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sienna_canread's review
4.0
It was cute. Probably just wasn’t the first book to start off pride month
catsteaandabook's review
5.0
Rowan Ellis is one of my favorite YouTubers so when I found out she was releasing a book I was so excited! Here and Queer was a delightful book full of digestible yet comprehensive discussions of what it’s like to be a queer girl. She doesn’t sugarcoat the difficulties of being queer, but she also spends a lot of time discussing the queer joy, something rather refreshing to see in LGBTQ+ non-fiction. I definitely could have used a book like this when I was younger and it makes me so happy that new generations of queer girls will.
literarybutterfly's review
3.0
This is not comprehensive by any means but I think it's a great starting point for young readers. All the graphics are really eye catching and are a nice complement to the text.
melsage1823's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
4.5
An Informative Stunning Book That Is An Absolute Must Read For Any Girls.
This book is an absolute master piece in introducing people to the queer community and how identity works. It's absolutely outrageous that Young V & A have removed this book when it being inclusive of all identities is one of the best parts of this book. As a Nonbinary Aro-Ace person I am nowhere near the target audience for this novel but it really resonated with me. I'm so glad that this is going to be a book club pick for my college.
I do not have any negatives about this novel. The only thing I have to take half star off for is the backgrounds and text layout. It definitely could have done with an Audiobook as it just wasn't dyslexia friendly at all. Maybe just me but without a bookmark I would have completely lost the place I was reading. The short chapters are really good but the bright backgrounds and paragraphs really strained my eyes. This book is so inclusive but there's definitely room for improvement.
Now onto the positives. The writing is super inclusive and phenomenal. Rowan Ellis has stuck to her audience and put in all the essential information that a queer girl who's just discovered her identity might need. I was so suprised that the short length worked for me but it did. Adding in contributions from other people also allows for different perspectives in the community showing the diversity of it. Many people want to exclude certain groups of people in the community and are very stuck up with opinions like "You have to come out" or "You Have To Stick To One Identity" but here Ellis strips that all away and doesn't exclude anyway. She takes away much of the toxicity that queer youth face. It's so positive and uplifting and that's really important.
Secondly I have to praise the inclusion of all the definitions. Often queer stories will forget about their audiences who might be completely new to queer identities and leave no definition or explanations. This can lead to people feeling lost and confused which is something they definitely shouldn't be. With a younger demographic in mind Ellis has managed to include multiple labels and terms people might not down and break them down simply. My favourite page is where the different pride flags are explained and who created them.
I could praise how revolutionary this book is for paragraphs but if I had to praise one final thing it would be the art. Jacky Sheridan has made to masterfully illustrate through the book to the point its stunning to stare at. The art also reflects the inclusive nature of the book by having art of all different types of people. Sheridan really has reflected the diverseness of society wonderfully. It also fits right in place and matches what's happening on the page. Art wouldn't normally work well in a book but Sheridan makes it masterfully. Every drawing pops and stands out on the page and with the demographic of this book that's exactly what it should do.
Overall a masterfully written and illustrated book perfect for Queer Girls who have just discovered their identity and are looking for a guide into the community. It's also a perfect intersectional book too. Cannot recommend enough!
This book is an absolute master piece in introducing people to the queer community and how identity works. It's absolutely outrageous that Young V & A have removed this book when it being inclusive of all identities is one of the best parts of this book. As a Nonbinary Aro-Ace person I am nowhere near the target audience for this novel but it really resonated with me. I'm so glad that this is going to be a book club pick for my college.
I do not have any negatives about this novel. The only thing I have to take half star off for is the backgrounds and text layout. It definitely could have done with an Audiobook as it just wasn't dyslexia friendly at all. Maybe just me but without a bookmark I would have completely lost the place I was reading. The short chapters are really good but the bright backgrounds and paragraphs really strained my eyes. This book is so inclusive but there's definitely room for improvement.
Now onto the positives. The writing is super inclusive and phenomenal. Rowan Ellis has stuck to her audience and put in all the essential information that a queer girl who's just discovered her identity might need. I was so suprised that the short length worked for me but it did. Adding in contributions from other people also allows for different perspectives in the community showing the diversity of it. Many people want to exclude certain groups of people in the community and are very stuck up with opinions like "You have to come out" or "You Have To Stick To One Identity" but here Ellis strips that all away and doesn't exclude anyway. She takes away much of the toxicity that queer youth face. It's so positive and uplifting and that's really important.
Secondly I have to praise the inclusion of all the definitions. Often queer stories will forget about their audiences who might be completely new to queer identities and leave no definition or explanations. This can lead to people feeling lost and confused which is something they definitely shouldn't be. With a younger demographic in mind Ellis has managed to include multiple labels and terms people might not down and break them down simply. My favourite page is where the different pride flags are explained and who created them.
I could praise how revolutionary this book is for paragraphs but if I had to praise one final thing it would be the art. Jacky Sheridan has made to masterfully illustrate through the book to the point its stunning to stare at. The art also reflects the inclusive nature of the book by having art of all different types of people. Sheridan really has reflected the diverseness of society wonderfully. It also fits right in place and matches what's happening on the page. Art wouldn't normally work well in a book but Sheridan makes it masterfully. Every drawing pops and stands out on the page and with the demographic of this book that's exactly what it should do.
Overall a masterfully written and illustrated book perfect for Queer Girls who have just discovered their identity and are looking for a guide into the community. It's also a perfect intersectional book too. Cannot recommend enough!
Content Warnings
Minor: Homophobia and Sexual content