A review by jeefburger
Kisses for Jet by Joris Bas Backer

4.0

I just love reading coming of age comics...like the vibe is just the characters living their lives without a really set linear story to follow ig? it just felt like jet living their life without elaborating too much on their transness LOL idrk....it just felt like a simple fluid thing. but I could understand and sort of feel the struggles/emotions they felt??? idk ig they didnt think of it too much....hmmmmm. I liked how their friends were supportive and the conversations they had around the end of the novel. so overall I enjoyed this in the way I always love coming of age comics. I really liked the panels of nature and the surroundings. it was pretty enjoyable. I'm glad it was about a trans character, in an age before the internet. how there were more things going on than just their gender identity (their crush, rumours, boarding house, the bug). and maybe they felt like they couldnt really talk about it or think ab it. they felt like nobody else was noticing. all they had was that one old interview LOL. but yeah I really enjoyed it, even tho it sort of felt like maybe something was missing?? or was off....i liked that they didnt fully say oh I'm a boy? like they were also kind of conflicted...it didnt end with them living as a boy, just trying out their first year with hormone blockers so they could make bigger decisions later on. but I thought they were a trans boy throughout, but it was the friend who pushed that narrative without jetvsaying anything. when they did try look like a boy they still seemed conflicted. I only started questioning they might not 100% be a boy at the end (my fault the blurb used they/them). so it wasnt perfect but obviously not terrible!!! worth the read I enjoyed :)