Reviews tagging 'Dysphoria'

Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe

259 reviews

barbarella85's review against another edition

informative

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Dysphoria

creatingavery's review against another edition

hopeful informative medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Blood, Deadnaming, Pregnancy, Body horror, Body shaming, Dysphoria, Transphobia, and Misogyny

bibliomich's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective fast-paced

5.0

I generally refrain from providing star ratings for memoirs, out of respect for author's personal stories. However, given the widespread banning of this book, I feel it's important to bring attention to the fact that this is a phenomenal story, and certainly one that belongs in libraries and bookstores and everywhere where there are readers.

I read this book as part of the 2024 Trans Rights Readathon, and I'm so glad that I did. Not only did I genuinely enjoy reading Kobabe's story, but I also learned so much from em. From chest binding to e/em/eir pronouns to ways to support people experiencing gender dysphoria, I learned so much that I didn't know before.

I'm so grateful that Kobabe wrote this graphic novel, particularly given the vulnerability it took to share eir story, and I am truly looking forward to reading more of eir work.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma

Moderate: Dysphoria

Minor: Blood

saraellenme's review

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring sad fast-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Dysphoria

Moderate: Sexual content

Minor: Deadnaming and Acephobia/Arophobia

antijeffbozo_love2read's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective relaxing fast-paced

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Blood, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Gore, Alcoholism, Misogyny, Medical content, Excrement, Transphobia, Drug use, Toxic friendship, Deadnaming, Body shaming, and Medical trauma

Minor: Chronic illness, Pregnancy, Vomit, and Cancer

Injury/gore is metaphorical and features a character impaled on a spike in a couple of different instances. It metaphorically represents emotional/physical pain and features some amount of blood, nothing else. Blood warning mainly applies to menstrual blood.

diannasbooks's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny informative inspiring reflective tense fast-paced

5.0

This memoir was beautiful, and so eye opening. I couldn’t put it down. I need to get a physical copy of it. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Dysphoria, Medical trauma, and Blood

lisacanteven's review against another edition

hopeful informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

4.5

This graphic novel gave me so much to think about. I went into it without any expectations other than it has been banned, so I know the stupid conservatives hate it. Honestly that's always a plus to me. I found myself introspectively reading it; there was a lot more identifying going on than I expected. I really, really appreciate how raw, real, and relatable Maia was with this book. People all over the world can identify with eir feelings, and they probably don't even know it yet. If someone doesn't identify with any of Maia's feelings, they probably know someone who does. 

*1/2-1 star off for the multiple Harry Potter references. I understand that Maia is trans, so e is someone who should be able to discuss HP if ey want. However it is still triggering, and I just wish we could erase all mentions everywhere by everyone since JKR keeps furthering her harmful anti-trans views and desire for anti-trans regulations passed everywhere. I think everyone, including all trans people, should reevaluate what about JKR is so valuable to them despite the hurt and harm she causes. I was hoping that since I bought the new special edition, all HP references would have been edited out. Mentioning HP instead of keeping it vague adds nothing positive to the story. It just adds triggering content.*

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Content Warnings

Minor: Chronic illness, Deadnaming, Dysphoria, Homophobia, Transphobia, Sexual content, Biphobia, Acephobia/Arophobia, and Sexism

Shipping the brothers in Supernatural was a weird choice.

bookedbymadeline's review against another edition

fast-paced

4.0

This is such an important book for people to read to see non-binary and asexual rep! I learned quite a bit and felt I understood asexuality and NBs better. I enjoyed the art style but felt the story jumped all over the place which led to some whiplash. I also didn’t love the numerous Harry Potter references-I understand that the series was an important part of eir’s childhood and Led to a love of reading but it felt excessive. E also talked about a ship between Sam and Dean (which is incest btw?!) which felt icky. Overall I’d recommend it and I love that e can hopefully give words and understanding to other kids out there that may struggle with gender identity! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Dysphoria, Acephobia/Arophobia, Body horror, Sexual content, and Transphobia

thereadingmarshmallow's review

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.0

I employed this book. You can tell the author struggles with eir identity as I do with mine. It doesn’t have a complete ending but that makes sense to me as the story isn’t over for em. I hope eir life does give em the happiness e are looking for.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Dysphoria and Sexual content

natraf_reads's review against another edition

emotional informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

5.0

Kobabe writes a beautiful reflection of eir experiences growing up and dealing with the struggles of self identity. E shares eir experiences of body image, sexuality, and relationships with others in becoming more authentically em. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Transphobia, Dysphoria, Homophobia, and Body shaming