Ticker

powered by Surfing Waves

Thursday, August 10, 2023


Book Review: UNTIL I LOVE MYSELF, VOL. 1 by Poppy Pesuyama

 


Book Details

Title: Until I Love Myself, Vol. 1
Author: Poppy Pesuyama
Publisher: VIZ Media
Publication Date: June 20, 2023
Genre(s): Nonfiction, Manga, LGBT, Memoir
Pages: 192
Bookshop Purchase Link: https://bookshop.org/a/67041/9781974738847
     

Reading Details

Finish Date: June 20, 2023
Format: Physical
Representation: Nonbinary
Trigger/Content Warnings: Sexual harrassment, gender dysphoria, bullying, eating disorders


Rating: 5/5

Favorite Quote/Scene: 
Pesuyama meeting Chill-Bayashi

Review: 
This manga is a deeply personal story about Poppy Pesuyama’s own life experiences. This includes their experience with gender identity and dysphoria but it also primarily focuses on their experience with sexual harassment and the PTSD and trauma that follows. This is not necessarily a happy story, but I did find it to be hopeful.

The art in this manga is unique to me. I don’t have the words to describe the art style but I was very pleased that the characters were drawn so uniquely that I never struggled to tell them apart. I thought the artwork worked really well with the story that was being told.

The story of Pesuyama’s experiences hurt to read at times. There were a lot of emotions involved in this and it was heartbreaking to read about how the experiences affected them. But I also never found a second where I didn’t want to keep reading. I was invested in the story and seeing how things developed for Pesuyama. It got rough, but I was still engaged.

I am trying very hard in this review to not let my words seem like I’m downplaying the author’s experiences. They were very upfront and honest about how the experiences made them feel and I am very impressed by their ability to do such. I don’t want to use words that make this book sound like a typical fiction novel, that doesn’t do justice to this autobiographical manga. It was a lot to take in at times, but I thought that this manga was very well-written and the art helped it come across.




Disclaimer: I am a bookshop.org affiliate and may earn a commision on books bought using the link on my page.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Book Tour: NO BETTER THAN BEASTS by Z.R. Ellor + Author Interview

Thank you so much to the publisher for allowing me a stop on this tour for No Better Than Beasts . I was so excited to get to take part! ...