wandering_seal's review against another edition

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5.0

I listened to this as an audiobook, which I think may have affected how I feel about it - I loved the rhythmic nature of the writing, the repetitive phrases and tone Alabanza used throughout. I'm not sure I would have been so immediately hooked otherwise.

This was a really powerful read for me. Not being transfemme, I know I move with massive amounts of privilege through this world, and listening to Alabanza struggle with how they relate to society (and how that has changed and is still changing) was very moving. I was particularly interested in how their identity as nonbinary intersected with their working class and Black identities - it's given me a lot to mull over.

I hope Alabanza writes a sequal, or an update of this book when they are older. This book spoke a lot about ageing and growth, and my only criticism of it is that (as someone who is a fair bit older) I know that that process never becomes static, and that there is something about being in your mid twenties and feeling like you are reaching a final form which is just so very much not true. I'll be fascinated to see how Alabanza feels about the phrases they have themed this book around in 10, 20, 30 years time.

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lavao's review against another edition

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informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

5.0


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alexgf's review against another edition

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challenging inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0


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bonriki's review against another edition

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challenging emotional informative reflective medium-paced

4.0


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kareimer's review

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emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

5.0


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amylangdown_'s review

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challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective sad tense slow-paced

5.0

Sometimes you read a book and you realise that you needed to read it - this is one of those books for me. Travis is honest about the reality of existing within transness, but reflective on what it could mean if only the gender binary is less forced upon us all from birth. It is deeply personal but it is also an echo of what so many trans people feel and have felt. 

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riledupryepie's review

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challenging inspiring reflective slow-paced

4.5


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aseel_reads's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

Such a beautiful and important book. I think everyone should read it. I loved it so much 

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atreegrowsinbooks's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful sad fast-paced

5.0

Wow wow wow. Simply incredible! I don’t feel like my review will do this book justice but I will try. 

Alabanza’s words were sad and also inspiring. I don’t know what it’s like to live as a black gender non conforming person but I can empathize with them and other folks who don’t fit into the binary box. I thought it was a unique approach to the book formatting, to have each chapter be a reflection on a phrase that at one point was spoken to or about them. 

I can’t believe that we live in a world where we have so much focus on our gender and the gender binary. Why put us in a box. We need to love and accept our gender non conforming siblings because they deserve to live and thrive as humans. 

Such a profound book! Alabanza is a fantastic writer. I would love to read more from them. One concept that they brought up that I thought was interesting was that they thought they might not be trans, if they didn’t grow up in a world with a gender binary. I hadn't thought about it like that before. Since we have a binary, we have words like trans and non binary for all the folks that aren’t in the binary. But what if we lived in a world where there wasn’t a binary and we just were.

I will be thinking back to this book a lot as I continue to push myself into thinking outside the binary. 

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voidgato's review

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challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0


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