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TW: rape, sexual assault, coercion, misgendering, eugenics, death, sex
OK, I loved this? I've not read sci-fi before, especially adult, but I couldn't put this down. The themes and social issues it touches on in this brilliantly thought up world had me hooked.
OK, I loved this? I've not read sci-fi before, especially adult, but I couldn't put this down. The themes and social issues it touches on in this brilliantly thought up world had me hooked.
TW: mentions of death, eugenics, nazis, cult leaders, war
Very interesting reading about these communities that started before a large war and after a huge pandemic. You can see how history keeps repeating and how humanity tries to come to terms with society
Very interesting reading about these communities that started before a large war and after a huge pandemic. You can see how history keeps repeating and how humanity tries to come to terms with society
TW: racism and mentions of slurs, colorism, colonisation, abuse and mentions of rape, alcoholism
(NOTE: this brief review comes from a white, non-Maori person, reviews from Maori folk should be prioritised over my own :))
A great addition to any anti-racist/Aotearoa history reading list. The effects of colonisation on various iwi with urbanisation are captured well with facts and personal accounts.
(NOTE: this brief review comes from a white, non-Maori person, reviews from Maori folk should be prioritised over my own :))
A great addition to any anti-racist/Aotearoa history reading list. The effects of colonisation on various iwi with urbanisation are captured well with facts and personal accounts.
*Special thanks to VIZ Media and NetGallery for the eARC of this manga*
TW: Dysphoria (especially around large breasts), Misgendering, Internalised transphobia, transphobia, mentions of suicide, outdated terminology commonly used in Japan, sexist and objectifying online comments, blood, animal hunting, death and slaughtering. Inanimate object in love with a young girl.
NOTE: This review comes from a white, non-binary person and most of my review will focus on the main story in this collection "To Strip the Flesh"
I'm incredibly mixed on my review of this. I both love it and am stand-offish about parts of it. First and foremost, the author, though not trans herself, has had feelings of dysphoria in the past and used the story as an exploration of those feelings. The dysphoria Chiaki feels is truely relatable, especially having a large chest. His fears with his father's reaction to his transition are handled well. I really ended up liking Chiaki's father, who evolves quite well and has a great arc of growth.
Chiaki's best friend, Takato had good and bad moments. He was Chiaki's best support during high-school, but then when Chiaki's wanting to pursue surgery as an adult, he uses phrases such as "It won't make you a real man!" and "I hear people try to commit suicide after surgery" which he's not exactly called out on. He comes around, but I'm still not so happy with him.
I'm incredibly torn on the imagery the manga uses too. Only because of one thing: A lot of the time, since Chiaki is a butcher, he dreams or imagines his body (specifically his breasts) being removed in the same style as an animal's flesh being dismembered. Now I personally thought this was METAL AS HELL and loved it's dark, edgy, and incredibly therapeutic imagery. I loved it because it's every gender critical's nightmare, and I love reclaiming that. I also worry because I can so easily see this being used by said base against us, and that's disheartening. But I refuse to let them claim their worst nightmares out of my fun dream sequences. I really liked this aspect.
Would I recommend this manga to a trans person? Yes! Would I recommend it to a parent who was new to their child's transition? No, there are ones I'd say are much more informational support that group.
As for the other short stories in the collection, I found them incredibly random and disjointed. Some were good, others meh, but overall, a nice exploration into the mangaka's style and storytelling.
TW: Dysphoria (especially around large breasts), Misgendering, Internalised transphobia, transphobia, mentions of suicide, outdated terminology commonly used in Japan, sexist and objectifying online comments, blood, animal hunting, death and slaughtering. Inanimate object in love with a young girl.
NOTE: This review comes from a white, non-binary person and most of my review will focus on the main story in this collection "To Strip the Flesh"
I'm incredibly mixed on my review of this. I both love it and am stand-offish about parts of it. First and foremost, the author, though not trans herself, has had feelings of dysphoria in the past and used the story as an exploration of those feelings. The dysphoria Chiaki feels is truely relatable, especially having a large chest. His fears with his father's reaction to his transition are handled well. I really ended up liking Chiaki's father, who evolves quite well and has a great arc of growth.
Chiaki's best friend, Takato had good and bad moments. He was Chiaki's best support during high-school, but then when Chiaki's wanting to pursue surgery as an adult, he uses phrases such as "It won't make you a real man!" and "I hear people try to commit suicide after surgery" which he's not exactly called out on. He comes around, but I'm still not so happy with him.
I'm incredibly torn on the imagery the manga uses too. Only because of one thing: A lot of the time, since Chiaki is a butcher, he dreams or imagines his body (specifically his breasts) being removed in the same style as an animal's flesh being dismembered. Now I personally thought this was METAL AS HELL and loved it's dark, edgy, and incredibly therapeutic imagery. I loved it because it's every gender critical's nightmare, and I love reclaiming that. I also worry because I can so easily see this being used by said base against us, and that's disheartening. But I refuse to let them claim their worst nightmares out of my fun dream sequences. I really liked this aspect.
Would I recommend this manga to a trans person? Yes! Would I recommend it to a parent who was new to their child's transition? No, there are ones I'd say are much more informational support that group.
As for the other short stories in the collection, I found them incredibly random and disjointed. Some were good, others meh, but overall, a nice exploration into the mangaka's style and storytelling.
*Special thanks to VIZ Media and NetGallery for the eARC of this manga*
TW: Dysphoria (especially around large breasts), Misgendering, Internalised transphobia, transphobia, mentions of suicide, outdated terminology commonly used in Japan, sexist and objectifying online comments, blood, animal hunting, death and slaughtering. Inanimate object in love with a young girl.
NOTE: This review comes from a white, non-binary person and most of my review will focus on the main story in this collection "To Strip the Flesh"
I quite liked this, but also am mixed on my review of this. I both love it and am stand-offish about parts of it. First and foremost, the author, though not trans herself, has had feelings of dysphoria in the past and used the story as an exploration of those feelings. The dysphoria Chiaki feels is truely relatable, especially having a large chest. His fears with his father's reaction to his transition are handled well. I really ended up liking Chiaki's father, who evolves quite well and has a great arc of growth.
Chiaki's best friend, Takato had good and bad moments. He was Chiaki's best support during high-school, but then when Chiaki wants to pursue surgery as an adult, he uses phrases such as "It won't make you a real man!" and "I hear people try to commit suicide after surgery" which he's not exactly called out on. He comes around, but I'm still not so happy with him.
I LOVE, but am torn, on the imagery the manga uses too. Only because of one thing: A lot of the time, since Chiaki is a butcher, he dreams or imagines his body (specifically his breasts) being removed in the same style as an animal's flesh being dismembered. Now I personally thought this was METAL AS HELL and loved it's dark, edgy, and incredibly therapeutic imagery. I loved it because it's every gender critical's nightmare, and I love reclaiming that. I also worry because I can so easily see this being used by said base against us, and that's disheartening. But I refuse to let them claim their worst nightmares out of my fun dream sequences. I really liked this aspect.
Would I recommend this manga to a trans person? Yes! Would I recommend it to a parent who was new to their child's transition? No, there are ones I'd say have more information to support that group.
As for the other short stories in the collection, I found them incredibly random and disjointed. Some were good, others meh, but overall, a nice exploration into the mangaka's style and storytelling.
TW: Dysphoria (especially around large breasts), Misgendering, Internalised transphobia, transphobia, mentions of suicide, outdated terminology commonly used in Japan, sexist and objectifying online comments, blood, animal hunting, death and slaughtering. Inanimate object in love with a young girl.
NOTE: This review comes from a white, non-binary person and most of my review will focus on the main story in this collection "To Strip the Flesh"
I quite liked this, but also am mixed on my review of this. I both love it and am stand-offish about parts of it. First and foremost, the author, though not trans herself, has had feelings of dysphoria in the past and used the story as an exploration of those feelings. The dysphoria Chiaki feels is truely relatable, especially having a large chest. His fears with his father's reaction to his transition are handled well. I really ended up liking Chiaki's father, who evolves quite well and has a great arc of growth.
Chiaki's best friend, Takato had good and bad moments. He was Chiaki's best support during high-school, but then when Chiaki wants to pursue surgery as an adult, he uses phrases such as "It won't make you a real man!" and "I hear people try to commit suicide after surgery" which he's not exactly called out on. He comes around, but I'm still not so happy with him.
I LOVE, but am torn, on the imagery the manga uses too. Only because of one thing: A lot of the time, since Chiaki is a butcher, he dreams or imagines his body (specifically his breasts) being removed in the same style as an animal's flesh being dismembered. Now I personally thought this was METAL AS HELL and loved it's dark, edgy, and incredibly therapeutic imagery. I loved it because it's every gender critical's nightmare, and I love reclaiming that. I also worry because I can so easily see this being used by said base against us, and that's disheartening. But I refuse to let them claim their worst nightmares out of my fun dream sequences. I really liked this aspect.
Would I recommend this manga to a trans person? Yes! Would I recommend it to a parent who was new to their child's transition? No, there are ones I'd say have more information to support that group.
As for the other short stories in the collection, I found them incredibly random and disjointed. Some were good, others meh, but overall, a nice exploration into the mangaka's style and storytelling.
TW:
Racism, racist slurs, colonialism, death, death of a parent/spouse, rape, pregnancy from rape, wrongful imprisonment, isolation, torture
An amazing fiction based on history and journals of Erenora, from whom the author is a descendent. I adored the (possible) queer undertones, honesty, and powerful history of Aotearoa.
Racism, racist slurs, colonialism, death, death of a parent/spouse, rape, pregnancy from rape, wrongful imprisonment, isolation, torture
An amazing fiction based on history and journals of Erenora, from whom the author is a descendent. I adored the (possible) queer undertones, honesty, and powerful history of Aotearoa.
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TW: divorce, parents in unhealthy relationships, work accident
This was a fantastic format to tell this story-why not update the "story through letters" book concept with "story through texts" ? Both characters were so likable and felt very true to life.
This was a fantastic format to tell this story-why not update the "story through letters" book concept with "story through texts" ? Both characters were so likable and felt very true to life.
TW: racism, ableism, bullying (main storyline revolves around a lot of it), stereotyping, mentions of a homophobic slur (not said on page), the ableist 's' slur, vomiting
Note: this review comes from a white, autistic ADHD person
3.5 stars
A complicated and interwoven story of similar yet drastically different cercomstances thrust on two boys.
Joe is disabled with SPD (sensory processing disorder) and constantly bullied. The way his SPD is written seems quite accurate to my own and other family members experience with it, but I also liked his broad imperfections as well. How he was accomidated at school for the most part was heartening, aside from his one teacher giving him 'busy work' which was litterally a collection of useless and mundain tasks such as 'find a page in this magazine with no pictures in it, then copy all the words that start with t' etc. She's trying to teach him to remember instructions which just... no? Just accomidate him like you've had all the other teachers do, where his instructions are written down, rather than trying to not only force his inability to be constantly brought up but also infantilize him with these random 'tasks'. Joe's father's ableism also goes largely unresolved by the end of the book, with both his ableism of wanting his son to 'man up' and also his racist comments going unchallenged.
Ravi's story I'm unqualified to comment on, and I recomend one takes the reviews of #ownvoices reviewers before mine in this area. I will say he also seemed a complicated and well flawed character who experienced a lot of positive growth. Overall I'm glad to have read this book.
Note: this review comes from a white, autistic ADHD person
3.5 stars
A complicated and interwoven story of similar yet drastically different cercomstances thrust on two boys.
Joe is disabled with SPD (sensory processing disorder) and constantly bullied. The way his SPD is written seems quite accurate to my own and other family members experience with it, but I also liked his broad imperfections as well. How he was accomidated at school for the most part was heartening, aside from his one teacher giving him 'busy work' which was litterally a collection of useless and mundain tasks such as 'find a page in this magazine with no pictures in it, then copy all the words that start with t' etc. She's trying to teach him to remember instructions which just... no? Just accomidate him like you've had all the other teachers do, where his instructions are written down, rather than trying to not only force his inability to be constantly brought up but also infantilize him with these random 'tasks'. Joe's father's ableism also goes largely unresolved by the end of the book, with both his ableism of wanting his son to 'man up' and also his racist comments going unchallenged.
Ravi's story I'm unqualified to comment on, and I recomend one takes the reviews of #ownvoices reviewers before mine in this area. I will say he also seemed a complicated and well flawed character who experienced a lot of positive growth. Overall I'm glad to have read this book.
TW: racism, Islamophobia, slurs
Huda tells her story in such a funny but hard-hitting way you can't help but finish it in one sitting. Witty, clear, deep, and educational. Perfect reading format for teens.
Huda tells her story in such a funny but hard-hitting way you can't help but finish it in one sitting. Witty, clear, deep, and educational. Perfect reading format for teens.
TW: dragon blood
Started strong but dragged in the middle and rushed the ending. Could have been 1/3 shorter to keep the pace even.
Great concept and fun dragons, just needed more of them and less of the main character's drama. There could have been such great parallels between Silver and her rocky relationship with her father vs Hiyyan and his kidnapped mother, but both storylines stay seperate and one unresolved.
Also, if I had a dime for each time we are told Silver "nibbled", "bit", or "chewed" her bottom lip I'd be a millionaire. It got waaaay annoying to read that over and over again.
Started strong but dragged in the middle and rushed the ending. Could have been 1/3 shorter to keep the pace even.
Great concept and fun dragons, just needed more of them and less of the main character's drama. There could have been such great parallels between Silver and her rocky relationship with her father vs Hiyyan and his kidnapped mother, but both storylines stay seperate and one unresolved.
Also, if I had a dime for each time we are told Silver "nibbled", "bit", or "chewed" her bottom lip I'd be a millionaire. It got waaaay annoying to read that over and over again.