brenticus reviewed This Book is Gay by Juno Dawson
None
3 stars
By and large I think this book covers a lot of important issues that aren't properly taught to youth today. And it does so well, if not super thoroughly, only briefly mentioning identities outside of the more common LGBT letters.
My two main issues are down to tone and audience, and they're kind of related.
The book is pretty lighthearted, cracking jokes regularly and not usually taking itself too seriously. I think it veers too far into this, making it a bit annoying at times and making me feel like it was aiming for a younger audience.
Which is fine, except that I think a fair amount of the content is more appropriate for older teens and young adults. It's not pushy about its discussions of concepts like gay sex, app dating, clubs, and other more mature content, but it's also detailed enough and not quite serious enough about the …
My two main issues are down to tone and audience, and they're kind of related.
The book is pretty lighthearted, cracking jokes regularly and not usually taking itself too seriously. I think it veers too far into this, making it a bit annoying at times and making me feel like it was aiming for a younger audience.
Which is fine, except that I think a fair amount of the content is more appropriate for older teens and young adults. It's not pushy about its discussions of concepts like gay sex, app dating, clubs, and other more mature content, but it's also detailed enough and not quite serious enough about the content that I wouldn't recommend the book to younger teens questioning their identity.
That said, the book covers its content with enough diligence and caution that I think it's a solid enough read, and the concerns in the recent bans feel more like hysterics than real concern for children. There are a couple chapters that deserve some guidance from an adult, but it's all things that kids should be learning anyways, it's just a matter of precisely when and how.
