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A review by ryngagen
Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe
5.0
Read this in one night on my phone as soon as I got the eBook because it was so relatable, intimate, and captivating. I picked it up specifically because of it's frequently challenged status. Obviously, there are many complex and deep themes about gender identity and sexual experiences. However, I consider this title appropriate for an older teen audience. This is one of the books I wish I would have had access to when I was younger.
My only critique is that I was taken aback by the intensity of the scenes in which the author describes eir medical experiences and some of the segments about eir relationship with eir body. As someone whose gender identity is somewhat close to the author's, Maia's descriptions of the ways eir body and medical experiences gave em intense gender dysphoria were difficult for me to process. Maia describes many desires and reactions to situations that I don't personally consider dysphoric or euphoric, which is a beautiful example of how diverse trans and gender expansive experiences are. However, a much younger version of me may have thought that I had to share the same desires, fears, etc. to be "valid."
Because of that, if you are recommending this book for transgender and/or gender expansive teens and young adults, I advise noting that the author's experiences may be emotionally intense to read. I also recommend that readers be aware that their personal experiences with gender euphoria or gender dysphoria may be very different. It's important to expose young folks in particular to these powerful stories, but they may need to be a little older or need a little more assistance to help them understand there is no one correct and universal trans or genderqueer experience.
My only critique is that I was taken aback by the intensity of the scenes in which the author describes eir medical experiences and some of the segments about eir relationship with eir body. As someone whose gender identity is somewhat close to the author's, Maia's descriptions of the ways eir body and medical experiences gave em intense gender dysphoria were difficult for me to process. Maia describes many desires and reactions to situations that I don't personally consider dysphoric or euphoric, which is a beautiful example of how diverse trans and gender expansive experiences are. However, a much younger version of me may have thought that I had to share the same desires, fears, etc. to be "valid."
Because of that, if you are recommending this book for transgender and/or gender expansive teens and young adults, I advise noting that the author's experiences may be emotionally intense to read. I also recommend that readers be aware that their personal experiences with gender euphoria or gender dysphoria may be very different. It's important to expose young folks in particular to these powerful stories, but they may need to be a little older or need a little more assistance to help them understand there is no one correct and universal trans or genderqueer experience.