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krillson 's review for:
This Book Is Gay
by Juno Dawson
Off the bat, the idea that this book should be banned is ridicules. If people are worried about the book talking about sex, there are so many books in school libraries that talk about it in much worse ways. If they don't like it mentioning gay sex, then they're homophobic and should be ignored. My biggest issues with this book was the tone. It felt very much like a guidance counselor presentation turned into a book, with unfortunately a lot of dated humor. There were several moments where it felt like Dawson threw in a joke at the wrong time, like in the section about STI/STD's. It also felt a tad bit patronizing in certain sections as well. The personal accounts from various LGBTQ+ people that were sprinkled throughout were a very nice touch, with the personal anecdotes backing up the various sections of the book.
A lot of the information in this book is excellent, but another issue is that it is such a wide range of information. For example, the first half of the book focuses on the fact that yes, queer people are real, they do exist, and it is a normal and wonderful thing, which to me is targeted at younger people. Then the next section dives into safely meeting other gay people, as well as ways to practice safe sex, and that whole section feels aimed at a much older audience. Like there is a section on bullying and how it affects LGBTQ+ kids in school, as well as a section on grindir, which feels odd. Overall this book is a good introduction to a lot of issues facing LGBTQ+ people, but certain sections do feel dated. I do want to note that I read the updated version that was released after the author transitioned, so I am unsure of what changed have been made from the original edition. There is a lot of good information in this book, and to me it works best as a kind of first step into this topic for people with very little previous knowledge. 3.5 stars.
A lot of the information in this book is excellent, but another issue is that it is such a wide range of information. For example, the first half of the book focuses on the fact that yes, queer people are real, they do exist, and it is a normal and wonderful thing, which to me is targeted at younger people. Then the next section dives into safely meeting other gay people, as well as ways to practice safe sex, and that whole section feels aimed at a much older audience. Like there is a section on bullying and how it affects LGBTQ+ kids in school, as well as a section on grindir, which feels odd. Overall this book is a good introduction to a lot of issues facing LGBTQ+ people, but certain sections do feel dated. I do want to note that I read the updated version that was released after the author transitioned, so I am unsure of what changed have been made from the original edition. There is a lot of good information in this book, and to me it works best as a kind of first step into this topic for people with very little previous knowledge. 3.5 stars.