A great guide for anyone (young or old) who needs support when trying to come out. I liked how the book gently explained different terms and approaches, and how they had included tips on how to shut down bad reactions. The book made it clear that you are in control of your own coming out and that you should keep everything on your own terms. The illustrations were fun and helped make the guide more accessible for a younger audience.

This is a personal and accessible book for any reader. I loved the graphic novel format as it felt like an easy read even with so much information. The authors discuss a nuance topic with care as well as both personal and studied knowledge. This book is important and I will be buying for our public libraries collection.

This graphic novel was a comfortable and easily digestibly guide to coming out. (it does what it says on the label!)

To me, this appeared pitched at middle grade to early high school readers. But making it a graphic novel it made it easily digestible, provided handy hints on how to manage the conversations, safety and self care. I think crucially it addressed some of the common phrases or hurdles that a person could face in coming out, and gave simple scripts for responses that could work.

Just as a personal preference, I do like a graphic novel style for information communication. It makes the information feel more conversational. I just enjoyed this as a great idea to communicate.

I would love to see another version released for older teens and adults as well that gets a bit deeper.

This little guide is a perfect starting point for anyone who is thinking about coming out! Some great advice regarding coming out on your own terms, how to handle safety, dealing with being outed, and self care.

This book features some awesome experiences and tips on coming out which are useful even for the support group of an individual. It shares a number of probable situations and responses that you can use to effectively deal with them. The book is beautifully illustrated and visually appealing, making this an engaging reading experience. I do wish though, that the text and flow of the conversation were a little clearer, but I might've run into this issue because of reading in the ebook format. Loved this book and totally recommend it for how relevant and precise it is. Truly hope this book does well and helps many people in their journeys.

I love the "A Quick & Easy Guide..." series! Each one is filled with valuable and lifesaving information.

"A Quick & Easy Guide to Coming Out" is what I wish I had when I was a queer kid trying to figure out how to tell people about this big part of me.

4.5, Rounded up to a 5. This is a great and accessible quick how-to guide aimed toward teens and young adults about the process of coming out. An illustrated graphic novel, information is provided in bite size pieces and full of drawings representing a broad spectrum of presentations of gender, sexuality, race, and ethnic backgrounds.
It’s thorough in identifying considerations like safety and your own readiness, deciding to come out to some individuals and not others, and validates queerness regardless of whether one comes out.

I particularly appreciated the section with statements you can say in response to common invalidating statements and considerations for some culture-specific responses (e.g., saying, “I’m queer and I’m not white” if someone says that being queer/trans etc. is for white people, something one of the authors shares they’ve heard multiple times). I can see where a brief run through of common invalidating statements and possible responses could help calm and reassure teens preparing themselves for those conversations.

I also appreciated the discussion of finding resources and community both locally and online, and that support can come from many places to affirm and validate.

I’ve previously read the Quick and Easy Guide to Asexuality and this was both a great addition to the series, and a reminder to me that I wanted to read more entries from it. Definitely recommend as a resource available to teens and young adults at bookstores and libraries.

I received an ebook copy from NetGalley. This is my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 4.5 ⭐️

What a wonderful guide to coming out! I appreciated the personal experiences of the author/illustrator being included as well as links and resources. I loved the simple monochromatic, illustrative style used. It gave it a much more personal and homely touch. One small issue I had was reading the text as some of it felt a bit crowded, but otherwise a beautiful book!

this was such an easy read and very useful for anyone that is struggling to come out or either has come out and want to read this book as a guide! i love graphic novels and i always fly by it and very easy to read thru!

This guide is a valuable resource for anyone navigating the often challenging process of coming out. Russo’s approach is both compassionate and insightful, making it a must-read for those seeking support and understanding.

Accuracy: ★★★★☆
The accuracy of this read is wonderful. Russo provides reliable information and practical advice, drawing on her expertise and personal experiences to create a trustworthy guide.

Perspective: ★★★★★
I loved the perspective on this. Russo's approach is empathetic and inclusive, offering a wide range of experiences and advice that can resonate with many readers. Her understanding of the complexities involved in coming out shines through, making the guide relatable and comforting.

Relevance: ★★★★★
This is, unfortunately, far too relevant. Too many people still need help with coming out. While I found coming out as pansexual relatively easy, coming out as polyamorous has been far more difficult. This guide addresses the nuances of coming out in various contexts, making it incredibly pertinent for today's society.

Engagement: ★★★★☆
This is a very engaging read. The graphic novel format is beautiful and definitely hooks readers in. The visuals complement the text perfectly, making the guide both informative and enjoyable to read.

Readability: ★★★★☆
The readability of this is fantastic. The language is clear and accessible, and the graphic novel format enhances the ease of understanding. It’s a quick read, but it’s packed with valuable information.

Enjoyment: ★★★★☆
I thoroughly enjoyed this read. It’s informative, compassionate, and beautifully presented. It’s a guide that not only offers practical advice but also provides emotional support, making it a standout resource.

‘A Quick and Easy Guide to Coming Out’ by Kristin Russo is an excellent resource for anyone considering or in the process of coming out. Its compassionate approach, combined with the engaging graphic novel format, makes it both a supportive and enjoyable read. Whether you're coming out yourself or supporting someone else, this guide is an invaluable tool.

This graphic novel is a great way to introduce people in finding their way in the queer community. While the major topic is about coming out, I think it displays very well how it is a multi-layer of things. There is also a great start to different labels which — if people want to — can dive deeper from. It is super helpful. Especially because not only does it come with incredible explanation but also with resources. It is a great starting point.

How I wish I'd had this book when I was a teenager coming of age! This is a graphic guide that is informative, well-spoken and heartwarming. A must have for any Queer Section as well as anyone working with adolescents.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

If I had had this guide as a teenager, I think things would have gone a lot smoother for me in the long run. I personally identify as a cisgender lesbian, and I have spent countless hours researching queer identities. This guide specifically addresses those who are thinking about coming out to someone, anyone in their lives. The authors address deep topics, including those that can be painful or difficult to deal with, but they address them with compassion and support. I definitely recommend this book to all Youth librarians in particular, as coming out young is difficult and sometimes harmful. Most libraries should have a copy of this book available for check-out.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing an arc to reviewers

This book is lovely!! There are certainly a large number of books about "how to be gay" for baby gays and this is the one that I've perused. It's simple enough to not be overwhelming but detailed enough to answer some of the big questions. Really well done!

4.5/5

I think this is a well-done explanation of possible scenarios of coming out. It gave so many different sides of coming out. Along with giving information and definitions of different terms. It showed the good and the ugly when coming out to different people and ways to have responses that let you stay true to you but also create boundaries. I also really enjoyed that it gave resources to go to and use for before, during and after coming out.

The color gradient wasn’t my favorite thing, but I understand they were using it for when one of the authors spoke so It made sense it could just get jarring at some points on a computer screen, but I think print it might look better.

4 solid gold stars!

This is an incredible, safe and encouraging landing point for those wanting to "come out" with intimate information about their personal indentity(ies), especially regarding their sexuality or gender expressions. (Though as someone who is queer, neurodivergent and disabled, this advice can certainly also aid those in the neurodivergent and invisibly disabled communities to divulge these important identities as well).

I love that this was written by two differently identifying folks who have gone through many various coming out experiences. I also love that it wasn't written solely by white people.

The tone of this guidebook is incredibly supportive, inclusive and upbeat. It's also short enough to read through in one easy sitting.

I would have really liked to see that they used 2SLGBTQIA+ (acknowledging Two Spirit people from Indigenous Communities upfront, instead of lumping them into the +. They were here on Turtle Island before any of us living here now, and have been incredibly mistreated, including by the forced colonial gender binary). This would have made the book much more inclusive.

I, myself, enjoyed the illustrations (but didn't absolutely love them). That said, it seems to be a very popular style and I am certain that it will do well.

The vast majority of this guidebook is very clear, straightforward and provides an incredible landing point for someone questioning or wanting to come out and not knowing how to do it safely or in a way that calls in those most loving of our whole selves. There is certainly a LOT more information out there for those in these positions, but I am sure that this is exactly what is most needed by someone searching for this information. Many points are only touched upon, and may require more in-depth answers .... but this book also isn't setting itself up as that sort of resource.

I did find a couple of pages confusing (lacking context, relation between and timelines), but these are mainly in the front portion regarding the personal experiences of the authors - and thus do not seriously impact the overall helpfulness of the guide. I would say that if these parts were improved upon, they would make the authors even more relatable. Their cats being included though - pure gold!!

I also love the inclusion of different resources AND the acknowledgement that resources may be different (or accessed differently) both in more rural settings, and outside of the US [I find that SO many of these sorts of things completely ignore any differences found in different countries or that people may live outside of the States].

All-in-all, this guidebook is exactly the resource needed by those who might pick up something with this title, and it is delivered in a relatable, loving and (mostly) inclusive way. It is also completely factual while remaining very upbeat and supportive. If you (or anyone that you love) is queer and wants to tell others, this is a really great guidebook that will likely help.

Huge gratitude to NetGalley and Oni Press for an ARC of this graphic novel, in exchange for my honest review.

Oni Press, I would LOVE to see an expanded version of this guidebook, which acknowledges all kinds of different scenerios, the consequences faced by those with less privilege, and additional input from those with different expereinces. Please also change LGBTQIA+ to 2SLGBTQIA+.

This book is super short and sweet which I guess would be beneficial for someone who’s questioning everything desperately because it is really a starting point from which readers may discover other resources, but personally I would have preferred it to have been a tad more fleshed out with all the possible nuances because it felt like quite a few aspects only got the briefest mention or were left out entirely.

That said, what was covered was generally very effective (and as I say, I get that this book is probably positioning itself as a starting point), and the art was beautiful and the personal anecdotes from both main narrators as well as extras were all so poignant and relatable!

God I wish I’d had this book when I was trying to figure out how to come out instead of after watching a film with my parents that ended with a wedding, saying “you may not get anything like that from me” (because same gender marriage wasn’t legal then) and then trying to ramblingly explain what I meant.

Read through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was definitely quick to read and easy to digest! It was upbeat, fast-paced, and hit a lot of key talking points in supporting anyone thinking about what it means to come out/how to implement the concept for themselves. I did find that sometimes it was hard to figure out the order of some panels/which dialogue belonged to which narrator and there were a few definite typos. Overall I think this book does what it sets out to do, and is very validating.

This book was so, so perfect! I have zero doubt that this book will help queer people, especially youth, immensely in their coming out journeys. This book was short, but it was packed with a lot of helpful information, including how to find your support group, how you might define your identity, and common phrases that you might unfortunately run into when coming out. However, even though there was a lot of information in this book, it wasn't overwhelming at all, which is impressive and very beneficial to the reader.
The next thing I would like to acknowledge is the talent of the illustrator. The drawings were very fun and absolutely phenomenal! Their art style definitely complemented the book well, and actually helped to convey some ideas, too. Bravo!!
Lastly, I loved the supportive tone of the entire book, and the way the authors decided to make the reading experience extra personal, mainly by using second-personal pronouns. This only increased how much I loved this book, and it will definitely have the same effects for all of its other readers.
I loved this book so much, and I know that it will be an absolute hit!

It was wonderful.

A perfect story and illustrations to reassure you that everything is fine, whatever you choose to be, there will always be someone to support you.

Thank you