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cady_sass's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
Wow. All the feels. It’s absolutely gut wrenching that this is on so many banned book lists - it’s so wholesome and genuine and could be exactly what someone needs. I feel so blessed to have known this in my lifetime and to know how many other lives this will touch and impact.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia, Medical content, Dysphoria, Medical trauma, Sexual content, Vomit, Body shaming, Homophobia, and Toxic friendship
rickireadss's review against another edition
5.0
this is my second memoir, and i am officially convinced i need to read more!! i loved every second of this and am so happy i read this one. while i cannot connect to the feeling's maia experienced in eir adolescence and young adulthood, i found it very informative! 100% recommend this one, especially if you are nonbinary and/or asexual and want to connect to someone who struggled with eir gender identity and sexuality growing up!!
⚠️: dysphoria, medical trauma, blood, medical content, transphobia, homophobia, deadnaming, vomit, excrement, acephobia/arophobia
⚠️: dysphoria, medical trauma, blood, medical content, transphobia, homophobia, deadnaming, vomit, excrement, acephobia/arophobia
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dysphoria, Medical trauma, and Medical content
Moderate: Acephobia/Arophobia, Deadnaming, Transphobia, and Homophobia
Minor: Blood, Excrement, and Vomit
miggyfool's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Medical trauma, Medical content, and Dysphoria
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Vomit, Transphobia, and Sexual content
kbairbooks's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
sad
fast-paced
5.0
This is the first book I chose to read for the Trans Rights Readathon. I don’t normally reach for graphic novels but I’ve been getting more into nonfiction lately, and love getting out of my reading comfort zones. This was profound yet easy to read, fun and light but hearty and emotional. This type of material is definitely what I believe should be taught to children so countless youths do not spend their entire adolescence feeling alone and uncomfortable in their own skin. Wish I had had this when I was young. Lovely illustrations and moving novel.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Blood, and Dysphoria
Minor: Vomit
jazhandz's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
I thought that this was lovely and brave. I also think we need to shame people out of admitting they wrote fanfic about real people, in real published works. That belongs in your group chats, not your memoirs. That aside, I did enjoy the book. I thought it was very meaningful, if a little meandering and repetitive.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dysphoria and Sexual content
Moderate: Medical trauma
Minor: Vomit and Blood
rustmaiden's review against another edition
informative
reflective
fast-paced
4.0
when i first heard about this book i wasn't immediately interested, but given all of the controversy in the book world with bans and challenges i felt like i needed to read it just to see what all the fuss was about. this book deepened my understanding of pronoun choice, especially those that seem 'outside the norm' (i.e. she, he, they). if anything, reading the book has moved me from a position of neutrality on the title to one of strong support. this is an important work to have available for those who need the ability to see themselves in a piece of work and for those who are seeking to better understand the inner lives of others.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Excrement, Blood, and Vomit
mattyb's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dysphoria
Minor: Blood, Medical trauma, and Vomit
stacyaj's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dysphoria
Minor: Vomit and Blood
anna_wa's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
4.5
I found out about this book because it was the #1 most banned book of 2021 - 22. It's funny, kind of, how people think that by banning a book they are getting it into less people's hands, but in fact it gets even more publicity that way and it probably wouldn't have made it into my hands if it WEREN'T the #1 most banned book of this past school year.
I have said before that I have a problem with finishing graphic novels too quickly at times and then don't "digest" them properly as a result, but this time I was able to spread this book out to 4 days and I'm glad because I was able to ruminate more on the things Kobabe talked about. I don't think this book should be slammed through in a day if you can help yourself (even though it's really good so I would understand if you couldn't stop yourself from plunging through it in one day).
One of the reasons cited for banning this book was the nude scenes and the lengthy discussions about genetalia. I am 100% certain that that was just a cop-out and not the real reason people wanted it banned, but I took it as my warning and you should too: yes, there is a lot of discussion about genetalia in this book. So if that squicks you out at all you shouldn't pick it up.
However, having said that, there aren't that many truly nude scenes. I mean yes they exist, but overall Kobabe just talks about genetalia and actually-nude scenes are not common. When they do exist, only one of them is from having sex with another person. 90% of them are non-sexual nudity.
This book is a collection of "days in the life". There is no punchline to these stories, no summary of the message you're supposed to take from each one. E just gives you the stories from throughout eir life (from childhood, adolescence, college, grad school, and beyond). At first I was caught off guard by this - since usually I read the type of graphic novel autobiography that tells me what The Point/Lesson is from each story, but I think I liked it this way.
And that's how the book ends too. There's no punch, no "I've figured it all out now, I'm good". It ends with the message that life is not over yet and e still have many more memories to make and many more things to learn about em-self. Which is definitely a message I love - because none of us "have it all figured out" ever, even if we think we do.
In a weird way I'm glad this book got banned so that I could find it. I am obviously not glad that it means less people who need to read its words will read it though.
I may not be able to relate to em, but I don't have to relate to every book to thoroughly enjoy it and feel like it made me think more about life in general. I will definitely be buying several copies of this and gifting it to friends & family who I think would also benefit from its pages (regardless of whether or not they relate).
I have said before that I have a problem with finishing graphic novels too quickly at times and then don't "digest" them properly as a result, but this time I was able to spread this book out to 4 days and I'm glad because I was able to ruminate more on the things Kobabe talked about. I don't think this book should be slammed through in a day if you can help yourself (even though it's really good so I would understand if you couldn't stop yourself from plunging through it in one day).
One of the reasons cited for banning this book was the nude scenes and the lengthy discussions about genetalia. I am 100% certain that that was just a cop-out and not the real reason people wanted it banned, but I took it as my warning and you should too: yes, there is a lot of discussion about genetalia in this book. So if that squicks you out at all you shouldn't pick it up.
However, having said that, there aren't that many truly nude scenes. I mean yes they exist, but overall Kobabe just talks about genetalia and actually-nude scenes are not common. When they do exist, only one of them is from having sex with another person. 90% of them are non-sexual nudity.
This book is a collection of "days in the life". There is no punchline to these stories, no summary of the message you're supposed to take from each one. E just gives you the stories from throughout eir life (from childhood, adolescence, college, grad school, and beyond). At first I was caught off guard by this - since usually I read the type of graphic novel autobiography that tells me what The Point/Lesson is from each story, but I think I liked it this way.
And that's how the book ends too. There's no punch, no "I've figured it all out now, I'm good". It ends with the message that life is not over yet and e still have many more memories to make and many more things to learn about em-self. Which is definitely a message I love - because none of us "have it all figured out" ever, even if we think we do.
In a weird way I'm glad this book got banned so that I could find it. I am obviously not glad that it means less people who need to read its words will read it though.
I may not be able to relate to em, but I don't have to relate to every book to thoroughly enjoy it and feel like it made me think more about life in general. I will definitely be buying several copies of this and gifting it to friends & family who I think would also benefit from its pages (regardless of whether or not they relate).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dysphoria, Medical trauma, Transphobia, and Sexual content
Minor: Alcoholism and Vomit