I liked this memoir, but I can only rate it from the perspective of art and text. Had I been more emotionally attached to this subject, I would have most definitely given it a higher rating. Anyway, it was educational for me and I'm glad that Maia had the courage to write this graphic novel. The world needs to understand that people are people, no matter their gender, what they identify as or other such nonsense. The only thing that matters is what they are doing and saying, and if it's something good, then we need more of it.

Gender Queer is an exploration of the author's sexuality. Kobabe discusses taboo topics in extreme detail, reflecting on eir struggles coming to terms with who ey are. I highly recommend this graphic as an easy way to begin understanding a difficult topic.

Oh wow, this hit me deep.

Gender Queer: A Memoir is a comic about Maia Kobabe and how e grew up facing questions about sexuality, gender, fitting in, coming out and navigating spaces as a queer person.

It's personal and raw and felt almost uncannily intimate to me - I frequently related to Maia, and eir experience overlaps so much with my own I was almost shocked at times. Quite a few sentences were, well, almost revelations to me, finally putting words to feelings I had only begin to confront consciously so far.

I truly believe this book will help many queer people, myself included, as well as others find new perspectives and help us reevalute what we know, as well as just broaded our horizons.

The style is simple but beautiful, at time uncomfortably frank, but always consistent. It's very easy to read (and I'm not usually a big fan of comics) with fitting illustrations of abstract concepts, explaining competently without going into detail. It flows incredibly well - I could have easily read this in one sitting, not realizing how time was passing, but I consciously made the decision to read it spread over several days to process the experiences Maia shares and what reading eir thoughts did to me.

I highly recommend!

Absolutely stunning and landmark work! Kobabe lets eir story unfold in a way that draws the reader in slowly and allows them to experience the complexity of eir growth as a person. I would recommend this for every graphic novel collection.

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book!

Rep: Non-binary and ace main character, a range of queer and LGBTQ+ side characters.

This is an autobiographical comic/graphic novel centred around our main character, Maia and eir journey to discovering eir gender and sexual identity.

The artwork and colours were beautiful and stunning. I did find it graphic at times, but I think that's a "me not you" situation as I seem to be the only one who has mentioned it.

Very important discussions on gender, sexuality and identity. The comic talks about a range of issues, from what is considered normal in terms of gender, gender norms and roles.

Growing up with the pressure to do what we are "supposed" to do, for example, girls shaving their legs, why girls and not boys? Why is that the norm?

This is about only wanting to be yourself, in a world that doesn't know how to accept anything but the norm. This is about accepting yourself, learning about and finding yourself. It's about family, friendships, support and love.

I normally avoid autobiography work as I really hate rating someones real life. I don't tend to read them for that very reason. But I love comics and I love anything LGBTQ+ so I thought I would give this one a go regardless.

While there were a few things I didn't really like, I am very glad I had the opportunity to read it.

"Though I have struggled with being your daughter, I am so, so glad that I am your child."

Not male and not female, but instead something in between. Not fully understanding one's own gender identity or sexuality until adulthood. Growing up confused, I find I can relate to this autobiographical comic, and I believe many others will too.

It is easy to read and follow along with, the art is brilliant. Telling a story so many need to here. A story that needs to be told.

I really enjoyed this book. I am a queer but cis woman and wanted to read this to learn more about the experience of being gender queer or non-binary. The comic is a brave and very personal exploration of the author's process of self discovery and all the challenges e faces along the way. There were things I could relate to and things I couldn't; ultimately, I really liked being able to better understand the perspective and life of someone who identifies as non-binary. The comic was well-done and, despite some of the serious subject matter, pleasant to read. I'm interested in following this author's work more in the future.

This is a moving and thoughtful graphic novel that should be in every public library. It should be shelved in YA, and be part of any Pride Display for June. It's amazing.

*I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for the fere comic.*

"Gender Queer: A Memoir" by Maia Kobabe is exactly what it is on the cover. Eir comic deals with coming-of-age, gender norms and coming to terms with one's own identity and sexuality. It reminded me a lot of Alison Bechdel's "Fun Home", one of my all time favourite comics.

The comic was incredibly honest, intimate and beautiful as Kobabe doesn't hold anything of eir life back. E tackles issues such as: masculinity, femininity, non-binary identities, visiting the doc, relationships, dating. The comic is also beautifully drawn and I was instantly lost in the story. Yet, I was a bit disappointed by the ending: it felt like it had stopped right in the middle. I don't know why.

I hope that Kobabe keeps on producing comics for me to read and that e can find some peace of mind.

5 Stars!

I'm out of words. I'm just...awed. Awed at what Maia Kobabe dares to share with the world. Awed by the rawness of eir story. Awed by how vulnerable e is making emself by releasing this into the world. And I'm also deeply honoured to have gotten a chance to read this. It feels like I got to see a very private and intimate part of eir brain, thank you for this glimpse.

This comic should be obligatory. Everyone should read this!

Honestly, this is a really great graphic memoir and I recommend it even to people who aren't actively looking for books about the genderqueer or trans* experience! The art is simple but appealing and the writing is compelling. I don't have the same relationship with my body that Kobabe has with eirs, but reading about eir experiences was enlightening -- I think all AFAB people have felt some degree of externally imposed discomfort with their body, because I'm pretty sure it's impossible to get through life in a female-presenting body without being harassed or made to feel bad about it at least once, and Kobabe articulated how that feeling differs from an *internal* feeling of discomfort in a way that made sense to me. I assume Kobabe must be the same age as me, because we certainly consumed all the same media (I also learned about periods from Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce and obsessed over the Lord of the Rings movies with my friends in early high school) and I found myself laughing at how much I related to eir childhood and college experiences.

WOW! That's probably the general reaction to this graphic novel. Maia's story is both complete and complicated. Eir journey to learn about gender and sexuality is painful in many stages and whilst reading all I could think about is how young people and kids nowadays NEED to have faster and more accurate access to information about this. As a cis-hetero woman I cannot begin to imagine the pain and frustration e must have felt throughout the process but it is also great to see a positive approach and happy moments in that journey. LGBTQ+ people need more happy endings and positive narratives!

I really liked em artwork and I'm curious about the book list e published. It was great to read such a transparent story and I just want to hug em for having the courage to opening up eir journey for thousands of readers. Definitely recommending this book to many many people - specially cis people who need to learn how to respect pronouns and someone's gender and sexuality.

I did not know what I was getting myself into when I first decided to read this. As many people are, I was drawn in by the cover, and then intrigued by the synopsis, but I had no idea I about the format. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that it was a graphic memoir.

I love the message of the story though. About the journey of self discovery Maia went though, embracing em identity and gaining the confidence to tell people about how e identifies.

One thing that did bothered me was the rapid jump from scene to scene and the lack of flow.

Scenes started and ended very abruptly and moved onto a new scene quicker that I could comprehend the purpose of the previous one.It was almost like a long list of facts about different points of the narrators' life were being stated on a new page, completely irrelevant to what was mentioned in the previous page. It does not flow very well.

his memoir definitely highlights what society deems to be the appropriate behaviour of a boy and a girl, but it does not have an advanced or complex plot.This memoir delved deep into the exploration of sexuality and sensuality, in a way that is informative and thought provoking, but I am definitely not sure who the target audience is supposed to be.

There are quite a few elements I really like, some I love, but overall this graphic memoir was not the best. The plot was irregular and the pace and tone were inconsistent. I appreciate and respect the story that is trying to be told, but at points it was hard to stay invested.

I cannot imagine having to go through the trauma the narrator had to go through. As a cisgender female, I never struggled with accepting myself or felt like I did not belong in my own body. I won't pretend to understand, but I respect and support Maia. Body and gender dysmorphia is a horrible thing to have to live with. Maia is so brave for putting eir out there. There are many people who don't understand this, and many who need to see this. Whether that be for themselves or to support a loved one or even a stranger who is struggling with accepting themselves and do not feel comfortable in their own bodies.

Despite this not being a very good story, it has a very powerful message. It tells attempts to express the narrative that is so often silenced, or ignored. It was great to see Maia embrace eir true self, and true to come to term with who em is.

Another excellent LGBTQ book. Nice to see that the market is so diverse in these types of books. Maia takes us through her journey as a non gender person. E makes reference to some other really good books as well. Highly recommend for anyone who wants to read more from the LGBTQ authors
#genderqueeramemoir#netgally#indigoemployee

An important text that makes use of words and images. I would gladly recommend this book for those who want to see the powerful kinds of stories graphic novels can tell.

Gender Queer details the complicated journey of discovering who you are amidst a sea of expected gender norms and societal pressures. The author, Mola Kobabe, tells eir story with detail, leaving nothing out as e navigates the struggles of eir youth and what it’s like to grow up knowing you’re different from your peers. Kobabe has created an incredibly honest, deeply moving work that is sure to provide a helping hand for those struggling on their own journeys, in need of support from someone with the same experiences.

This is graphic memoir at its finest. Kobabe doesn’t hold back, detailing every moment when e didn’t fit in with eir surroundings. The storytelling is done flawlessly, detailing what it means to discover you don’t fit into one of two societal gender boxes and how complicated that understanding becomes. The path isn’t clear cut as Kobabe spends years trying to figure out who e’s attracted to, what eir sex life should look like, and whether relationships are even something e wants. You feel eir conflicting emotions every step of the way, from heartbreak to anxiety to an eventual acceptance and unmitigated joy when everything clicks into place and the world makes sense.

The artwork is exceptional, which comes as no surprise given the exceptional talent and professional experience Kobabe details throughout the work. The panels illustrate every truth of this journey and it creates a bond between reader and writer. I feel like I know em and have a deeper understanding of the struggles and triumphs of gender queer people.

Overall, Gender Queer is an essential guide to becoming your truest self and learning to live with yourself, no matter what other people may think. You are the only you you’ll ever know, and being the most you version of yourself is what matters. It’s an important lesson to learn, no matter what stage of life you’re in, and Kobabe teaches it beautifully.

A poignant memoir full of thoughtful insight on growing up and gender identity. The illustrations are wonderful and I was engrossed throughout the whole book. I'd be very happy to add this to our library's collection and hope that our students also connect with it like I did. I also look forward to reading more of Maia's work in the future.

Maia Kobabe’s graphic novel GenderQueer: A Memoir is a beautiful gift to the world, filled with pain and compassion. Maia uses the Spivek pronouns e/em/eir, so I use them consistently through the review. I hope I am using them correctly. I got this from Netgalley and this is an honest review.

GenderQueer: A Memoir is gently vulnerable and revealing. Kobabe was born into a family that didn’t enforce gender roles and seems to be supportive of their children becoming who they are. Maia was assigned female at birth (AFAB), but as e grew up, e ran into more and more questions and discomfort around the gender e had been assigned. E wanted to be neither female nor male, but lacked the words to describe or understand emself.

Maia Kobabe takes us through memories and the evolution of understanding emself to be gender queer. Kobabe moves from childhood, through the confusion of jr high and high school to the discoveries of a wider world in college and graduate school where e began to meet nonbinary people. Despite a loving family, Kobabe’s confusion and body dysmorphia made em retreat inward, refusing to reveal eir inner life. This graphic novel, written and drawn by Kobabe, is the secret e kept for so long. It is personal and intimate. It is an invitation into Maia Kobabe’s life and a gift of understanding. It was originally meant to be an explanation for eir family and it is a beautiful teaching tool.

As the writer and the artist, the words and drawings are seamless in telling eir story. There are 4 pages that struck me in particular – How happy e was dressed as Johnny Weir, the violation e felt at a gyn exam, the page where e explains eir visualization of gender, and then eir determination to throw off bland boys clothes and adopt the “high-fantasy-gay-wizard-prince of my dreams look.”

I loved reading this book. I hope it gets into the hands of people struggling with their own identities and people struggling to understand a friend or loved one’s identity.

I really enjoyed this memoir! It was one of the first that I have ever read, to me it was interesting to have a sneak peek at someone else's life. Overall, it was written very well.

8/10 - I didn't realize how much I liked this until I had to grade it. First of all, I loved the drawing style. I also really liked how e referenced to other works and/or media.

The story of e was very interesting, and at times even relatable - even though I've never questioned my gender identity myself. It seemed like e is surrounded by very kind people, but e did also show the (fear for) misunderstanding that followed em around in life.

I would definitely recommend this to others!