'It's a boy!' or 'It's a girl!' are the first words almost all of us hear when we enter the world. Before our names, before we have likes and dislikes - before we, or anyone else, has any idea who we are. And two years ago, as Juno Dawson went to tell her mother she was (and actually, always had been) a woman, she started to realise just how wrong we've been getting it.
Gender isn't just screwing over trans people, it's messing with everyone. From little girls who think they can't be doctors to teenagers who come to expect street harassment. From exclusionist feminists to 'alt-right' young men. From men who can't cry to the women who think they shouldn't. As her body gets in line with her mind, Juno tells not only her own story, but the story of everyone who is shaped by society's expectations of gender - and what we can do about it.
Featuring insights from well-known gender, feminist and trans activists including Rebecca Root, Laura Bates, Gemma Cairney, Anthony Anaxagorou, Hannah Witton, Alaska Thunderfuck and many more, The Gender Games is a frank, witty and powerful manifesto for a world where what's in your head is more important than what's between your legs.
Part autobiography, part social commentary, Juno writes like we're having a chat over a cup of tea - frank, funny and rude. She looks at all aspects of gender at all stages of life, from first toys through to puberty and experimenting at university, and shows how it screws us up at every turn - limiting our choices, making us victims for bullies, and making us doubt ourselves.
Juno spends a lot of book analysing the media, especially the token female in TV shows and the "strong female character" that is only popular because of physical strength, a typically male attribute. Having grown up in the 90's, Juno had different role models, namely the Spice Girls (as she mentions often). But now, teenagers have a worrying amount of pressure online, from instagram-famous people looking polished and perfect. Many, Juno included, would think that these filtered and cropped photos are something to aspire to, no matter what, and that can be a source to great mental and physical upheaval. Alongside to social commentary of the lack of diverse role models, Juno links all this to her teenage ambition to be famous, for no other reason than "it looked like a lot of fun".
One of my favourite chapters was where Juno discusses sex and the promiscuity of gay men, having been one and definitely living up to the stereotype! Juno also talks about the concept of virginity and the social construct that is "slut"; as men can sleep around but women apparently can't, this is another way that gender messes with our perceptions of self-worth and sexuality. As a feminist, but also a cis-woman, this chapter, along with "why men need feminism too", meant a lot and also explained a lot about gender stereotypes and different perspectives of how assumptions can harm all genders.
I completely loved this book. Parts might have been a bit uncomfortable or crude, but it was a very funny and clever dissection of how modern society's gender notions whether consciously or not - and how it damages us. Things like male entitlement, segregation in PE lessons (and apparently gendered sport, like rugby and netball) to feminism and diversity in the media, Juno tackled a lot while still remaining funny, clear, a little self-deprecating, and non-judgemental. She makes it clear she can only speak from her own experiences and many others might have different ones, but everyone can learn a little something from her (even if it's just how much she loves the Spice Girls!).
Published 1st June 2017 by Two Roads.
An inspiring, uplifting and sympathetic story about sexuality and self-acceptance, Lucy Sutcliffe's debut memoir is a personal and moving coming out story. In 2010, at seventeen, Lucy Sutcliffe began an online friendship with Kaelyn, a young veterinary student from Michigan. Within months, they began a long distance relationship, finally meeting in the summer of 2011. Lucy's video montage of their first week spent together in Saint Kitts, which she posted to the couple's YouTube channel, was the first in a series of films documenting their long-distance relationship. Funny, tender and candid, the films attracted them a vast online following. Now, for the first time, Lucy's writing about the incredible personal journey she's been on; from never quite wanting the fairy-tale of Prince Charming to realising she was gay at the age of 14, through three years of self-denial to finally coming out to friends and family, to meeting her American girlfriend Kaelyn.
Firstly, I don't watch Lucy's videos, and when I heard about this book, I didn't know who she was but I was interesting in her story; it's something different to what I usually read and of course very inspirational by the sound of it. And while I did have a few niggling issues, I really enjoyed it. I liked Lucy's whole background, from making friends to moving to a bigger secondary school, getting bullied, all of these experiences made Lucy who she is and proved that she is more than just her sexuality.
The book was purely chronological, which might not have been the best way of setting it out as an autobiography, as the first few chapters on childhood friends was a little boring, but I actually took it as a story. That way, the back story just built up to the main plot, learning and accepting her sexuality and meeting Kaelyn.
Like I said, I was reading like a story, almost fiction in the way its set out and that worked for me. However, I would have loved some more of modern-day Lucy, like how she and Kaelyn worked as a couple and some more mention of their YouTube channel. I can understand why Lucy would want to keep some aspects of their relationship private but just skating over the "getting to know you" part of their relationship felt like I was skipping a chapter! Having said that, I did enjoy how it wasn't just about them, there was an overarching message about the LGBT community and how it supports each other and how the girls contributed to it, that was very touching to hear about.
There is also a tour-wide giveaway to win one of 3 copies of this brilliant book! Click here to go to the rafflecopter page.
Published 24th June 2016 by Scholastic. Thank you to the publisher and Faye Rogers PR for my copy in exchange for an honest review.
How would you describe yourself? Do you like to stand out, or fit in? Are you an Instagram junkie, or is Snapchat more your thing? Are you watching Zoella on YouTube, or reading Rookie on your phone? We're all different, and no-one's teenage years are the same. But we do all have one thing in common - being a teenager is about discovering who we are, and who we want to be.
Even though I am out of my teenage years, I like to read non-fiction based on those years. I remember my teens with equal parts horror and love, so any helpful advice to give to my 12 year old self would be lovely, and this was just that.
I actually hadn't heard of Rosalind Jana before I saw this book but after reading it, I will have to look her up. Her story of a brief modeling career, battling surgery on her back, her parent's tough backgrounds and still having a positive outlook was inspirational.
The chapters were split into things like clothes, friendships, family life, beauty tips and school. As a fashion model and writer, she also highlighted creative outlets, like sewing your own clothes, starting a blog, getting into photography and more; admitedly, the clothes stuff kind of went over my head (as much as I'd like to, I don't know my way around a sewing machine!) but I did appreciate the brilliant continuous feminist message about self-esteem and body image.
Overall, Rosalind's advice was sound, very helpful and covered loads of topics from bullies to losing your virginity! I definitely would have loved this at age 13, especially the advice on school and exam stress. As she covered lots of aspects of life, nothing was very detailed but definitely an author to watch.
Published 9th June 2016 by Wayland. Thank you to the publisher for my copy in exchange for an honest review.
