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Some Girls Bind
Jamie knows that she isn't like other girls. She has a secret. She binds her chest every day to feel more like herself. Jamie questions why she is drawn to this practice and why she is afraid of telling her friends, who have their own secrets. Could she really be genderqueer?
192 pages, Paperback
Published February 1, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 131 reviews
February 12, 2019
3.5 stars
First of all, I'm not the biggest poetry reader so you may want to take my opinion with a grain of salt.
Some Girls Bind was such a unique story for me, I've never read a book where the main character is genderqueer before so it was a great experience being able to see through Jamie's eyes.
Jamie are adorably sweet and strong nontheless. I loved seeing how they discovered how they felt about their identity and how that was perceived by other people. Their struggle was so saddening but truthful, this is one of those books that make you feel exactly what the character is going through and that made it a very moving story.
Moreover, we have a friend group in here that was just the most adorable thing to read about, they are all so supportive to each other and they created a safe space where everyone can be their true selves without feeling judged. And that's also another nice thing about this book, every friend had their own challenges and things they had to deal with, it was a very diverse group and we don't get that often.
The problem I had with this book, though was that after finishing it I cannot exactly tell you anything else about Jamie apart from the fact that they are genderqueer. I was expecting to get to know them better but I get the story focuses only on that aspect.
All in all, it was an enjoyable and very eye-opening read but I didn't give it 5 full stars because I would have like to know Jamie outside of their gender identity too.
First of all, I'm not the biggest poetry reader so you may want to take my opinion with a grain of salt.
Some Girls Bind was such a unique story for me, I've never read a book where the main character is genderqueer before so it was a great experience being able to see through Jamie's eyes.
Jamie are adorably sweet and strong nontheless. I loved seeing how they discovered how they felt about their identity and how that was perceived by other people. Their struggle was so saddening but truthful, this is one of those books that make you feel exactly what the character is going through and that made it a very moving story.
Moreover, we have a friend group in here that was just the most adorable thing to read about, they are all so supportive to each other and they created a safe space where everyone can be their true selves without feeling judged. And that's also another nice thing about this book, every friend had their own challenges and things they had to deal with, it was a very diverse group and we don't get that often.
The problem I had with this book, though was that after finishing it I cannot exactly tell you anything else about Jamie apart from the fact that they are genderqueer. I was expecting to get to know them better but I get the story focuses only on that aspect.
All in all, it was an enjoyable and very eye-opening read but I didn't give it 5 full stars because I would have like to know Jamie outside of their gender identity too.
March 5, 2019
“What if this is a test
And the answer is all of the above?”
I love the format of this! <3 The poetic writing is just amazing. So many beautiful quotes I wanted to include, but I think it’s frowned upon to quote the entire book in your review. *sighs*
Jamie is a high school student who identifies as they. Not they as in plural, but they as in not girl or boy: Gender Queer. The story follows Jamie as they “come out” to others about their identity. This book also talks about how to be supportive to someone as we see Jamie’s friends and family respond.
Not only do we get to hear about Jamie, but there are other characters that are going through some tough problems as well. I think this book serves as a good reminder that you never know what someone else is going through. People carry all kinds of insecurities and baggage. It is a really short book, so there is not too much out of the situations of the other characters though.
I hope this book helps someone like books helped Jamie.
**Thanks to netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for free, honest review. I think there also may have been a formatting issue on my copy as sections were repeated multiple times in a row, so I rated and reviewed as if this was just an unintentional error.**
And the answer is all of the above?”
I love the format of this! <3 The poetic writing is just amazing. So many beautiful quotes I wanted to include, but I think it’s frowned upon to quote the entire book in your review. *sighs*
Jamie is a high school student who identifies as they. Not they as in plural, but they as in not girl or boy: Gender Queer. The story follows Jamie as they “come out” to others about their identity. This book also talks about how to be supportive to someone as we see Jamie’s friends and family respond.
Not only do we get to hear about Jamie, but there are other characters that are going through some tough problems as well. I think this book serves as a good reminder that you never know what someone else is going through. People carry all kinds of insecurities and baggage. It is a really short book, so there is not too much out of the situations of the other characters though.
I hope this book helps someone like books helped Jamie.
**Thanks to netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for free, honest review. I think there also may have been a formatting issue on my copy as sections were repeated multiple times in a row, so I rated and reviewed as if this was just an unintentional error.**
October 27, 2018
Don’t you just love when e-books from Netgalley mess up words, passages, or add repeat the same section over and over for half of the book? 😂 The third one happened with this one and I thought I was going crazy.
November 26, 2018
I am a sucker for a book written like poetry and lgbtqia books.
I highly recommend this book to everyone however you identify.
It’s emotional, it’s honest about what someone who is genderqueer and in high school goes through internally and with their loved ones. It isn’t a massively heavy book, I love that it seems to be targeted at younger audiences like it’s teaching the next generation how normal this is and how you can be an ally to anyone learning their identity.
I highly recommend this book to everyone however you identify.
It’s emotional, it’s honest about what someone who is genderqueer and in high school goes through internally and with their loved ones. It isn’t a massively heavy book, I love that it seems to be targeted at younger audiences like it’s teaching the next generation how normal this is and how you can be an ally to anyone learning their identity.
November 5, 2018
The cover has a young female body with the chest bound to look flat, but at this stage we do not know if this is a girl who wants to look like a boy, or something/someone else.
After watching a TV mini series called Butterfly about a young boy who identified as a girl. The mini series centered on his family and how they coped with the news as well as how the young boy himself felt, what he went through at school and with the "system" he had to work through to be herself.
I then noticed this title whilst browsing online and as the TV show had kind of pulled my interest to a subject I had never really given a great deal of thought to and that led to me wanting to read this book.
So I started reading this book not really knowing what was meant by the "hi-lo" terminology. So perhaps I should explain what is meant by this term first . . .I "googled it" here is the result of that search "A hi-lo book, broadly defined, is a title that offers highly interesting subject matter at a low reading level. A number of publishers have focused on producing these books, though they often take slightly different approaches to creating the products that best fit a particular market."
The central character who is the female binding her chest is Jamie. Jamie is secretly binding her chest since she was 14 years old and is scared to reveal that she is doing so to anyone in her family or friends. Jamie has a great group of friends though all seem to have their own issues and the friend can literally talk about anything and everything except their individual secrets. There's Levi who is gay and his boyfriend Evan,, neither boy has officially "come out" to his parents. Though they both decide to "come out" to their families during the course of the book. It's such a shame when one families reaction is that they do not want their gay son any where near their daughter! Eric wants to drop out of swimming but has been continuing as he feels that is what expected of him and is the way to get a scholarship to further education. There's also Nora who has to take care of her younger brother and is literally their only "parent" as her father is an alcoholic. Nora and Jamie always rush to the cubicles to get changed in gym class. Jamie is hiding her binding and Nora is trying to keep her bruises secret.
Jamie struggles with who she is, is she still a daughter and a sister? Jamie knows she doesn't want to be a boy so discovers she is "gender queer". Jamie hides
The person Jamie eventually feels she can speak to is her brother Steve. When he visits home for the weekend he notices his little sister seems quieter and as though something is wrong. It doesn't take too long to get her to confide in him. Steve immediately accepts his sisters wishes and offers to order her the correct clothing item to bind herself safely and correctly. Steve explains about a guy he knows who is gay and how hard it was for him to "come out". I guess Steve openly talking about sexuality lays the ground work for Jamie to explain how she feels, which is "gender queer". The book covers how her parents react and then how her close circle of friends accept her and support her when she reveals she is gender queer to them.
I thought the characters of Jamie and Steve were really well written and I loved how Steve reassured his sister that he loved her no matter what and that he would always be there for her. He also starts talking about the subject of gender which helps Jamie join the conversation and reveal how she has been feeling to them.
The book was an easy, fairly quick read and would be great as a conversation starter in schools, teen groups or even in an at home setting. I think it would be interesting if the other teens in the group had their own stories too. Even though Levi & Evan reveal their sexuality in this book, they could have their own book//books, and I think Nora should have her own book too. This style of book can really help teens broach the awkward subject.
My immediate thoughts when I finished the book were that the feel of the book, and it's writing style reminded me a little of Moonrise by Sarah Crossan. The subjects that Some Girls Bind places the spotlight on also struck me as similar
to Clean by Juno Dawson.
To sum up this is a great book about a group of friends who are slowly choosing their future paths as well as coming to terms with their sense of themselves. I think I actually learnt a few things from this book. Myself not being a teenager or younger person hadn't heard the term "gender queer" but I understand a little more of the subjects of LGBTQIA. I would certainly be interested in taking a look at any future books by this author.
After watching a TV mini series called Butterfly about a young boy who identified as a girl. The mini series centered on his family and how they coped with the news as well as how the young boy himself felt, what he went through at school and with the "system" he had to work through to be herself.
I then noticed this title whilst browsing online and as the TV show had kind of pulled my interest to a subject I had never really given a great deal of thought to and that led to me wanting to read this book.
So I started reading this book not really knowing what was meant by the "hi-lo" terminology. So perhaps I should explain what is meant by this term first . . .I "googled it" here is the result of that search "A hi-lo book, broadly defined, is a title that offers highly interesting subject matter at a low reading level. A number of publishers have focused on producing these books, though they often take slightly different approaches to creating the products that best fit a particular market."
The central character who is the female binding her chest is Jamie. Jamie is secretly binding her chest since she was 14 years old and is scared to reveal that she is doing so to anyone in her family or friends. Jamie has a great group of friends though all seem to have their own issues and the friend can literally talk about anything and everything except their individual secrets. There's Levi who is gay and his boyfriend Evan,, neither boy has officially "come out" to his parents. Though they both decide to "come out" to their families during the course of the book. It's such a shame when one families reaction is that they do not want their gay son any where near their daughter! Eric wants to drop out of swimming but has been continuing as he feels that is what expected of him and is the way to get a scholarship to further education. There's also Nora who has to take care of her younger brother and is literally their only "parent" as her father is an alcoholic. Nora and Jamie always rush to the cubicles to get changed in gym class. Jamie is hiding her binding and Nora is trying to keep her bruises secret.
Jamie struggles with who she is, is she still a daughter and a sister? Jamie knows she doesn't want to be a boy so discovers she is "gender queer". Jamie hides
The person Jamie eventually feels she can speak to is her brother Steve. When he visits home for the weekend he notices his little sister seems quieter and as though something is wrong. It doesn't take too long to get her to confide in him. Steve immediately accepts his sisters wishes and offers to order her the correct clothing item to bind herself safely and correctly. Steve explains about a guy he knows who is gay and how hard it was for him to "come out". I guess Steve openly talking about sexuality lays the ground work for Jamie to explain how she feels, which is "gender queer". The book covers how her parents react and then how her close circle of friends accept her and support her when she reveals she is gender queer to them.
I thought the characters of Jamie and Steve were really well written and I loved how Steve reassured his sister that he loved her no matter what and that he would always be there for her. He also starts talking about the subject of gender which helps Jamie join the conversation and reveal how she has been feeling to them.
The book was an easy, fairly quick read and would be great as a conversation starter in schools, teen groups or even in an at home setting. I think it would be interesting if the other teens in the group had their own stories too. Even though Levi & Evan reveal their sexuality in this book, they could have their own book//books, and I think Nora should have her own book too. This style of book can really help teens broach the awkward subject.
My immediate thoughts when I finished the book were that the feel of the book, and it's writing style reminded me a little of Moonrise by Sarah Crossan. The subjects that Some Girls Bind places the spotlight on also struck me as similar
to Clean by Juno Dawson.
To sum up this is a great book about a group of friends who are slowly choosing their future paths as well as coming to terms with their sense of themselves. I think I actually learnt a few things from this book. Myself not being a teenager or younger person hadn't heard the term "gender queer" but I understand a little more of the subjects of LGBTQIA. I would certainly be interested in taking a look at any future books by this author.
June 30, 2019
I'm disappointed about this book... maybe I've just been spoiled, and I know there aren't a lot of good trans books out there, but this one just didn't 100% work for me.
So, firstly, the title and blurb misgender the main character. I get (in THEORY) why one might not want to spoil things, but this is literally a book about coming out as genderqueer. The blurb mentions that. I assumed originally that 1) this might be a gender-non-conforming (GNC) girl or nonbinary fem who binds, or 2) an AFAB nonbinary person who uses she/her pronouns... I mean, both exist, and I was particularly excited to maybe see more discussion on binding because of misogyny as well as dysphoria--I know personally I feel very uncomfortable with being outside and Looking Like A Girl because men may look at my chest or take it as an invitation to yell things at me. I'm also nonbinary, but obviously I'm not just interested in binding as a dysphoria thing.
But the whole book is about being nonbinary and Jamie does use they/them pronouns, so the blurb (and title)'s misgendering are inaccurate and give reviewers a chance to misgender the main character--which many do. See below. It's just not a good idea, and I found myself repeatedly thinking the title was wasted--yeah, some girls bind, but this isn't about that at all. This isn't about women who bind (a fascinating and underexplored topic), it's about a nonbinary person who binds. Nowhere are cis or at the very least non-trans women who bind explored. You could reasonably come away from this thinking that girls DON'T bind. I just... what???
The other main thing was the speed at which this book runs. I'm not sure if Rory is nonbinary, and I'm not sure if she's trans, and I'm not sure if her experiences of gender issues are just speaking to trans kids. It's not clear. I can see it going either way, but the book definitely did not feel accurate to me or anyone I know because most trans people do not find out they're nonbinary in a week--which is basically what Jamie does. There are about two pages dedicated to why they feel comfortable with the label of genderqueer (as opposed to male or female) and dysphoria. I can't imagine this as an accurate way for cis people to learn about trans people; there is a LOT more thought that goes into these things and it's way more complicated. Dysphoria was genuinely barely mentioned; it frustrated me that Jamie didn't seem to have any reason for feeling nonbinary other than a one-time visit to a cafe dressed as a guy. We don't really get to see them test anything out or explore androgyny, so we can't follow along on the journey properly or honestly get attached.
Also, obligatory "we live in the deep South and my parents aren't accepting until I come out at which point they suddenly are." I don't know; I was seriously frustrated that Jamie's mom went from calling people "queers" to being 100% totally okay with Jamie's pronouns IN THE SPAN OF ONE NIGHT. What. Oh my God.
Okay I'm done I'm sorry; the poetry was honestly very good (to my non-poet eyes) and overall I felt it was an easy book to sit down and read start-to-finish. I'm sorry for complaining so hard; I just feel like it gives me serious 'first book' vibes and I wasn't feeling that.
Ultimately, I don't see myself recommending it to anyone--it didn't feel accurate to my experience, it didn't feel very explanatory for cis people... I don't know. It's a fun read if you just want to sit down and breeze through something, but ultimately I think the book fell short of where it could've been.
So, firstly, the title and blurb misgender the main character. I get (in THEORY) why one might not want to spoil things, but this is literally a book about coming out as genderqueer. The blurb mentions that. I assumed originally that 1) this might be a gender-non-conforming (GNC) girl or nonbinary fem who binds, or 2) an AFAB nonbinary person who uses she/her pronouns... I mean, both exist, and I was particularly excited to maybe see more discussion on binding because of misogyny as well as dysphoria--I know personally I feel very uncomfortable with being outside and Looking Like A Girl because men may look at my chest or take it as an invitation to yell things at me. I'm also nonbinary, but obviously I'm not just interested in binding as a dysphoria thing.
But the whole book is about being nonbinary and Jamie does use they/them pronouns, so the blurb (and title)'s misgendering are inaccurate and give reviewers a chance to misgender the main character--which many do. See below. It's just not a good idea, and I found myself repeatedly thinking the title was wasted--yeah, some girls bind, but this isn't about that at all. This isn't about women who bind (a fascinating and underexplored topic), it's about a nonbinary person who binds. Nowhere are cis or at the very least non-trans women who bind explored. You could reasonably come away from this thinking that girls DON'T bind. I just... what???
The other main thing was the speed at which this book runs. I'm not sure if Rory is nonbinary, and I'm not sure if she's trans, and I'm not sure if her experiences of gender issues are just speaking to trans kids. It's not clear. I can see it going either way, but the book definitely did not feel accurate to me or anyone I know because most trans people do not find out they're nonbinary in a week--which is basically what Jamie does. There are about two pages dedicated to why they feel comfortable with the label of genderqueer (as opposed to male or female) and dysphoria. I can't imagine this as an accurate way for cis people to learn about trans people; there is a LOT more thought that goes into these things and it's way more complicated. Dysphoria was genuinely barely mentioned; it frustrated me that Jamie didn't seem to have any reason for feeling nonbinary other than a one-time visit to a cafe dressed as a guy. We don't really get to see them test anything out or explore androgyny, so we can't follow along on the journey properly or honestly get attached.
Also, obligatory "we live in the deep South and my parents aren't accepting until I come out at which point they suddenly are." I don't know; I was seriously frustrated that Jamie's mom went from calling people "queers" to being 100% totally okay with Jamie's pronouns IN THE SPAN OF ONE NIGHT. What. Oh my God.
Okay I'm done I'm sorry; the poetry was honestly very good (to my non-poet eyes) and overall I felt it was an easy book to sit down and read start-to-finish. I'm sorry for complaining so hard; I just feel like it gives me serious 'first book' vibes and I wasn't feeling that.
Ultimately, I don't see myself recommending it to anyone--it didn't feel accurate to my experience, it didn't feel very explanatory for cis people... I don't know. It's a fun read if you just want to sit down and breeze through something, but ultimately I think the book fell short of where it could've been.
July 30, 2019
Originally posted on: The Quirky Book Nerd
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review*
This is what is considered “hi-lo” fiction—short books that are designed to encourage young, reluctant readers to read more. This one seems like it is aimed for an early middle school to early high school audience, so basically mid-middle grade and early young adult. I did like this story quite a bit and I thought the diversity shown here was fantastic. I love seeing more LGBT+ novels entering the world and it is particularly good to target younger audiences. Novels like these encourage open-mindedness and may help readers become more accepting of others as well as themselves.
I will admit, I felt once again that this was a topic that would have been better suited to a slightly longer format. I think expanding the story just a little bit would help readers connect with the characters and better understand the subjects being addressed. However, James does present and explain the process of discovering ones’ identity in a clear and concise way. This is a positive story that I could definitely see inspiring readers to better understand who they are and helping them view the world in a new light. The main characters were likable and easy to connect with, which makes this a fairly engaging reading experience. Overall, I think this is a solid addition to both hi-lo and LGBT+ literature.
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review*
This is what is considered “hi-lo” fiction—short books that are designed to encourage young, reluctant readers to read more. This one seems like it is aimed for an early middle school to early high school audience, so basically mid-middle grade and early young adult. I did like this story quite a bit and I thought the diversity shown here was fantastic. I love seeing more LGBT+ novels entering the world and it is particularly good to target younger audiences. Novels like these encourage open-mindedness and may help readers become more accepting of others as well as themselves.
I will admit, I felt once again that this was a topic that would have been better suited to a slightly longer format. I think expanding the story just a little bit would help readers connect with the characters and better understand the subjects being addressed. However, James does present and explain the process of discovering ones’ identity in a clear and concise way. This is a positive story that I could definitely see inspiring readers to better understand who they are and helping them view the world in a new light. The main characters were likable and easy to connect with, which makes this a fairly engaging reading experience. Overall, I think this is a solid addition to both hi-lo and LGBT+ literature.
Read
October 9, 2019Written in a prose/poetry style. Quick read. Good for someome who is questioning and needs to feel validatedand that they they are okay. The main character covers questioning their gender. Understanding who they are. And slowly coming out to their friends and family.
"And why must I say that
"I'm lucky"
to be accepted
rather than to say,
"People need to do better.
I'm still a person"?"
This quote reminds me of a conversation my husband and I had about our child and their coming out. We kept being lauded for being great parents because we were accepting. My husband was mad and said "It's horrible that the bar is so low that accepting your child for who they are merits such accolades."
To all those who are not accepted, I am so sorry. You are deserving of way more than that!
"And why must I say that
"I'm lucky"
to be accepted
rather than to say,
"People need to do better.
I'm still a person"?"
This quote reminds me of a conversation my husband and I had about our child and their coming out. We kept being lauded for being great parents because we were accepting. My husband was mad and said "It's horrible that the bar is so low that accepting your child for who they are merits such accolades."
To all those who are not accepted, I am so sorry. You are deserving of way more than that!
February 1, 2019
3.5 Stars
*I received an eArc via NetGalley in exchange for an honest answer*
This book was fine... The only somewhat interesting thing about this book is the fact that the main character was genderqueer. Other than that I found the main character to be pretty bland for me to be honest, and I don't think it's helpful for a character's most interesting trait to be their gender identity. However, I can see how the main character's story could be affirming for another reader and actually how the character's blank personality might help others relate to it even more, by being able to place themselves into the story. I didn't find that the way the story was written (through verse) was particularly impactful, but I don't think it drastically lowered the quality of the story either.
*I received an eArc via NetGalley in exchange for an honest answer*
This book was fine... The only somewhat interesting thing about this book is the fact that the main character was genderqueer. Other than that I found the main character to be pretty bland for me to be honest, and I don't think it's helpful for a character's most interesting trait to be their gender identity. However, I can see how the main character's story could be affirming for another reader and actually how the character's blank personality might help others relate to it even more, by being able to place themselves into the story. I didn't find that the way the story was written (through verse) was particularly impactful, but I don't think it drastically lowered the quality of the story either.
November 22, 2019
This book "Some Girls Bind" is absolutely amazing in every way. From the words that walk in to their places that is so called a story, to the characters coming together like a jigsaw puzzle. The Author Rory James is a amazing book writer and a great storyteller. This book feels like its real in every way. My librainan let me borrow this book to read and i'm glad she did.
December 27, 2021
I was a little concerned going into this book because I hadn't heard much from trans and nonbinary reviewers that I know. However, going into this book was a refreshing, wonderful experience.
It's written as a verse novel from the first person PoV of teenaged Jamie. Right from the start, we are introduced their very queer friendly friendship group (I particularly like the line where one of her friends is worried that he's not queer/doesn't have any secrets and the rest of the group reassures him that's okay).
The novel talks a lot about coming out, it is the focus of the book, for better or worse. We go from Jamie being annoyed that coming out is a thing that even needs to happen, to feeling pressure from their best friend Levi to come out (even though it's not intended that way and does get addressed). We see Jamie being afraid of coming out, of what it will mean to tell more than one person that they are genderqueer.
We see the beautiful support that they get from their older brother Steve. We see the way they stand up and confront their parents when they say thoughtless things. We also see the effects of Levi and his boyfriend coming out to their own parents, with various results.
Some Girls Bind is about community as much as it is about identity. I particularly loved when Jamie went to a poetry reading of a genderqueer poet who also bound their chest, and later took their friend Nora to another poetry reading.
The main complaint I have is that this book was too short, but having said that it really did everything I set itself out to do.
~
Similar to: The Poet X
Sea Foam and Silence
It's written as a verse novel from the first person PoV of teenaged Jamie. Right from the start, we are introduced their very queer friendly friendship group (I particularly like the line where one of her friends is worried that he's not queer/doesn't have any secrets and the rest of the group reassures him that's okay).
The novel talks a lot about coming out, it is the focus of the book, for better or worse. We go from Jamie being annoyed that coming out is a thing that even needs to happen, to feeling pressure from their best friend Levi to come out (even though it's not intended that way and does get addressed). We see Jamie being afraid of coming out, of what it will mean to tell more than one person that they are genderqueer.
We see the beautiful support that they get from their older brother Steve. We see the way they stand up and confront their parents when they say thoughtless things. We also see the effects of Levi and his boyfriend coming out to their own parents, with various results.
Some Girls Bind is about community as much as it is about identity. I particularly loved when Jamie went to a poetry reading of a genderqueer poet who also bound their chest, and later took their friend Nora to another poetry reading.
The main complaint I have is that this book was too short, but having said that it really did everything I set itself out to do.
~
Similar to: The Poet X
Sea Foam and Silence
Read
July 23, 2019Contemporary young adult novel in verse; an ownvoices genderqueer book. It’s a hi-lo book (meaning relatively mature themes but relatively simple language) and I love those, people generally talk about hi-lo books for teens who have language / reading disabilities, but I think they are great for adult language learners too. Writers have different approaches to hi-lo; this book read a bit sparse, and I think something can be poetic even with simple language, while here the author seemed to assume those are the same dimension and kind of shied away from being ‘poetic’. The book was short and fast-moving; that’s great, but I felt that the characters were undescribed to a great extent. (I’m honestly not sure if they were all white.) I very much appreciated that the book discussed both safe and unsafe binding, and solidarity between different kinds of queer people.
The cover and title seemed unfortunate to me, but after reading the book, quite different from the contents and probably a publisher decision with little author input. Small tangent: I am still so surprised how many cars middle-class white Americans have.
Source of the book: Lawrence Public Library
Also on Bogi Reads the World: http://www.bogireadstheworld.com/smal...
The cover and title seemed unfortunate to me, but after reading the book, quite different from the contents and probably a publisher decision with little author input. Small tangent: I am still so surprised how many cars middle-class white Americans have.
Source of the book: Lawrence Public Library
Also on Bogi Reads the World: http://www.bogireadstheworld.com/smal...
May 10, 2019
*thank you to Netgalley and West 44 Books for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
4 stars.
Wow. I dont know what I was really expecting when I took interest in this. It sounded different to anything I had really read and I was right about that. This book was SO good! It was written in verse, a poetic way that made it beautiful. The characters are people who most of us can relate to, with very updated issues. I have never read a story where the main character is genderqueer so I really enjoyed being inside her head.
One word to describe this book, beautiful. Simply beautiful. Im not usually someone who enjoys poetry, but this was well written. Im adding it to books I want to own a physical copy of.
4 stars.
Wow. I dont know what I was really expecting when I took interest in this. It sounded different to anything I had really read and I was right about that. This book was SO good! It was written in verse, a poetic way that made it beautiful. The characters are people who most of us can relate to, with very updated issues. I have never read a story where the main character is genderqueer so I really enjoyed being inside her head.
One word to describe this book, beautiful. Simply beautiful. Im not usually someone who enjoys poetry, but this was well written. Im adding it to books I want to own a physical copy of.
April 24, 2019
A coming out story in verse about a kid who binds and is genderqueer. If I’m reading a coming out story I guess I’d like more insight to feelings on gender, rather than mostly feelings on coming out... also, the name? Girls? She’s not a girl? Idk. I have questions. But if a kid wants a book about coming out as genderqueer, maybe I’d think of this one.
3.5/5
Edit: Now that I've had time to ruminate, I am less impressed. Here's why:
- The title !!!! What tf is the title !!! At the very least cross out Girls. If there is a chapter on parents learning to shift their language why. Is the title. Misgendering. Hello.
- Partly bc of this, I wanted more of an exploration of gender. What is it? How does it not work in this case? I feel like more emphasis was placed on binding which a) feels like skipping the foundations and going straight to building windows and b) as someone with a small chest, I need more actual thoughts and feelings as to why this is a nearly bigger deal than an identity shift, rather than "I'm doing it and it stresses me out to tell my loved ones."
- Connected to the above, I'd love a discussion on genderqueer vs nonbinary and how these two differ, esp in terms of pronouns (esp when you have a title that uses a specific gender)
- All characters lean white
- I'm having a difficult time finding any info on the author, other than the bio that uses "she". Not that cis gender ppl shouldn't write nonbinary characters, but due to the other issues I have w the book, this sat more roughly with me.
- In conclusion, I deeply hope we get better books about nonbinary characters. There's a few coming out this summer, but otherwise, we have a nonbinary book desert and it bothers me very very much.
3.5/5
Edit: Now that I've had time to ruminate, I am less impressed. Here's why:
- The title !!!! What tf is the title !!! At the very least cross out Girls. If there is a chapter on parents learning to shift their language why. Is the title. Misgendering. Hello.
- Partly bc of this, I wanted more of an exploration of gender. What is it? How does it not work in this case? I feel like more emphasis was placed on binding which a) feels like skipping the foundations and going straight to building windows and b) as someone with a small chest, I need more actual thoughts and feelings as to why this is a nearly bigger deal than an identity shift, rather than "I'm doing it and it stresses me out to tell my loved ones."
- Connected to the above, I'd love a discussion on genderqueer vs nonbinary and how these two differ, esp in terms of pronouns (esp when you have a title that uses a specific gender)
- All characters lean white
- I'm having a difficult time finding any info on the author, other than the bio that uses "she". Not that cis gender ppl shouldn't write nonbinary characters, but due to the other issues I have w the book, this sat more roughly with me.
- In conclusion, I deeply hope we get better books about nonbinary characters. There's a few coming out this summer, but otherwise, we have a nonbinary book desert and it bothers me very very much.
January 24, 2019
I was gifted an ebook via Netgalley.
I was looking forward to this book a lot because I'm trying to educate myself to be a good ally. I want to support the #OwnVoices movement as much as possible. Although I was having trouble finding any information on the author, the "about the author" section of the book did say that the author was inspired by their journey with gender.
The issue that I had with this as a reader was that the synopsis is basically the story. There wasn't really a story here. The book is written in prose, which would be my first time reading a novel written in prose, and while I didn't mind it, I felt like the story really didn't have much substance to it. My perspective on this could very well change if I read more prose in the future (which I do plan on doing).
The galley copy itself was a MESS. There was one set of passages that was repeated at least 4 times and there were tons of typos. For example "My Gbortbmtem ringtone". The main character, Jamie, was referred to as "J" at times by their friends but "I" was used instead. Basically, whoever was supposed to review this and make sure it was edited properly in preparation to get beta read, failed. They did the author dirty, if you ask me.
All-in-all, it seemed unfinished and I would definitely have liked more from it as a whole. More of the characters and more plot.
I was looking forward to this book a lot because I'm trying to educate myself to be a good ally. I want to support the #OwnVoices movement as much as possible. Although I was having trouble finding any information on the author, the "about the author" section of the book did say that the author was inspired by their journey with gender.
The issue that I had with this as a reader was that the synopsis is basically the story. There wasn't really a story here. The book is written in prose, which would be my first time reading a novel written in prose, and while I didn't mind it, I felt like the story really didn't have much substance to it. My perspective on this could very well change if I read more prose in the future (which I do plan on doing).
The galley copy itself was a MESS. There was one set of passages that was repeated at least 4 times and there were tons of typos. For example "My Gbortbmtem ringtone". The main character, Jamie, was referred to as "J" at times by their friends but "I" was used instead. Basically, whoever was supposed to review this and make sure it was edited properly in preparation to get beta read, failed. They did the author dirty, if you ask me.
All-in-all, it seemed unfinished and I would definitely have liked more from it as a whole. More of the characters and more plot.
October 30, 2018
A poetic look at the emotions/feelings/concerns of a teen who binds their chest. While they realize that they are genderqueer, their family and friends think that they are female, just as they always have.
Jamie is having a hard time deciding how to tell their parents and friends. They told their best friend Levi about being genderqueer, but wasn't ready to tell about the binding.
I really like this book. I found the poetic presentation stripped the story down to its basics, making the issues clear. This book could be a great aid to those considering similar questions. Parents would also benefit in learning more about some of the many issues under consideration by their children and their friends.
I received an advance reader copy of this book from West44Books and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
#IndigoEmployee
Jamie is having a hard time deciding how to tell their parents and friends. They told their best friend Levi about being genderqueer, but wasn't ready to tell about the binding.
I really like this book. I found the poetic presentation stripped the story down to its basics, making the issues clear. This book could be a great aid to those considering similar questions. Parents would also benefit in learning more about some of the many issues under consideration by their children and their friends.
I received an advance reader copy of this book from West44Books and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
#IndigoEmployee
January 13, 2019
3.5 stars! Wow, this was a really quick read! I think I finished it in just an hour.
I enjoyed the format of Jamie's story being told in verse, but I think it could have used more substance. I feel like the important events happened too quickly (such as Jamie deciding they're non-binary, coming out to their parents, etc), so it just seemed unbelievable to me. I could have used more passages of Jamie coming to terms with who they are as well as how that changes the relationships with friends and family.
Overall, I think this is a solid novel for teens to read that may be confused about who they are, whether that has to do with sexual orientation or gender. There were also quite a few quotes that I highlighted throughout because they were so poignant/well crafted.
Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!
I enjoyed the format of Jamie's story being told in verse, but I think it could have used more substance. I feel like the important events happened too quickly (such as Jamie deciding they're non-binary, coming out to their parents, etc), so it just seemed unbelievable to me. I could have used more passages of Jamie coming to terms with who they are as well as how that changes the relationships with friends and family.
Overall, I think this is a solid novel for teens to read that may be confused about who they are, whether that has to do with sexual orientation or gender. There were also quite a few quotes that I highlighted throughout because they were so poignant/well crafted.
Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!
February 26, 2019
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a review copy.
I gave this a four out of five stars and I really enjoyed it. There someone whose gender queer, gay and, questioning. When the main person Jamie is coming to terms with themself. I noticed some similarities from when I was coming to terms with myself being gay. I absolutely recommend you to pick this up. I highlighted some lines that I liked in things poetry and this book made me cry.
Some lines I liked:
“We’re here, and we’re queer”
“”So what about pronouns?” Levi asks this as he weaves the car out of the park. “How should I refer to you?””
“Whatever you want, I. I just want you to be happy.”
“Whatever you decide— Jamie, James, gay, straight, whatever— it’s okay.”
“”Just always remember: you’re everything you need to be right now and it’s enough.””
“”You’re allowed to panic.””
And there many more I like too.
I gave this a four out of five stars and I really enjoyed it. There someone whose gender queer, gay and, questioning. When the main person Jamie is coming to terms with themself. I noticed some similarities from when I was coming to terms with myself being gay. I absolutely recommend you to pick this up. I highlighted some lines that I liked in things poetry and this book made me cry.
Some lines I liked:
“We’re here, and we’re queer”
“”So what about pronouns?” Levi asks this as he weaves the car out of the park. “How should I refer to you?””
“Whatever you want, I. I just want you to be happy.”
“Whatever you decide— Jamie, James, gay, straight, whatever— it’s okay.”
“”Just always remember: you’re everything you need to be right now and it’s enough.””
“”You’re allowed to panic.””
And there many more I like too.
May 20, 2019
I was really floored by this. I wish I'd had a book like this as a teenager.
About the fears and uncertainty about realizing you do not fit the mold. In this case, an afab teenager begins to embrace their gender nonconformity (binding, they/them pronouns, genderqueer identity). [Where do you fit? Will anyone accept what you know in your heart to be true? What may you lose by moving outside the gender binary?]
Made me tear up a couple times with the extent of the emotions portrayed, but ultimately a happy ending.
About the fears and uncertainty about realizing you do not fit the mold. In this case, an afab teenager begins to embrace their gender nonconformity (binding, they/them pronouns, genderqueer identity). [Where do you fit? Will anyone accept what you know in your heart to be true? What may you lose by moving outside the gender binary?]
Made me tear up a couple times with the extent of the emotions portrayed, but ultimately a happy ending.
January 27, 2020
I was impressed with the amount of ground this volume was able to cover. It does a great job of introducing and explaining what it means to be genderqueer, to bind, the anxiety of coming out, and the microagressions that make life difficult. A very quick read as well, so it makes a great introduction to many of these topics. I'm excited to recommend it in my classroom.
January 16, 2021
Thanks to net galley.com and West 44 books for the advance ARC copy for my honest review.
The formatting on this wasn't the best, this is one that I picked up and put down, almost quit and slogged thought it and glad I finished it. Know this is an uncorrected proof but never read an advance copy that had multiple parts repeated over and over, it kills the story, feel like this totally misses it's mark and is a hot mess.
The poetry parts, the group of friends are the best parts, but why not start with a prologue explaining binding a little bit, add the side effects from doing it and a little bit of the history to breast binding.
The formatting on this wasn't the best, this is one that I picked up and put down, almost quit and slogged thought it and glad I finished it. Know this is an uncorrected proof but never read an advance copy that had multiple parts repeated over and over, it kills the story, feel like this totally misses it's mark and is a hot mess.
The poetry parts, the group of friends are the best parts, but why not start with a prologue explaining binding a little bit, add the side effects from doing it and a little bit of the history to breast binding.
March 2, 2024
i really loved this and seeing their perspective on gender and how people responded to it. i mainly really like this because i can relate to everything jamie was thinking and feeling because i am going through the same thing and it was really inspiring
November 27, 2018
this ARC was one of the worst i have ever encountered (typos galore, keyboard smashes, repeated chapters for 20+%) but the story was good. if i could follow it :/ full review to come on my blog.
January 27, 2019
this was a really nice story. as someone who's struggled with their gender a lot, i feel pretty seen.
actual rating: 3.25/5 stars
actual rating: 3.25/5 stars
January 12, 2020
I'm fairly new to the book in verse format. It was easy to read and understand. The content is a bit newer to me, but I am trying to expand my reading horizons in multiple ways. It was an okay book.
November 16, 2020
i liked the plot a lot but the emojis were a bit weird?
March 29, 2021
I'm glad this book exists. I've definitely seen more teen books with genderqueer characters in them, but binding isn't usually discussed in them. I just wish this book had better quality writing.
December 23, 2022
Just always remenber: you're everything you need to be right now and it's enough.
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