In 2014, Maia Kobabe, who uses e/em/eir pronouns, thought that a comic of reading statistics would be the last autobiographical comic e would ever write. At the time, it was the only thing e felt comfortable with strangers knowing about em. Now, Gender Queer is here. Maia’s intensely cathartic autobiography charts eir journey of self-identity, which includes the mortification and confusion of adolescent crushes, grappling with how to come out to family and society, bonding with friends over erotic gay fanfiction, and facing the trauma of pap smears. Started as a way to explain to eir family what it means to be nonbinary and asexual, Gender Queer is more than a personal story: it is a useful and touching guide on gender identity—what it means and how to think about it—for advocates, friends, and humans everywhere.
Content and topics: ADULT, BIOGRAPHIES & MEMOIRS, CONTEMPORARY, GENDER, GRAPHIC NOVELS, OWNVOICE, SEXUALITY, SOCIAL COMMENTARY, USA
3.8 Stars
BANNED BOOKS WEEK READ – I’m convinced that all the controversy has made this book a lot more popular than it should have been.
I HAD to read this book because it is a diverse book and because of all the controversy surrounding it. I’m against censorship but I do strongly believe this book should be in the adult category and don’t think I would like it if it was a mandatory read at schools.
In my opinion, the scenes that have created more controversy didn’t add to the overall narrative and theme exploration, so THE BOOK WOULD HAVE BEEN SO MUCH BETTER WITHOUT THOSE SCENES . They felt so unnecessary and high up in the shock-factor scale, that it made me 100% sure those scenes are there as a marketing strategy.
I really liked the art and the theme, I think is an extremely relevant and important theme to put out there, specially nowadays when humankind’s perception of gender and sexuality is changing so rapidly, individually and collectively.
Whether we personally like or not this theme, this is the kind of book that has to be written and read because it makes us better humans just by debating about it. That’s why censorship is so dangerous. Besides robbing us from the freedom of making our own choices, it robs us of the opportunity of debating difficult topics.
I can be very conservative in matters related to sexuality (that’s why I dislike the controversial scenes and found them unnecessary) but after reading Gender Queer, I feel I understand better the many ways people can be affected by modern individual and collective perception and understanding of gender and sexuality.
The agonizing confusion Maia went through her entire life is heartbreaking so it is hard not to connect with her and root for her to reach a resolution and ultimately happiness.
I wish I could have been a higher rating because of the importance of the theme, the connection I felt with the MC, and the beautiful art. However, I think structurally it was hard to follow sometimes and what I’m convinced was the use of the “shock-factor” makes it the 3.8 stars that it is for me.
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