A review by jayisreading
Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe

emotional informative reflective medium-paced

4.5

This was a beautiful exploration of gender and sexuality, especially how difficult it is to ever make sense of either and the close relationship they have to each other. I deeply felt the struggle that Kobabe had, trying to make sense of why assigned gender roles felt uncomfortable. What I really appreciated about this memoir was how honest Kobabe was about eir confusion throughout. I think a lot of times, people don’t realize that you don’t always reach the end of the gender/sexuality journey. Sometimes you slip between the cracks; sometimes you wander off the path; and sometimes you’re at a standstill, not knowing what to do next. I thought Kobabe depicted this really well.

Another thing worth highlighting about this memoir is its accessibility to people who may not be as in-the-loop with gender, pronouns, and everything in-between. There’s a particular vulnerability discussing this the way Kobabe did, which is through eir interpersonal relationships and the difficulties that come with the conversations that inevitably come up about gender.

I think what really made this memoir work was that it was a graphic novel. The illustrations were beautiful, highlighting so much of the love, color, and brightness that exists in Kobabe’s life. It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows, though, and I appreciated the moments when the artwork also took a serious turn at certain points (I specifically think of the scenes with the gynecologist).

All-in-all, this was such a thoughtful and beautiful read. I’m so glad that there are more books out there for trans and nonbinary people to pick up and see a little more of themselves.
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