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3.76 AVERAGE
3.76 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Absolutely beautiful. As a trans guy, I felt represented in a way I'd never felt before, even if our experiences aren't exactly the same. It managed to surprise me in a way realistic fiction rarely does. I truly truly loved it
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Toxic friendship
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Excellent portrait of life as a trans girl, with lots of exploration of how difficult young womanhood can be. Inspiring and beautifully done.
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A great coming of age trans story and the pressures of girlhood.
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexism, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Sexual harassment
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I’m really starting to fall in love with queer graphic novels, and Girlmode was another fire recommendation. The art style? Gorgeous. It pulled me in right away and kept me there. Honestly, one of my favorite visual styles I’ve seen in a minute.
This story does a hella good job exploring the messiness and beauty of being queer, figuring out your identity, who you’re physically and emotionally into, and doing all that while surviving high school. It spoke to so many parts of me. Phoebe, the main character, is from New York and moves to California, just like me. She transitions before the move and finally gets the chance to live as a teenage girl, a sci-fi nerd who loves movies and RPGs.😍🫶🏾
She meets Mackenzie, the popular girl who sees her and takes her under her wing. I loved how Mackenzie saw Phoebe’s magic, which helped her tap into her femininity without making it feel like a performance. She showed her how to rock her confidence, do her hair, handle boys, the whole thing. Their friendship wasn’t perfect, though. It got messy and even transphobic at times, and I was cheering when Phoebe finally walked away until Mackenzie did the work. That part? So real.
Now, the love interests? Whew. I had hella love for Ethan and Ben at first, but they both went all the way left. Ethan only wanted Phoebe when she looked “feminine enough” so he wouldn’t look gay. Big eye roll. 🤨🙄And Ben? He started sweet, turned possessive, and had this weird savior complex like trans girls need to be protected 24/7. The scene where he slapped her in public after an argument, and nothing really happened after? Not okay.😑😒
Honestly, one thing that bugged me was how forgiving Phoebe was, especially with the guys. I get wanting to give people grace, but me personally? I would’ve treated them like they didn’t exist. 🤷🏾♀️
But one of my favorite things was Phoebe learning how to surf. That whole journey gave her so much freedom and independence. And being taught Jessica; by another queer girl? Hella cute. It reminded me that growth and joy can exist even in the middle of the mess.
This book had me feeling a lot. Some parts were affirming and beautiful, while others made me mad and frustrated. I don’t even know how to rate it because it gave me so much but also left me side-eyeing a lot of choices. It's a mixed bag, but it's definitely worth the read.
This story does a hella good job exploring the messiness and beauty of being queer, figuring out your identity, who you’re physically and emotionally into, and doing all that while surviving high school. It spoke to so many parts of me. Phoebe, the main character, is from New York and moves to California, just like me. She transitions before the move and finally gets the chance to live as a teenage girl, a sci-fi nerd who loves movies and RPGs.😍🫶🏾
She meets Mackenzie, the popular girl who sees her and takes her under her wing. I loved how Mackenzie saw Phoebe’s magic, which helped her tap into her femininity without making it feel like a performance. She showed her how to rock her confidence, do her hair, handle boys, the whole thing. Their friendship wasn’t perfect, though. It got messy and even transphobic at times, and I was cheering when Phoebe finally walked away until Mackenzie did the work. That part? So real.
Now, the love interests? Whew. I had hella love for Ethan and Ben at first, but they both went all the way left. Ethan only wanted Phoebe when she looked “feminine enough” so he wouldn’t look gay. Big eye roll. 🤨🙄And Ben? He started sweet, turned possessive, and had this weird savior complex like trans girls need to be protected 24/7. The scene where he slapped her in public after an argument, and nothing really happened after? Not okay.😑😒
Honestly, one thing that bugged me was how forgiving Phoebe was, especially with the guys. I get wanting to give people grace, but me personally? I would’ve treated them like they didn’t exist. 🤷🏾♀️
But one of my favorite things was Phoebe learning how to surf. That whole journey gave her so much freedom and independence. And being taught Jessica; by another queer girl? Hella cute. It reminded me that growth and joy can exist even in the middle of the mess.
This book had me feeling a lot. Some parts were affirming and beautiful, while others made me mad and frustrated. I don’t even know how to rate it because it gave me so much but also left me side-eyeing a lot of choices. It's a mixed bag, but it's definitely worth the read.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia, Transphobia, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship
I really appreciate what the author does with this book. There are certain cliches I thought the story was gonna fall into only to turn it on its and do something truly interesting with it. Most of all, the author reminds you that these are kids doing their best and figuring themselves out and I enjoyed it all the way through.
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Mild spoilers warning. Girlmode is a teen relationship drama in graphic novel form. The protagonist, Phoebe, is a trans girl who moves across the country and has to figure out her new life in a new high school. The characters were in general cruel and self-serving. Slurs including the d word are thrown around casually. Body shaming is constant. No doubt all this is simply a realistic depiction of high school life. The problem is there isn’t much pushback. Even Phoebe participates in bullying. There did seem to be an arc of character growth where Phoebe realizes who her true friends are and that she doesn’t need to be defined by her relationship with boys. She finds her own style, and pursues her own interests rather than what she thinks others want from her. So that part is affirming and empowering. The art is pretty. I can’t say I enjoyed this book but I’m glad it’s out there.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Transphobia
Moderate: Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Alcohol
Minor: Eating disorder
challenging
emotional
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated