This is a beautiful book. I learned so much about myself when reading Queer Body Power, and it helped me realize that so many of us are going through the same struggles. Body image issues are so difficult to handle as a queer person, and Essie Dennis explained the experience perfectly. I could read 1000 books on this subject if they were written as powerfully as this one. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has the chance to read it. This is a book I'll be thinking about for a long time.

As a plus sized, queer, disabled woman, I have never read anything that felt so much like it was written for me, and that alone was such a profound experience.

So much of marginalizing oppression is about the regulation of the body, and this feels deeply true for queerness, disability, gender expression, and gender identity, so it makes so much sense to think about how to include the oppression of queer bodies in the wider body positive/fat positive movement. (Race is, of course, also an essential axis of bodily marginalization, though one that both Essie and I, as white people, can speak to less saliently. Though she does reference and quote other queers the intersection of race with the issues she's discussing, discussion of race is not central to her discussion of her own experiences.)

The writing is easily accessible and feels like an Instagram caption in the best way possible. Essie includes lots of quotes/testimonials from people with different identities throughout the queer community, which made the read feel vibrant and expansive.

This is a must-read for all queers who have a body, and feels most essential for those of us with further marginalized bodies.

Thanks to NetGalley and Jessica Kingsley Publishers for this ARC.

If you are queer please please read this book. Dennis has crafted an absolutely life changing book. I saw myself in their story. I almost cried at points as I read and recognized my struggles in the pages. I have struggled with my body image and disordered eating for years, it’s a roller coaster of up and down. But this book has given me hope. This book is also very intersectional, which is wonderful, as it is impossible to discuss these topics without intersectionality. Dennis interviewed queer people of all races and identities, lending their experiences to us, the reader. All in all, this is a gem of a book that I believe all queer people should read. 5/5 stars.

I'm very thankful to have received an ARC for this book from Netgalley.

This book was so much better than I expected!
When I went into this book I was expecting that the author was not going to mention disabled people and how they are often times left out of the body positivity movement, but to my surprise (and delight) the author did mention it. The author themselves is disabled, so that's probably why they mentioned it, but still. I was so happy that disabled people were talked about when it comes to this subject!

This book has some great quotes as well, that I definitely wanna try and get a physical copy of this so I can annotate it. Here are some of my personal favorite quotes:

"You are worthy of companionship regardless of what your body looks like."

"This reluctance to give your body the right medicine in case you gain weight is a perfect example of why fat phobia is so damaging."

Both of these quotes, and lots of other ones as well, resonate with me a lot. Some of the subjects talked about in this book hit way closer to home than I expected, so it seems that I need to work through some... issues that I have. Obviously a single book is not gonna fix all of those, but I definitely helped me realize what some of my issues towards my body were caused by.

So yeah, definitely gonna buy a physical copy of this book and annotated it, because having some of the best quotes in this book in my notes app on my phone seems a bit weird...

#netgalleyarc This was extremely well written and covers important topics. I really liked how in each chapter the author included quotes from people who experienced situations that the chapter touched on. I think it’s important for teens, and adults, to have books like these to help through their loves. I will be adding this to my library.

I received an e-ARC of this book at no cost to me.

This book reads like an empowering research paper, which is kind of weird! It includes a lot of anecdotes from other queer people and how they navigate Being Queer, which is a Therapy Technique I certainly recognize and one that I very much benefit from, especially in this book. Another thing that really worked for me was including lists throughout the book, which were easy to take solace from; these include a list of reflections/affirmations, a list of ways to challenge negative feelings about your body, a list of tips from Essie’s own experience of understanding and accepting their identity, and a list of self-care tips. Unfortunately, one of the self-care tips is “prioritize your health”, which feels incredibly privileged and a very British thing to say; as an American, I absolutely cannot do that and also expect to have anything else left over, in terms of money or energy.

Besides this one awful fact about the stark differences between our healthcare systems, this book addresses a lot of The Things plaguing the queer community today: mentioning commodified pride vs. actual pride; coming out over and over and over again, how when you’re on two or more spectrums, “queer” can be easier; how part of trans healthcare is that you will be forced into a restrictive diet and exercise regimen if you are over an arbitrary weight limit in order to qualify for gender affirming surgery. It asks the question: “What does the legacy of colonialism have to do with how queer bodies are treated?” (So much, as it turns out.)

“There is nothing wrong with having lots of sex.
There is nothing wrong with having no sex.
It is your body, and therefore, your rules.
Queer sex is still sex.”

Something that I really resonated with was the note on poverty, and the sentence “The stress of being on the edge of broke still lives within my bones”, acknowledging the abject poverty that many queer people live in. It really really reminded me of Scott Benson’s writing on The Fear - “My friends and I talk about The Fear. The Fear is the awareness of living in precarity, that state of instability caused by not having security of finances, job, healthcare, etc. You get The Fear through contact — you were evicted, you lost your job, you went a long time with nothing, you lost everything, you barely scraped by.” (Read the full article here:).

In conclusion, I really enjoyed this book. I’m glad that other queer people will be able to read it soon. Four stars.

Thank you to Jessica Kingsley Publishers and Essie Dennis for the ARC copy in exchange for an honest review!

This is a book that I wish I could have read younger, and I found myself mourning the lack of resources I had growing up as I read it. It does warm my heart that more books are coming out like this now, and it always stands in quite stark contrast to the barren landscape when I was a teenager and how amazing it is how quickly some things change. It's a vulnerable, heartfelt, and accessible read - brimming with kindness and older sibling energy. Although, it does lack, in places, a 'how' component when discussing things like overcoming these mental barriers and false assumptions about oneself.

This felt like a long zine, and not one that i needed at this point in my life, but one i would have really appreciated when i was younger. I think it could be a really good addition to school libraries and GSAs. It works to balance content, support, and readability, and i don't think it always succeeds but there are a lot of gems in there

The best books are the ones that make you feel like you're not reading a book - you're talking to an older sibling. This is exactly what Queer Body Power felt like. I am amazed at how eloquently Essie has written this. I laughed, I cried, and I cried some more. I truly feel like Essie Dennis materialized, locked eyes with me, said, "You're my younger sibling now, and I need to talk to you about some things.", and walked me through this book.

There are some passages that spoke to me as a chronically ill, disabled and queer person, and I feel like Essie couldn't have put some things better. They truly spoke so eloquently, and when they didn't feel like they were able to get their point across, or someone else would better be able to answer, other people were quoted.

I think one point that I loved being driven home was what body acceptance truly is, and what that means as a queer person. As Essie put it, "Body acceptance doesn't even need to mean intense positivity; it can also be neutrality. Neutrality is a genuine part of accepting your body, but that too is a challenge." That part was what sealed the deal on the book for me. Essie had been telling me things I needed to hear throughout the entire book, but this was the point that I think I most needed to hear. As a fat queer person who has struggled their entire life with body acceptance, it's been extremely hard to get to a point of neutrality and truly feeling comfortable in my own skin.

Queer Body Power was beautifully put together, I don't think I could have asked for more. This is already in one of my top reads for 2022, and I almost feel silly having two already!

Thank you to NetGalley, Essie Dennis, and Jessica Kingsley Publishers for the eARC. I can't wait to go buy three copies of my own when it comes out.

This is so helpful. Something I needed and something I believe others will find helpful. Always had questions about who I was and no one to go to. This is such a great source. Well written and contains some personal experiences which help to make you feel less alone.

Queer Body Power is an invitation to explore the beauty and individuality of our bodies and gives a raw, reflective look on the truths behind how society has viewed the bodies that have been 'othered' - disabled bodies, fat bodies, bodies that don't fit into their ideas of gender. With powerful commentary on not only Queerness and Queer bodies, but how these issues can overlap and seep into other areas of our lives from healthcare, eating habits, relationships and our own mental health and self-worth.

With great talent Dennis has given us a well written, thoughtful, easy going and informative book that makes the reader feel both comfortable and "seen", possibly for the first time surrounding such topics . The layout of the book was carefully chosen to allow readers to follow along easily and thoughtfully.

I cannot recommend this book enough. Whether you yourself identify as queer, or know someone who does, this book is an absolute gift and a wonderful well of knowledge sure to become an instant sensation!

Thank you to netgalley for providing an e-copy for me to read and leave my honest opinion with all of you. This book has done a lot for me and I hope that everyone who needs this picks it up as soon as possible.

Thank you NetGalley, Jessica Kingsley Publishers and Essie Dennis for the ARC copy in exchange for an honest review!

Necessary, enlightening and told from the heart.
I’m not typically one to read “self help” type of books but there was something about this one that drew my attention right away and I’m beyond happy that it did.

Queer Body Power is an enticing and relatable read with stories and lessons from varying voices ranging from POC queer folks, disabled queers, fat queer friends and everyone in between.

There’s a trigger warning at the beginning that I personally did not need but greatly appreciated. Seeing this confirmed my assumption that this was going to be a safe space in the form of a book and it ended up being that and so much more.

No matter how you identify there’s a voice in this book that will speak to you in ways you didn’t know you needed to be spoken to. I found myself highlighting quote after quote because there was something that resonated with me that deeply on almost every page.

The writing style is accessible, the stories are relatable and the lessons you’ll learn are priceless. Essie Dennis wrote the book that so many of us needed to read, and still need to read and I’ll be recommending it to all of the queer folk in my life.

"Queer Body Power" by Essie Dennis is a much needed book about body positivity in the context of queerness. It may not encompass the body experiences of all the LGBTQIA+ folks, but we need to ask ourselves if it is at all possible, considering everyone's body has a different story.

The writing is very experiential as Essie Dennis shares their own story and through it explores such areas as gender, sexuality, food, politics and how these aspects intersect with ways how people may perceive their bodies. The author also invited a wide range of contributors who gave their input to certain subjects and these voices are very valuable, too.

"Queer Body Power" can serve as a tool for empowerment for young queer persons, as it is both informative and uplifting, especially to those who are struggling with their identities and need someone to tell them that eventually it gets better. Not always easier, but definitely better.

I was so excited about this book. Queer body positivity is absolutely needed! I congratulate the author on sharing parts of their personal story and quotes from other young queer people.

The author covered the topic with a wide lens: trans bodies, disabled bodies, fat bodies, Jewish bodies, femme bodies, etc. Perhaps because of this width, coverage didn't go as deep as I was expecting.

Academic studies were cited, but their implications or key takeaways weren't unpacked within the text.

Suggestions for improving your relationship with your body were simplistic, such as "follow diverse body types on Instagram" or "find the courage to wear the type of clothing you secretly want to wear instead of what heteronormative society believes your assigned gender should wear."

The author shared some vulnerable information about their personal journey, but skipped over what to me was the most important part: the mindset shifts and actionable steps that led the author from self-hatred toward self-love. There wasn't much "how" in the book, which is what readers (at least this one) expect.

For a reader like me (I'm gender non conforming, in a queer LTR, and have already discovered my personal style, but could use some improvements in my body acceptance), there wasn't much presented in this book that was helpful.

This book may be most helpful for those who have prescribed to heteronormative beauty standards or queer people in the early stages of overcoming internalized homophobia or transphobia.

Accessible and easy to read, this book discusses body positivity and issues specifically in relation to those who identify as queer. It has never occurred to me before how my queerness may have affected the way I see my own body, so this was a real eye opener.

This book was beautifully written. Multiple perspectives and stories are featured in a way that helps you better understand and feel what they are experiencing. If you have ever struggled with body image, you will relate to much of this book—a perfect read for young queer people.

5/5 stars

This book felt like a deep conversation with an older and wiser queer friend who completely understands everything you’ve ever possibly thought and experienced.

The vibe: A very casual, yet informed, discussion surrounding various intersections of body image, mental health, growing up queer and self-acceptance.

Pros:
Very well structured and clearly well researched. I enjoyed the inclusion of interviewee quotes as it provided further perspectives outside of Essie’s own.

Cons:
The theory was not entirely new information, however, the strength of the book lay in the own voices sharing of personal experience and the variety of other voices included.

My standout quote:
“Queerness is so much more than a label that is supposedly required for dating. It is community, history, how you carry yourself in the world, fluidity, performance, identity, character, heart. Queerness is many things and all of those things at once” (p. 20)

This quote was quite early on in the book but it felt like a strong hug, and sums up, for me, the energy that this book had.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. Pub date: March 21, 2022

This should be purchased by or for any LGBTQIA+ person still trying to figure it all out—their place in the world or their own world. This book lets us hear from an array of people from the LGBTQIA+ community with an array of perspectives on a multitude of topics. I think a lot of people will read this and feel seen!

As someone who struggles with self-image, I appreciated this book's perspective on body positivity and self-esteem. Especially empowering to view both topics through a queer lens.

I was absolutely ecstatic when I was able to read the Arc of this book. I am a queer person with a feminine body. I believe that body power is a topic that needs to be discussed more often and this book does it perfectly. I enjoyed this book and learned a lot from it. The author's writing is pleasant to read and the order of the book is amazing and kept me hooked.