The Story of My Life Ongoing

It’s not easy “choosing not to choose,” especially for a nonbinary teen in 2007.

Corey was born intersex, but their father and stepmother didn’t make a big deal about it. Then Corey’s dad dies suddenly. Now Corey’s disapproving mother wants Corey to “pick a side”. Corey’s old enough to say no to medical intervention—but not old enough to avoid being held in a youth psych ward when their mom makes an issue of Corey’s refusal to conform to the gender binary.

In the psych ward, Corey makes friends with Kim, a teen girl diagnosed as anorexic—or is she? As they work to unravel their pasts, they discover that Kim’s situation is even more dangerous than either of them had ever imagined.

“Thought provoking and innovative… this groundbreaking novel provides insight into the inner experiences and emotions of an often ignored and invisible gender… that of intersexuality. As an intersex person, I found myself reading and relating to Corey’s experiences living life in a world that exists on the binary when that binary clearly does not apply. It gave me comfort to know there was someone else out there in the pages of this book who understands how it was and how it is for intersex youth.”