An eager, curious, and vulnerable exploration of a complex topic.
In this graphic narrative that blends the personal and historical, cartoonist Newlevant explores how queer people’s organizing and resisting have shaped their experiences and the evolution of their identity.
Using an anecdote about their first coming-out experience at age 12 as a springboard, Newlevant begins with a deep dive into the origins of labels for sexual identity in the West and the concept of coming out as a queer milestone. The author then ventures into topics like mid-20th-century resistance against U.S. governmental discrimination, the evolution of medical transition and healthcare for transgender people, and shifting societal expectations around gender. The narrative flows back and forth, with natural, conversational segues connecting Newlevant’s memories of their youth to related historical context that primarily focuses on the U.S. and Europe. Page layouts with illustrations unrestrained by comic panels contribute to the narrative’s momentum. Throughout, a pink-haired, light-skinned Newlevant offers speech-bubbled commentary, helping to break up longer sections of text and maintain a casual tone. In both their personal and historical reflections, Newlevant embraces honesty and human complexity with open, gently humorous critique. This queer history illuminates the intimate and ongoing connection between the past and present, inviting readers to participate in self-reflection and discovery.
An eager, curious, and vulnerable exploration of a complex topic. (source notes, photo sources, recommended reading) (Graphic nonfiction. 14-18)Pub Date: May 12, 2026
ISBN: 9780316274227
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Little, Brown Ink
Review Posted Online: March 9, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
Small but mighty necessary reading.
A miniature manifesto for radical queer acceptance that weaves together the personal and political.
Eli, a cis gay white Jewish man, uses his own identities and experiences to frame and acknowledge his perspective. In the prologue, Eli compares the global Jewish community to the global queer community, noting, “We don’t always get it right, but the importance of showing up for other Jews has been carved into the DNA of what it means to be Jewish. It is my dream that queer people develop the same ideology—what I like to call a Global Queer Conscience.” He details his own isolating experiences as a queer adolescent in an Orthodox Jewish community and reflects on how he and so many others would have benefitted from a robust and supportive queer community. The rest of the book outlines 10 principles based on the belief that an expectation of mutual care and concern across various other dimensions of identity can be integrated into queer community values. Eli’s prose is clear, straightforward, and powerful. While he makes some choices that may be divisive—for example, using the initialism LGBTQIAA+ which includes “ally”—he always makes clear those are his personal choices and that the language is ever evolving.
Small but mighty necessary reading. (resources) (Nonfiction. 14-18)Pub Date: June 2, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-09368-9
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2020
A powerful reminder of a history that is all too timely today.
A beautifully heart-wrenching graphic-novel adaptation of actor and activist Takei’s (Lions and Tigers and Bears, 2013, etc.) childhood experience of incarceration in a World War II camp for Japanese Americans.
Takei had not yet started school when he, his parents, and his younger siblings were forced to leave their home and report to the Santa Anita Racetrack for “processing and removal” due to President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Executive Order 9066. The creators smoothly and cleverly embed the historical context within which Takei’s family’s story takes place, allowing readers to simultaneously experience the daily humiliations that they suffered in the camps while providing readers with a broader understanding of the federal legislation, lawsuits, and actions which led to and maintained this injustice. The heroes who fought against this and provided support to and within the Japanese American community, such as Fred Korematsu, the 442nd Regiment, Herbert Nicholson, and the ACLU’s Wayne Collins, are also highlighted, but the focus always remains on the many sacrifices that Takei’s parents made to ensure the safety and survival of their family while shielding their children from knowing the depths of the hatred they faced and danger they were in. The creators also highlight the dangerous parallels between the hate speech, stereotyping, and legislation used against Japanese Americans and the trajectory of current events. Delicate grayscale illustrations effectively convey the intense emotions and the stark living conditions.
A powerful reminder of a history that is all too timely today. (Graphic memoir. 14-adult)Pub Date: July 16, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-60309-450-4
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Top Shelf Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 4, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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