I absolutely adored my time reading Gender is Really Strange. The artwork is lovely and its contents are well researched and concise.

This graphic novel condenses a huge topic into so few pages, but does so well. It is a great introduction to gender in the sociological, cultural, and biological senses.

I was particularly impressed with the attention paid to Indigenous cultures' perspectives on gender and how the binary concept of gender is tied to colonialism. Although the work is so short, a lot of different cultures were briefly showcased.

I loved that Gender is Really Strange tackled aspects of the medical, biological, and neuroscience aspects of gender as well. It was refreshing to see such a beautiful marriage of both the "traditional" and social sciences in this short book.

This book does lightly touch on some more complex ideas and topics regarding gender, so I think it is best viewed as a starting point for further exploration on the topic. A glossary of terms would be beneficial to include for readers to refer to. The sources cited throughout are a wonderful way for readers to get more depth of information on the topics mentioned.

Special shout out for the inclusion of the concept of resilience frameworks. I loved to see the concept included in this work!

I wholeheartedly recommend picking this up if you are interested in getting a bit of the basics about gender in an aesthetically pleasing package.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a digital copy in exchange for my review.

With what might be the most perfect book title, ‘Gender is Really Strange’ is an incredibly informative book that should be stocked in every library. Because you know what? Gender is really strange, but it’s also beautiful & fascinating. This is a relatively short book &, being a graphic novel, it’s incredibly accessible in format. It’s very well researched & informed, exploring gender through the lense of history, culture, religion, society, & biology. While some of the biology aspects went a little over my head, it really helped to illustrate just how much is going on inside of us & how that can impact our self-image just as much as what is going on around us. And really illustrated just how much we still don’t understand about human biology because the lense that it is traditionally studied through is cisheteronormative.

In just one sitting & a handful of pages, I’ve learned more about identity, gender, & human biology than I did in all my years in school. And it’s delivered in such a beautiful way - the art style is so fun & unique.

BRB - Going to make sure that my local library is going to order many copies of this book!

Thank you to Jessica Kingsley Publishing & NetGalley for providing an advanced digital copy of this book for review. All thoughts & opinions are my own.

Non-fiction graphic novel about gender. The art was nice and it has good information. Definitely worth a read if it comes across your path. Quick read.

Whether you’re a member of the LGBTQ+ community or an ally, this book is a good read for challenging and broadening your ideas of gender. What sets this book apart from other non-fiction LGBTQ+ books is the discussion of how culture, anatomy, and neurology intersects and influences gender.

Though the Canva-like illustrations aren’t my style, it complements the welcoming and informative material in an approachable way. I wish there was more attention given to the flow of text bubbles and defining acronyms to avoid confusion, especially on pages using medical terminology.

Thank you NetGalley and Jessica Kingsley Publishers for sending this e-book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the earc for review.

I thoroughly enjoyed Gender is Really Strange, I felt it had the perfect balance of technical science and the experiences of other cultures different than my own, it's interesting just how many different cultures have more than 2 genders as the norm and how it is shown as a sign of spirituality and their role in their community.. The art style was really catching and went smoothly with the theme of the book.I would defintiely read another book in this series in the future.

Thank you to Jessica Kingsley Pub and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in return for a review.

Gender is Really Strange centers around the idea of gender and its origins, as well as its current role in society.

Developed as an illustrated guide, Geotz presents their research and theories in an easily digestible way for non-academics. But be warned, there are still some technical sections to this book that I was even getting lost in, but overall it was an interesting read and taught me knew things about a topic I don’t know too much about. Exactly what I wanted this book to accomplish.

I thoroughly enjoyed this! I am a “gender is dumb and I wanna go home” person who is perceived as a woman by everyone, and it’s something I often struggle with, but this book made me feel seen.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for giving me this eArc to review.

This was a nice little book that explored gender both through the white western perspective and other cultures. The art and graphics are really nice to look at and everything is sited. It was nice to read about from the genderqueer perspective and I think this would be ideal for trans and cis people to read.

A helpful introduction to gender identities and the societal, biological, and historic things behind them. I agree with some other reviewers that the art style felt a little informal, but I think for the correct reader this will be a great resource.

I received a free copy of Gender is Really Strange from Netgalley and Jessica Kingsley Publishers in exchange for an honest review.
A good reference book for definitions of gender, sexuality, and many related topics. The art was lovely as well, adding to the overall vibe of the book being positive and inclusive. Touches on biology, social, and cultural definitions and helps the reader to understand some of the intricacies of the overlaps between them. This is a great place to start if you’re looking for a guide.

a fantastic beginners introduction to analysing and learning about all things gender related, with illustrations and text as engaging as each other.

Beautifully illustrated factual book about what gender is. It’s as simple as that, factually based and wonderfully queer inclusive.

Short in length but expansive in subject, Gender is Really Strange is a great informative, accessible introduction to a discussion of gender.

This graphic novel tackles various aspects of gender: how it is different from sex, how colonization led to erasing native cultural expressions of gender (or lack of it), how hormones work, and how and why people question their gender, among other topics.

It is a surface introduction to these topics, so don't expect something super in-depth if you already know these topics; the audience for this is people who know little to nothing about how gender really is just a social construct, and provides tools to help people take their first steps in deconstructing the gender binary on a personal level.

Though I was aware of many topics in here, I still found this very informative; I especially enjoyed the section on various native presentations of gender (or lack thereof) that colonization's enforcement of the gender binary eventually eclipsed.

We can always stand to learn something new, and Gender is Really Strange is a fantastic way to do so.

Thanks to NetGalley and Jessica Kingsley Publishers for the opportunity to read this. Gender is Really Strange will be released on October 19th.

3. stars

A pretty informative graphic novel on gender. Loved the art style! I would definitely recommend this to people who want to know more about gender, but don't particularly know where to start.

This graphic novel discusses biology, but also culture and sociology. And definitely scores some extra points on being intersectional and inclusive!

What first attracted me was the cover, and I can confirm the art is equally beautiful throughout the graphic novel. This book is an informative short read on the weirdness of gender.

It tackles the topic from lots of different and well-researched angles - you'll learn about cultural, biological and historical factors that contribute to our current understanding of gender, and smashes some common myths along the way. Recommended for anyone looking to learn more.

✨Disclaimer ✨
I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This review is largely coloured by the mismatch of what I expected this book to be, and what it actually turned out to be. I think this is a very informative text presented in a clear and enticing format, but what caught me by surprise was how much existing knowledge it requires from its reader, and there was something jarring there to me.

Content-wise, this is an academic text about various social, biological, and cultural factors impacting our understanding of gender. It seems aimed at those who already have a solid grasp of the basic introductory material of that subject. However the tone with which it's presented feels much more like it's trying to be an introductory text for those curiously exploring the topic for the first time. The book goes from "Think of the first time you were aware that you had a gender." to "21-hyrdoxylase deficiency, the most common cause of congential adrenal hyperplasia...." in exactly 6 pages.

Overall the book feels aimed at a very confusing target audience who is somehow simultaneously new to thinking about/questioning gender, already knows and understands a good chunk of gender vocabulary, and is also interested in biomedical science.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This book is well researched which is evidenced by the references provided and the addition of further possible reading throughout. The images are inclusive and representative including different abilities and races which I love as it shows how easy it is to be inclusive. I also liked the inclusion of historical examples and different country/culture examples to help show how much of an ethnocentric and recent issue the insistence of only 2 genders is.

This was a quick and easy book to read and understand. It is perfect for those interested in learning more about the complexities of gender because the way that society as a whole currently knows it.

It is so much more complex and beautiful. This book opens that conversation up into manageable pieces with beautiful art.

I would highly recommend this book!

I cannot stress the importance of this graphic novel! It provides a lot of information in a small package, and is a nice overview of such a complex topic. While it read like a scholarly article, the presentation of the material is accessible to all readers.

What does it mean to be trans? Non-Binary? Gender Expansive?
What parts of gender come from society? What parts come from within?
How much is biology, and how much is socialization?

Really well done and very informative. Everyone should read this.