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

emotional inspiring tense fast-paced

4.5

I've seen this book in multiple places advertised as the most banned (or one of the most banned books) since it was published. I decided I wanted to see what it was about. 
 
To start, I did not realize this was a graphic novel. That made it much easier to read and also somewhat understandable as to why some adults felt the need to ban it. Graphic novels are often confused for children's books and this is not for children. There is nudity as well as explicit mentions of sex and periods. However, this would be very helpful for teenagers and young adults also struggling with their gender identity. I think Maia does a great job of explaining how their gender has felt like a balancing act and even illustrating the more complex feelings about it, as well as the additional confusion around sexuality that comes with a fluid gender. I found the ending a bit abrupt, but I understand that, like any identity, it is forever evolving, so that is not really the end. This is simply a chronicle that Maia has published to help others understand what growing up gender queer is like and to create explicit gender queer representation in literature. 
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