Status
Checked out
Publication
Zest Books (2014), 256 pages
Description
Eschewing female stereotypes throughout her early years and failing to gain acceptance on the boys' baseball team, Liz learns to embrace her own views on gender as she comes of age, in an anecdotal graphic novel memoir.
Media reviews
s there any grade-school struggle more defining than the desire to fit in? In her first full-length graphic novel, award-winning comics artist Prince tells the story of her lifelong battle with gender stereotypes through the lens of her tomboy childhood, marked by a preference for male role models,
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slouchy oversize clothes, and some serious bullying. As a kid, Prince chafed at femininity—“Given the chance, I’d much rather wield a sword than wear a tiara”—but her offbeat choices made it hard for her to find friends or a boyfriend. She starts to believe that her disinterest in being girly is what makes her unlikable, and soon she feels embarrassed by being a girl altogether. Luckily, she eventually finds a group of people who appreciate her differences and don’t expect her to act a particular way just because she is a girl. Prince’s tongue-in-cheek black-and-white line drawings, in a charming style reminiscent of Jeffrey Brown’s autobiographical comics, pack a punch in this empowering memoir that should have ample appeal for any kid who feels like an outsider. Show Less
User reviews
LibraryThing member weener
Picked this up at the comic store today, sat down to read it and didn't stop until I was done. SO GOOD.
Surely part of the reason I was so enthralled was that there were so many similarities with my life. I was a total tomboy too.
-I was humiliated when forced to wear a dress
-I wanted to dress like
-I went through a teen/tween phase of hating girls because boys were so much cooler and realizing later that it was really the expectations and treatment society placed on women that I hated.
-A new teacher mistook me for a boy once, and wouldn't believe the other kids in my class when they insisted I was a girl.
-Strangers told me I was going into the girls' bathroom as if I were making a mistake...and I was kind of flattered by this.
-One time I had a great time playing with a boy I had just met at an after-school program. When the teachers said "Diana, your mom is here," the boy was horrified to find out that he'd spent the last 2 hours having fun with a GIRL.
-The last page is still totally me: getting mistaken for a man as a 5'5" adult, wearing a skirt and a form-fitting blouse, swaggering away thinking "Still got it." (I've had 4 people call me "sir" or inquire about my gender since my last haircut.) ;)
Anyway, it was almost eerie how much this mirrored my life. The art was charming, the writing was great. Highly recommended.
Surely part of the reason I was so enthralled was that there were so many similarities with my life. I was a total tomboy too.
-I was humiliated when forced to wear a dress
-I wanted to dress like
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a boy and do boy things and wondered why this meant both boys and girls thought I was an asshole-I went through a teen/tween phase of hating girls because boys were so much cooler and realizing later that it was really the expectations and treatment society placed on women that I hated.
-A new teacher mistook me for a boy once, and wouldn't believe the other kids in my class when they insisted I was a girl.
-Strangers told me I was going into the girls' bathroom as if I were making a mistake...and I was kind of flattered by this.
-One time I had a great time playing with a boy I had just met at an after-school program. When the teachers said "Diana, your mom is here," the boy was horrified to find out that he'd spent the last 2 hours having fun with a GIRL.
-The last page is still totally me: getting mistaken for a man as a 5'5" adult, wearing a skirt and a form-fitting blouse, swaggering away thinking "Still got it." (I've had 4 people call me "sir" or inquire about my gender since my last haircut.) ;)
Anyway, it was almost eerie how much this mirrored my life. The art was charming, the writing was great. Highly recommended.
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LibraryThing member Kaethe
There has been rather a lot of attention to the particular problems of transgender children lately: news accounts of parents being supportive and being so violently opposed to their child's identity that suicide becomes the only option.
Prince's story is set at the edge of those: as a girl she hated
It's a great story, amusingly told. And although Prince's sartorial choices are uniquely specific, the theme is as universal as they come. Particularly recommended for middle school students who are under the worst pressure to conform to norms.
Hee, I should mention that the author blurb is particularly brilliant.
Library copy
Prince's story is set at the edge of those: as a girl she hated
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wearing skirts or dresses with the fiery passion of a billion suns going supernova. Although she didn't want to dress like a girl, or adopt obvious clues to femininity like long hair, she wasn't a boy, either. This book is about how she copes with society's expectations and her own inclinations, figuring out her romantic inclinations, finding her way through school and life, and finding the people she felt most comfortable with. It's a great story, amusingly told. And although Prince's sartorial choices are uniquely specific, the theme is as universal as they come. Particularly recommended for middle school students who are under the worst pressure to conform to norms.
Hee, I should mention that the author blurb is particularly brilliant.
Library copy
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LibraryThing member Brainannex
Good, not great, story of a young girl who just isn't very girly. Some very funny and cringe-worthy moments, but not a superstar graphic novel.
LibraryThing member zzshupinga
Growing up Liz Prince wasn’t what you call a girly girl. She didn’t like dressing in pink, or playing princess, or heaven help you if you tried to put her in a dress. She didn’t want any of that. Instead, she liked playing baseball, looking at worms and dead things on the ground, and running
One of the hardest, and worst, things about growing up is being told that we have to fit in. That we must conform to this box that society shoves us into based upon gender, or our race, or our religion…or anything. It insists that pink and dresses and playing house are for girls and blue and overalls and playing rough are for boys. And the lines are to never be crossed. It is the worst and most damaging lie that we tell children. In this memoir Liz prince takes that box, tells it to get lost, and shows us how she find her path and place in this world. “Tomboy” a phrase once used as an insult, becomes a rallying cry of marching to the beat of your own drummer. Of being true to yourself.
Even though Liz is writing this book from the perspective of a young woman, the message, and the story within it, are ones that we can all relate too. I found myself reading and nodding along (and in some places shouting out “Yes, yes! Someone else knows what I was feeling) as Liz tries so hard to be herself, but still fit into the world around her. I was the opposite of Liz, I got along better with girls, enjoyed more quiet things, although I never did like pink. Like Liz, I had trouble finding where I fit in, still do sometimes too be honest. But like Liz, as I’ve gotten older I’ve found the groups and people that accept me as I am. And this book gives me a little bit more hope that I had before.
Liz tells her story in short anecdotes of her life, of growing up with parents that were accepting (which seems to be a rarity these days), of trying to find where she fits into the school world, and of finally finding comfort in just being herself and finding a group that accepts her as she is. Throughout these stories Liz touches on some heavy topics including dealing with bullying, of feeling like you’re alone and that no one understands you, and finally…of accepting who you are and knowing that there are others that will accept you as you are as well. She tells her story with a bit of humor, a lot of emotion, and all heart, to keep the reader engaged.
Liz’s art style could be described as deceptively simple. Much like one of her contemporaries, Raina Telgemeier, Liz uses a simple unbroken line to capture the characters and their surrounding, with a little bit of shading when necessary, but seemingly not a lot else. But while the drawings may seem simple, they capture the fluidity and the life of the character, allowing the reader to see them move and grow upon the page. In addition, each panel is laid out with care to ensure that what we see is necessary and relative to the story at hand. No panel is wasted and the images allow us to see with clarity what Liz was experiencing at the time or how she imagines others view her, such as her baseball teammates seeing her as a girly princess wanting to play catch. The movement within the illustrations will capture young readers attention and help them see that the author experiences the world as they do.
As mentioned earlier, although Liz is writing from the perspective of a young woman, this a story that all genders and ages can relate to. In fact, I would strongly encourage anyone involved in education at any level and any parent to read this book so that they understand that it is ok to be who you are and maybe get some ideas and advice on how to encourage young people struggling with these identity issues. I highly recommend the book and give it five out of five stars.
Additional note:
This is where I deviate a bit from the review to offer an additional note about books like Tomboy.
In the last several years there have been more books published about following your own path. To take the box that society tries to shove us into and shove it back. And there are some that decry that these types of books are promoting harm, encouraging kids to be different, or promoting sin, or whatever other words they can think of to say that books like Tomboy, Drama, and countless others are bad for people, especially young children and teens to read. I’m going to be nice in how I phrase this, so here’s the reality: books like this one and others help people know that they don’t have to fit into a nice little packaged box. That they are not alone in this world and that there are others like them. That they can be themselves and do well at it. Maybe some people in their life won’t like it, but that’s ok. Because they are not alone. They aren’t evil, they aren’t bad, they aren’t whatever words some adults want to use say they are. They can be proud of who they are. And maybe, just maybe, books like Tomboy and Drama can help some people get a perspective that is different than their own and understand some of the people in their world a bit better.
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around in jeans just having fun. Liz knew where she belonged…but did anyone else? Girls didn’t want to play with her (and to be honest she didn’t want to play with them), but the boys didn’t want her around either because she was a girl! What was she supposed to do? As time passes and as new people come into her life, maybe, just maybe, Liz might find where she belongs. And maybe, just maybe, you’ll find where you belong too.One of the hardest, and worst, things about growing up is being told that we have to fit in. That we must conform to this box that society shoves us into based upon gender, or our race, or our religion…or anything. It insists that pink and dresses and playing house are for girls and blue and overalls and playing rough are for boys. And the lines are to never be crossed. It is the worst and most damaging lie that we tell children. In this memoir Liz prince takes that box, tells it to get lost, and shows us how she find her path and place in this world. “Tomboy” a phrase once used as an insult, becomes a rallying cry of marching to the beat of your own drummer. Of being true to yourself.
Even though Liz is writing this book from the perspective of a young woman, the message, and the story within it, are ones that we can all relate too. I found myself reading and nodding along (and in some places shouting out “Yes, yes! Someone else knows what I was feeling) as Liz tries so hard to be herself, but still fit into the world around her. I was the opposite of Liz, I got along better with girls, enjoyed more quiet things, although I never did like pink. Like Liz, I had trouble finding where I fit in, still do sometimes too be honest. But like Liz, as I’ve gotten older I’ve found the groups and people that accept me as I am. And this book gives me a little bit more hope that I had before.
Liz tells her story in short anecdotes of her life, of growing up with parents that were accepting (which seems to be a rarity these days), of trying to find where she fits into the school world, and of finally finding comfort in just being herself and finding a group that accepts her as she is. Throughout these stories Liz touches on some heavy topics including dealing with bullying, of feeling like you’re alone and that no one understands you, and finally…of accepting who you are and knowing that there are others that will accept you as you are as well. She tells her story with a bit of humor, a lot of emotion, and all heart, to keep the reader engaged.
Liz’s art style could be described as deceptively simple. Much like one of her contemporaries, Raina Telgemeier, Liz uses a simple unbroken line to capture the characters and their surrounding, with a little bit of shading when necessary, but seemingly not a lot else. But while the drawings may seem simple, they capture the fluidity and the life of the character, allowing the reader to see them move and grow upon the page. In addition, each panel is laid out with care to ensure that what we see is necessary and relative to the story at hand. No panel is wasted and the images allow us to see with clarity what Liz was experiencing at the time or how she imagines others view her, such as her baseball teammates seeing her as a girly princess wanting to play catch. The movement within the illustrations will capture young readers attention and help them see that the author experiences the world as they do.
As mentioned earlier, although Liz is writing from the perspective of a young woman, this a story that all genders and ages can relate to. In fact, I would strongly encourage anyone involved in education at any level and any parent to read this book so that they understand that it is ok to be who you are and maybe get some ideas and advice on how to encourage young people struggling with these identity issues. I highly recommend the book and give it five out of five stars.
Additional note:
This is where I deviate a bit from the review to offer an additional note about books like Tomboy.
In the last several years there have been more books published about following your own path. To take the box that society tries to shove us into and shove it back. And there are some that decry that these types of books are promoting harm, encouraging kids to be different, or promoting sin, or whatever other words they can think of to say that books like Tomboy, Drama, and countless others are bad for people, especially young children and teens to read. I’m going to be nice in how I phrase this, so here’s the reality: books like this one and others help people know that they don’t have to fit into a nice little packaged box. That they are not alone in this world and that there are others like them. That they can be themselves and do well at it. Maybe some people in their life won’t like it, but that’s ok. Because they are not alone. They aren’t evil, they aren’t bad, they aren’t whatever words some adults want to use say they are. They can be proud of who they are. And maybe, just maybe, books like Tomboy and Drama can help some people get a perspective that is different than their own and understand some of the people in their world a bit better.
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LibraryThing member pussreboots
Tomboy: A Graphic Memoir by Liz Prince is about the author's childhood and early teens. Liz Prince as a child hated dresses, loved baggy masculine clothing, Ghostbusters (and its spin-off cartoon series), and baseball among other things.
Despite the bullying, Tomboy is a very upbeat, funny read.
Liz thankfully had an understanding family but she still faced teasing at school for refusing dress as other girls did. Now, to me, Liz's childhood and tomboyishness seems completely normal. While I'm about eight years older than she is, we share similar tastes in clothing, sports and movies/cartoons. I didn't, however, have any Ghostbusters toys (but I do now have the comics).
In fact people who know me and have read Tomboy have joked that I could secretly be Liz Prince. I'm not but I think she and I would have been friends growing up.
Despite the bullying, Tomboy is a very upbeat, funny read.
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It's aimed at a young adult readership but it's popular too with younger readers. Yes, the book has swearing and smoking in it, but these things were part of the author's childhood.Liz thankfully had an understanding family but she still faced teasing at school for refusing dress as other girls did. Now, to me, Liz's childhood and tomboyishness seems completely normal. While I'm about eight years older than she is, we share similar tastes in clothing, sports and movies/cartoons. I didn't, however, have any Ghostbusters toys (but I do now have the comics).
In fact people who know me and have read Tomboy have joked that I could secretly be Liz Prince. I'm not but I think she and I would have been friends growing up.
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LibraryThing member Citizenjoyce
Liz Prince examines her life as a girl who didn't like anything girlie including dresses, make up, dolls or menstruation. She describes her journey from being a bullied and ostracized school girl to being accepted as a different kind of female who likes to draw comics. It's well written and well
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drawn and makes me want to read more by her. Show Less
LibraryThing member klburnside
I really liked this book. It is a memoir written in graphic novel form and deals with mostly issues of gender norms and societal expectations of girls. I found it accurately captured a lot of confusion of adolescence and the struggles to maintain confidence and happiness when you don't feel like
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you are who the world thinks you should be. Show Less
LibraryThing member nancyewhite
I enjoyed the drawings. They are simple but really work to express the characters and the storyline. That's the thing. The story was just not that interesting. There are two reasons for this, I think.
First, I have many friends who are transgender. My partner is a butch. What happened to them in
Every time I finish a coming-of-age memoir and am unfulfilled, I remind myself that I've aged out of the genre. Then a topic or a person interests me, and damned if I don't read another one only to end up unfulfilled again.
This is a quick and easy read with great comics. I'd recommend it if you are interested in gender variance or are late middle-school age and up.
First, I have many friends who are transgender. My partner is a butch. What happened to them in
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their youth was so much more interesting and challenging than what happens to Liz. Second, I am too old for this book especially since the subject matter isn't novel for me. Every time I finish a coming-of-age memoir and am unfulfilled, I remind myself that I've aged out of the genre. Then a topic or a person interests me, and damned if I don't read another one only to end up unfulfilled again.
This is a quick and easy read with great comics. I'd recommend it if you are interested in gender variance or are late middle-school age and up.
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LibraryThing member mirikayla
Add Liz Prince to the list of nonfiction people who are fictionally my best friends. This may be a snap judgment, given that it's based only on one graphic novel, but I just really like her.
LibraryThing member bluepigeon
Tomboy is an insightful and funny look at life of not belonging. Perhaps one of the most fundamental ways a child can or cannot belong is at the level of gender identity, and Liz Price's stories of her childhood (mis)adventures in that realm are as touching as they are entertaining. All in all,
I was pleasantly surprised that the memoir did not mention climbing trees. Not once. Phew!
As a personal aside, I have been wondering how people remember so much about their childhood and young adult years. I try to remember why I started disliking wearing dresses, and I cannot really remember. It must have been that I wanted to feel on even ground with the boys, but I cannot single out an event or a time when this change occurred (I do, however, clearly remember liking one polka dotted skirt very much when I was very young, and there is a photo to prove it.) Inevitably, when I read memoirs like this I have to conclude that I have not had as many traumatic events as the people who write these books, because I cannot remember any specifics, any fights I had (except for one, which was traumatic for sure, which I think is why I remember it), or what I used to wear (another possibility is that I have had many, and thus my feeble ind has chosen to block them all out). It seems that my whole childhood and teenage years are a blur. Then I realized that the reason I probably do not remember these things is because these years were plagued by studying (Americans won't understand what I mean by "studying," but many who grew up in countries like India, China, and Korea will know.) So most of my memories are about studying. So another conclusion: American kids have way too much time in their hands! No wonder they can obsess about what they wear (my mom bought all my clothes. I had no money, and no say in what I wore, other than "no flowers, please!" I usually didn't have time to go shopping. I was studying, you see...) and spend hours hanging out (I had planned outings with my friends with limited time to hang out. I had too much homework and such to hang out all day and night. To be up at 1 AM or 3 AM? To be walking around in the middle of the night in some town? What? I had to get up at 6 AM for school, which usually meant exams.) So I have been trying, having been inspired by Liz Prince once again, to remember more about my (obviously traumatic) childhood, but it's hard work. Maybe one day...
The photo of Liz Price (age 32) in the back flap was a revelation. She does not look like a tomboy to me. Sure she looks like she might come to my German-style board game night or start discussing Atwood's latest sci-fi trilogy, but a tomboy? Well, let's hope all tomboys one day grow up to be like Liz Price (but unique in their own way, of course!)
Recommended for fans of Ariel Schrag and Revolutionary Girl Utena (I know, a strange suggestion...) Might want to check out the film, Tomboy, by Celine Sciamma.
Thanks to Zest Books and Goodreads First Reads for a copy of Tomboy in exchange for my honest review.
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Price recounts a rather happy childhood and young adulthood. Most kids are teased about something or another, and her dislike of girly stuff seems to have attracted attention. The book immediately invoked Ariel Shrag's work for me, and I wasn't surprised that Shrag is mentioned towards the end (as Liz discovers zines and comics). What sets Tomboy apart is perhaps the fact that apart from her dislike of girly pink and dresses, Liz Prince seems to have been a rather "normal" girl. One would think that not having had to sort through the sexual preference muddle during puberty and beyond (i.e. being a girl who likes boys) would have made things easier, but Prince's (ha!) experience shows just how strong expectations are in shaping our experiences in life.I was pleasantly surprised that the memoir did not mention climbing trees. Not once. Phew!
As a personal aside, I have been wondering how people remember so much about their childhood and young adult years. I try to remember why I started disliking wearing dresses, and I cannot really remember. It must have been that I wanted to feel on even ground with the boys, but I cannot single out an event or a time when this change occurred (I do, however, clearly remember liking one polka dotted skirt very much when I was very young, and there is a photo to prove it.) Inevitably, when I read memoirs like this I have to conclude that I have not had as many traumatic events as the people who write these books, because I cannot remember any specifics, any fights I had (except for one, which was traumatic for sure, which I think is why I remember it), or what I used to wear (another possibility is that I have had many, and thus my feeble ind has chosen to block them all out). It seems that my whole childhood and teenage years are a blur. Then I realized that the reason I probably do not remember these things is because these years were plagued by studying (Americans won't understand what I mean by "studying," but many who grew up in countries like India, China, and Korea will know.) So most of my memories are about studying. So another conclusion: American kids have way too much time in their hands! No wonder they can obsess about what they wear (my mom bought all my clothes. I had no money, and no say in what I wore, other than "no flowers, please!" I usually didn't have time to go shopping. I was studying, you see...) and spend hours hanging out (I had planned outings with my friends with limited time to hang out. I had too much homework and such to hang out all day and night. To be up at 1 AM or 3 AM? To be walking around in the middle of the night in some town? What? I had to get up at 6 AM for school, which usually meant exams.) So I have been trying, having been inspired by Liz Prince once again, to remember more about my (obviously traumatic) childhood, but it's hard work. Maybe one day...
The photo of Liz Price (age 32) in the back flap was a revelation. She does not look like a tomboy to me. Sure she looks like she might come to my German-style board game night or start discussing Atwood's latest sci-fi trilogy, but a tomboy? Well, let's hope all tomboys one day grow up to be like Liz Price (but unique in their own way, of course!)
Recommended for fans of Ariel Schrag and Revolutionary Girl Utena (I know, a strange suggestion...) Might want to check out the film, Tomboy, by Celine Sciamma.
Thanks to Zest Books and Goodreads First Reads for a copy of Tomboy in exchange for my honest review.
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LibraryThing member emeraldreverie
I enjoyed it ok, but even in three years, the conversation has developed so much regarding gender and sex and orientation. I wish I could've read this when it was new. Especially where I am in my own personal journey, this left me more frustrated than satisfied. As an autobio comic, very well done.
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A good consistent character with questions and frank exploration. Just wrong place wrong time for me. Show Less
LibraryThing member csoki637
An engaging memoir in graphic form, Tomboy is the story of Liz Prince's childhood as a gender non-conforming girl. She details bullying, battles with parents, and social struggles. Although she expresses some misogynistic sentiments as a child, Prince fortunately reflects on her internalized
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misogyny, ultimately realizing that it's not women she hates, but the restrictive expectations placed on women. She is less aware of her privilege as a heterosexual women, however, instead bemoaning being "plagued by the stereotype of the butch lesbian" — grating comments that are never addressed. Show Less
LibraryThing member readingover50
I absolutely loved this book. Liz's life story was told in an extremely interesting way. Her feelings of alienation and not being accepted for who she is really resonated with me.
Liz is a girl, who from a young age leans more towards traditionally male things. She feels most comfortable wearing
Luckily, when she goes to a non traditional high school, she finally meets a group of peers who accept her for being herself. It is a shame that it takes so long for her to find peace, but I know there is a similar story for a lot of people. Learn to love yourself and know that you are ok.
Liz is a girl, who from a young age leans more towards traditionally male things. She feels most comfortable wearing
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boys clothing. She wants to play sports with her male friends. She finds it hard to make female friends. Throughout the book she struggles to feel ok with herself.Luckily, when she goes to a non traditional high school, she finally meets a group of peers who accept her for being herself. It is a shame that it takes so long for her to find peace, but I know there is a similar story for a lot of people. Learn to love yourself and know that you are ok.
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LibraryThing member 101ReasonsWhy
Tomboy was lent to me by a co-worker. This is my first graphic memoir and, other than paging through some when I worked at Borders, my first experience with reading in the "graphic" form. I LOVED this! As a cis-woman who started out very much a Tomboy in my youth I could really identify with some
Highly recommend this for anyone who struggles to fit into gender expectations of those around them but even more so for adults who don't understand the concept that many 15-30 year olds today have embraced - gender is fluid. Trying to force young (and old)people into a binary system just doesn't work anymore.
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of moments that Liz Prince shares. Recently at work I've been spending lots of time discussing gender fluidity and thinking about gender norms and their restrictions - this was right book at the right time for me. It is funny, sad and dead on. Thank you Liz Prince!!Highly recommend this for anyone who struggles to fit into gender expectations of those around them but even more so for adults who don't understand the concept that many 15-30 year olds today have embraced - gender is fluid. Trying to force young (and old)people into a binary system just doesn't work anymore.
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LibraryThing member LibraryCin
This is a graphic novel/memoir by someone who didn’t see herself as a girl, so dressed and acted more like a stereotypical boy. For this, she was bullied and had trouble fitting in, though she mostly managed to find a few friends in her different schools. This graphic novel relives her childhood
I thought this was really good. The reader gets to see some of what she was struggling with as she lived through those years as someone who refused to conform to what girls should look like or do. Though I was never a tomboy, I was certainly also not a “girly girl”, so I could see some things in her that I felt, as well. I really thought this did a good job of showing her struggles.
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and teen years in the 1980s and 90s. I thought this was really good. The reader gets to see some of what she was struggling with as she lived through those years as someone who refused to conform to what girls should look like or do. Though I was never a tomboy, I was certainly also not a “girly girl”, so I could see some things in her that I felt, as well. I really thought this did a good job of showing her struggles.
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LibraryThing member jennybeast
Enjoyable memoir, that's enjoyably uncompromising in its point of view -- Liz is a tomboy -- not a butch lesbian, not trans, not interested in girl stuff. All the voices add to the conversation!
LibraryThing member caedocyon
I wanted to like this more than I really did, so I'm going to err on the 2-star side of 2.5.
Art was solid. Prince starts to get at some things that other media doesn't capture about what it's like to be a tomboy (especially in terms of how you relate to other tomboys and other girls), but fails to
On the downside, this panel stood out as *so* alienating and frustrating (sorry for the iffy scan):
[[The stereotype of the butch lesbian has plagued me my whole life, but I don't dress like a boy to attract girls: I dress like a boy because it feels natural to me.]]
Prince, have you ever in your life talked to any queer tomboys/butches? I can assure you that we don't "dress like boys to attract girls"---we feel exactly the same as you. It just feels natural to me, too. Argh.
Art was solid. Prince starts to get at some things that other media doesn't capture about what it's like to be a tomboy (especially in terms of how you relate to other tomboys and other girls), but fails to
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deliver anything really thoughtful or insightful. On a personal level, I'm really jealous that Prince figured out formal clothes so early on---I was just too amiable as a kid, I wore dresses if I felt like I had to. When I figured out that formal clothes could be a men's shirt, vest, and tie, I was almost an adult. But it made me so much happier than I ever thought I could be.On the downside, this panel stood out as *so* alienating and frustrating (sorry for the iffy scan):
[[The stereotype of the butch lesbian has plagued me my whole life, but I don't dress like a boy to attract girls: I dress like a boy because it feels natural to me.]]
Prince, have you ever in your life talked to any queer tomboys/butches? I can assure you that we don't "dress like boys to attract girls"---we feel exactly the same as you. It just feels natural to me, too. Argh.
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LibraryThing member thisisstephenbetts
Liz Prince grew up repudiating all things 'girly' and wishing to be a tomboy. I enjoyed it — it has a proper arc, which isn't always the case in autobio comics. The drawings are very basic, but work well. It may not delve as deeply as it might into the topics it raises, but it has a charm and
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sincerity which I really liked. Show Less
LibraryThing member fred_mouse
Torn between 3 and 4 stars, because I liked it, but I didn't really like it. It does a lot of interesting things, but I was pretty weirded out by sections of it -- I'm really not the target audience for this in a lot of ways.
Also, I struggled a lot with the art style - the simple line drawing was
Overall, I appreciated that the author is quite candid about being heterosexual, cisgender, and gender non-conforming, and that these are things that can go together. And loved the specific details of negotiating with the Catholic school principal to be allowed to wear button shirt and tie rather than dress to mass.
Also, I struggled a lot with the art style - the simple line drawing was
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great for a lot of the time, but the font choice frequently made me dizzy.Overall, I appreciated that the author is quite candid about being heterosexual, cisgender, and gender non-conforming, and that these are things that can go together. And loved the specific details of negotiating with the Catholic school principal to be allowed to wear button shirt and tie rather than dress to mass.
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LibraryThing member reader1009
teen/adult graphic memoir (rejecting societal expectations of females, unrequited crushes, bullying, growing up in Santa Fe, New Mexico)
skilled graphic storytelling with thought-provoking perspective, I can definitely see why this book keeps coming up in all the best lists.
skilled graphic storytelling with thought-provoking perspective, I can definitely see why this book keeps coming up in all the best lists.
Awards
Independent Publisher Book Awards (Gold — 2015)
Black-Eyed Susan Book Award (Nominee — 2018)
Texas Maverick Graphic Novels Reading List (Selection — 2015)
ALA Rainbow Book List (Selection — 2015)
YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction (Nominee — 2015)
CCBC Choices (2015)
Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers (Top Ten — 2015)
Rise: A Feminist Book Project for Ages 0-18 (Selection — 2015)
OYAN Graphic Rave (2015)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2014-09-02
Physical description
256 p.; 5.5 inches
ISBN
1936976552 / 9781936976553
Local notes
graphic novels
Other editions
Tomboy: A Graphic Memoir by Liz Prince (Paperback)
Tomboy: A Graphic Memoir by Liz Prince (Paperback)