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Otherwise
A law has been passed. There will be no more genders. Everyone must appear gender neutral. No more boys. No more girls. Just Otherwise. Same bland clothes. Same fuzzy heads. "Spark" dreads the countdown leading up to the finality of the new law's passage. Her parents are for it. They're tired of conforming to society's standards. But they allow her to take off for a quick camping trip to gather her thoughts. At the campsite, she meets "Whistler." And the attraction is instant and mutual. But who is Whistler? And what is Whistler? Boy? Or girl? This gender-bending story in verse will make readers question everything they thought they knew about love, chemistry, and cultural norms.
Just like prose, a novel in verse tells a story. But verse is unique because readers access the text through short "chapters," or poems. The varying lengths of the chapters are ideal for a struggling reader, giving them breaks to collect their thoughts, to imagine the characters in their mind's eye, and to set the scene--like a frame in a movie. The structure of poetry makes the books appear less intimidating, with plenty of airy white space. Moreover, the depth and substance conveyed in verse is every bit as deep and real as in a Gravel Road prose novel."
Just like prose, a novel in verse tells a story. But verse is unique because readers access the text through short "chapters," or poems. The varying lengths of the chapters are ideal for a struggling reader, giving them breaks to collect their thoughts, to imagine the characters in their mind's eye, and to set the scene--like a frame in a movie. The structure of poetry makes the books appear less intimidating, with plenty of airy white space. Moreover, the depth and substance conveyed in verse is every bit as deep and real as in a Gravel Road prose novel."
148 pages, Paperback
First published July 25, 2014
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88 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
November 17, 2015
I just couldn't stand this book. I found it to be completely unrealistic and a poor attempt at trying to prove a point. What even was the point trying to be proven-that gender is important? That getting to decide for yourself what your gender is is important? That none of it matters because /gasp/ the main character fell in love?? On top of that, I couldn't tell if I found the whole thing just silly or plain rude. Spark and Whistler, as well as Spark's family seemed to be two dimensional and completely undeveloped. None of the actions of the characters made any sense and really?? Passing a law against sex?? In what would would that ever happen. I apologise for the harsh review, but I just didn't find this book really worth the time I spent reading it, though it was honestly a very fast read.
May 11, 2021
It’s the blatant transphobia, homophobia, and biphobia for me
December 2, 2015
Editorial Reviews
From School Library Journal
Gr 7–10—What if identification with a particular gender became illegal? What if the powers that be decided that overpopulation and other unspecified societal ills could be solved by requiring all citizens to appear not male or female but "otherwise"? In this book set decades into the future, Pennsylvania is the last state to sign off on S868A, just such a bill. Unfortunately, this bizarre dystopian novel-in-verse lacks an internal logic that would help make its premise tenable enough. A teen girl chooses the unisex name Spark when she meets a gender-unknown love interest at a New Jersey campground. Just as for Spark, who becomes attracted to another without knowing their sex roles, so the author attempts to hide from readers the gender of Whistler, a person who follows Spark home to her parents' house with less than a month before gender identification becomes unlawful. This hi-lo offering fails to deliver a satisfying narrative. Even if the ideas could pique the interest of reluctant readers, who desire a slim book with plenty of white space, its convoluted logic undermines teens' potential enjoyment.—Suzanne Gordon, Lanier High School, Sugar Hill, GA
From School Library Journal
Gr 7–10—What if identification with a particular gender became illegal? What if the powers that be decided that overpopulation and other unspecified societal ills could be solved by requiring all citizens to appear not male or female but "otherwise"? In this book set decades into the future, Pennsylvania is the last state to sign off on S868A, just such a bill. Unfortunately, this bizarre dystopian novel-in-verse lacks an internal logic that would help make its premise tenable enough. A teen girl chooses the unisex name Spark when she meets a gender-unknown love interest at a New Jersey campground. Just as for Spark, who becomes attracted to another without knowing their sex roles, so the author attempts to hide from readers the gender of Whistler, a person who follows Spark home to her parents' house with less than a month before gender identification becomes unlawful. This hi-lo offering fails to deliver a satisfying narrative. Even if the ideas could pique the interest of reluctant readers, who desire a slim book with plenty of white space, its convoluted logic undermines teens' potential enjoyment.—Suzanne Gordon, Lanier High School, Sugar Hill, GA
December 16, 2021
Not only is the plot completely stupid, the writing itself is just terrible. I’ve read better “poetry” on the back of shampoo bottles. I’d only recommend this book to people who feel insecure about their own writing. Whatever you write must be better than this.
I must say, however, that the “How it all started” chapter is unintentionally hilarious. Because parents stop using pink for girls and blue for boys, the government eventually gains the power to ban gender and sex to deal with overpopulation. I have nothing to add to that.
I must say, however, that the “How it all started” chapter is unintentionally hilarious. Because parents stop using pink for girls and blue for boys, the government eventually gains the power to ban gender and sex to deal with overpopulation. I have nothing to add to that.
October 28, 2014
I can't go into it, but if it were possible to give a book negative ratings, I would.
December 26, 2019
This book has a really interesting premise and I've apparently been feeling the books in verse lately. However, it didn't ever really follow through. We were still given new points about the law at the end of the book and it wasn't really explained well. I feel like this premise would be better done with a longer book where more time was taken with the material. It also gave a mixed message. At first it seemed like it was stressing that labels were important and we can't--as a society--lose labels. But then the main character decides that their partner doesn't have to be a certain gender because they love what's inside. So, it seemed like it was both promoting queerness and sexual exploration while also stressing that we must label things to retain identity. It just got jumbled.
For: readers wanting a quick read; readers wanting a brief look at sexual exploration and gender identity (or the lack thereof); fans of books in verse; fans of dystopian lit.
Red flags: sexual situations; underage drinking; gangs; mentions of drug use; government control/dystopian world; runaways; discussions of gender identity and sexual identity.
Heat rating: MILD—sweet romance; sex/sexual intimacy aren't present or aren't described on the page; Hallmark romance.
For: readers wanting a quick read; readers wanting a brief look at sexual exploration and gender identity (or the lack thereof); fans of books in verse; fans of dystopian lit.
Red flags: sexual situations; underage drinking; gangs; mentions of drug use; government control/dystopian world; runaways; discussions of gender identity and sexual identity.
Heat rating: MILD—sweet romance; sex/sexual intimacy aren't present or aren't described on the page; Hallmark romance.
August 4, 2014
I just….. no. I don’t know what….. yeah, no. Just no.
In Otherwise by Linda Oatman High, a narrator whose gender is never revealed (but given the redhead on the cover I assumed to be a teen girl?) named Spark tells us a law has been passed in their home state of Pennsylvania making gender illegal. What does that mean? Mostly a lot of weird unisex clothing, keeping your birth name a secret if it is gendered, and bizarre prohibitions against sex. This YA novel is told in verse, so it is blissfully short but it is still a total no go for me.
You can read the rest of my review at bisexual-books.tumblr.com
In Otherwise by Linda Oatman High, a narrator whose gender is never revealed (but given the redhead on the cover I assumed to be a teen girl?) named Spark tells us a law has been passed in their home state of Pennsylvania making gender illegal. What does that mean? Mostly a lot of weird unisex clothing, keeping your birth name a secret if it is gendered, and bizarre prohibitions against sex. This YA novel is told in verse, so it is blissfully short but it is still a total no go for me.
You can read the rest of my review at bisexual-books.tumblr.com
February 14, 2015
What did I just read? And why did it get such a good review in VOYA?
I usually loved books in verse, but the rhyming in this one really took away from the story. And while the premis was interesting--really interesting, it was seriously under-developed. As were the characters. They didn't evolve, the did things just for sake of plot not because that was their character and for heavens sake, if Spark and Whisper were that into each other and gender was such an issue, don't you think they would have asked each other? Especially before running away together, it's not like the didn't break any other laws.
I usually loved books in verse, but the rhyming in this one really took away from the story. And while the premis was interesting--really interesting, it was seriously under-developed. As were the characters. They didn't evolve, the did things just for sake of plot not because that was their character and for heavens sake, if Spark and Whisper were that into each other and gender was such an issue, don't you think they would have asked each other? Especially before running away together, it's not like the didn't break any other laws.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 7, 2017
This book had some ok ideas, but it was still too unbelievable in every way. It wasn't a very well executed attempt at dystopian lit I my opinion.
The worst part, though, was the cover!!! Shouldn't reading the book be a requirement for doing the cover art?? Or even the blurb on the back!
The worst part, though, was the cover!!! Shouldn't reading the book be a requirement for doing the cover art?? Or even the blurb on the back!
July 8, 2015
Good book. I could never imagine living life like that. Amazing!
November 2, 2017
Not a fan of her trying to rhyme the poems. Just odd.
August 27, 2018
I'm really not sure what point this book is trying to make about gender. The writing is unclear and uninteresting.
November 8, 2018
This is the first book I've ever rated so lowly. The rhymes made the book seem incredibly childish. The book was overall disappointing.
December 12, 2022
This is quite possibly the most terrible book I have ever read, but it is spectacular in its terribleness. I found it on a shelf of books my school library was giving away (from which I took as many books as I could carry, because they were going to destroy them if no one took them and books should never be destroyed; books are eternal) and immediately laughed upon its premise, which is blatantly anti-non-binary but does it in the stupidest way possible. I took it because I wanted to see how bad it really was, and later began to leave in it the backseat of my car to see how people would react to it.
When I finally got around to reading the whole thing, I discovered so many more reasons that this book is terrible. Not a single thing in this entire book makes sense. What does banning gender even mean? What is the government's reason for this? The law that bans gender is supposed to be coming in 30 days, but it seems like all the things it's banning are already illegal. Like, the main characters get "punished" for having sex when that law isn't supposed to go into effect for 30 days. I put punished in quotes because literally every time they get in trouble for anything the cops just let them go with no consequence. They made sex illegal for some reason? And knowing people's names? One of my favorite bad lines in the book is "Soon, any Gen FN member discovered exhibiting affection that might lead to sex will be imprisoned without question." How did America just lose all of its constitutional freedoms in this world? Why is a world without gender considered dystopian? The book is written in some of the worst poetry I've ever read which does rapid line skips for literally no reason (making this minuscule amount of words stretch out into barely enough pages to be considered a novella). The main character thinks that her brother, as punishment for getting involved with crime and drugs, deserves to suffer pneumonia. Spark's parents just let Whistler, this random kid they picked up off the street who's obviously in love with Spark, LIVE WITH THEM INDEFINITELY! The main characters fall in love immediately with absolutely no character growth. Spark is terrified that Whistler is going to be the same sex as them and therefore they obviously cannot have sex at all. The main characters are able to illegally run away to Canada with NO CONSEQUENCE and then, of course, because the author didn't want to explore some interesting ideas, they end up being opposite sexes and have sex. That's how the book ends.
Alright, I think you get the point now. Bad book. However, I believe I have come up with a way to twist this transphobic premise into an actually interesting novel with insight into society (and not be transphobic obviously). Imagine...
...In a world where the construct of gender has all but been abolished through progressive movements, a teen who sees herself as a girl, who has grown up in a heavily conservative family that still supports gender roles, is enraged by the way society is changing, because it goes against the principles she's learned and the way she's always seen the world. She falls in love with a non-binary person who she assumes to be a man, but soon discovers them to be AFAB. This gives her an identity and sexuality crisis and sends her down a path to accepting that it's okay to be queer, that it's okay for societal norms to change, and that the way she was raised has left her narrow-minded.
I think it sounds pretty good.
When I finally got around to reading the whole thing, I discovered so many more reasons that this book is terrible. Not a single thing in this entire book makes sense. What does banning gender even mean? What is the government's reason for this? The law that bans gender is supposed to be coming in 30 days, but it seems like all the things it's banning are already illegal. Like, the main characters get "punished" for having sex when that law isn't supposed to go into effect for 30 days. I put punished in quotes because literally every time they get in trouble for anything the cops just let them go with no consequence. They made sex illegal for some reason? And knowing people's names? One of my favorite bad lines in the book is "Soon, any Gen FN member discovered exhibiting affection that might lead to sex will be imprisoned without question." How did America just lose all of its constitutional freedoms in this world? Why is a world without gender considered dystopian? The book is written in some of the worst poetry I've ever read which does rapid line skips for literally no reason (making this minuscule amount of words stretch out into barely enough pages to be considered a novella). The main character thinks that her brother, as punishment for getting involved with crime and drugs, deserves to suffer pneumonia. Spark's parents just let Whistler, this random kid they picked up off the street who's obviously in love with Spark, LIVE WITH THEM INDEFINITELY! The main characters fall in love immediately with absolutely no character growth. Spark is terrified that Whistler is going to be the same sex as them and therefore they obviously cannot have sex at all. The main characters are able to illegally run away to Canada with NO CONSEQUENCE and then, of course, because the author didn't want to explore some interesting ideas, they end up being opposite sexes and have sex. That's how the book ends.
Alright, I think you get the point now. Bad book. However, I believe I have come up with a way to twist this transphobic premise into an actually interesting novel with insight into society (and not be transphobic obviously). Imagine...
...In a world where the construct of gender has all but been abolished through progressive movements, a teen who sees herself as a girl, who has grown up in a heavily conservative family that still supports gender roles, is enraged by the way society is changing, because it goes against the principles she's learned and the way she's always seen the world. She falls in love with a non-binary person who she assumes to be a man, but soon discovers them to be AFAB. This gives her an identity and sexuality crisis and sends her down a path to accepting that it's okay to be queer, that it's okay for societal norms to change, and that the way she was raised has left her narrow-minded.
I think it sounds pretty good.
January 8, 2019
A fast read considering it is only 148 pages of prose poetry. And what is the message of the book? Gender is important for the function of society? Or is it that sex will find a way. Our main character, Spark, meets Whistler, gender unknown but given that we can assume that Spark is female based on the cover (or can we) by the end we know the two teens are in fact the opposite sex. What hard with this book is that it does nothing to deal with the attachment that people can have when involved with someone that might lead to romance. Case and point, Spark and Whistler, or Spark's parents. We know the latter gender of those two because that is what Spark tells us instead of going with some gender neutral name for them, something that would have upped the realism in this science fiction book. And with Whistler, the guess is that they are male because if the emergence of chin hair one day despite taking pills to make everyone the same.
Another thing with this book is that we never get a reason for why and do this gender unknowing thing. Is it because of overpopulation so this is the way to control the population by having everyone be unisex? Is it for some other reason like some assertion of health for a community as a whole? There just no explanation making this a hard science fiction to believe.
While not hated in my book it is just a confusing mess. Why a mess? Well, the idea is interesting but just fell flat. The characters are not in depth at all. Fully exploring the idea doesn't happen. The writing is dull and not impact-full (a must for prose poetry). And finally, I just could not get into it despite gender being a topic that fully interests me!
On another note, the person who did the cover at should have read the blurb or at least the text. A redhead would have been a no go cause there is no hair in this book, everyone is cleanly shaven from head to toe. Oh well, just shos how the author doesn't help in the cover art department.
Another thing with this book is that we never get a reason for why and do this gender unknowing thing. Is it because of overpopulation so this is the way to control the population by having everyone be unisex? Is it for some other reason like some assertion of health for a community as a whole? There just no explanation making this a hard science fiction to believe.
While not hated in my book it is just a confusing mess. Why a mess? Well, the idea is interesting but just fell flat. The characters are not in depth at all. Fully exploring the idea doesn't happen. The writing is dull and not impact-full (a must for prose poetry). And finally, I just could not get into it despite gender being a topic that fully interests me!
On another note, the person who did the cover at should have read the blurb or at least the text. A redhead would have been a no go cause there is no hair in this book, everyone is cleanly shaven from head to toe. Oh well, just shos how the author doesn't help in the cover art department.
December 14, 2019
Quick book in verse format. Dystopian future world where gender uniformity law is beginning. Two teens meat and fall in love. No gender reveal happens to the readers which is in line with the gender uniform theme.
Completely unrealistic. From the way one character moves in with the other family to the teens lack of consequences for their actions. The character development is lacking in most of the characters and the parents were portrayed as complete morons with no common sense or real parental feelings.
Easy blow off book that can get someone thinking but not deal enough to spark much real thought.
Completely unrealistic. From the way one character moves in with the other family to the teens lack of consequences for their actions. The character development is lacking in most of the characters and the parents were portrayed as complete morons with no common sense or real parental feelings.
Easy blow off book that can get someone thinking but not deal enough to spark much real thought.
September 12, 2017
This book wasn't as good as I thought is was going to be. It lacks a major plot, conflict, character development, and just things that make me want more. It was ended way too quickly, the poetry didn't even feel like poetry, and it just wasn't good in general. The only reason I rated it three stars was because I really liked the idea. I think the idea would've been much better for a YA dystopian novel where people rebel against the gender neutral law.
January 12, 2018
The main characters names are spark and whistler they meet at a camp site and instantly fall in love with each other. The only problem is there's a new law that says you can't have a gender, and you can't love. No physical contact.
Otherwise was a good book that explained the importance in being yourself and not changing who you are for anyone else. It told about a world where being different wasn't allowed but two people decided to be different anyway because they wanted to love.
Otherwise was a good book that explained the importance in being yourself and not changing who you are for anyone else. It told about a world where being different wasn't allowed but two people decided to be different anyway because they wanted to love.
October 3, 2018
A book of prose covering a topic that is in debate - the topic of gender. Should we "force" a gender on our children? Should we conform to a unified look of non-gender? Very thought provoking. And I'm still reeling....
December 5, 2023
this book was kind of anticlimactic, and the total amount of words on the pages would have amounted up to 26 pages. The ending was also pretty bad, it just resulted in the two just unzipping their clothes. This book wasn't very good in my opinion.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 13, 2018
I thought this story was a great idea, but I wish there was more detail. It is not a good story to tell in poem form. I also found the writing to be a bit childish and young.
May 20, 2022
Short and such an amazing concept.
October 26, 2022
Book didn't have a great story line nor any plot twists or anything that was too shocking.
finished-but-hated
January 7, 2023whistler was a dude and main chick was worried about nothing, you can't change my mind.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 5, 2023
Couldn't tell if this was wildly homophobic or just badly written
July 6, 2024
Reads like it was written by an elementary schooler.
March 16, 2015
Other Wise linda ye MAT I’ve never been to Pennsylvania, Buffalo, and I would never imagine if the place would turn into a non-gender specific place. But Linda Oatman High showed me and made me feel like I was there on the year 2022. And in 30 days the law will be No Gender Specified,” that means no more boys, no more girls. Where everyone is OtherWise. The book is about everyone must appear gender neutral. Spark who on the other hand didn't like the new law cause she wanted to love. The reason why I love this book is because of Spark. Her fight for love is very strong. She would do anything for love, she doesn't care about gender anymore or the law. Theres a lot more to tell, not just love and how strong she is. A guy called Whistler fell in love with Spark. You call tell he loves her a lot becuase, he doesnt know Spark’s gender.how she looks,etc. He fell in love with Spark not from her outside but from her inside. Her personality is what Whisler loves.His love for Spark is another reason why i love this book. The theme of this book is Political correctness and attempts to create equality through sameness will result in censorship,loss for freedom, and (loss of individuality) and achievement. In 30 days there would be a law that would change everything. The law is “No Gender Specified. That mean no more gender. No female or male. Spark doesn't like the law because, she wanted to love, but if there isn't any gender she can't feel how love is. Then Spark fell in love with a person named Whistler. At first she really wanted to know what gender Whistler is. But then she fell madly in love with Whistler. Finally Spark decided to cross the border with Whistler. Where gender was allowed. In conclusion, Spark didn't like the law that she had to live in. She wanted to love and feel the emotions of love. In the beginning Spark really wanted to know what gender Whistler was. But slowly she didn’t really care about what gender Whistler was. Overall I don't recommend this book. The inside if the book looks like a poem and has too much sexual relationship in it. But if she like to read this kind of book you should read it. This book did teach me a lesson on don’t just judge people or things from their appearance.
March 16, 2015
In the book Otherwise by Linda Oatman High, the story is about how there will only be one gender in the future. Spark breaks the rules. Spark fights for what she wants to do.
Spark and Whistler like each other once they meet each other. Love is not allowed but Spark breaks the rule and loves Whistler. They shake hands and had feelings for each other.
Spark is the only reason why I like this book because even though love is not allowed she doesn’t care and fights for her right to do what she wants to do.
The theme is trying to make everyone and everything “the same” takes away who we really are. I think this is bad because if there are only males and everyone dies then no one can make babies.
In the book the government tries to make everyone the same by making everyone look the same. For Spark and Whistler even though they look the same, they still fell in love. Reading the book, i felt lonely because everyone would look the same no one is different and if everyone is the same in one generation the world would end. Then their would only be 100 years of the world left. Love is not allowed
In conclusion, it will never happen because it is very hard to make everyone in the world the same. Not only it is hard, it will be bad. I do not recommend this book because I didn’t like reading about a world where everyone is the same. It was a little bit weird with a world with only one gender.
Spark and Whistler like each other once they meet each other. Love is not allowed but Spark breaks the rule and loves Whistler. They shake hands and had feelings for each other.
Spark is the only reason why I like this book because even though love is not allowed she doesn’t care and fights for her right to do what she wants to do.
The theme is trying to make everyone and everything “the same” takes away who we really are. I think this is bad because if there are only males and everyone dies then no one can make babies.
In the book the government tries to make everyone the same by making everyone look the same. For Spark and Whistler even though they look the same, they still fell in love. Reading the book, i felt lonely because everyone would look the same no one is different and if everyone is the same in one generation the world would end. Then their would only be 100 years of the world left. Love is not allowed
In conclusion, it will never happen because it is very hard to make everyone in the world the same. Not only it is hard, it will be bad. I do not recommend this book because I didn’t like reading about a world where everyone is the same. It was a little bit weird with a world with only one gender.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 1, 2016
Novels in verse are tough to pull off, so I started this one with low expectations but awareness that a talented author could make a short, strong impact. The short part was right. As for 'strong impact', more like that of a feather pillow against a cinderblock wall.
Basically a weird dystopia that makes no sense (you can't have that many personal freedoms and expressions stripped without a dictatorial government, and mass overpopulation means major scarcity of resources--it just isn't logical) in which the narrator's main concern is, "OMG what if this person's genitals look like mine?!"
Basically a weird dystopia that makes no sense (you can't have that many personal freedoms and expressions stripped without a dictatorial government, and mass overpopulation means major scarcity of resources--it just isn't logical) in which the narrator's main concern is, "OMG what if this person's genitals look like mine?!"
February 29, 2016
After reading a teaser for this book and finding out it was written in poetry, I was pumped to read it! I was really disappointed. I made it through the whole book, but I wasn't satisfied. It seemed to have been written in poetry because the author was too lazy to elaborate where she should have. The poetry was weak and poorly rhymed, and I couldn't even like the characters. I would not recommend this novel.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews