My Life in Transition: A Super Late Bloomer Collection (graphic novel) - Paul's REVIEW

*I received this book as an eARC from Andrews McMeel Publishing via NetGalley. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

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Title: My Life in Transition: A Super Late Bloomer Collection
Creator: Julia Kaye
Upcoming Release Date: February 16, 2021


Synopsis: The follow-up to the critically acclaimed autobiographical comics collection Super Late Bloomer, documenting transgender artist Julia Kaye’s life post-transition.

My Life in Transition is a story that’s not often told about trans lives: what happens beyond the early days of transition. Both deeply personal and widely relatable, this collection illustrates six months of Julia's life as an out trans woman—about the beauty and pain of love and heartbreak, struggling to find support from bio family and the importance of chosen family, moments of dysphoria and misgendering, learning to lean on friends in times of need, and finding peace in the fact that life keeps moving forward.

After the nerve-wracking, anxiety-ridden early transition period has ended and the hormones have done their thing, this book shows how you can be trans and simply exist in society. You can be trans and have a successful future. You can be trans and have a normal life full of ups and downs. In our current political and social climate, this hopeful, accessible narrative about trans lives is both entertaining and vital. 

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Review: I wasn't familiar with Julia's other collection Super Late Bloomer and that context isn't needed for reading this, although I'm sure it would add. This collection of comic strips covers her life for about six months. There's an introduction that sets the story for the reader and a really nice epilogue as well.

Each comic strip is short and shows just one bit of Julia's life during that day. The reader gets to watch Julia go through a breakup, fluctuate different relationships with friends and family, and just living life as a 30 year old trans woman. The snapshot format of this book is so interesting to see one individual's life day-to-day.

I give this book a 5/5. I love this format. Although I read it all in one sitting, I think this would be a great book to just read one page (or a few pages) a day.

--PAUL