This magnum opus is craftily written to be appropriate for any audience. It is a memoir of someone's atypical journey through life and with it comes humor, trauma, questioning, euphoria, horrors, and loves. This is revealed through a stream-of-conscious story-line that flows eloquently. 

To other questioning people, this is a beacon of hope. It also validates and fuels the questions. And leaves you wanting to know what will happen next.

I have been wanting to read this book solely based on how often it has been being banned in the last year but what sold me on picking it up was that I had a student ask me questions about some things they read about gender in this book. And I was so excited to see that it was available in Kindle Unlimited!

What can I say about this memoir that hasn't already been said? It was eye-opening to read and I wish I had read it before now because I have had students and friends who I wish I could have recommended it to when they needed it. I have never really questioned my gender identity but I can see how important this graphic novel is to have on shelves for those who are. I kept thinking of specific friends who needed this book ten years ago when they were struggling with these same things. It makes me sad that it is the most banned book in the US right now. 

The thing I wasn't expecting when I picked it up was how often I saw pieces of myself in this book when the author is was figuring out e were ace/aro. It was something I didn't know I needed to read.

I wish this book could be required reading. Not only so those who need it can read it but also so others can understand the struggles of others and build some empathy.

“Sometimes I feel like my brain is a machine built by someone who lost the instruction manual.”

Gender Queer is as much a reference book on gender identity as it is a memoir. Maia Kobabe not only discusses e/em/eir pronouns and how e personally related to them once learning about the use of alternate pronouns, but also addresses an entire gamut of queer identity. 

I really enjoyed this! My only qualm with it (and what docked a star for me) was that it feels incredibly disjointed at times. A lot of the timelines are chronological, but will suddenly fly back to em childhood and I was left struggling to keep up. There were more than a few times I tapped back in my phone to make sure I didn't miss a transition between thoughts/moments.

I do, however, think this is a fascinating read for anyone who has struggled with any kind of gender identity issues or sought out gender confirming actions (like painting your nails! or getting a different haircut!) because at the end of the day, it's about e becoming comfortable with eirself. I did really enjoy all the discussion and thought put into the comics about Maia growing up and experimenting and toying with labels. This is the kind of book that just deserves a place on any shelf that will be browsed by people searching for themselves and their own identities.

Content Warnings: Dysphoria, Blood (menstrual, multiple discussions), Medical trauma (pap smear, on page)