Take a photo of a barcode or cover
ninetalevixen 's review for:
This Book Is Gay
by Juno Dawson
★ 2.5 stars ★
tl;dr It's 2020 and there are more inclusive, up-to-date resources available. But as a resource specifically for gay cis boys/men (and their parents), this one might be somewhere to start.
Other reviewers have talked about how this book barely touches on identities other than gay/lesbian; this book probably would've benefitted from diverse co-writers, beyond just a survey of LGBT* youth. In short: Dawson uses "gay" and "homophobia" as umbrella terms and it often feels like bisexuality is an afterthought; there is also some transphobic language (equating biological sex with gender, often relative to others' sexuality), as well as asexual/aromantic erasure and exclusion of nonbinary folx. Pansexuality is only briefly mentioned as a historical precursor (i.e., in Greek/Roman society) to bisexuality, though in reality it's a distinct identity.
There's a lot of emphasis on sex, based on an assumption that everyone wants sex, and in fact gay people really want sex — that's where the ace erasure comes in, despite the inclusion of the term in the glossary and opening definitions. (Asexuality is also a spectrum; it's not a binary between "promiscuous" and "celibate.") The language also focuses on "male" and "female" relationships, excluding nonbinary/questioning folx as well as bi/pan people's relationships with them. There's also no mention of aromanticism, because the secondary assumption is that everyone also wants to be in a romantic relationship. (Not to erase queerplatonic relationships, which are valid and great but not mentioned in this book.)
Which is to say, a committed monogamous relationship. One section talks about open relationships, but polyamory is by and large dismissed as somehow inferior to monogamy. (Committed polyamorous relationships exist, though you wouldn't learn that from this book.)
The major selling point is that this is unapologetically gay, with reminders throughout that it isn't wrong or shameful not to be heterosexual — though some of it is expressed as a "gays vs. straights" dichotomy, despite an ending message that it's not a war. The author tries to be witty and sometimes succeeds, though some of the pop culture references are already quite dated, and some passages are cringeworthy in their crudeness (cutesy names for genitalia? No thanks). It's generally optimistic about things getting better for LGBT* folx on both personal and societal/global levels, at least in relatively progressive [Western] countries, which is a message many young people might need to hear.
-----------
CONVERSION: 7.5 / 15 = 2.5 stars
Prose: 5 / 10
Intellectual Engagement: 2 / 10
Credibility: 5 / 10
Organization / Structure: 6 / 10
Emotional Impact / Interest: 3 / 5
tl;dr It's 2020 and there are more inclusive, up-to-date resources available. But as a resource specifically for gay cis boys/men (and their parents), this one might be somewhere to start.
Other reviewers have talked about how this book barely touches on identities other than gay/lesbian; this book probably would've benefitted from diverse co-writers, beyond just a survey of LGBT* youth. In short: Dawson uses "gay" and "homophobia" as umbrella terms and it often feels like bisexuality is an afterthought; there is also some transphobic language (equating biological sex with gender, often relative to others' sexuality), as well as asexual/aromantic erasure and exclusion of nonbinary folx. Pansexuality is only briefly mentioned as a historical precursor (i.e., in Greek/Roman society) to bisexuality, though in reality it's a distinct identity.
There's a lot of emphasis on sex, based on an assumption that everyone wants sex, and in fact gay people really want sex — that's where the ace erasure comes in, despite the inclusion of the term in the glossary and opening definitions. (Asexuality is also a spectrum; it's not a binary between "promiscuous" and "celibate.") The language also focuses on "male" and "female" relationships, excluding nonbinary/questioning folx as well as bi/pan people's relationships with them. There's also no mention of aromanticism, because the secondary assumption is that everyone also wants to be in a romantic relationship. (Not to erase queerplatonic relationships, which are valid and great but not mentioned in this book.)
Which is to say, a committed monogamous relationship. One section talks about open relationships, but polyamory is by and large dismissed as somehow inferior to monogamy. (Committed polyamorous relationships exist, though you wouldn't learn that from this book.)
The major selling point is that this is unapologetically gay, with reminders throughout that it isn't wrong or shameful not to be heterosexual — though some of it is expressed as a "gays vs. straights" dichotomy, despite an ending message that it's not a war. The author tries to be witty and sometimes succeeds, though some of the pop culture references are already quite dated, and some passages are cringeworthy in their crudeness (cutesy names for genitalia? No thanks). It's generally optimistic about things getting better for LGBT* folx on both personal and societal/global levels, at least in relatively progressive [Western] countries, which is a message many young people might need to hear.
-----------
CONVERSION: 7.5 / 15 = 2.5 stars
Prose: 5 / 10
Intellectual Engagement: 2 / 10
Credibility: 5 / 10
Organization / Structure: 6 / 10
Emotional Impact / Interest: 3 / 5