Cover Image: The Times I Knew I Was Gay

The Times I Knew I Was Gay

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Member Reviews

The formatting of the eARC made it impossible to read. I’m really disappointed because I was looking forward to reading this one. I won’t let that have an effect on the rating though

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Pleasant hand drawn biographical account of the author's realization that she is gay. The vignettes seem to jump through time and flow backwards again. It may confuse some. I believe some will relate to the vignettes and some will not. It is a pleasant one sitting read.

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The Times I Knew I Was Gay
By Eleanor Crewes
4.2 / 5.0

This graphic novel was very unique. It was easy to read and follow along. I was never confused about the story line or who each character was. I loved how accepted the character was. No one showed homophobia. It also shows how the character learns/accepts her sexuality. It’s a good book for a college freshman English class. The graphic novel gives hope and shows love. My only complaint is that I wish this copy I was reading was in color, but I loved how Crews included how the novel was drawn using a particular pencil. It made it unique and stand out among others.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Times-Knew-Was-Gay/dp/1982147105/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1592944357&sr=8-1

Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-times-i-knew-i-was-gay-eleanor-crewes/1136314474?ean=9781982147105

This review will appear on my blog on October 5, 2020.

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The Times I Knew I was Gay is about the author's experience of figuring out their identity and coming out.
I really enjoyed this graphic novel. I think it's pretty relatable for many queer people. I personally am a queer person and I think sharing coming out stories, as well as stories of people grappling with their identities, are really important.
It's a really quick read and the drawings are really fun.

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The Times I Knew I Was Gay is a graphic novel memoir and chronicles Eleanor’s story from childhood to adulthood. She talks about knowing something was different, but keeping it as a secret without examining what that difference might even be until the right time. She also talks about how coming out isn’t a one-and-done type of experience.

I think what I most appreciated with this memoir is how it’s a story of Eleanor accepting herself and admiring to herself who she is. This is extremely relatable, especially the number of times she’d say she was gay then turn around and go back to trying to date guys.

This is a nice memoir and I def found several parts relatable to my own experiences with accepting my own queer identity.

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The writing and art style of this was simple, but I loved that! It was a quick read (it only look me a little over half an hour) that was also deeply personal for the author. I am always interested to see how other queer people's coming out journeys went because they are such a journey and are so unique to everyone.

I don't think I'll ever tire of queer memoirs like this one, and I especially like graphic novel memoirs - I read another one earlier this month. All of the memoirs I have read before have been from people from the United States, so I also liked getting the perspective of someone from London.

I will definitely be recommending this to people, and I'd like to read it again once it's published!

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I cannot rate or review this book as the Kindle copy I downloaded as the formatting is off and the pages ordered incorrectly. I didn’t see any color in the kindle version and hope the final is in color rather than black and white. Really wish I had been able to read this.

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An easy to read graphic novel memoir of a young girl growing up in London, putting it together that she realizes she's gay .....over time & experiences. Her drawings/sketches are done in black & white (the only color was on the front cover of the book), & she has a unique style, all her own....& easy to read/follow along. I think the title is appropriate. I think anyone would find her story interesting, & find in this, an easy read.
I received this free e-ARC from the publisher Scribner via NetGalley, in return for reading it & offering my own fair & honest review.

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This was a quick read, that didn't feel like it hit quite deep enough or gave me quite enough to connect to. The Times I Knew I was Gay is a graphic memoir by Eleanor Crewes, which demonstrates how the process of coming out and understanding your own identity can be a long, nonlinear process, full of questioning and exploring. I do like the art, it's simple and illustrates the story very clearly. There are some fun 90s/early 2000s touches for those that want to see references to Buffy the Vampire Slayer and choke necklaces pop up. I just wanted a little more - I felt like it gave flashes of time without always being cohesive as a story itself (probably because it started as a zine), and that the ending doesn't clarify whether the author felt she came to place of understanding for the long-term or for the particular moment she finds herself in (both would be okay!). I don't think every memoir needs to be 'gritty' or dark, but some reflection and the emotions should come thru in the illustration or dialogue - neither of which seemed to shine through completely here. I think this is a good read for someone looking for a coming out story that focuses more on a journey through adulthood. Thanks to NetGalley for the early review copy, all opinions are my own.

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In this graphic novel, the author, Ellie, tells us about the many times in her life when she questioned being gay--in elementary school, in high school, and then in university. She dated some some young men, but it never felt quite "right" to her. This book shows how she questioned herself, went to counseling to better understand herself, and ultimately, became the person she is today.

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This was one of those books that is just wonderful. It was fun and real and heart warming. It was awkward in all the good ways. It is a great message of loving yourself and discovering who you are. Knowing that will change over time and still loving who you are,

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This was a sweet memoir. I really enjoyed the simplicity of the art style and the way the author still popped in to explain the intricacies about writing your own memoir. Especially a queer memoir.

I resonated a lot with some of the topics and the way we take control of our lives to hide away from our own identities. The descriptions of bullies and how they seem to know more about you than you know yourself was really solid. I do wish there had been more about the counselor, but I understand this is a memoir and one might not always be comfortable sharing that information.

Overall, a solid sweet read about the queer experience.

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Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really, really enjoyed how honest and powerful this memoir was. The art style was reminiscent of Noelle Stevenson, another LGBT artist I admire, while demonstrating its own flair; and while I thought the narration was very good, the things that weren't said—that were hinted at in the art—were just as powerful. Particularly the recurring motif of an unopened letter hidden somewhere in the scene, symbolizing the things we subconsciously know about ourselves but aren't yet ready to actually admit. There was so much I found to relate to, and I loved that it had a really happy, hopeful ending!

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This little comic started out as a ten-age zine, but after distributing them to comic shops from Brighton to Glasgow, Crewes knew there was something more to the story. “This is not a handbook for coming out, or for being gay, but I like to think that if I had found thsi book as a child, or a teenager, or a young adult, I might have known a little more about myself a little sooner.” It’s Pride month, after all, and every story, when its author feels comfortable sharing, can help another queer kid out there just trying to figure themselves out.

This graphic memoir is precious and honest. Like many people, Crewes’ coming out story wasn’t one pinnacle moment. She did it several times over a number of years. She also didn’t realize for a very long time that there was a closet, mcuh less that she was stuck inside of it.

I loved the cute illustrations and the candid nature of her voice. I devoured this in about thirty minutes, and I’d love to revisit it down the road as my own queerness develops and grows, and if I ever meet someone who makes me change my mind about relationships.

At its heart, this book is about discovering who you are and being true to that person. Whether you find that person or not, being yourself will provide peace and comfort, and when if you do meet that special someone, you’ll have done the work on yourself to be ready for them.

This one’s out in October, so be sure to keep an eye out for it. This one screams purchase from your favorite, local indie bookstore, preferrably a queer one if it’s possible.

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I adored the simplicity of the pencil illustrations. the timeline of Eleanor's coming out story was so relatable; I also spent a large part of my life confused and uncomfortable with my identity and didn't sort it out until college so I connected strongly to the main character. This story was the perfect balance of silly and introspective and felt like a genuine insight into how Eleanor became comfortable with herself as a gay woman. This is the perfect book to read during pride month, so definitely give it a go!

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The kindle copy I received was formatted so poorly that the book was unreadable. I am not able to comment on the content of the book because I was literally unable to read any of it.

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I rate this somewhere in the 4 - 4.5 star range.

The Times I Knew I was Gay was a charming graphic novel coming-of-age memoir about a girl named Ellie who grew up in London with her parents and siblings. She had her group of close friends and they all loved watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Ellie's favorite character was Willow. Ellie tended towards things Goth and Emo. As she came into her teens Ellie started interacting with boys like her friends and even dated a guy for a year but just felt like something was missing.

Eventually, Ellie started slowly coming out as gay to herself, her family, and friends. It was not a clear cut thing for her but very gradual.

I really enjoyed this book. It was cute and engaging and I really liked Ellie. This is a great addition to the canon of LGBTQ+ memoirs. I highly recommend it!

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Artist Eleanor Crewes chronicles her coming out story in this touching graphic memoir. She discusses growing up and how she grew to feel comfortable with how she felt. This was a very enjoyable read. Eleanor was very easy to relate to. The simple drawings really helped with the story. There were parts that could have been more fleshed out, but overall, it was a very good read. This was a great graphic memoir.

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This is cute - I'd be interested in knowing how it is going to be published as it has a zine quality.

There are a lot of coming out narratives, and this also shows that it isn't necessarily the same process for everyone.

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Ellie, the protagonist of this graphic novel, struggles with coming to terms about her sexuality. Crewes shows the diverse, unique, and highly personal aspects of what it’s like to come-out when one isn’t even yet aware of their sexuality. As a coming-of-age autobiography with a happy ending, this graphic novel is perfect for anyone looking to identify with someone embracing themselves for who they are.
Recommendations – LGBTQ+, coming-of-age, self-discovery, graphic novels, memoirs, and romance

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