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j00j's review against another edition
4.0
This was an enjoyable and interesting read. There's a lot of great stuff about family (chosen and biological, though Bergman points out in the title that there are many things that bind people together beyond simple choice or biology) here, and Bergman is pretty eloquent on the subject. Definitely worth a read if you're interested in queer family, particularly queer parenting, but I think there's something here for everyone. Might also be a good read for some straight parents of queer and/or trans kids.
granite's review against another edition
5.0
This book makes me weepy in the best kind of way; it gives a kind of fierce bouncy hope and positivity about creating queer families. I wish this book had been around when I was just coming out and my mother and my brain were making concerned noises because they didn't know any gay, never mind queer, families; I am glad it is out now, when so many of the people in my life including me are queer or trans or nonbinary. As with all Bear's books it often feels lifesaving, and always feel validating and like home.
abigailcrawford's review against another edition
4.0
I liked this! Bear writes a lot like his friend Ivan, so it is easy to read and does a lot to normalize the queer, trans masculine family he has created with his husband, their love for their sweet child, and for their other intimate relationships.
I wish Bear had got more into the nitty-gritty of what it looks to genuinely be supported by a community as parents. We hear about a playdate, and about them hosting weekly dinners (rather than being hosted!), but not much beyond that.
I also wish Bear was more conscious of disability solidarity - rather than claiming the way he shows his love to his intimates as mental illness and other similar instances where disability is used as a joke or flippantly.
But overall, I appreciate the lenses Bear write from and his openness in sharing his stories.
I wish Bear had got more into the nitty-gritty of what it looks to genuinely be supported by a community as parents. We hear about a playdate, and about them hosting weekly dinners (rather than being hosted!), but not much beyond that.
I also wish Bear was more conscious of disability solidarity - rather than claiming the way he shows his love to his intimates as mental illness and other similar instances where disability is used as a joke or flippantly.
But overall, I appreciate the lenses Bear write from and his openness in sharing his stories.
nelkku's review
4.0
Look, I really really liked this because chosen family is my favourite thing. I loved mostly everything he wrote about his own chosen family dynamics. That said, I really disliked the way he wrote about experiences outside of his own.
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