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3.67 AVERAGE
3.67 AVERAGE
I think this comic has so much to offer!!! however bits of it definitely come off as transphobic (im looking at you, dinosaur scene). the author mentions this in her intro, but I also felt it was important for me to mention it here.
Memoir graphic novels are my favorite of the genre, and I loved that this one addressed such a unique, underrepresented subject matter. Through it, Summers explores the shift or challenge to her identity that she experienced when she decided to get pregnant as a butch lesbian, and was confronted with the extreme "feminization" of all things pregnancy. She refused to wear traditional maternity clothes and found, surprisingly, that being "bigger" because of pregnancy actually allowed her in some instances to come off as burlier and more masculine, while at other times she felt somewhat trapped or at the mercy of her body.
This examines a lot of assumptions people have about butch lesbians and lesbian parenting in general -- that it will happen through adoption, that the more "femme" half of the couple will be the one to carry and birth the child, etc. But it also touches on some pretty universal experiences of pregnancy, too, and as I read it in the final weeks of my own pregnancy, I found a ton to relate to. I even ended up thinking about this book and paraphrasing Summers' insights on labor to my doula while I was in labor myself! (At one point, Summers realizes that the pain and intensity of labor isn't "supposed" to get better -- it just builds until your baby is finally in the world.)
The art style is somewhat uneven in places -- I like it best when it is straightforward rather than more cartoony or stylized. My main complaint about the book is that it was compiled from a series of comics that were originally published in an episodic manner, so at times it feels truncated and choppy. There were a lot of places where I wanted a certain issue to be more deeply explored, and instead the next page jumped to something else. This also made the timeline a little confusing in places. But overall, it was a worthwhile read, and a voice that is good to have out in the world.
This examines a lot of assumptions people have about butch lesbians and lesbian parenting in general -- that it will happen through adoption, that the more "femme" half of the couple will be the one to carry and birth the child, etc. But it also touches on some pretty universal experiences of pregnancy, too, and as I read it in the final weeks of my own pregnancy, I found a ton to relate to. I even ended up thinking about this book and paraphrasing Summers' insights on labor to my doula while I was in labor myself! (At one point, Summers realizes that the pain and intensity of labor isn't "supposed" to get better -- it just builds until your baby is finally in the world.)
The art style is somewhat uneven in places -- I like it best when it is straightforward rather than more cartoony or stylized. My main complaint about the book is that it was compiled from a series of comics that were originally published in an episodic manner, so at times it feels truncated and choppy. There were a lot of places where I wanted a certain issue to be more deeply explored, and instead the next page jumped to something else. This also made the timeline a little confusing in places. But overall, it was a worthwhile read, and a voice that is good to have out in the world.
funny
informative
reflective
informative
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
This graphic memoir shares what it was like to be pregnant as a butch lesbian (just like the title says it will!). Through this, A.K. shares reflections of gender and sexuality through pregnancy and how others perceptions of their pregnancy were different at various stages. This was a very telling and informative memoir. I just don't enjoy the graphic novel format that much so it isn't higher rated for me, but I would still recommend others to read this.
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
I thought this would be a really interesting memoir with real in-depth analysis on the arbitrary gender binary that the western world heavily revolves around. Instead I got a transphobic perspective on gender from the early 2000s. This book probably didn’t need 10 years to be written and things should have been left out due to the increased awareness and acceptance of trans people.
Really disappointed by the transphobic crap half way through. Completely unnecessary and really saddening as the rest of the book actually had something in its reflection on butchness and pregnancy. It seems the author was figuring some stuff out about her thoughts on gender, but please do this outside a published book.
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
I loved this book. I feel like pregnancy and birth is the ultimate expression of femininity, and it is a test of femininity that most (if not all) women will fail in some way. It is interesting to view pregnancy from the perspective of someone who is not trying to perform or achieve femininity at all.
A graphic novel about the intersection of gender as a butch lesbian and pregnancy. Summers shares both inner and societal struggles as she navigates the world, trying to maintain the essentialism of her butchness in a new world of motherhood. Highly recommend.
This looked so interesting so I dove right in...to sub par artwork and poor typesetting. I just couldn't get into it. The narrative was too didactic for my taste. The text was squeezed in so the whole page looked uncomfortably tight. Like sardines in a can.