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goatieboi's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
It had its ups and downs, but over all it was an enjoyable read! I do wish they had a trigger warning for some of the subject matter because it took me out of the book a few times. There is a lot of heaviness to it that I think people should be aware of before they read.
Also, some things could have been condensed because it made the latter half of the book feel a little rushed. I wanted to see more of the main gal thriving and wanted a little less heavy handedness of the message. I say this and I remind myself that this is for teens, not a 30 year old queer.
Again I did enjoy it quite a bit!
Also, some things could have been condensed because it made the latter half of the book feel a little rushed. I wanted to see more of the main gal thriving and wanted a little less heavy handedness of the message. I say this and I remind myself that this is for teens, not a 30 year old queer.
Again I did enjoy it quite a bit!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Toxic friendship, and Transphobia
bobabunnie's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
accurate messy queer teen high school drama (source: i also went to catholic school in morristown nj)
my only complaints are that the ending seemed to be concluding for forever, and a couple of jokes in places that didn’t seem fitting— but otherwise, good story!
my only complaints are that the ending seemed to be concluding for forever, and a couple of jokes in places that didn’t seem fitting— but otherwise, good story!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Religious bigotry, and Transphobia
Moderate: Infidelity, Outing, Physical abuse, Toxic friendship, and Domestic abuse
augie_grabenstein's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
2.0
No section breaks. Scene changes were often very abrupt.
For a book about a queer youth, there was A LOT of homophobia and transphobia in this book.
For a book about a queer youth, there was A LOT of homophobia and transphobia in this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia and Transphobia
Moderate: Alcohol
Minor: Domestic abuse
nat_montego's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Transphobia and Homophobia
Minor: Outing and Domestic abuse
rachelditty's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I really enjoyed this! I didn't know anything about it before reading; I only knew it was queer. I was surprised when the first half wasn't centered around anything LGBT+, and more focused on something strange happening to Mads' family circumstances. But as things unfolded and Mads' worldviews were dissected, I started liking the story more and more. Religion especially was used in a way I'd never really seen before--the main character interacts with members of the church who are bigoted, but still attends mass because she feels it's a place where she is part of a community and things can really feel safe for her. I thought the story was really well done, and even the more disrespectful aspects of the characters' views were portrayed super well and wrapped up neatly. So glad I read this, it was awesome.
Quotes I liked:
"Was it worse to leave him like that or to tell him he was ust part of a sciece experiment? A baking soda volcano, thrown together last minute, without thought. Without care." (p. 237)
"I could have pushed harder, gotten mom to let me stay home. But maybe I wanted to be judged. Maybe I knew the scale of 1 to 10 didn't even come close to being able to rank what I had done." (p. 244)
"Or I can just be myself, and tell people, 'Hey, I'm Amanda! And I happen to be gay!' Maybe even reverse it. 'Hey, I'm gay! And I happen to be Amanda!'" (p. 262).
"Dad was right. Always choose flying over invisibility." (p. 271).
"We don't get to choose who we love. But sometimes we get lucky and fall for someone wonderful." (p. 280).
"Kinda crazy that I had ever thought I was alone." (p. 291).
Quotes I liked:
"Was it worse to leave him like that or to tell him he was ust part of a sciece experiment? A baking soda volcano, thrown together last minute, without thought. Without care." (p. 237)
"I could have pushed harder, gotten mom to let me stay home. But maybe I wanted to be judged. Maybe I knew the scale of 1 to 10 didn't even come close to being able to rank what I had done." (p. 244)
"Or I can just be myself, and tell people, 'Hey, I'm Amanda! And I happen to be gay!' Maybe even reverse it. 'Hey, I'm gay! And I happen to be Amanda!'" (p. 262).
"Dad was right. Always choose flying over invisibility." (p. 271).
"We don't get to choose who we love. But sometimes we get lucky and fall for someone wonderful." (p. 280).
"Kinda crazy that I had ever thought I was alone." (p. 291).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Transphobia, Lesbophobia, Child abuse, Deadnaming, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Physical abuse, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Death, Death of parent, Grief, and Outing
marshiereads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Outing, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, Toxic friendship, Lesbophobia, Transphobia, Sexual assault, and Hate crime
klamsc's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia and Homophobia
Minor: Domestic abuse and Abandonment
danicampbell0506's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia, Outing, Deadnaming, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Religious bigotry, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse
nannahnannah's review
3.0
Kiss Number 8 is a beautifully drawn graphic novel about one girl’s journey to discovering she’s not straight through her grandfather's story -- all while being in a conservative family and environment (a Catholic school with close-minded, homophobic, and transphobic people). However -- and I’ll get into this in more detail -- it doesn’t seem like a story written for lgbt people at all, even though that’s what it’s about. It’s one of those tricky issues where if you’re writing about [blank], are you writing it for that audience, or are you writing it for everyone else to read about them, basically alienating your subject matter?
Representation:
- Amanda, the MC, is bisexual (though, of course, the word is never actually said)
- lots of secondary characters are lgbt
- Cat, one of the main characters, isn’t white
- there are also many secondary characters who are poc
So far, Amanda Orham has had seven not-so-great kisses. But nothing compares to the awfulness that is Kiss Number Eight, which sends her world into chaos. Amanda goes to a private Catholic school and grew up in a conservative household, so when her eight kiss is with a girl, everyone she loves -- including herself -- is beyond shocked. Kiss Number Eight is a book about exploring sexuality, about friendship -- when it works, when it doesn't, when you might need to find new friends who support you -- and mostly about family.
Okay, while I’m in love with the art style (WOW is it ever beautiful and expressive!), I can’t say the same for the story. The concept itself of a girl with a Catholic upbringing following a mystery letter to discover her grandfather was trans, and then discovering that she herself isn't straight? Is fantastic, and sounds like an amazing story. And don’t get me wrong, every moment spent with Amanda and her family is masterfully told and the highlight of the graphic novel no question. Another thing the novel does well is showing how hatred and intolerance is learned. There’s a flashback scene that almost made me cry because it’s just so well done.
But then there’s also that question: who is this written for? Because in the end, there was a lot that made me feel more awful about being who I am than made me feel hopeful (which is the book’s purpose, according to the summary). In over three-fourths of the novel, Amanda, her family, and friends use slurs and talk about how disgusting lgbt people are. They do grow (some of them), but having Amanda shout “Ew! Ew! Eww!” while laughing in response to her friend scornfully wondering if Amanda’s grandfather had surgery (in regards to transitioning) is excruciating. The characters also misgender the trans man for about half the novel, and they call him “sick”, etc. It becomes incredibly difficult to read, at least for me, who experienced abuse at the hand of my family, and some because of my identity. It’s very explicit here, and it’s why I’m wondering who exactly this graphic novel was written for.
Me, for one … I don’t want to read this. If I wanted to read about lgbt folk being abused and misgendered, I could just take a walk outside or call the family I’ve cut off. It feels like this story was meant for people who are not lgbt, to look in on what we’ve experienced, and be like “oh”. Which … isn’t necessarily a bad thing? But it alienates lgbt readers … when the book is about lgbt people. I guess it’s just knowing who you’re writing for. And maybe I’m missing the point, and this was the author’s intent all along.
In which case, the book just wasn’t for me!
Representation:
- Amanda, the MC, is bisexual (though, of course, the word is never actually said)
- lots of secondary characters are lgbt
- Cat, one of the main characters, isn’t white
- there are also many secondary characters who are poc
So far, Amanda Orham has had seven not-so-great kisses. But nothing compares to the awfulness that is Kiss Number Eight, which sends her world into chaos. Amanda goes to a private Catholic school and grew up in a conservative household, so when her eight kiss is with a girl, everyone she loves -- including herself -- is beyond shocked. Kiss Number Eight is a book about exploring sexuality, about friendship -- when it works, when it doesn't, when you might need to find new friends who support you -- and mostly about family.
Okay, while I’m in love with the art style (WOW is it ever beautiful and expressive!), I can’t say the same for the story. The concept itself of a girl with a Catholic upbringing following a mystery letter to discover her grandfather was trans, and then discovering that she herself isn't straight? Is fantastic, and sounds like an amazing story. And don’t get me wrong, every moment spent with Amanda and her family is masterfully told and the highlight of the graphic novel no question. Another thing the novel does well is showing how hatred and intolerance is learned. There’s a flashback scene that almost made me cry because it’s just so well done.
But then there’s also that question: who is this written for? Because in the end, there was a lot that made me feel more awful about being who I am than made me feel hopeful (which is the book’s purpose, according to the summary). In over three-fourths of the novel, Amanda, her family, and friends use slurs and talk about how disgusting lgbt people are. They do grow (some of them), but having Amanda shout “Ew! Ew! Eww!” while laughing in response to her friend scornfully wondering if Amanda’s grandfather had surgery (in regards to transitioning) is excruciating. The characters also misgender the trans man for about half the novel, and they call him “sick”, etc. It becomes incredibly difficult to read, at least for me, who experienced abuse at the hand of my family, and some because of my identity. It’s very explicit here, and it’s why I’m wondering who exactly this graphic novel was written for.
Me, for one … I don’t want to read this. If I wanted to read about lgbt folk being abused and misgendered, I could just take a walk outside or call the family I’ve cut off. It feels like this story was meant for people who are not lgbt, to look in on what we’ve experienced, and be like “oh”. Which … isn’t necessarily a bad thing? But it alienates lgbt readers … when the book is about lgbt people. I guess it’s just knowing who you’re writing for. And maybe I’m missing the point, and this was the author’s intent all along.
In which case, the book just wasn’t for me!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Transphobia, Homophobia, and Domestic abuse
also: misgendering, sexual coercionlivcbrown's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia, Religious bigotry, Death, Transphobia, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Fatphobia, Domestic abuse, Deadnaming, Bullying, Toxic friendship, and Outing