Reviews with content warning for Blood - Gender Queer: A Memoir Deluxe Edition

I really wanted more from this book. Like other readers, I felt like it didn’t have a strong conclusion, and that it didn’t really extend the author’s experience beyond emself into a broader understanding of queerness and transness.
I also agree with other reviews saying that the inclusion of Tumblr culture weakens the book. Besides the short cultural relevancy of such things, I do not really need to know about the fact that you shipped two brothers with each other in a TV show, or that you wrote 1D fanfiction in college. Both of those inclusions left a bad taste in my mouth, especially the part where e “researched” for fanfiction by finding someone to make out with on a dating app. You can disagree with that, and maybe I just don’t know enough about dating life, but making out with someone as “research” felt odd to me. Do I think a memoir needs to portray the author in the best light? No! I think there’s merit to being real. But I do think when those inclusions are not super…necessary? Then it does muddle the message a bit. Additionally, the constant Harry Potter references felt odd especially considering (gestures vaguely).
I think it’s hard to draw the line between truthful memoir and a book that helps others discover themselves and see themselves. Personally, I think some clearer reflection or a stronger message or thesis would have helped this book a lot, other than just “this is me.” For example, with eir aunt’s concerns about transness and misogyny—why Not break those down for the reader??
I really wanted to like this memoir, but it felt not quite finished or concluded enough for my tastes. I enjoyed the art style and the real depiction of the author’s experience, but there were just too many missteps to overlook, and it feels very stuck in a certain time period.

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erikachung182's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful informative reflective medium-paced

4.5

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clhtdr's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful informative medium-paced

5.0

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