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ihateprozac's review against another edition
5.0
It’s kind of serendipitous how Finding Nevo found its way into my life.
I was at my local Dymocks in Melbourne trying to find a new read, when this happened to catch my eye. I’ve been making a conscious effort to read more diversely this year, with some additional prompting provided by #diversitybingo2017, and I’d been on the lookout for an own voices book by a non-binary author. Not only did this fulfill what I was looking for, but I realised the author was part of the queer community in Melbourne - aka my own backyard!
So yeah, needless to say, Finding Nevo found its way into my shopping basket that day.
Finding Nevo is an autobiography written by a non-binary queer Jewish Melburnian named Nevo and put simply, this is such.an.important.read. Nevo shares their journey to date centering around the various sexual and gender identities they’ve held over the last twenty years, coming out multiple times as gay, bisexual, transgender, non-binary, and queer. They share their pain, anxiety, and dysphoria, as well as the love, joy, and sense of fulfillment associated with each moment in time. Simultaneously, Nevo shares their experience finding their feet within the Jewish community as a youth leader, and how their identity and culture reconciled or did not reconcile at times.
This is an important read, and an incredibly difficult one. The pain, depression, and anxiety Nevo felt is palpable at times. Nevo explores misogyny and toxic masculinity in a way that doesn’t read like a textbook, as they share their unique perspective of society having attempted them to conform into both male and female “boxes” at one point or another. And this is all intertwined with a compelling discourse on Judaism, the Jewish community, and how being Jewish as well as sexually and gender diverse does not have to be mutually exclusive.
It’s difficult for me to critique an autobiography, and particularly one that tells such an important story, but my only criticism is a minor grammatical one: I wish this had page breaks. I think Finding Nevo could have benefited from page breaks/chapters to demarcate different time periods and for dramatic effect; particularly in the earlier chapters which tended to read a little stream-of-consciousness at times.
Overall: This is an important read for anybody who thinks they might be sex or gender diverse, or simply wants to learn more about how to support a friend or loved one who is. It’s all too rare that we get to see the perspectives of non-binary and Jewish people in fiction and non-fiction - particularly tales sold by major commercial bookstores - and I’m so thankful that Nevo’s story is getting out there! I’ve already lent this book to a fellow friend in the Melbourne queer community, and look forward to shouting about it to people for months to come.
I was at my local Dymocks in Melbourne trying to find a new read, when this happened to catch my eye. I’ve been making a conscious effort to read more diversely this year, with some additional prompting provided by #diversitybingo2017, and I’d been on the lookout for an own voices book by a non-binary author. Not only did this fulfill what I was looking for, but I realised the author was part of the queer community in Melbourne - aka my own backyard!
So yeah, needless to say, Finding Nevo found its way into my shopping basket that day.
Finding Nevo is an autobiography written by a non-binary queer Jewish Melburnian named Nevo and put simply, this is such.an.important.read. Nevo shares their journey to date centering around the various sexual and gender identities they’ve held over the last twenty years, coming out multiple times as gay, bisexual, transgender, non-binary, and queer. They share their pain, anxiety, and dysphoria, as well as the love, joy, and sense of fulfillment associated with each moment in time. Simultaneously, Nevo shares their experience finding their feet within the Jewish community as a youth leader, and how their identity and culture reconciled or did not reconcile at times.
This is an important read, and an incredibly difficult one. The pain, depression, and anxiety Nevo felt is palpable at times. Nevo explores misogyny and toxic masculinity in a way that doesn’t read like a textbook, as they share their unique perspective of society having attempted them to conform into both male and female “boxes” at one point or another. And this is all intertwined with a compelling discourse on Judaism, the Jewish community, and how being Jewish as well as sexually and gender diverse does not have to be mutually exclusive.
It’s difficult for me to critique an autobiography, and particularly one that tells such an important story, but my only criticism is a minor grammatical one: I wish this had page breaks. I think Finding Nevo could have benefited from page breaks/chapters to demarcate different time periods and for dramatic effect; particularly in the earlier chapters which tended to read a little stream-of-consciousness at times.
Overall: This is an important read for anybody who thinks they might be sex or gender diverse, or simply wants to learn more about how to support a friend or loved one who is. It’s all too rare that we get to see the perspectives of non-binary and Jewish people in fiction and non-fiction - particularly tales sold by major commercial bookstores - and I’m so thankful that Nevo’s story is getting out there! I’ve already lent this book to a fellow friend in the Melbourne queer community, and look forward to shouting about it to people for months to come.
shane_the_reading_rat's review
5.0
In order to be seen and treated in the way I felt was appropriate, I had to meet many standards set by social norms. But l often found myself wondering, what does it actually mean to be a man? Or a woman? Who gets to decide these criteria? And why are we afraid to embrace notions of "other"?
The whole journey of passing was incredibly important, but I hope that in future we can shift focus away from trans people needing to "pass".
I don't need to sit, stand, walk and talk a certain way to be believed as a man. The only thing that should influence whether someone sees me as a man or not is how l identify.
If that is what I say lam, it's as simple as that. I shouldn't need to meet rigid ideas of masculinity.
molabie13's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
4.0
thereadingwren's review against another edition
5.0
5/5
I cannot explain the emotions this book brought up or accurately describe my love for this book.
The whole time reading this I kept nodding along. It honestly felt like I was reading my own diary. There’s is very little in this book that I myself didn’t feel or experience. It’s kind of insane.
Nevo’s story is such an important one that I hope reaches many young people so they can see themselves represented.
Everyone should know they are valid.
I cannot explain the emotions this book brought up or accurately describe my love for this book.
The whole time reading this I kept nodding along. It honestly felt like I was reading my own diary. There’s is very little in this book that I myself didn’t feel or experience. It’s kind of insane.
Nevo’s story is such an important one that I hope reaches many young people so they can see themselves represented.
Everyone should know they are valid.
thereadingchallengechallenge's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
This is an exquisite memoir examining the author's journey with their Jewishness, gender and sexuality growing up in Australia in the 2000s/2010s. Zisin talks about their struggles and experiences with such openness and with such simple language that it's easy to lose yourself in the world they grew up in. I also just really enjoyed reading about an Australian queer person for a change, getting to read about moments in our recent queer history that I remember, that struck me just as hard. Cultural shifts that I lived through, have scars from too. It was comforting to read about, really, but still eye-opening in lots of ways. I'd recommend this to anyone wanting to expand their queer nonfiction horizons.
littleelfman's review against another edition
4.0
Finding Nevo is the story of a person trying to find their place in a world that cannot seem to wrap its head around the very idea of a non-binary existence. Personal and heart felt, the fact that this book exists now places the ball in your court to educate yourself on the ways that society (you and me included) causes harm with expectations.
"It is absurd to expect people of oppressed minorities to calm themselves and educate you delicately on a topic you don't understand because you haven't put in the effort."
That goes for me too. Thanks, Nevo.
"It is absurd to expect people of oppressed minorities to calm themselves and educate you delicately on a topic you don't understand because you haven't put in the effort."
That goes for me too. Thanks, Nevo.
jasgrace's review against another edition
5.0
Couldn't put this down. An essential read for family and friends to better understand how to support trans people in their life.