Uncomfortable Labels is a heartfelt, moving exlporation of the nuances of living as a transgender woman on the autism spectrum.

Laura Kate Dale's memoir details her life growing up with gender dysphoria, while also struggling with the problems aligned with undiagnosed Asperger's syndrome; it's introspective, it's humorous, it's enlightening.

Laura shines a light on two continuously misunderstood topics in a way that is eye-opening and powerful, using her own experiences and understandings to offer ways in which society can (and truly should) improve.

Simply put, it is a very, very good book.

If you know or are familiar with Laura and her work, or simply wish to educate yourself on what it is like to live in our society as a transgender person, someone on the autism spectrum, or indeed both, this is essential reading for you.

This was fine. It wasn't my favorite, but it was okay. I thought the material had potential, but that it could have used a little more editing before being published in its final form

Thank you Netgalley for letting me read and review this book! "In this candid, first-of-its-kind memoir, Laura Kate Dale recounts what life is like growing up as a gay trans woman on the autism spectrum. From struggling with sensory processing, managing socially demanding situations and learning social cues and feminine presentation, through to coming out as trans during an autistic meltdown, Laura draws on her personal experiences from life prior to transition and diagnosis, and moving on to the years of self-discovery, to give a unique insight into the nuances of sexuality, gender and autism, and how they intersect." This paragraph is all you need to read to know you want to read this book. Everyone should be reading this memoir. I enjoyed the writing and could relate to the character in the way that I am on the spectrum as well. Not many write books or talk about being on the spectrum, or about the nuances of sexuality, gender and autism. Everyone should read this book for sure! I learned a lot while reading this. It hits hard for sure.

I really love this book. It will definitely get a longer review in the future. But, for now, I will say that it is a fascinating exploration of the life of an autistic transgender individual. It is an exploration of how these identities intersect and affect the author's everyday life. I highly recommend this book.

Excellent book on life as a trans person and their struggles.
I'd recommend it to my students who are transitioning but not as a classroom resource, as some might find it confronting.

Being LGBT and having autism is actually fairly common and yet often misinterpreted. This groundbreaking firsthand account uses personal experiences from birth to late diagnosis to explore this connection, and the nuances of both gender identity and ASD.

I liked the parts of this book and the overall idea behind it. I felt as if it was well written and well thought out and enjoyed learning about labels and how they can come to affect how we see ourselves and others. This is a book that I would highly recommend, especially if you are interested in the subject.

A solid memoir that was a good purchase for my library. Students have read and enjoyed it, and I purchased it because of this review copy.

While Uncomfortable Labels was insightful, I didn't find it particularly enticing to read. Since Dale is a journalist and well known in her field, I was hoping that the book would be more of a narrative memoir. That said, I am thankful for Dale's vulnerability in sharing her story.

I received this book in exchange for a honest review from NetGalley.

I have been off and on following Laura's career for the past 3-ish years. I love her on the Jimquisition podcast and have enjoyed several of her articles on different aspects of gaming. This is a completely different experience to reading her games journalism and I whole-heartedly welcome it. This book is moving, eye-opening, and yet completely relatable. Overall I loved this book!

What I Liked

I have to say, I feel honored by being let into the authors life. This book is very raw, real, and powerful. Her writing pulled me in nearly right away and when I read this, I needed to keep on reading it. This book was really insightful and really gave me an understanding of the trials and tribulations of their live with being transgender as well as having been diagnosed on the autism spectrum. 

On top of sharing their story, the writing was wonderfully and refreshingly honest. This book faces all of their experiences both positive and negative. The author faces these in writing this story and I give the author a lot of credit for being so open. There were times where I was angry on her behalf at how she was treated. I also cheered with her for every victory she shared. I was very much pulled into the story. 

I really don't want to say much more about this book, I really feel like it is best read without knowing too much about it. I will say, there are very difficult topics discussed in the book, transphobia, suicide, depression, bullying, addiction, assault. So, if these topics or similar topics bother you unfortunately this book might be difficult to read. Please read other reviews and make your own decision, you are the only one who can make this choice for you. 
*Book given by the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

What I Didn’t Like

At times the writing itself was a bit all over the place, but this is more a personal feeling than anything. I can see a lot of people not being bothered by it. 

Overall Thoughts

Honestly, I think this is a very powerful book. It is brutally honest, insightful, and I think it is a great book to read to not only learn about the trans community or the autism community, but the life experiences of a very strong person. I recommend picking this book up either from the library, online or your local bookstore.

This was such a thoughtful read. As a fellow neuroatypical trans person, I really appreciated reading about the author's journey as she came into her own as a gay, autistic trans woman. The book is the perfect blend of narrative and reflection. It also did a good job of addressing trans issues for a both a trans and cis audience, which can sometimes be tough to do.

This was a fascinating and deeply personal memoir from a gaming journalist I really admire. I've been fan of Dale's work for years now, so I knew I had to get my hands on the book, even if memoirs are generally very hard for me to read. (For adhd reasons, not content reasons)

Dale's book is a very honest look back at her childhood, and the various traumas and joys growing up as trans and autistic entailed for her. It was really interesting to see this part of someone I've been admiring from afar. And it gave me more perspective on some of these issues that I was already aware of, but the really honest nature of this book helped even more.

While this book did ramble in places, it made it only more readable for me.

At birth, one doesn't know if someone has autism, is transgender, or other identities that can change long term. One learns more about one's identity over time. There are times in which these two things can be linked. The purpose of this book is to provide the author's experience to help others work through it. One of the biggest reveals for me in the book is how autism is stigmatized to the point where people are not trusted to make their own decisions in their life. Laura Kate Dale is a transgendered woman, but it took a great deal of effort, persistence, and anguish to get the rights for her to transition. It is a brave and needed account so more people can learn about this perspective.

As a nonbinary bisexual person who was diagnosed with Asperger in her thirties, I of course found this to be an interesting read. I plowed through it in one sitting. Grateful to the publisher for giving a voice to underrepresented communities.

Felt well researched as well as pulling a lot from personal experience. The writting was pretty easy but this book still felt way longer than it actually is and can get repetitive at points. Great book to read though if you want more of an insight into the life of a trans and authistic person.

I never did get to this book though had good intentions. If I do read it in the future, I promise to write a full review, but right now, I can't get into it. I hope it does well.

I had high hopes for this book, and I appreciate its existence, as well as Laura Kate Dale herself. However, I felt the execution of the book was off. It felt very repetitive and flat and I ended up unable to finish it because I just wasn't invested anymore. That's not to say it's bad, but just that it wasn't for me.

Thank you Jessica Kingsley Publishers and Netgalley for a copy of Uncomfortable Labels by Laura Kate Dale for review.

This memoir was starkly written and a real eye opener for both issues of being autistic but also transgender and gay. I had never really thought about what it would be like to fall into multiple categories and how each would affect the other.
The abuses she suffered and suffers are multiple and horrible and it’s important for us all to face that these things happen to many people and while I don’t know what to do about it, I will remember that and spread kindness and love as much as I can to whoever I can.

I don't read nonfiction often, but I couldn't pass this one up when I saw it on Netgalley. Uncomfortable Labels is Laura Kate Dale's autobiography about her life as a gay autistic trans woman.

› In Uncomfortable Labels, Laura Kate Dale says this book is one she wished she could have read when she was younger. This is about her challenges and triumphs as a gay, trans person with autism from birth to twenty-seven-years-old.

› Likes 😻
• It's inspiring how self-aware and courageous Dale is by sharing incredibly personal details.
• Although I'm not gay, or trans, or autistic, I will tell the world to read this book because it will give you a new perception about gay and/or trans people with autism.

› Dislikes 😾
• There aren't enough sources given to back-up some of the statements.
• Repetition and rambling. This book feels like an unfinished draft.

› Final Thoughts
• Uncomfortable Labels is an informational, important, timely and powerful read for adult readers.

Thank you to Netgalley and publisher for the complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review.

2* DNF at about 53% gone, as I was, sorry to be blunt, fed up of the narrator's selfishness and self-absorption. It was all too 'Me, Me, Me', and doesn't portray a Britain that I know.

The title of my 'review' of this book might make me seem and sound uncaring and bit of a beeotch, but tbh, by the point that I gave up, I was frankly in disbelief of the author's whingeing and stance and attitude. She was so into herself, her woes, her parents' lack of understanding, her posing, her portrayal, her claims about others hurting her always, and described a country that I, a fellow Brit, don't recognise. She doesn't say which part of the UK she lives in/lived in, which I suspect is deliberate. I have worked with someone who's transitioned and de-transitioned and I know a little, from *a* horse's mouth, what it takes and how things work, and yes, maybe this is a London-based experience where everything goes and where people are live and let live, but we're not all the bigots and bullies like the author tells it. School kids can be cruel, but in the UK we have a *national* curriculum that includes kids being taught about, and to respect, different cultures, religions, sex, genders, etc., and taught about conscious and unconscious bias, about the danger of preconceived ideas, etc., and teachers wouldn't permit bullying and/or cruelty and strong action would be taken. Teachers at *primary* school are taught about looking out for signs of a child being LGBTQIA; yes, at primary school level, and they know what steps to take next to get them support. We're Brits, fgs; we're all about doing the right thing all the time and being politically correct - or at least those of us with a modicum of decency and education are, so LKD's recollection doesn't seem without gross exaggeration. Or, perhaps it's her autistic brain that has made her perceive things the way she has?

I began to wonder if this author was even real, I am sorry to say. I am even sorrier about what I discovered about her when I googled. It seems like she's quick to exaggerate things, perceives slights and has been called out for a lack of honesty, and has apparently withdrawn things she's posted on social media after being challenged. She appears to do things for sensationalism, and seems to have strong biases. Yes, I appreciate that what I read I've not fully investigated, but when pretty much every article says the same thing about her, and, the sources are varied, I think there maybe has to be some degree of truth in it. I couldn't go on reading about LKD's version of the truth and her refusal to get therapy and/or professional help and/or treatment, because to do so would scupper her chances of getting NHS assistance for her transition. From my British perspective, and that of being married to a mental health professional who for 32 years has done his utmost to help his patients, and who's been stationed next door to Charing Cross's gender clinic, it's clear that her attitude cheapens the NHS and what they do. I think it's right that she be asked to get her house in order, so to speak, before undertaking even more changes that could affect her brain's already complicated chemistry, and I mean that with total respect. Those changes don't come cheap, and she'll be a drain (again, with respect) on the NHS for the rest of her life, so it does make sense to be in the best place possible before changing her life so drastically - add in surgery and artificial hormones to where she already is with her various difficulties, and there's a reason why health care professionals would be putting the brakes on.

This person comes across as Me, Me, Me and entitled. I wonder if she's in a good place and I wonder if she's unhappy with herself and with her life, because this book is too skewed and biased for me. Maybe therapy might have helped her? I feel a little disappointed that JKP has now published its second book with a completely personal, biased perspective (the other being Transgressive), without even attempting for a fair picture to be portrayed.

ARC courtesy of Jessica Kingsley Publishers and NetGalley, for my reading pleasure.