The book follows Kobabe from childhood to adulthood, taking the reader through the paradoxes and juxtapositions of societal expectations and identity. Gender Queer is an award-winning graphic novel memoir that explores author Maia Kobabe’s journey through discovering eir sexuality and gender in a world that is very heteronormative and binary. The story provides something that every teenager can relate to and is definitely a book I would highly recommend. The book is a very heartwarming story about diligence and hard work in the face of adversity and following your dreams even when the world tells you otherwise. There were only a few brief references to it throughout the entire book and by comparison, there have been more explicit scenes in required reading literary pieces than in Lawn Boy.
Critics have labeled it pedophilic and pornographic.Īlthough the scene itself is explicit and sexual, it is not nearly as appalling as it was made out to be, and contained neither pornographic or pedophilic content. One of the main reasons the book had become controversial was because of a scene narrator Muñoz describes with another classmate when they were kids. In fact, it was actually quite refreshing to see such a blunt perspective, and it made the plot and Muñoz’s character more enthralling. More so, it felt as though there were no artistic flourishes to try and brighten Michael Muñoz’s reality like a rose-colored filter, it simply was what it was. The writing seemed a little crass at times, but not in a way that was unexpected or shocking. The reader is forced to face the constant pressure and slew of beatdowns that people like Mike face as they get lucky and hope for the best only to be sent back to square one. In many ways, Muñoz represents a somewhat Holden Caulfield-esque character, as Mike wonders how he can find his place in the world when he’s living paycheck to paycheck. Mike is a kid with a good heart and a passion for landscaping, but always seems to be stuck behind barriers outside of his control. Jonathan Evison’s semi-autobiographical novel tackles issues about race and class and takes jabs at the double-standard of the American dream.Įvison explores the life of a boy named Michael “Mike” Muñoz and his journey to understand where he fits in society when his life feels somewhat stuck.
I decided to take a closer look and see what it was about these books that were catching the attention of the nation. Questions over these books have prompted LFHS to create a book review committee. What started as a complaint in Fairfax County, Virginia over two books in the school library, Lawn Boy by Jonathan Evison and Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe, sparked a fire of book bans and challenges across the country.
In the wake of nation-wide debates about the content taught in schools, books have taken the brunt of the criticism.
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