This is a brief graphic novel approach to explain the different ways to bind ones chest so that you aren’t showing your breasts. Several people are interviewed as to what they do, and how they bind, and why. Each person has a slightlyl different story to tell. Some want to get top surgery (in other words, remove the breasts), and others don’t want to. Some just want to make themselves look less like a girl. And others just don’t want to have them out there.
But, the main point of all their stories is that you can injure yourself if you bind too much, or the wrong way. That not all binders work the same way. That you have to be gentle to yourself, because if you do it wrong you will have trouble breathing, or your chest will hurt, or your back, or your neck.


I feel this is a great resource guide to those who have either been binding for a while, or want to know if it is right for them. There is no judgment, of course, in the book, and facts are presented about the different things to do for yourself, as well as what to do if you have any pains from doing this.


Because so many different body shapes, ages, and approaches are given, there should be something for anyone who wants to know more.


This book is coming out the 7th of May 2024. Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

I'm recommending this for young readers at my library. It's among the books I wish I had when I was younger! Having transitioned later in life, I saw how there were an abundance of "Trans 101" books which are important, but it's nice to see something about transness that helps with practical aspects of this wonderful gender identity. Particularly wonderful, was reading the descriptions of trans joy that punctuate the helpful information in the book, where various contributors talked about what binding means to them. I remembered when I first started transitioning and how that felt like relief that spread through my entire body because I felt at home in it in ways that I didn't realize were possible. Reading about those experiences for others left me feeling happy that books like this exist, not just to share information but also to highlight our joys more than our resilience alone. I hope that libraries everywhere are able to bring a copy of this book in for their customers! Many thanks to the writers and illustrators for bringing this great book to life.

I really lovely guide with useful illustration, I work with queer and trans youth and will be recommending this book

Breathe is an incredibly valuable resource to youth interested in or perhaps already experimenting with binding. A combination of personal stories, handy tips, and research based statistics, this short and approachable guide can help a person navigate binding while taking care of both their physical and emotional health. I especially appreciated the interactive lists, charts, and activities that a reader can use to explore their own binding journey and find a way of binding that feels safe, affirming, and sustainable.

This is a very well written guide. The stories are diverse and related to the topic and the authors included many beneficial resources in the back. It's well thought out and a great addition to the library.

This book is SO important and I’m glad this resource will be available for the trans and nonbinary folks who will need it. The graphic novel makes it more accessible and digestible for those who may find reading articles overwhelming.

This is more than just a book about how to bind safety, it includes narratives from multiple people on their journey from uninformed to safety-informed binding, as well as research findings from a large study on the motivators, physical side-effects, and psychological impacts of binding. This book also works as a self-reflection through different reflection and thought exercises in the latter third of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton books for an early copy in exchange for an honest review!

I'm so glad this book exists! Based on a study of over 800 participants who use binding in their everyday lives, this book showcases some personal stories, safety statistics, self care tutorials, and personal questionnaires all centered around binding practices and safety. The main focus of this book is individual safety, both physical and mental. I think this book is excellent for anyone who practices binding as well as anyone who is curious but unsure how to approach the idea. I love that it continually circles back to the idea that binding, and transness in general, shouldn't be about punishing yourself, but about taking care of your body and your mind together. It's an excellent addition to any queer library, especially those of guidance counselors, therapists, and medical staff.
Thank you to NetGalley for th advanced digital copy.

I LOVED every second of this book!! It is filled with so much care,you can tell they truly care about every story they're telling as well as the reader. They have stories from different ages groups from like 19 to over 50! There are interactive activities and exercises at the end so you can continue to grow and use it daily. The art is amazing,they even recommend other books beautifully through art!! I can't stop recommending it to my friends!!

This is probably one of the best books I have come across with chest binding information. A good chunk of the book goes over stories of people who tell their perspective and history with binding. I like that there were people of all different ages and backgrounds. I liked that in one story the person had to go up a size in the binder for it to fit better. Binders do tend to run small and it is best to measure yourself and go up a size if need be for the right fit.

I do wish there were more stories just because this is something rarely talked about, especially the health risks! This book is quite short in length even for it being a graphic novel. Near the end there are some worksheets, stretch exercises and tips for healthy binding. This was super important to have! The book is great for all ages and a good guide for people wanting to bind their chest Overall I really enjoyed this book. As a nonbinary person and someone who works at their LGBT Resource Center on campus, this is going to be an extremely useful resource! I will definitely be grabbing a copy for the center when it is published!

Thank you to Penguin Teen and Netgalley for this eArc in exchange for an honest review!

I received a ARC of this book from Penguin Group. I really liked this book! I don't think I've seen a lot of resources on binding safely, and this book would be a good resource for people who are new to binding or even parents. I think the graphic novel style of book makes the information easy to digest, and I enjoyed how it blended stories of real people and more practical information like stretches and journal prompts. Great job!

What an amazing resource to have. This was such a good book and I will definitely be purchasing in the future. I do wish there were a few more workbook pages added. I thought that was completely brilliant for others to use.

I loved that the author included a medical professional in the creation/development of this book to make sure that everything was as accurate as possible. This is a great resource for people who are curious about the binding process!

Tremendous resource for anyone who is considering binding or wants to level up their knowledge about different binding techniques. The focus is on different reasons people have for binding (and how those reasons might shift over time), how to make decisions, and best practices for emotional and physical safety. The personal stories covered a beautiful mix of gender expressions, ages, and experiences. Loved the illustrations! This is an affirming resource with practical reflection questions and physical exercises. Grateful it exists!

Thank you Netgalley for giving me an Arc of this graphic novel!

I am not a trans or non-binary individual who uses binders but I wanted to read this story so I could learn about some of the challenges people face when they bind. This graphic guide is a very concise, accessible way to learn about binding for those of us who don't know what it entails. The statistics about the kinds of pain people might face from binding was detailed as were the diagrams presented about the effects of binding on a persons body. I particularly liked the descriptions of exercises people could do to help them breathe easier even when they have binders on.

Overall, I think this is a very important book to have in your collection and I'm planning on buying one for myself when it releases.

I received an ARC from Dutton via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

“Breathe: Journeys to Healthy Binding” is a straightforward, informative guide on chest binding, targeted at trans men, non-binary folks, and anyone else who might be uncomfortable with visible breast tissue. Dr. Sarah Peitzmeier and Maia Kobabe tackle both the mental health benefits and the physical risks associated with binding. The book stands out for its practicality, especially the section on exercises to mitigate binding-related harm.

The content is grounded in real-life experiences, drawing from a study of 25 chest binders and a survey of 1,800 participants. This approach gives the book a solid foundation of relatability, and scientific credibility. The inclusion of stories from diverse individuals adds depth and perspective to the narrative.

A notable aspect is the imagery of bookshelves filled with trans literature, which symbolically represents progress and accessibility of information for today’s youth.

Overall, I give “Breathe” a solid five stars for its direct, well-researched approach to an often overlooked topic. It’s a valuable resource for its intended audience, providing both education and practical advice.

This book made a point, that people prioritize their mental health over physical health, that people think it's worth the pain for the gender euphoria. And I think this is a fantastic resource for trans people to help mitigate injuries that can be caused by binding.

I liked that we learned the specific stories from people who were part of the study, then are given the tracking and journaling activities used by the study. It also includes stretches that can be done to help make binding easier on the body, which was something I had never read or heard about before.

Thank you to NetGalley for making this available in exchange for an honest review!

Maia Kobabe and Dr. Sarah Peitzmeier’s BREATHE: JOURNEYS TO HEALTHY BINDING is an illustrated (guide) for teenage audiences, on how to bind your chest in a safe and healthy way—through stories from doctors and experienced adults.

Based on the recent book bans with Kobabe’s most popular novel (an adult memoir, I should note) I do have fears for the reception of this book by particular audiences, especially since this one IS geared towards teens.
However, I can say with certainty for those audiences a few things: this book is appropriate for teens; it does not try to convince teens to be trans; it does not try to convince teens to bind their chests; it does not try to convince teens to get surgery. It simply explains that binding is an option, but if it’s something you want, how it can affect your body if you do it unsafely, and what to do or know to prevent any harm.
People will bind their chests whether or not they have the proper materials or helpful information. I firmly believe having easily understandable and accessible information like this book, will help a lot of people.

Thank you NetGalley and Dutton Books for providing a review copy.

Really excited to read the final version of this one! This arc copy currently is black & white and has some roughness to it. Great base though.

This was a really neat graphic novel idea - part info on binding, safety, and some stretching exercises to safely bind. Other part interviews of folks sharing their experiences with binding, and it's great seeing so much variety in the interviewees.

Looking forward to reading the final product for this one, and if there will be a bit more statistics/data elements included from Sarah Peitzmeler!

Also, as a nonbinary person, it's so awesome reading more about other's experiences with something in my own routine, and validating as heck hearing similar feelings and emotions towards our bodies. Love it!

this slim graphic novel functions as an extension of the educational zine that it's based on, and is a well-informed approach to how young people can learn to bind healthily. the mix of personal narratives from real trans people coupled with medical information and mental health-based exercises is really effective. i did notice a few typos, which i'm sure will be edited in post, but i feel like color or shading added throughout would make the illustrations a lot more compelling.

This is more of an informational handout, complete with worksheets and infographics, rather than a graphic novel or even a collection of stories. There are only a handful of first hand accounts, but largely as a primer to the data analysis of many more stories that we are not actually given from a first hand POV. Definitely useful for those considering binding or navigating binding already. But I suppose from the author of Gender Queer, I expected something more narratively powerful.