In Tash Hearts Tolstoy, a realistic fiction novel by Kathryn Ormsbee, a high-school girl named Tash works on a web series called Unhappy Families with her best friend, Jack. It’s a humble enough web series that serves as a modern adaptation of Anna Karenina, a novel by Leo Tolstoy, who Tash idolizes. However, when a popular youtuber gives them a shoutout, their project goes viral. Tash feels the effects of internet fame, from dealing with haters to how the fame impacts her friendships. She also develops a major crush on fellow vlogger Thom, who she plans to meet up with at the Golden Tubas. However, she even struggles in that asset of her life, where she is afraid to come out to others about being a romantic asexual.

Pros:

• Great LGBTQ+ representation in this book, Tash isn’t the only character who is apart of the community
• modern and up to date with what teens are doing in the world today
• Youtube serving as a pathway to fame is realistic and fresh
• themes of the damages of fame and growing up
• great parallels between Tash’s Unhappy Families project and her own Unhappy Family
• supporting characters are interesting and many of them could probably have their own book
• Tash has impressive character development, along with other supporting characters, like her sister
• the ending makes the long book worth the read

Cons:

• Can sometimes be boring, especially when Tash is caught up on the hate, and that makes the reader want to tell her to stop worrying about it. Also when she spends all of her time daydreaming about Thom.
• The character Jack, who serves as Tash’s best friend is hard to like. However, she is realistic of how someone in her situation would act like.

My Rating: 8.5/10

In conclusion, Tash Hearts Tolstoy is a fun and interesting read that made me more aware and knowledgeable about subjects like being asexual, vlogging, and web series. I would recommend this book to anyone who struggles with identity, likes reading, and is young enough to understand what vlogging and web series are.

If you have read Tash Hearts Tolstoy, did you like it? And if you haven’t, are you interested in reading it?

Graphic by Canva.com

Book Picture Credit to Google Images