Homebody review

Thanks to NetGalley for providing a review copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.

Homebody by Theo Parish (they/them) is a bio comic on their exploration of gender identity and self, leveraging both their inviting artistic style and insightful personal experiences to present a compelling narrative.

Starting with their early experiences with gender performativity at home and school and progressing to the present day as they discuss choosing a new name for themselves and living authentically, I felt the graphic novel was a really thorough depiction of being a young trans person and both the external experiences and internal negotiations we have to navigate in our daily lives.

Parish ties these personal narratives together with a recurring motif of being a ‘home body’, queering the idea of making our bodies a home for ourselves through the ways we identify, present and evolve over time. I really liked this idea of our bodies changing with us as our needs and feelings change but I did feel they leaned on the visual motif of a person whose torso is a literal house throughout the novel a few too many times.

This also became a bit of a recurring theme overall with the structure of the book - later sections felt quite full of splash page graphics with inspirational messages in them, which were lovely, but I felt Homebody really sang as a text when Parish really dug into their own experiences through sequential art storytelling. I think this is something they’ll definitely refine in future work as they become more seasoned.

From its marketing (and Alice Oseman blurb quote) I feel that Homebody is really intended for British queer youth figuring themselves out and I think on that level it’s an amazing text that will inform and delight. As someone a bit further on into my Homebody life, I look forward to more work from Parish that embraces the narratives we get to embody once we know ourselves more.

I’m just obsessed with every part of this: the art style, the colour palette, even the font used. (I’m being dead serious, everything is just so visually appealing). I’ve been getting ads for this book in my instagram stories for months so I’m very thankful for the chance to read an advance copy :)

Theo Parish has made the ultimate, soft, comfort space of a book that has left me with some very warm feelings as well as the burning desire to buy a pair of funky overalls like the ones several different characters wear. The star patterned ones near the end of the book are especially iconic.

Thanks to the publisher for an eARC of the book. I loved this graphic novel and would definitely recommend it. It was a touching story that was told in an easy to understand and digestible way. The art style is beautiful and I feel meshed well with the story. I am older than that target audience for this and I can see that if I was reading it as a late teen I would have gotten a lot from the story and been able to learn about something I had never encountered before. I can imagine someone finding this in the school library and reading the whole thing in their lunch break. Being able to go back to class having learnt something about themselves or their peers and be better equipped to navigate trans and/non binary discussions and emotions. Overall pick this up if you get the chance or recommend it to the teens in your life!

What an absolutely gorgeous graphic memoir on finding yourself and feeling at home in your body.

As soon as I saw the stunning art work I recognised it immediately from going to comic con! And I just knew I had to read this!

Visually stunning with the most gorgeous illustrations and colour palette, this is truly a work of art.

The narrative follows Theo's journey in discovering their trans/non-binary identity and what it means to be them. It was really heartfelt and the narrative voice was so friendly and easy to connect with. In short this was so uplifting and comforting and I would highly recommend this to anyone, whether they are questioning their identity or not. I think this is an important story that will help so many people to feel seen and heard and will also help see the importance of trying to connect with and understand others, to be open and welcoming. I will definitely be recommending this for many wonderful reasons.

"...living authentically in a world that takes every opportunity to squeeze you uncomfortably into a box of someone else's design is the most radical act of self love"

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☆ Synopsis
Homebody is a stunning graphic memoir of Theo Parish's journey to discovering their identity as trans and non-binary in a world that struggles to understand those who are deemed different.

☆ My thoughts
This book is absolutely gorgeous. I adored the analogy throughout about treating your body as a home for yourself - "coming home to myself, wherever that may be". The whimsical illustrations made the book a delight to read. This is essential reading for LGBTQ+ people, or those wanting to educate themselves more about gender nonconformity and what it means to be nonbinary. I honestly cannot rave about the illustrations enough, it is a beautiful book.

Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･･:*.ೃ࿔⋆❀°

Theo Parish has created something beautiful.

Following their story in discovering their trans/non-binary identity, Parish creates a stunning narrative in which their body is viewed as a home, gender questioning a map, escapism as affirmation and how those things can be difficult to understand, but once you do, everything seems to fall into place.

As a non-binary person, I related to their story and understanding of self discovery, especially the feelings of confusion and the importance of names.

The illustrations are lovely and the colour palette is stunning, and the narrative itself is accessible and easily understandable.

This is a stunning read for anyone wanting to learn, relate or understand.

Thank you to Macmillan and Netgalley for the ARC!

I was drawn to this when I saw it available on NetGalley. I love a queer graphic novel and this did not disappoint. As a non-binary individual from Norwich, this felt very relatable, but also our stories differed and I loved experiencing Theo’s story. Their art style was beautiful and so was the sentiment of their work. Definitely recommend.

4.5 stars

*eARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

this book was so beautiful! the author's art style is amazing and i loved the colour palette and how it corresponds to the trans flag. the motif of home and the house was effective and tied the story together really well. i'm glad books like this are starting to exist more in the field of trans memoir - that often there's not really a post-transition, and life is all one big journey where you're continually finding out who you are. as a transmasculine british person, i felt really represented by this book and hope it helps anyone who reads it on their journey to being them.

This is, both in story and in illustration, one of the most beautiful books. Theo's story is so heartfelt and moving, and their illustrations are utterly stunning. I just know this will be a huge book for those in the trans community and beyond, and can't wait to see all the awards and accolades Theo goes on to get!

Thank you so much to Netgalley for providing me an e-arc in exchange for an honest review! I loved this book so much. Theo does an amazing job at explaining the struggles that people face with their identity throughout their life. I really loved the art style and colour palette and think they really added to what Theo was trying to convey. I would 100000% recommend this to others!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Books for approving my request to read an arc of this graphic novel

As soon as I saw this book being talked about all those months ago on instagram, I knew this book was going to be very special to me and so when I got approved to read it early, I was so excited! Theo’s journey was very similar to my own journey of discovering I’m nonbinary and trans masc, and so this graphic novel felt very safe and comforting to me. I loved the art style and the way Theo described their feeling so poetically. It was so moving and made me want to recommend it to everyone I know so they can get to experience it too.
Homebody is a beautiful and powerful memoir and I’d recommend for everyone to give it a read