Scan barcode
athenian_frog's review against another edition
4.0
I felt like Kobabe was very thoughtful about how eir experiences and upbringing affected how e approached eir gender. I found it funny that fanfiction and queer artists remain avenues through which LGBTQIA+ people have sought self discovery. E touches on a lot of other aspects of being queer, such as grappling with how one experiences sexual and romantic attraction, the different ways loved ones can react, and how one’s identity can affect existing relationships.
The illustrations served the story well. The one about the first Pap smear e had was especially striking. There are some very pretty page long spreads, and some good uses of space to place text in a thematically relevant way. The ending was a little puzzling, but I like to imagine it is hopeful in its implications.
I think this could be a good intro for someone who is questioning if they are transgender, or even just queer in general. It does not shy away from the bodily discomfort one can experience as a non-binary person. There are discussions of first periods, Pap smears, masturbation, and intimacy with other people. Sexual drive (and the deficit thereof, in Kobabe’s case) is also visited.
People who are cisgender could also benefit from listening to this perspective; now more than ever, I think, it’s critical to be aware of the existence of non binary/transgender individuals, and the struggles they may be experiencing.
Thank you for reading!
Moderate: Blood, Vomit, Dysphoria, and Medical trauma
Minor: Sexual content and Deadnaming
There is vomiting depicted in the latter half of the book in a panel after a doctor visit. There is some deadnaming as people react to the new pronouns the author starts using. Another character has the wrong pronouns used repeatedly but these pronouns are blacked out usually. There is medical trauma/fear revolving around Pap smears in general. A bloody medical tool is depicted. Descriptions of pain involving the Pap smears sound very painful, may be disturbing to some readers. Dysphoria and frustration with the inconclusiveness of one’s identity are themes in the book. There is a lot of awareness the author has over eir body due to established gender roles and peers. There are some sexual scenes vaguely depicted, such as: sexting, use of a strapon for oral, descriptions of masturbation techniques.cymbal_curtain's review
3.0
1) this book presents "brain sexes" as a scientific truth. This is instead a very controversial topic, without scientific consensus. read the linked for more info (it backs up my claim and is a scientific journal)
2) it, if not misinforms, at least confuses, the reader about what "asexual" means. Although the word has some multiple meanings, it primarily means not experiencing attraction, not "not masturbating". And it's fine to me if the author identifies/identified to some extent with the label, but because this is a book I'm a bit disappointed about this.
cws:
I can't list this in the storygraph system as a content warning, but the book does contain romance.
Graphic: Dysphoria
Moderate: Sexual content and Medical content
Minor: Deadnaming and Outing
bellebookstitch666's review against another edition
5.0
Moderate: Blood
Minor: Medical trauma and Deadnaming
amylynn44's review against another edition
4.75
Minor: Deadnaming and Sexual content
raereads23's review
5.0
Graphic: Medical trauma
Moderate: Homophobia and Dysphoria
Minor: Deadnaming
missrosymaplemoth's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Blood, Bullying, Sexual content, Transphobia, Deadnaming, Dysphoria, Homophobia, and Medical trauma
sallytiffany's review
5.0
Moderate: Dysphoria, Medical trauma, Sexual content, Blood, Deadnaming, and Vomit
tiernanhunter's review against another edition
4.75
Graphic: Medical content, Medical trauma, Vomit, Outing, Sexual content, Transphobia, Deadnaming, and Dysphoria
Moderate: Alcoholism, Blood, Body horror, Sexism, and Misogyny
Minor: Car accident and Pregnancy
stacy837's review
4.0
Graphic: Acephobia/Arophobia, Medical trauma, Deadnaming, and Dysphoria
Moderate: Body shaming, Homophobia, Bullying, and Sexual content
Minor: Vomit, Blood, and Misogyny
miguelfilipe_1's review
3.5
Minor: Deadnaming and Dysphoria