Gender Queer

Maia's story is an excellent exploration of gender exploration, the lengthy self-discovery process, and the challenges (and satisfaction!) that comes from trying to be accepted for your authentic self. The book contains many references to other great reading materials, and I've already pulled out tons of quotes when discussing these topics.

Highly recommend this book, whether you feel it relates to you, people you know and love, or just the world around you.

It is clear that Maia is vulnerable and open with the reader throughout. Maia provides great insight into the experience of gender nonconformity as a child, and this book is a quick important read for anyone with others in their life who may have gone, or be going through, something similar.

An absolute delight. Gentle, informative, encouraging, clarifying, personal, non-combative, intimate memoir. Friendly. Highly recommended.

This graphic novel is among the greatest hits of the book banners who in the past few years have been berating librarians and threatening the freedom of others to simply read. As an autobiography, I can see how Gender Queer—with its absolute unveiled description of Maia Kobabe’s journey to eir realization of self—might be discomforting to some, but this work could be absolutely life-saving for young people in crisis or just struggling with putting into words who they are.

An impressive "graphic memoir." One of the few comic-book-style memoirs I've ever read, and one that I couldn't put down. I'm a slow reader and it only took me an hour or two to get through it. The illustrations are top-notch and the writing is engaging, as well. An important work that everyone should read and learn from.

Personal note on the research mentioned: Touching a Nerve, by Patricia S. Churchland.

An impressive "graphic memoir." One of the few comic-book-style memoirs I've ever read, and one that I couldn't put down. I'm a slow reader and it only took me an hour or two to get through it. The illustrations are top-notch and the writing is engaging, as well. An important work that everyone should read and learn from.

Personal note on the research mentioned: Touching a Nerve, by Patricia S. Churchland.

This book appears on the 2021 Texas Book Investigation List. I can see why, as anything having to do with LGBTQ+ seems to frighten most Republican politicians. In the news recently (March 2022), someone took out this book and refused to return it because they thought it was inappropriate. It's so disheartening seeing people have this attitude to books.

Which is a shame (if it's ever banned) because I think this book can help a lot of people. It's somewhat funny, having a person's life laid out like this and seeing the person struggle with their identity. As a third person observer, it almost seems obvious. But if you're not educated on things like this, of course it doesn't seem obvious. I'm neither nonbinary nor asexual but I'm still grateful for books like these. The summary does it justice: it's a cathartic and educational experience.