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A review by thewordsdevourer
Welcome to St Hell: My Trans Teen Misadventure by Lewis Hancox
emotional
funny
medium-paced
3.75
a hilarious, revealing account of hancox discovering and coming to terms w/ his transgender identity, welcome to st. hell keeps things real and informative yet singularly interesting on its own as well.
i rly like the author's narrative stylistic choice of having his present self narrate the story and intermittently interact w/ his past self, in addition to the bits of the occasional reflection and banter inserted midway thru a scene or situation to give a chance for others' present day selves to explain or speak for themselves. it keeps things interesting and acknowledges hancox's sometimes-biased or unreliable pov, which is quite rare for a memoir.
the book's wry tone is also sth i enjoy, and i marvel at how the author can be so (at times even effortlessly) funny despite the book's subject. and learning abt hancox's journey - one full of ups and downs - of reflecting, grappling, coming to terms, and eventually unapologetically living as his true self is great; the intricacies and many lil details included shed light on many things. ofc no trans experience is universal, but every bit learned is still revelatory.
overall i quite enjoyed this book for its serious story that still manages to be wry and funny, and the art that fits w/ the narrative.
i rly like the author's narrative stylistic choice of having his present self narrate the story and intermittently interact w/ his past self, in addition to the bits of the occasional reflection and banter inserted midway thru a scene or situation to give a chance for others' present day selves to explain or speak for themselves. it keeps things interesting and acknowledges hancox's sometimes-biased or unreliable pov, which is quite rare for a memoir.
the book's wry tone is also sth i enjoy, and i marvel at how the author can be so (at times even effortlessly) funny despite the book's subject. and learning abt hancox's journey - one full of ups and downs - of reflecting, grappling, coming to terms, and eventually unapologetically living as his true self is great; the intricacies and many lil details included shed light on many things. ofc no trans experience is universal, but every bit learned is still revelatory.
overall i quite enjoyed this book for its serious story that still manages to be wry and funny, and the art that fits w/ the narrative.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia and Dysphoria
Moderate: Bullying, Sexual content, and Lesbophobia
Minor: Medical content