Cover Image: A Quick & Easy Guide to Queer & Trans Identities

A Quick & Easy Guide to Queer & Trans Identities

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Member Reviews

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

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There is lots of great information in this book. It’s put in a graphic novel format that is easy for most people to read and understand. However, I do not find it as successful as its companion, books. The reason being is that this information is being given to the reader by a snail. And there are little stories in between each chapter that are about some type of “being” wanting to be different. I understand the purpose of the mini stories between the chapters but it’s the snail. Sometimes the snail does let human characters take over talking about certain subjects, but for the most part, it’s a snail. Maybe this is done to reach a younger audience. Who knows it’s just such a weird way to present this book as compared to its companion books. Overall while the information is good, the way it’s presented makes this a book I will not be putting in our collection.

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Quick and easy indeed - the book does what it says on the tin.

This is a good introduction for people who want to learn a little more about queer identities but are intimidated by all the information out there. The fact that it’s short does well to keep the threshold low. Its information is mostly surface-level, as you’d hope to see with an introduction, but not shallow. There are hints at layers that invite readers to go further on their own.

The art is well-chosen and meshing nicely with the content, making this a well-rounded little book.

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Using wit and humor, this is an amazing, closer look at how to be a real lgbtq+ ally and to be considerate in ways that we don't think about daily with our fellow humans.

Have a parent or grandparent having issues with new gender identities? This is a sweetly drawn map for anyone not sure how to react but looking for guidance.

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Even for allies, it can be confusing at the begining to understand how to use the prefered pronouns to support our friends and loved ones. This easy to understand and fun graphic novel is a must have for anyone wanting to better understand .

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Solid and quick overview of identities relevant to queer and trans identities. Helpful for those who want to respect others and, perhaps, act like and be a loving ally.

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Identity is a difficult thing to convey in any way that is "quick" or "easy", but this book certainly gives it a pretty successful go. Easily read and digestible, this book is a colorful engaging introduction into the world of queer and trans life. It's a wonderful resource for the ally in your life, or for someone at any stage of their LGBTQ journey. I hope that more guides like this will be made eventually, despite it being years later now. This is the sort of book that, as a queer person, you want to be and keep 5 of them and just hand them out to people who have zero idea what they're talking about when they talk about the LGBTQ community or constantly are spouting microaggressions.

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Easy to digest introduction to the world of LGBTQ+ identities, this book features cute art and affirming descriptions of different identities. A great book to anyone beginning their path of questioning while still affirming their value as a person.

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This is such a lovely book about gender identity and sexuality. It's a great resource for anyone who's looking to improve their knowledge about the LGBTQ+ community, and especially for young, queer children who need helpful resources to help them understand themselves better. The art is also really beautiful! I love everything about this book!

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Another good addition to the "Quick and Easy Guide" collection/series/project--although not my absolute favorite of the bunch. I actually really hoped that Mady G. would spend a bit of time clarifying the ever-changing definitions of a lot of these terms, because I have this ongoing struggle personally with having *all* nonbinary identities included under the trans* umbrella. My flavor of nonbinary is agender, which this book briefly addressed, but again, not in a way that was inclusive of my personal story. (Nonbinary didn't used to equate to trans*, although there were some shared battles; however, I have never gone through any sort of transition, internally or publicly, in how I see my gender or prefer to present. I've never had a gender, and except for brief periods under intense pressure from friends or family, I have never presented as anything other than a lover of tee shirts and a hater of jeans. So ... I dunno. I think I'm a bit of a fossil when it comes to this particular issue.) It's totally a minor quibble, in the big scheme of things, and I fully recognize that. So while this book isn't reflective of my story, it might still prove very helpful to others. And of course the artwork continues to be splendid, and continues to present truly complicated ideas in an accessible way.

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This is a fantastic introduction for anyone looking to expand their knowledge of sexual orientations and gender identities. Terminology is clearly defined and topics are explained in their relative chapters to the snail characters on the front cover that are trying to learn about queer and trans identities. Very fun and informative!

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I gave it two stars merely for the format I read it in. It was arranged haphazardly and made very little sense. But this book can be really informative to young queer children.

Thank you netgalley for the review copy.

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Although its goals are admirable — to assist people in self-identification for the purpose of building community and overcoming shame — the execution is muddled, and the book fails as a comic.

The dialogue is heavy, with complicated vocabulary patterns, and the book often reads as a decorated lecture. The unnecessary device of having snails talk about the topics can be off-putting, and it also means that the art rarely contributes to the content, as the text carries all the meaning. The colors are pink and yellow, which adds a faded, sickly feel over top. Some may find the times when white text is used on light colors physically difficult to read.

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A Quick & Easy Guide to Queer and Trans Identities is a short, informative pamphlet on the basics of gender identity. It covers vocabulary and the difference between gender and sexuality. When discussing trans experiences, the authors make it clear that they are only illustrating one small part of it. They also mention some of the complicated emotions trans people may feel without making the pain the center of the story. A fair amount of the time, they illustrate positive experiences as well.

The graphic novel is BEAUTIFUL. The color palette is simple and muted, yet the colors work well for the subject. Each section seems to have its own color theme. I have to admit though, my copy didn't quite render correctly on Kindle, so I had to piece the order of the pages together in my head.

I really appreciate the way the book covers interpersonal relationships in addition to gender. It talks about covers potentially harmful relationship patterns in a very gentle way.

I recommend A Quick & Easy Guide to Queer and Trans Identities to three main groups: those who are questioning their identity, those who are gender and sexuality educators, and those who have gender-variant loved ones that they seek to further understand.

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I did have issues viewing the e-galley but I did eventually read this book from my local library. I think is a great resource book from teens and possibly even middle school aged kids. I love the bright colours and the art style is cartoon like but not childish and of course lots of great information on Queer and Trans Identities.

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Cute and informative, definitely a great resource for anyone questioning their gender identity, those who already know where they stand, and cis folx who are just looking for more information.

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This graphic guide to sexual and gender diversity is as cute as it is informative. It covers the sexuality spectrum; queer history; how gender, sexuality, and sex are different; identity, expression, & dysphoria; relationship basics; and coming out, among other very useful lessons in an airy, colorful, compassionate, and thorough manner. Below I list some of my favorite things about the book:

* Whoa! It’s narrated by a snail!
* POLY REPRESENT (literally squealing) but needs more pls!
* Little forest people (sproutlings) at the end of each chapter show a summary/example of the material. They are super duper adorable and I want a whole cartoon show of narrator snail and sproutling love!
* The art style kind of reminds me of Steven Universe, and I'm here for it!
* The section at the back has crafts (friendship jackets, a journal to your past or future self, create your own sprout character, make a mini-zine)
* I really appreciate the Anti-"love yourself first" spiel (while loving yourself is important it does not need to be a precursor to romantic relationships and the idea it does often gaslights people with mental illness or trauma).

This book does exactly what the title claims - it quickly and easily explains the diversity of sexuality and gender in a supportive, fun style. I wish I'd had this book when I was discovering my identity. Reading it gave me warm fuzzies even though I've already done much of the work to love and accept myself for who I am, I think this would be a great gift for someone who has just come out or may be questioning. I wish I had physical copies to hand out to literally everyone in my life! I hope the authors make more works like this in the future.

NOTE: I received an ARC copy of this book on NetGalley. I received no incentive to read or review this book other than said copy of work. The review below contains my own thoughts and opinions. Special thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the free copy.

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A cutely drawn and written yet also informative and helpful book explaining the basics of the many and often confusing sexual orientations and gender identities. Good for graphic-novel-loving teens and adults whether they are working out their own sexuality/gender or are straight and/or cisgendered but curious or confused.

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This graphic non-fiction book pairs monochromatic illustrations with an easy to follow beginner's guide to queer and trans identities. A great resource for cisgender and heterosexual readers looking for a cheat sheet to understanding gender identities in a broad sense, or for exploring and questioning readers to take their first steps towards self-discovery. Necessary for all teen collections.

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This was an interesting take on explaining queer/trans identities! I think I would recommend it to either someone who is questioning their gender/sexual orientation or someone who wants to understand the LGBTQ community better. The art style wasn't my favorite but still an informative book.

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