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A review by roctothorpe
Comics for Choice: Illustrated Abortion Stories, History and Politics by Ally Shwed, Sarah Crowe, Steph Kraft Sheley, Leah Hayes, Bree Jordan, Kris Louis, Hallie Jay Pope, Lindsay Rodriguez, Julia Krase, Mallory McMaster, Sharon Rimann, Laura Martin, M.J. Flores, Laura Lannes, Mick Moran, Kennedy Tarrell, Kriota Willberg, Andrew Carl, Claudia E. Berger, Lilly Taing, O.K. Fox, Yamani Hernandez, Rachel Hays, Samantha Romero, C.B. Hart, Vreni, Jennifer Camper, Michelle Kinsey Bruns, Hazel Newlevant, Cynthia Greenlee, Kendra Josie Kirkpatrick, Benita Ulisano, Anna Sellheim, Wren Chavers, Sarah Mirk, Whit Taylor, Heidi Williamson, Erin Lux, Stephanie Rodriguez, Jaz Malone, Emily Lady, Katie Brown, Kat Fajardo, Tatiana Gill, Brittany Mostiller, Lucy Haslam, Katie Fricas, Sophia Foster-Dimino, Rickie Solinger, Tanya DePass, Ahmara Smith, Anise Simon, Cathy Camper, Anna Bongiovanni, Sage Coffey, Rachel Wilson, Nomi Kane, Gianna Meola, Renee Bracey, Rachel Merrill, Daniela Diaz
challenging
emotional
informative
slow-paced
3.5
I want this book to reach many people - those on the fence about the abortion debate, sure (I suspect the vast majority of people who would pick up a book like this are pro-choice already), but mostly I want young people to read this and know that abortion is normal. I picked this up because my library had it face out in their graphic novels section, and that gives me a lot of hope.
I appreciated the diversity of stories included, though I will say that by its nature of being an anthology, the structure, tone, and quality of the comics varied greatly from piece to piece. These shifts made the book a slower read for me, sometimes having to acclimate from a very emotional story to something more informative, and sometimes because I found the text layouts quite dense and/or difficult to parse.
Favorites for me included "October" by Kris Louis (abortion from the perspective of a trans person), "Bearing Witness: Life as an Abortion Doula" by Mick Moran (about supporting folks through abortion and the concept of holding space), and "Nothing Feels Real" by Vreni.
I appreciated the diversity of stories included, though I will say that by its nature of being an anthology, the structure, tone, and quality of the comics varied greatly from piece to piece. These shifts made the book a slower read for me, sometimes having to acclimate from a very emotional story to something more informative, and sometimes because I found the text layouts quite dense and/or difficult to parse.
Favorites for me included "October" by Kris Louis (abortion from the perspective of a trans person), "Bearing Witness: Life as an Abortion Doula" by Mick Moran (about supporting folks through abortion and the concept of holding space), and "Nothing Feels Real" by Vreni.