A powerful if somewhat overstuffed look at the science of female bodies.
A researcher with a Ph.D. in the evolution of narrative and cognition explores evolution, gender, and biological sex.
Bohannon largely successfully adapts her 2023 book for adults, Eve: How the Female Body Drove 200 Million Years of Human Evolution, for teen readers. The concise, intriguing chapter titles— “Milk,” “Womb,” “Tools,” “Brain,” “Love”—are engaging and offer clear roadmaps to the sometimes-dense text. Tongue-in-cheek section headers (“The Truth Is We Should Have More Vaginas”) and dramatic turns of phrase (“It turns out the mammalian uterus isn’t a lush pillow—it’s a war zone”) are delightfully fun. However, some scientific terms would have benefitted from being explained in context or in a glossary (likewise, the omission of source notes is a significant oversight). Other parts drag due to excessive detail that detracts from the book’s larger goal (this is especially true in the chapter “Perception,” about our senses). Topics of high interest to many young people—for example, why female biology proves to be an advantage in endurance sports, why female bodies develop “fatty hips” (and the possible risks of liposuction), and the evolutionary influences behind sexism—would have benefitted from deeper treatment. Bohannon makes a concerted effort to be inclusive and mindful of trans people, making this work a thoughtful examination of gendered bodies that will be of interest to readers interested in the intersection of science and social attitudes.
A powerful if somewhat overstuffed look at the science of female bodies. (Nonfiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 25, 2025
ISBN: 9780593811887
Page Count: 432
Publisher: Bright Matter Books
Review Posted Online: Nov. 9, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
Small but mighty necessary reading.
A miniature manifesto for radical queer acceptance that weaves together the personal and political.
Eli, a cis gay white Jewish man, uses his own identities and experiences to frame and acknowledge his perspective. In the prologue, Eli compares the global Jewish community to the global queer community, noting, “We don’t always get it right, but the importance of showing up for other Jews has been carved into the DNA of what it means to be Jewish. It is my dream that queer people develop the same ideology—what I like to call a Global Queer Conscience.” He details his own isolating experiences as a queer adolescent in an Orthodox Jewish community and reflects on how he and so many others would have benefitted from a robust and supportive queer community. The rest of the book outlines 10 principles based on the belief that an expectation of mutual care and concern across various other dimensions of identity can be integrated into queer community values. Eli’s prose is clear, straightforward, and powerful. While he makes some choices that may be divisive—for example, using the initialism LGBTQIAA+ which includes “ally”—he always makes clear those are his personal choices and that the language is ever evolving.
Small but mighty necessary reading. (resources) (Nonfiction. 14-18)Pub Date: June 2, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-09368-9
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2020
A powerful reminder of a history that is all too timely today.
A beautifully heart-wrenching graphic-novel adaptation of actor and activist Takei’s (Lions and Tigers and Bears, 2013, etc.) childhood experience of incarceration in a World War II camp for Japanese Americans.
Takei had not yet started school when he, his parents, and his younger siblings were forced to leave their home and report to the Santa Anita Racetrack for “processing and removal” due to President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Executive Order 9066. The creators smoothly and cleverly embed the historical context within which Takei’s family’s story takes place, allowing readers to simultaneously experience the daily humiliations that they suffered in the camps while providing readers with a broader understanding of the federal legislation, lawsuits, and actions which led to and maintained this injustice. The heroes who fought against this and provided support to and within the Japanese American community, such as Fred Korematsu, the 442nd Regiment, Herbert Nicholson, and the ACLU’s Wayne Collins, are also highlighted, but the focus always remains on the many sacrifices that Takei’s parents made to ensure the safety and survival of their family while shielding their children from knowing the depths of the hatred they faced and danger they were in. The creators also highlight the dangerous parallels between the hate speech, stereotyping, and legislation used against Japanese Americans and the trajectory of current events. Delicate grayscale illustrations effectively convey the intense emotions and the stark living conditions.
A powerful reminder of a history that is all too timely today. (Graphic memoir. 14-adult)Pub Date: July 16, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-60309-450-4
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Top Shelf Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 4, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
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