caedocyon's review against another edition
3.0
A bit repetitive in places. Nichols brings it together in unexpected ways, though, illustrating the push and pull of how the same people/communities/institutions can simultaneously cause deep harm and give life-saving support.
emeraldreverie's review against another edition
4.0
Oooof. This book was so raw. So much pain and hope and joy and sadness. So much bare honesty and abject need. Very powerful.
sizrobe's review against another edition
5.0
A coming of age graphic memoir about a trans female to male man's experience growing up in evangelical christian Louisiana. I actually have a signed copy that I got at SPX 2018 and saw the author as part of a panel. I identify somewhat with him as I was a chubby, nerdy kid. It certainly came off pretty rough to have to deal with being queer on top of that. A great book.
hilaurious1's review against another edition
5.0
This was a very sad and sweet book that I very much related to.
crookedtreehouse's review against another edition
3.0
If the first four sections of this book had been consolidated into one, this would have been a four, maybe five star book. The art is great. The message is fantastic. But the first four sections are the same story over and over and over and over again.
As a device, I enjoy repetition in poetry and prose, when used sparingly. In a graphic novel, it's exhausting. In many ways, the text of a graphic novel is often already a repetition of the artwork. By the fourth time I saw a three panel grid of one person muttering "faggot", one person muttering "dyke", and a third person muttering "gay", I started skipping pages. The point had fully been made.
Even now, being young and queer is hard, but it was certainly more isolating and confusing before the internet. So I understand why so many queer narratives are so focused on the trauma of childhood and adolescence, but the interesting part of this story begins with L's going to college and the journey of acceptance. Unfortunately, by the time that came up, I had come to view the narrator as exhausting, as there was hardly any joy or even neutral events or thoughts in the first 2/5ths of the book.
If you're invested in the metaphor of the long, tedious, tortuous youth before a person starts to accept who they are and who they want to be, then this will probably be a five star book. Again, the art is fantastic. I will absolutely pick up another L Nichols book in the future.
As a device, I enjoy repetition in poetry and prose, when used sparingly. In a graphic novel, it's exhausting. In many ways, the text of a graphic novel is often already a repetition of the artwork. By the fourth time I saw a three panel grid of one person muttering "faggot", one person muttering "dyke", and a third person muttering "gay", I started skipping pages. The point had fully been made.
Even now, being young and queer is hard, but it was certainly more isolating and confusing before the internet. So I understand why so many queer narratives are so focused on the trauma of childhood and adolescence, but the interesting part of this story begins with L's going to college and the journey of acceptance. Unfortunately, by the time that came up, I had come to view the narrator as exhausting, as there was hardly any joy or even neutral events or thoughts in the first 2/5ths of the book.
If you're invested in the metaphor of the long, tedious, tortuous youth before a person starts to accept who they are and who they want to be, then this will probably be a five star book. Again, the art is fantastic. I will absolutely pick up another L Nichols book in the future.
airzit's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
3.0
The graphics in the book were really good, I liked the mix of the artist with the physicist. about the story, it seemed to me that sometimes it is repetitive.. I understand that coming and going.. but sometimes I felt tired. The story is that path of transition ... but I would have liked it to go deeper into that desire to be a man ... He puts on the dress to symbolize that he is not what he wants to be... As if that defined femininity or being a woman... and to stop being one is not to wear them... I think she could have gone deeper in that.
therainbowshelf's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
L's graphic memoir takes an engaging look at the conflict between religion and being queer that L grew up with, along with an excellent examination of the roles that different groups you belong to play in your life and development. I hesitated for a while to read this because of the art style, but it really grew on me and the symbolism it seems to present really emphasized L's life experiences.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dysphoria, Grief, Fatphobia, Lesbophobia, Toxic relationship, Classism, Homophobia, Alcohol, Religious bigotry, Suicidal thoughts, and Self harm