which is another reason why I’m so thankful for these books that sometimes seem to just show up at my house. Now that I have discovered this author, however, I will seek her out moving forward. This book is potentially the saddest book I’ve finished in 2024, and the fact that it was able to evoke such a strong emotion speaks highly about the writing. This is the story of a teenager who ends up pregnant, which is not ideal in and of itself. The other parent was a transgender girl a bit older, who eventually leaves to have a relationship with a male professor. Shae, addicted to oxys after a rough c-section, ends up on heroin. This is yet another story detailing the destruction opiates can cause. Truly, it’s heartbreaking.
Most people don’t start taking opiate-based medications hoping to end up with a full-blown addiction. I also had a rough birthing experience with the birth of my first daughter, and I also ended up taking oxys. 28 years later, I’m exceptionally thankful that I didn’t develop an addiction. I’ve had to take them here and there for other reasons as well, but again, small quantities and not for very long. I feel like a lucky one. I was also a single mom, struggling with my own personal identity while trying so hard to be a mom and the sole adult in my household. It’s a lot of pressure. This character was one I had a connection with simply because our beginnings are similar. Being a mom is arguably the most difficult role a woman will decide to take on, and sometimes, we cave under the stress of it all. I feel like Mesha Maren tore my heart apart bit by bit with every page. THAT is what made this such a great book.
There are clearly some themes in this book that some readers might find triggering, but I would recommend reading it if you can handle those triggers. ANYBODY can fall victim to opiates. Read this book.
This one, however, I did love. I’m pretty sure this author wouldn’t have been on my radar otherwise, which is another reason why I’m so thankful for these books that sometimes seem to just show up at my house. Now that I have discovered this author, however, I will seek her out moving forward. This book is potentially the saddest book I’ve finished in 2024, and the fact that it was able to evoke such a strong emotion speaks highly about the writing. This is the story of a teenager who ends up pregnant, which is not ideal in and of itself. The other parent was a transgender girl a bit older, who eventually leaves to have a relationship with a male professor. Shae, addicted to oxys after a rough c-section, ends up on heroin. This is yet another story detailing the destruction opiates can cause. Truly, it’s heartbreaking.
Most people don’t start taking opiate-based medications hoping to end up with a full-blown addiction. I also had a rough birthing experience with the birth of my first daughter, and I also ended up taking oxys. 28 years later, I’m exceptionally thankful that I didn’t develop an addiction. I’ve had to take them here and there for other reasons as well, but again, small quantities and not for very long. I feel like a lucky one. I was also a single mom, struggling with my own personal identity while trying so hard to be a mom and the sole adult in my household. It’s a lot of pressure. This character was one I had a connection with simply because our beginnings are similar. Being a mom is arguably the most difficult role a woman will decide to take on, and sometimes, we cave under the stress of it all. I feel like Mesha Maren tore my heart apart bit by bit with every page. THAT is what made this such a great book.
There are clearly some themes in this book that some readers might find triggering, but I would recommend reading it if you can handle those triggers. ANYBODY can fall victim to opiates. Read this book.
July 29, 2024
This was a really sad story that is the unfortunate reality for so many Americans, at least in parts. This felt like Demon Copperhead but shorter, from a female perspective, less literary, less epic and from a younger, less experienced author. Shae starts off following a very young girl who feels super out of place until, one day, she meets a cool kid with whom she is eventually able to connect. I don't think the exact geographic location is ever mentioned but it felt really Appalachian to me. The two connect and eventually start having sex which leads to a baby. There is some queer representation in the relationship that is done in that very Appalachian way where everyone might know about it and some people accept it but, even those people, won't ever talk about it. Anyway, the birth is complicated and Shae ends up having multiple surgeries landing her on Oxi. It goes from there as you imagine it would. I have never struggled with addiction so I can't speak to how accurate or not the descriptions were but I felt Shae's desperation for a hit in the words of this book. I thought the slow descent into addiction felt accurate to what I've heard about in my work. How it starts as something you think you can control and suddenly you can't and you can't believe the decisions you will make to feed the monster inside of you. I don't want to spoil the ending but it certainly only represents one outcome. I know deeply through work that this is not the only way this story ends. A version of this story is one I would like so many of our law and policy makers to have to witness because it's devastating to individuals, to families, entire communities and certainly our nation in general. It is too easy to forget and to distance oneself from if you don't know and love people who are impacted by the epidemic of addiction in America.
May 29, 2024
I will start out by saying I really don't often pick up a book that I know is written in first person narration, especially one with an unreliable narrator. I find it generally frustrating and think it's often an excuse for an author to be on the loose side with research and facts, explaining it away as just the inability to trust the narrator. So, when I picked this up and saw it was a first person narration and quickly realized the narrator would be unreliable due to circumstances told in the book, I groaned.
My worries were unfounded with this one. Yes, a few things drove me nuts. Such as, only three states don't have a Costco - WV is one of them. I'm putting down their Costco trip as an author issue, not a unreliable narrator issue because I can't imagine someone from rural WV who gets caught up in the life Shea does would have a Costco or Costco trip on their radar. The unrealistic sounding beginning of the concert Shea attends could be either a narrator issue or it could be the author going slightly over the top, to the point of me adding "and everyone cheered and clapped" in my head after the paragraph was over.
Despite that, this was a really good read. It wasn't too young-adulty, even though the time period Shea is telling was what was essentially still her childhood.
It was a really good read, especially if you enjoy coming of age stories with a more alternative spin.
My worries were unfounded with this one. Yes, a few things drove me nuts. Such as, only three states don't have a Costco - WV is one of them. I'm putting down their Costco trip as an author issue, not a unreliable narrator issue because I can't imagine someone from rural WV who gets caught up in the life Shea does would have a Costco or Costco trip on their radar. The unrealistic sounding beginning of the concert Shea attends could be either a narrator issue or it could be the author going slightly over the top, to the point of me adding "and everyone cheered and clapped" in my head after the paragraph was over.
Despite that, this was a really good read. It wasn't too young-adulty, even though the time period Shea is telling was what was essentially still her childhood.
It was a really good read, especially if you enjoy coming of age stories with a more alternative spin.
July 31, 2024
I read this novel as slowly as I could. The prose has a smooth calm quality that moves so easily forward, and yet the characters are filled at times with such ache and need that I felt I was doing them an injustice if I did not linger with them in those dire moments. Set in West Virginia, SHAE is about sexual transition and queer love, teenage pregnancy and single mothers, criminal activity and custody battles, incarceration and rehab, strip-club performers and the lonely denizens of such venues, an Air Force vet whose psyche splintered at 16 Gs, and, glancingly, the pasture where General Lee’s horse was raised. It describes how residual pain from a work accident or a problematic caesarian can lead to opioid addiction through the desperate need to suppress that pain and maintain the illusion of feeling good. SHAE introduced me to a world outside my own experience, and if I’ve ever felt judgmental toward people struggling with the issues described in the book, that has been replaced by a strong feeling of empathy. The strategies for coping are only by degree different from the strategies deployed in the straight and sober world. And despite the anguish and uncertainties that the characters have to deal with, reading SHAE is an uplifting experience. The story is filled with generous love, quiet courage, and, ultimately, hope. SHAE is a book that should be read and discussed. I am glad to have it in my mind and on my shelf.
September 10, 2024
3 to 3.5 stars
I gravitated towards this one because it's a short queer book about addiction, set in West Virginia by a West Virginian author. In short, I enjoyed this. A fast, propulsive read about a 15yo girl in a small rural town who gets pregnant, has a terrible birth, and basically gets out of hospital addicted to Oxy. And this is all while her bf transitions to become a woman. And then you have the whole question of how are you gonna score Oxy when the doctor finally realises you might be addicted and cuts you off? So, of course, you become an underage dancer at a strip club. It's like a little mini Demon Copperhead but for girls. It's brutal yet beautiful, stark yet tender, while the prose itself is solid, flowing, and lyrical. The cast of characters is wonderfully varied, the character development is on point, and the whole thing is beautifully plotted in order to bring you to an explosive climax... and don't get me wrong, I enjoyed reading it, but for whatever reason, it all felt a little forgettable. Like, I only finished it yesterday, and I've almost forgotten all about it already. Maybe I'm the wrong gender, lol. Anyway, this is a short, sharp read about young motherhood, addiction, and the sometimes impossible task of rising out of your circumstances. And I will be checking out some of this author's other work
I gravitated towards this one because it's a short queer book about addiction, set in West Virginia by a West Virginian author. In short, I enjoyed this. A fast, propulsive read about a 15yo girl in a small rural town who gets pregnant, has a terrible birth, and basically gets out of hospital addicted to Oxy. And this is all while her bf transitions to become a woman. And then you have the whole question of how are you gonna score Oxy when the doctor finally realises you might be addicted and cuts you off? So, of course, you become an underage dancer at a strip club. It's like a little mini Demon Copperhead but for girls. It's brutal yet beautiful, stark yet tender, while the prose itself is solid, flowing, and lyrical. The cast of characters is wonderfully varied, the character development is on point, and the whole thing is beautifully plotted in order to bring you to an explosive climax... and don't get me wrong, I enjoyed reading it, but for whatever reason, it all felt a little forgettable. Like, I only finished it yesterday, and I've almost forgotten all about it already. Maybe I'm the wrong gender, lol. Anyway, this is a short, sharp read about young motherhood, addiction, and the sometimes impossible task of rising out of your circumstances. And I will be checking out some of this author's other work
August 19, 2024
Enjoyment: 2 / Prose: 2.5 / Characters: 2 / Plot: 2
pros: interesting premise
cons: everyone treats Shae like shit (infuriating!!!!), flat characters/prose
Goddamnit! It's more fun to writing a scathing hate review of something I think was bad in a humorous way. But I actually really wanted to like this book. It starts out somewhat interesting. Our main character, Shae, is a 16 year old in a rural community of West Virginia. She gets pregnant and has a baby at this young age, with her "best friend" Cam, who undergoes transition during Shae's pregnancy. The book follows Shae as she becomes addicted to pills and what happens to her life after that.
Prose wise, I didn't feel any emotion from this (although there were a few pretty lines). I felt extremely distant from the characters, and they didn't have a lot of description or narrative impact. I didn't feel like I knew anyone in this story, or what they were like. They also all treated Shae like shit. I'm sorry, but Cam getting Shae pregnant and then basically not speaking to her and getting a boyfriend immediately after? Excuse me? What kind of behavior is that? I'M SO PISSED ON SHAE's BEHALF!!!! SOMEONE TAKE CARE OF THIS CHILD! It feels like everyone gave up on her, a teenage girl with a new baby, and didn't care that she felt lonely and abandoned. I was so pissed off it was hard to read the rest of the book and watch Shae's life spiral into misery for nothing.
Ends on a hopeful note, but ultimately a frustrating experience with not much pay off.
pros: interesting premise
cons: everyone treats Shae like shit (infuriating!!!!), flat characters/prose
Goddamnit! It's more fun to writing a scathing hate review of something I think was bad in a humorous way. But I actually really wanted to like this book. It starts out somewhat interesting. Our main character, Shae, is a 16 year old in a rural community of West Virginia. She gets pregnant and has a baby at this young age, with her "best friend" Cam, who undergoes transition during Shae's pregnancy. The book follows Shae as she becomes addicted to pills and what happens to her life after that.
Prose wise, I didn't feel any emotion from this (although there were a few pretty lines). I felt extremely distant from the characters, and they didn't have a lot of description or narrative impact. I didn't feel like I knew anyone in this story, or what they were like. They also all treated Shae like shit. I'm sorry, but Cam getting Shae pregnant and then basically not speaking to her and getting a boyfriend immediately after? Excuse me? What kind of behavior is that? I'M SO PISSED ON SHAE's BEHALF!!!! SOMEONE TAKE CARE OF THIS CHILD! It feels like everyone gave up on her, a teenage girl with a new baby, and didn't care that she felt lonely and abandoned. I was so pissed off it was hard to read the rest of the book and watch Shae's life spiral into misery for nothing.
Ends on a hopeful note, but ultimately a frustrating experience with not much pay off.
May 5, 2024
SHAE by Mesha Maren is honest and heartbreaking, a tragic story masterfully told. What happens to Shae is completely outside my lived experience, but I felt connected to her from start to end and rooted for her at every turn.
I had intended to pace myself and only read a set amount of this novel each evening, but the more I read, the more I wanted to keep reading. I read most of it over the course of one day. The pace speeds up as the book progresses and the situation changes for Shae. Through it all, I felt like I was right there with Shae, pulled forward with her by the momentum of the choices she makes. I would love to dissect this book and figure out exactly how the author achieved this effect. Whatever techniques Mesha Maren used were baked into the novel, everything working together perfectly. As a reader, I was never aware of what the author was doing to make me feel so invested in this story and the characters.
I was already a fan of Mesha Maren's writing, and this is my favorite novel of hers to date. I recommend this book 100%.
I had intended to pace myself and only read a set amount of this novel each evening, but the more I read, the more I wanted to keep reading. I read most of it over the course of one day. The pace speeds up as the book progresses and the situation changes for Shae. Through it all, I felt like I was right there with Shae, pulled forward with her by the momentum of the choices she makes. I would love to dissect this book and figure out exactly how the author achieved this effect. Whatever techniques Mesha Maren used were baked into the novel, everything working together perfectly. As a reader, I was never aware of what the author was doing to make me feel so invested in this story and the characters.
I was already a fan of Mesha Maren's writing, and this is my favorite novel of hers to date. I recommend this book 100%.
May 19, 2024
Shae is about a girl navigating life after teenage pregnancy, drug addiction, and longing for someone she’s not destined to be with.
This book feels like something I would’ve read in AP Lit. If you’re looking for a book with the vibes of Giovanni’s Room (gay pining, unstable characters, be gay do crime), Shae feels like a modern version of that.
The writing was amazing, and Shae’s character always shone through in every word—a deeply flawed character who I still found interesting . I'm truly in awe of the way Maren makes the narration feel so perfectly unreliable.
This is very much a no-plot, just-vibes book. I would refrain from reading the synopsis because, while simple, it tells you pretty much everything that happens in the book.
Altogether, this isn’t a book I’ll probably think about in the future, but it’s a book that I had a good time with and I’m glad I read.
CW: pregnancy, childbirth (& medical trauma), sex work, drug addiction, homophobia/transphobia
This book feels like something I would’ve read in AP Lit. If you’re looking for a book with the vibes of Giovanni’s Room (gay pining, unstable characters, be gay do crime), Shae feels like a modern version of that.
The writing was amazing, and Shae’s character always shone through in every word—a deeply flawed character who I still found interesting . I'm truly in awe of the way Maren makes the narration feel so perfectly unreliable.
This is very much a no-plot, just-vibes book. I would refrain from reading the synopsis because, while simple, it tells you pretty much everything that happens in the book.
Altogether, this isn’t a book I’ll probably think about in the future, but it’s a book that I had a good time with and I’m glad I read.
CW: pregnancy, childbirth (& medical trauma), sex work, drug addiction, homophobia/transphobia
March 25, 2024
Mesha Maren writes about the modern South in a way that shows her love for the region while not shying away from the social and economic challenges faced by certain inhabitants. As always, she also invites you to inhabit queer lives and shares a humanizing experience of what it means to navigate this place and time with this identity. Readers are given an immersive coming of age story that illuminates how a series of life choices and circumstances can pull anyone into the unrelenting thrall of opioid addiction. If you loved Demon Copperhead, then pick up this one for a completely different voice with similar themes and setting. Maren successfully captures the voice and setting with her exquisite writing that simultaneously manages to be both spare and rich. Her beautifully crafted characters will capture and then break your heart.
June 1, 2024
Set in a small town in West Virginia, Shae is only fourteen when she met Cam (short for Cameron). Cameron dresses differently and is instantly harassed on the school bus. Shae admires Cam's reaction to the bad treatment of her peers and even the bus driver. They become friends.
Shae and her mother live off the leftovers for the school lunchroom where her mother works. Her father pops in occasionally. The relationship between Shae and Cameron produces a baby. Shae's doctor, apparently waited too long before doing a Caesarian. She suffers when her doctor cuts into her bladder. She is give Oxycontin. As soon as that happens, I knew what would happen. So many things could have gone the other way but they are in West Virginia, very poor and have little education. Heartbreaking and sad.
Shae and her mother live off the leftovers for the school lunchroom where her mother works. Her father pops in occasionally. The relationship between Shae and Cameron produces a baby. Shae's doctor, apparently waited too long before doing a Caesarian. She suffers when her doctor cuts into her bladder. She is give Oxycontin. As soon as that happens, I knew what would happen. So many things could have gone the other way but they are in West Virginia, very poor and have little education. Heartbreaking and sad.
December 26, 2024
me not liking this one is on me. i hate books about motherhood and i hate the way people write about babies. her describing her baby's mouth as a "small, wet perfect circle" makes me gag. or the way people smell the heads of babies. or breast milk tasting like yeast. hate hate hate. i am begging authors to stop writing about babies like fetishes.
i also didn't really care for the story. i'm not sure what the point really was. shae fell into addiction, but nothing much really happened. i'm also pretty resentful of cam, who essentially gets her pregnant, cheats on her, and moves on with her life and leaves shae as a teenager with a baby to raise essentially alone, then has the audacity to have the moral highground about what this made of shae's life. so idk.
i also didn't really care for the story. i'm not sure what the point really was. shae fell into addiction, but nothing much really happened. i'm also pretty resentful of cam, who essentially gets her pregnant, cheats on her, and moves on with her life and leaves shae as a teenager with a baby to raise essentially alone, then has the audacity to have the moral highground about what this made of shae's life. so idk.
April 17, 2024
Just wow. I won't forget this beauty. A propulsive and tight novel about coming of age, trying to find love and meaning, and dealing with forces both internal and larger than self. This is a deeply HUMANE novel that gives its characters (and Shae in particular) a certain dignity. The writing is gorgeous. The story and raw West Virginia setting are memorable and well conceived. I'll be recommending this to so many friends. Bonus: It'a quick read--just the right length! I have so much I want to say to Shae.
Want to read
June 13, 2024North Andover - Stevens Memorial Library XX(1600510.8) Being acquired by the library
Andover - Memorial Hall Library FICTION MAREN New Book 31330009508585
Georgetown Peabody Library FIC MAREN Fiction 32120001466190
Hamilton-Wenham Public Library FIC MAREN Due 6/18/2024 30470002203726
Littleton - Reuben Hoar Library NEW! F MAREN, M Fiction 39965002517588
Lowell - Pollard Memorial Library XX(1600510.3) Being acquired by the library
Middleton - Flint Public Library F MAREN Fiction 32126001985097
Newburyport Public Library FIC MAREN M
Andover - Memorial Hall Library FICTION MAREN New Book 31330009508585
Georgetown Peabody Library FIC MAREN Fiction 32120001466190
Hamilton-Wenham Public Library FIC MAREN Due 6/18/2024 30470002203726
Littleton - Reuben Hoar Library NEW! F MAREN, M Fiction 39965002517588
Lowell - Pollard Memorial Library XX(1600510.3) Being acquired by the library
Middleton - Flint Public Library F MAREN Fiction 32126001985097
Newburyport Public Library FIC MAREN M
May 29, 2025
Not sure why everyone loves this so much. Cam treats Shae like absolute crap but I guess it's okay because she's finally being the woman she's supposed to be with the boyfriend she actually always wanted?
Cam's a bitch. Honestly it's no wonder Shae ends up an addict; people treat her like she's disposable and she's in constant pain from a medical condition no one takes seriously (...relatable). She's literally still a child herself and no one's even TRYING to intervene? I'm not saying it's not realistic but the fact that people moon over what a "beautiful" story this is baffles me.
Cam's a bitch. Honestly it's no wonder Shae ends up an addict; people treat her like she's disposable and she's in constant pain from a medical condition no one takes seriously (...relatable). She's literally still a child herself and no one's even TRYING to intervene? I'm not saying it's not realistic but the fact that people moon over what a "beautiful" story this is baffles me.
May 25, 2024
This was the first book I've read my Mesha, and it will not be the last. It is a well written story that had me glued to the pages.
This was a heartfelt and beautiful story. I'm not going to lie, but your emotions will be touched. My kind of book.
I had to sit with this book for a moment to absorb what I read. Whew, Chile!
I'm not one to give away the story. Dive right in and be one with this book.
This was a heartfelt and beautiful story. I'm not going to lie, but your emotions will be touched. My kind of book.
I had to sit with this book for a moment to absorb what I read. Whew, Chile!
I'm not one to give away the story. Dive right in and be one with this book.
May 29, 2024
I was expecting this to be a bittersweet story about teenagers Shae and her transgender girlfriend Cam. However, Cam isn’t really in the novel much after the birth of their daughter Eva. Shae becomes hooked on opioids after complications following the birth and the rest of the book is all Oxy, all the time. I do appreciate the small town West Virginia setting because even at her lowest, Shae loves and clings to nature.
June 12, 2024
Maybe this just wasn’t for me, but I thought this book would center around Cam and her transition in a small town/ reactions of those around her. Overall this book seemed more about addiction/ small town teen becomes a stripper over the transgender character who really seemed to fade away after the first 1/3 of the book. I found that disappointing bc I thought Cam was the most interesting character. But the book was beautifully descriptive and was a nice short read.
December 19, 2024
Gorgeous and honest and heartrending.
In compassionate, clear-eyed prose, Shae falls in love, gives birth, and descends into a tunnel of opioid addiction in rural Appalachia. Maren masterfully balances hope and despair on both community and personal levels, examining how identity—especially as someone who is young and queer—is shaped by place and its people as much as by the choices we make (and the ones we don’t).
In compassionate, clear-eyed prose, Shae falls in love, gives birth, and descends into a tunnel of opioid addiction in rural Appalachia. Maren masterfully balances hope and despair on both community and personal levels, examining how identity—especially as someone who is young and queer—is shaped by place and its people as much as by the choices we make (and the ones we don’t).
July 3, 2024
Under 30 Review - Lovely, well-written story about teenage love, pregnancy, parenthood, identity, and addiction. Language is lush, queer and trans themes are free of stigma, protagonist is troubled, tender, relatable.
April 12, 2024
this was beautiful and sad and just so well done. i feel like this will be a book i think about forever.
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