A Quick & Easy Guide to Coming Out

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.

A book version of some queer older niblings come to take your hand and talk you through the confusion around coming out. This is also an invaluable resource that we should work to get into libraries and schools everywhere for youth and older folk trying to learn about themselves and grow. It's sweet, reassuring, and informative all at once. Highly recommended for everyone to read, but especially those questioning or supporting folk who are figuring their identities out.

What a fantastic bite sized book! The illustrations are full of energy reminiscent of early zines (a graphic style and mode of expressive communication that has been recently re-discovered by the older teens at my library) and the actual content is engaging and filled with practical advice presented in a friendly, peer-to-peer, voice.

Although the information is certainly relevant for all ages (with suggestions worked into the main text and presented in an appendix) younger readers may find the artistic style too unfamiliar and senior readers may find that they have aged past many of the scenarios presented in the book. That said, this book is the perfect match for young adult and new adult readers and an excellent addition to any library or guidance office.

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!

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.

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.

A must read!!

A Quick & Easy Guide to Coming Out is exactly that! A quick and easy to understand guide to the journey of coming out that includes something for everyone. The narrators that take us through all the ways queer people come out are fun and comforting, and make this Big Event feel so much more approachable. Even if you aren't in the LGBTQIA+ community, this is an important read to educate on the intersectionality of sexuality and gender.

If you find yourself on a coming out journey, or know someone who is, this is the perfect book for you!

A lovely book and a valuable resource in one! The supportive and comforting tone comes through clearly in the writing and the art. I hope my library can add this to its collection as I can see a lot of people being helped out greatly by this!

A fantastic nonfiction graphic novel about coming out in the LGBTQIA+ community. At 80 pages it's a quick read, which is great for teens since it's written for 8th grade+. Loved the illustrations and this entire series is a must-read.

CW: coming out (theme)

Kristin Russo and Ravi Teixeira's A Quick & Easy Guide to Coming Out is an invaluable resource for anyone on the LGBTQ+ spectrum. It offers practical advice, emotional support, and celebrates queer joy, making the coming-out process more manageable. The guide is both compassionate and informative, providing a comforting roadmap for those navigating this personal journey. Highly recommended for its inclusivity and encouragement. I give it full 5 stars.

Special Thanks to the author and the publisher for the ARC.

Gently affirming, no matter where you are on your queer acceptance journey. It's good for the young people just discovering themselves, but also for the older queers like me who are never finished with coming out (and who sometimes may be struck with Imposter syndrome about not being "openly queer enough.")

Speaking of, I especially love that this book took the time to delve into how the labels you start with may not be your ;final' ones, but that's okay and it doesn't make what you want to call yourself today any less valid. I felt like tearing up a bit at "The exploration of who we are IS who we are."

While hopeful in its messaging, this book is also honest about how things can change when coming out re: how others see you. That it can even be dangerous to do so, and that's why finding community is so important.

I think it's even approachable enough for a "straight" audience, whether it's someone who's questioning or someone confident they're cishet but interested in the perspective of the other side to become a better ally.

I also loved the little references made to homemade zines when explaining "self-care" to-dos, as zines feel very much a part of queer culture to me, in the past and still today.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Oni Press for the copy of this ARC for an honest review.

5 out of 5 stars.

At first glance 'A Quick & Easy Guide to Coming Out' by Kristin Russo is a graphic novel about coming out. The cover is warm and friendly with a queer group of fellow humans gathered together in a safe space. I, personally, find the cover encouraging and tantalizing to pick up. And from reading the blurb and the first few pages, I feel that it is a safe read for younger generations.

Going into this I had no expectations, but I was pleasantly surprised by just how much I enjoyed the art and information (and support) the book offered.

The whole vibe is almost 90s or early 2000s and I really love the characters with their different quirks and personalities.

I would recommend this to anyone wanting to touch on their first queer read. It offers plenty even for a oldie like myself.

Thoroughly enjoyed this one.

⭐ Rating: 4.5/5 stars
🗓 Publish date: Sept 24, 2024
🌈 Representation: Various identities (authors are a gay non-binary man and a cisgender queer/bi woman)

This was a straightforward and engaging guide that I think could help a lot of people exploring their identities or looking for advice around coming out.

I liked that it includes things like the history of the phrase “coming out” and basic definitions of LGBTQ+ terms. I also liked that the advice felt a bit like a conversation with lots of anecdotes and light-hearted jokes. The focus on community (even online community) was really lovely, too, since I think it’s so important!

The discussions of race and its intersections with queerness was important, as well, and I’m glad they mentioned it.

The art was also so lovely (especially the cats!) and helped explain their points and engage readers in the story.

Thank you to Oni Press and NetGalley for the eARC. All thoughts are my own!

I carry the rest of this series at my store and was excited for this one to join the collection. The authors created a lovely and accessible guide for anyone who might be considering coming out, or who needs some tangible suggestions on how to go about it. I'm glad they touched on safety, and the importance of building a community, and specific responses to some common responses. It's certainly not all-encompassing but a very good place to start for those who need a lil support!

Thanks to NetGalley for the digital ARC- will definitely be ordering for the shop.

4.5/5 stars rounded to 5 because I love my queer community.

What an entertaining and informative book! I wish I read this back then when I was still at my confused stage. As someone that now identifies as a genderfluid bisexual, it fills my heart that more and more people are being open and guiding other queer people. We needed this after so long.

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.

1000% recommend. This is presented in an encouraging and digestible way.
I think this is appropriate for many age ranges.

[Digital copy provided by Netgalley]

Actual rating 4.5 stars

The art style of this book is absolutely stunning and I enjoyed the approach taken to the subjects covered. It's definitely aimed at those new to coming out and a bit of a younger demographic, but that's not a bad thing at all. It's cute and educational and delightful!

I really wish I had something like this when I was younger. It's so informative and easy to digest, I think it will be really helpful to a lot of young queer people who are trying to find themselves.

The art style is absolutely beautiful and really tied it all together.

I can't recommend this highly enough!

Huge thanks to Oni Press and NetGalley for providing me with this arc.