Mady G

I found this very worthwhile and educational. It was good to reinforce the things I already know, and I found out about other things of which I was ignorant and still need to wrap my mind around, particularly the spectrum of asexuality and the role of libido. ("Plenty of asexual people still masturbate or even have sex with their partners.)

The cartoonish art, snail narrator (snails are hermaphrodites), and color scheme were off-putting at first, but I grew to appreciate the lightness they show more brought to what could be some pretty heavy material. I never warmed up to the Sproutlings though with their sickly sweet Fraggle Rock/Smurfs vibe. show less

In one sentence: This book should be in every library, school, and Human Resources office. If you care about creating an inclusive space for your students, employees, and/or customers but don't know where to start with understanding all of the terms and definitions used by the queer community, this is the book for you. It is exactly what it says on the cover.

As with the last title in this series, A Quick and Easy Guide to They/Them Pronouns, this graphic novel is approachable, funny, and show more educational. I like to consider myself fairly well versed in queer terminology, but this book has given me a few easy ways to explain things to my peers. I've referred a few romance novelists to it (even though it's not out yet!) as a reference as they work to make their books more inclusive and welcoming.

While nothing can compare to actually being queer and/or having a queer community around you, this is a primer for anyone who feels confused and/or needs to explain their community to an outsider. In this way, I think it's a helpful (and fun) resource for people both in the queer community and outside of it.

Chapters include:

What is Queer?
Gender Identity
Gender Expression
What Does Dysphoria Mean?
So, What is Asexuality?
Here are Some Relationship Basics (This chapter seems aimed at teen readers and covers things like self-esteem, recognizing abuse, and more)
What Does it Mean to Come Out?
The last couple of chapters of the book are aimed at the queer or questioning reader, but they're helpful for anyone to read. If you have a child, friend, or coworker who hasn't yet come out or is in the process, it can be invaluable to read a bit about how intimidating the process can be.

As with any educational text, the contents of this book will likely be out of date within a decade, but the book acknowledges that everything is fluid and changing. It also stresses the point that each person is an individual, so we shouldn't set expectations or make judgments of a person's queer identity and/or performance thereof.
Overall, the tone is optimistic, hopeful, and encouraging. It's a lighthearted book but contains the depth and nuance we need.

And it's full of adorable "sproutlings" and queer snails! The art is super cute and makes the density of information much more palatable.

Suzanne received a review copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. show less

I LOVE THIS BOOK! Someone help me decide whether it's the illustrations or the easy-to-understand information inside that's what I love best - together, they're perfect for what they're trying to do (and okay, won't lie, those illustrations tho...). This is a wonderful book for educating anyone who needs help (in a loving, and friendly way), for parents whose children are navigating a queer and/or non-binary world, and also for young people or fresh-out folks who "feel different" and are show more just starting to figure it out A fun and easy-to-read book like this, especially with all its happy happiness and encouragement toward self-love, also gives them language they can use. Honestly? This book needs to be everywhere.

I think my ONLY "not girly-screamingly-excited" feedback, perhaps, would be that the title is a little bland for the rest of it. Maybe could have been a little more exciting - "quick and easy" is definitely important, so people understand it's not written for academics, but "queer and trans identities" sounds kind of "undergrad gender studies".

Thank you, NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. show less

This is one of those books that, almost by definition, is going to attract both praise and reasonable criticism. On the whole I think this book serves a purpose, namely, to help people, however they or others want to identify them, better understand the dynamic and ever-changing world. People are largely what we have always been, but we are starting to be more open and coming to understand ourselves, and hopefully others, better. The ever-changing has to do with terminology and definitions. show more I started in queer theory in the late 80s and many of the terms I used, and some I still prefer, are outdated. Some for good reason and some because part of taking control of ourselves when society isn't always helpful is to tweak terminology and then, occasionally, stand aghast that people not in the know couldn't magically guess what word of the week is preferred now. It is empowering, I agree, but also slows down actual progress. And I acknowledge I stand in the minority within my own community about this.

Having said all of that, I think a work that makes an honest effort to engage more people who are open-minded but not sure where to look for information is a good thing. Is this the book I would have written in the same situation? Probably not. Nor would anyone else probably. Those are personal differences based largely on what our personal histories would have us emphasize or deemphasize.

This is well worth reading, take from it what you can, look for better options where you think the book fell short. But if this book helps any people to begin to try to better understand those around them then I think it is well worth it, warts and all.

Reviewed from the publisher via NetGalley. show less