Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this e-arc.
This graphic novel was very educational. Most graphic novels don't have as much of a message as this one does. It goes into in-depth detail about gender and how to deal with how you may become comfortable in your body. Even though I'm a cis women and thought I had a good idea about the mutple types of genders I still learned a lot from this graphic novel.

For such a small book this packs in quite the large amount of information regarding the idea of gender - both cultural and scientific. This serves as an introduction point to so many more topics that can be delved into deeper.

I’d recommend this to people completely unfamiliar with exploring gender and for those who may have more experience with the topic. The Endnotes and internal citations leave you with plenty more to dive into as well.

This graphic novel is an excellent explanation of gender identity. It explores, with literary references and acknowledgements, gender identities in different cultures to further show that gender isn't a binary. Gender isn't the sekse you were assigned at birth, but it is an identity, a way to express yourself in your own unique way.

As an afab genderfluid non-binary person this book reaffirmed that there's not a single correct way to be genderfluid and/or non-binary.

I'd recommend this one to everyone who is discovering their gender identity or wants to learn more about gender identities.

i absolutely *loved* this super informative visual novel about gender! the illustrations were all really beautiful and captivating, and the explanations were mostly quite accessible and easy to understand, though some parts discussing biological sex vs. gender went over my head, i think that was more of a me problem rather than the book itself. as someone who has been struggling with their gender identity, i found it extremely validating and empowering as well. id have to say that my favorite part was that it discussed gender intersectionally, talking about how other identities such as culture, neurodivergence, and race impact individuals' experiences with gender. i also loved getting to learn about how indigenous people from around the world had more expansive views around gender and all the info provided on that, though i would've appreciated if there was even more info on that, i do understand that that was not the main purpose of the book, which is fair!
overall, i *really* loved and enjoyed getting to read this amazing novel and all of the valuable information it taught to me about gender.
thank you to the publisher jessica kingsley publishers and netgalley for providing an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Gender Is Really Strange is a captivating and enlightening graphic novel that explores the intricacies of gender identity. Through engaging illustrations and accessible explanations, the book covers a wide range of topics, including biology, neuroscience, cultural perspectives, and historical contexts. It introduces readers to diverse gender identities from around the world, challenging societal norms and encouraging reflection.

While the book provides valuable insights, it can be a bit unclear about its target audience. Some parts feel simplified, while others delve into more complex aspects of gender. Nevertheless, Gender Is Really Strange is a remarkable resource that prompts readers to question and embrace the complexity of gender. The authors and illustrator deserve praise for their thought-provoking and inclusive approach to this important subject.

All in all this book is 4.5 out of 5 for me!

This book does such a great job of interrogating gender and sex, normalizing gender beyond the binary, and validating gender as something that is self-identified and dynamic, with beautiful illustrations providing a visually engaging backdrop. Gender Is Really Strange provides some history of nonbinary gender and even spends a few pages diving into endocrinology, which I found fascinating and is something I haven't seen before in other books and graphic novels about gender. I especially appreciated the last few pages of the book which provide a very brief but profound guide to exploring one's own gender. Highly recommend this to folks interested in questioning and exploring their gender, or who want to learn more about the expansive world of gender identity.

Thank you, NetGalley and Jessica Kingsley Publishers, for the ARC!

Gender is Really Strange is a beautifully illustrated graphic novel about the complexities of gender and how truly unique it can appear from person to person. It is a short read but covers a lot of very important topics including different issues caused by different hormone presentations in people, and the various intersex conditions. I believe this book is incredibly important as it touches on so many areas of gender and is a great read, and would definitely recommend this to anyone looking into the topic of gender.

Beautifully illustrated and incredible informational. Exactly what a reader needs if they are looking to learn about what trans identity means.

Themes/Topics:
Gender Diversity

An important and informative text about Gender and Gender Diversity. Including beautiful illustrations which brighten up the page and bring important visuals to the text. Surrounding topics such as history, culture, societal norms, mental health and more.
We dive into the history of gender and why it is the way it is today. We learn about how white supremacy has shaped how gender looks in western society and how to tackle these societal norms to become our most authentic selves.
I can see myself passing this book onto friends and coworkers who may be learning about gender diversity or may find this helpful in their own journey.
This text was inclusive and tackled a lot of topics which are extremely important to the conversation.
I wish we had a reference page for commonly used abbreviations within the text as there were a few times I had to pause or Google what some abbreviations meant. I think this could have been a helpful and welcome guide to those who may be new and unfamiliar to some of these abbreviations. The Endnotes reference all the resources included in the book for possible further reading. Everything was well researched and presented.

Overall a brilliant text which I’m excited to pass onto others.

I loved this! It’s short enough to provide to someone as a reference, it’s colorful, the art is fun. I’ll absolutely be keeping this in mind to tell folks about.

I am neither Trans nor Non-binary so I'm choosing not to comment on that because it is not my experience.

The artwork and colouring are stunning, the artist did a fabulous job. The last half really blew my mind and introduced information that I had questions on that 4 years of Biology in university chose to run around. This graphic novel , I feel, would serve the most good in the hands of teenagers, educators, guardians and those of us who don't want to turn our trans friends into encyclopedias on transness and actually want to go out there and learn. The title is really apt because this book explains where the strange way we've been taught to think about gender stems from. I loved the inclusion of communities all around the world especially indigenous people. If you've been scarred by a Biology or Genetics course this one's for you.

‘Gender is Really Strange’ by Teddy G.Goetz is an informative and important resource on gender diversity. It is an extremely interesting read, which goes into extensive detail and is a guide that I think everyone should read. Education in general is important, and this especially is a key topic that people would benefit from education on.

A 4/5 read for me, as personally I’d find it easier to read if the information wasn’t so squashed together.

Thank you NetGalley, Jessica Kingsley Publishers and Teddy G. Goetz for my gifted copy.

This is a very extensive look into gender and everything that comes with it.
It presents a background and diverse cultural approaches to this difficult topic.
I believe it is an important book that lots and lots of people should read to educate themselves.

“Gender is Really Strange” is a fantastic, informative, visually interesting resource on gender diversity. Goetz provides understandings on the conceptions of gender in both sociological and scientific lenses, the blending of which gives a great basis from which readers can further explore the complexities of gender. The author does not shy away from so called “hot-button” issues, such as transgender sports participation, and is also very deliberate in unpacking the ways in which race intersects with gender, importantly including information about historically indigenous peoples conceptions of gender. The art style wasn’t necessarily my cup of tea but overall I think this is a great resource

Overall, I really liked this book. I liked how the book was able to explain so many different aspects of gender identity that I had previously not known about. Learning about gender concepts from indigenous groups around the world was interesting because they can be so different from mainstream gender concepts in the US. My only complaint about the book is that it seemed difficult to figure out the targeted age demographic for the book. Some parts of the book seemed like they were talking down to the reader, while also explaining more complex gender identities. Besides that, everything else in the book is amazing!

Lovely read! I’d love to purchase this for my high school science classroom! I teach students who are in a specialty center for the arts. The fusion of art and gender studies would be perfect for them to see in my classroom library. It does get a bit technical and higher-level, which is the only reason I gave it ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️/5!

A really interesting and colourful look at gender, full of plenty of science that's explained very clearly, and a really positive guide to why we should accept and be happy for everyone however they want to identify.

This book is right...gender is really strange.
This is a great look at what gender is, where the construct of gender stemmed from and why it's not 'real'.

A quick, not-too-complicated but not dumbed down look at gender. I think this book would work for teenagers and adults.

I received a temporary digital copy of Gender is Really Strange by Teddy G. Goetz from NetGalley, Jessica Kingsley Pub and the author in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

As an educator, I am constantly confronted with the concept of gender and am expanding my understanding of gender. I cannot recommend Gender is Really Strange more; this would be an incredible resource for students to access. For a forty-page graphic novel, I was a bit underwhelmed when I initally noticed the page number, but this was extremely thorough. Goetz begins with definitions, moves on to cultural understandings of gender (which was incredibly enlightening), moves in to medicial descriptions and then gives questions for how we can begin to understanding our own gender idenity.

"We can embody in whatever way we desire, but others will assign gender to us however they see fit." In the creation of a more inclusive world, we need to better understand gender and stop assigning what we see fit. Reading Gender is Really Strange is a great step in accomplishing that.

My review as posted on Storygraph
'I got an ebook copy of 'Gender is really weird' courtesy of Netgalley. This review is my own opinion.
This is a great book if you want something fast paced to explain gender and how it impacts you and the world, and the basics of what language to use. No single book can tell you all there is but this book is a great starting point. There is a page with different gender related pride flags with a guide of each ones meaning which I know I would have found really useful a few years ago when I was really struggling with my gender.
I found it especially interesting to learn about other genders in different cultures. I love learning about different cultures and places and it's fascinating who different parts of the world deal with gender and all it entails, I definitely want to go and learn more about them now.
The part on the gap in information around gender and everything was very interesting too. I have just finished invisible woman so I knew a lot of it already though this felt like an easier format to handle.
The illustrations are bright and colourful too and make it much easier to read than a big block of text. Loved seeing illustrations of wheelchair users too just casually there on the page as well.
My only problem is sometimes abbreviations seemed to pop up out of nowhere without any/little explanation.
Overall I'd recommend this to anyone wanting to be a better ally, learn more about gender or to someone like me who is struggling with theirs'

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book I really enjoyed it :)