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bashsbooks's reviews
207 reviews
4.25
That said, Gender Queer does feel rushed and incomplete in places. Some of the transitions are blunt and awkward, and some of the story feels glossed over or pressed for time (specifically, when e goes into the biological explanations for eir gender - that is a lot of info, and fast). I wish it had been longer, more thorough, maybe multiple volumes, though I understand that Kobabe may not want to share that much.
Graphic: Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Dysphoria
Moderate: Cursing, Sexual content, and Transphobia
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Misogyny, Racism, Slavery, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Body horror, Gore, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and War
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
I forgot how insufferable Squirrelflight was until I commited to reading this book. Everything was her fault. She could not listen to Bramblestar (even moreso than he wasn't listening to her) or see that compromising with the other Clans was important to everyone's survival. Hell, if she hadn't made the suggestion for SkyClan to move into the Sisters' territory, none of this would've happened.
Speaking of the Sisters... there seemed to be some sort of weird feminist separatist vibe underlying them. An anti-tom sentiment so strong that they send their sons off their own super young and won't let them back in the camp? What is that all about?
I would've DNF'd it if I didn't need it for a time-sensitive book challenge I'm doing.
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Pregnancy, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexism, Blood, and Abandonment
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Ableism, Confinement, Drug use, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Chronic illness, Gun violence, Blood, and Alcohol
Minor: Cursing, Panic attacks/disorders, Vomit, and Dysphoria
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Graphic: Ableism, Bullying, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, and Classism
Moderate: Stalking and Sexual harassment
Minor: Animal death
(This is a cute little book for cat-lovers, full of relatable content, but it's more of a gag than a serious poetry book.)
Moderate: Vomit
Minor: Animal death and Excrement
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Genocide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Body horror, Domestic abuse, Xenophobia, and Colonisation
Minor: Gore and Slavery
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Misogyny, Racism, Sexual content, Xenophobia, Lesbophobia, Outing, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Classism, and Deportation
Moderate: Racial slurs and War
Minor: Cursing and Drug use
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cancer, Homophobia, Transphobia, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Stalking, Murder, and Classism
Minor: Gore and Death of parent
4.0
That said, I do find her to be somewhat preachy and performative. It is really important for her to hammer in over and over again that you shouldn't cut people off for being bigoted towards queer people, unless they're like, super bad. I understand her point - just because someone has a negative initial reaction doesn't mean they can learn - but I don't know any queer people for whom breaking away from their bigoted family members was anything less than an agonizing experience for them. It's just not something the vast majority of people do on a whim or in the heat of the moment. And so I feel like maybe that section is meant to be reassurance for those on the fence about us queers - at least, I hope she didn't intend to be condescending.
She also wields black and brown people in a very awkward way - bringing them up to hammer home a particular progressive point. It makes sense that race isn't as much of a focus as transness or womanhood, given she is a white trans woman... but it still feels off at times.
As far as politicans go, though, this is about the best they can be. And her story is incredible - and well-told.
Graphic: Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicide, Transphobia, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Alcohol
Minor: Body shaming, Cancer, Racism, Sexual content, and Police brutality