Tash Hearts Tolstoy

April 24, 2017
Ormsbee’s (Lucky Few) powerful coming-of-age exploration introduces Natasha “Tash” Zelenka, a talented young woman who is passionate about Leo Tolstoy and who seems to have it all. Tash is a gifted filmmaker and dramatic arts student with her own vlog, and she and her best friend Jacklyn have a YouTube series titled Unhappy Families, based on Anna Karenina. Tash and Jack are consigned to relative obscurity until a prominent online celebrity praises Unhappy Families, but with the accolades and attention comes the pressure to live up to the image. Additionally, Tash is struggling with her older sister’s growing distance, a surprise announcement from her parents, her understanding of her own identity as a romantic asexual, and her long-distance flirtation with fellow vlogger Thom. As a result, Ormsbee’s story comes close to feeling overstuffed with issues, but her attention to the depth of Tash’s thoughts and feelings, as well as a spot-on narrative voice, make this a compassionate and frank look into challenges that can seem to fly at teenagers from all directions. Ages 14–up. Agent: Beth Phelan, Bent Agency.

Starred review from May 1, 2017
A 17-year-old amateur vlogger must come to terms with sudden internet fame and her own sexuality in this original, compulsively funny novel.Tash Zelenka has a major thing for Tolstoy--so much so that she and her best friend, Jacklyn "Jack" Harlow, have adapted his sprawling masterpiece Anna Karenina into a modern Web series with a modest following. When their series goes viral overnight as the result of a shoutout from a famous internet personality, Tash, Jack, and their colorful cast must contend with the overwhelming excitement and pratfalls of internet fame while maintaining a rigorous filming schedule and navigating their increasingly complicated personal lives. Tash identifies as romantic asexual but finds it difficult to articulate her feelings to her lifelong best friends, Jack and her older brother, Paul, who may have a thing for Tash. Complications ensue, but through it all, these wisecracking, oft-prickly teens remain supportive of one another in genuine and heartfelt friendship. Ormsbee's predominantly white cast of characters represents a depth and diversity of sexualities not often featured in teen fiction, including not only a gay and a bisexual character, but a nuanced, trailblazing depiction of a protagonist who identifies as romantic asexual. Whip-smart, funny, flawed, and compassionate, these are characters readers will want to know and cheer for. A clever, thoroughly enjoyable addition to the growing body of diverse teen literature. (Fiction. 14-18)

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June 1, 2017

Gr 9 Up-Seventeen-year-old Kentucky filmmaker and Tolstoy superfan Tash Zelenka's summer takes an unexpected turn when her web series, Unhappy Families (a modern adaptation of Anna Karenina) goes viral. The newfound fame causes tension between Tash and her best friend Jack, who also works on the series. Tash is easily caught up in the increased social media attention, her fans' expectations, and the criticisms. She is also grappling with her complicated relationship with her sister, Klaudie, who drops out of acting in the series to more fully enjoy her last summer before college. Plus, Tash must deal with her flirtation with vlogger Thom, her confusing feelings for Paul (Jack's brother and Tash's other best friend), and her worries about the end of the series and her impending college applications. Tash is also beginning to come out to people as romantic asexual and needs to figure out how to share her identity with Thom, whom she will be meeting soon at the Golden Tuba independent web awards. Tash and her group of artsy theater friends are vibrant, creative, and thoughtful. They may not always totally understand one another, but their admirable and complicated friendships have so much heart. The much-needed asexual representation plays a significant role in the story, with readers privy to Tash's thoughts on identity and conversations with friends about what the term means. VERDICT Funny, well written, and compulsively readable, this will especially appeal to readers with an interest in web series. A strong choice for YA shelves.-Amanda MacGregor, formerly at Great River Regional Library, Saint Cloud, MN

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from April 15, 2017
Grades 9-12 *Starred Review* Natasha Zelenka has one heck of an unrequited crush: the love of her life is one Leo Tolstoy, and she and her two best friends have been recreating one of his best-known novels as a web series. Unhappy Families is a modern-day adaption of Anna Karenina with a modest viewership until a well-known vlogger gives it a shout-out and they go viral. This newfound Internet fame comes with some heady pros (fan art, Tumblr GIF sets, enthusiastic subscribers), but there are plenty of cons as well (haters come out of the woodwork, there's more pressure, and Tash and her friends are suddenly at odds). When Unhappy Families is nominated for a Golden Tuba (think the Oscars for YouTube), Tash feels accomplished (her older sister has always been the superstar of the family), and she might actually get to meet Thom, a vlogger she's had an online flirtation with. But long-dead literary boyfriends aside, Tash isn't sure about romance: she's recently worked out that she's asexual, and she isn't sure how to explain that. It's beyond refreshing to see an asexual character, and the complexities of Tash's relationships with Thom, her friends, her sister, and, yes, fame make this a home run. The flip, irreverent tone, literary references, and peek into the creation of a web series are just icing on the cake.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)