What a novel. This book took off from the very start and I was right there with it. As someone who struggles with gender I really related to Ash. Seeing the journey through the book was so nice. The support she had and the love from everyone around was what everyone should have. This is the perfect novel for someone questioning and just people in general. Who doesn’t love a good fantasy with gender identity mixed in?

This was so lovely.
This comic did such a good job of explaining gender identity in a way for children (and adults) to understand and connect with.
The story was full of adventure and heart as well as some laughs.
I think this well help a lot of people feel seen and help others to understand an experience different from their own.

Such a fun read! I absolutely love graphic novels and comic books I wish more people could see how enjoyable these are

**I was provided an electronic ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for honest review.**

Lilah Sturges returns with her newest work, Girl Haven. Ash's mother wrote about a fantasy world called Koretris where only female creatures live and only female travelers can pass through. When Ash and his friends (Eleanor, Junebug, and Chloe) are transported to Koretris, it brings into light a lot of questions about how Ash considers himself and whether he really identifies with his birth gender at all.

This is decidedly a story about gender identity and the importance of the journey to discovering oneself and writing one's own story. In addition to Ash providing transbinary representation, Junebug communicates (without a label) genderfluidity and changes pronoun use between she and they as they figure out what they feel is best for them in terms of identity. Eleanor also states that she "likes girls". There is a fantasy plot as well, but that was absolutely secondary compared to the journey of self-discovery for Ash.

This graphic novel presents concepts of gender in a way that is accessible to a middle grade or young adult audience and I absolutely wish I had books like this when I was growing up.

I found this to be such a lovely story, it opens a great narrative about gender as well as being a great adventure between four new friends. You immediately know what the themes of the story is about if you read the author's preface, which I felt was wonderfully written.

I really enjoyed how different the characters were and how Eleanor especially worked towards being supportive and really buoy her friends up as they go on a fantasy adventure to not only answer questions but to save a special world. I can't speak to representation or accuracy, but I really loved this story and it's exploration of gender.

(Full disclosure: I received a free e-ARC for review through NetGalley.)

-- 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 where necessary --

Seventh-grader Ash ("like the tree") misses his mom Kristin terribly.* Three years ago, she left the house, and just ... never came back. (Weirdly, her dad hasn't done much to find her, even though she's clearly a missing person. Fictional parents are a mystery, yo.)

When Ash is adopted into a tight-knit group of friends - Eleanor ("like the Roosevelt"), Chloe, and Junebug - that also happens to represent the entirety of the LGBTQIA+ club at Marsha P. Johnson Middle School, he's eager to show off Kirstin's studio to his new besties. Ash's mom was a talented writer and artist; she created an entire fantasy world called Koretris, dedicating twelve years of her life to a 'verse populated entirely with girls. The shed out back is a testament to her creativity and imagination.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/smiteme/50511577467/in/dateposted-public/

Things go sideways (or maybe just right) when a fortuitous spell transports the quartet into the heart of Koretris itself; here, they're drafted by the anthropomorphous warrior bunnies to rescue Queen Cassandra and defeat the scourge that threatens to poison all of Koretris. Of course, Ash has his own agenda as well: find Kirstin, and maybe himself too.

Even though everyone keeps telling Ash that he's a boy, he doesn't feel like one. If the magic of Koretris welcomed him through its gates, what does this say about Ash's gender identity?

https://www.flickr.com/photos/smiteme/50511577417/in/dateposted-public/

GIRL HAVEN is a really sweet (and sometimes silly - in a good way!) middle grade graphic novel. It's a coming of age story that addresses LGBTQ issues in a gentle, compassionate way. Ash is a compelling character, and I was rooting for her (and, more specifically her and Eleanor!) the whole time. Chloe - she of feminist killjoy fame - and the ever-cute Junebug deserve honorary mentions too, as does dad, who loves and supports his daughter fiercely. All trans kids deserve one or two parents like this.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/smiteme/50510700653/in/dateposted-public/

In short: this story is brimming with humor, heart, inclusion - and talking horses!

* I wasn't sure of the best pronouns to use in this review, so I decided to refer to Ash as he/him up until the point in the story that the character comes out as a trans girl.

**I was given a free digital copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**

I absolutely adored this book! Fantasy books are nearly always a hit with me, so as soon as I read the description I knew this was going to be a great read. This tackles difficult topics like gender and sexuality in a way that is approachable and relatable for young adults or teens. I loved all the characters, and I really really hope there will be more books in this particular world. The Rabbits of the Reeds were absolutely adorable, and so were Ash and her friends. The art style is gorgeous, and it fits the tone of the story. Seriously, fantastic job!

Think middle grade fantasy book. Now add graphic novel to the mix. Finally, spice it with gender identity and real but simple talks about all things LGBTQ+.
Does that sound amazing? Well, that's because it is.
Ash is magically transported with some friends into a magical world that allegedly only allows girls. But everyone thinks Ash is a boy... But is it what Ash feels?
We follow Ash and Ash's friends in an adventure to save the magical world of Koriantris and maybe find Ash's long lost mother. We meet bunny-people, horse-people, candy-people and all kinds of anything-people. It's fantastic and whimsical, and Ash's identity journey is wonderfully written and explained.
I really enjoyed reading this, and it's existence makes me sincerely happy. The world's needs books for children that aren't afraid of being real and beautiful and magical and inclusive.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.

From the author of Lumberjanes comes a story of belonging, gender identity, finding yourself and overcoming fears. It is beautifully told, the art is decent.
The world of Koretris is interesting and I really hope there will be more adventures in the future.

I received this as an eARC to read for free in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and Oni Press for giving me access.

Two things: I love One Press and I love Lumberjanes. So when I saw that this is from Lilah Sturges, I knew I had to read it.

I loved the Narnia-esque feel to it. Talking animals, a trip to a different land, 4 kids on an adventure. It was a wonderful story about a young boy finding out who he is. Heart warming and all the good feels, except for one depressing part.

A good LGBTQ read for all!

Thanks to Oni Press and NetGalley for giving me this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Asher is a lonely boy who befriends 3 girls who are also the gay chapter of their school, he invites them to his home were he is now living with his dad after his mother left. While showing the girl's his mother's creations they are transported to the fantasy land his mother has envisioned, Koretris. As soon as they arrive they are capture by rabbits and taken to the Reed Warren. To go back home they must first discover why magic brought them there and to complete their quest, defeat the scourge of the land and free Queen Cassandra.

To talk about the way the book tackles gender issues I will have to reveal a few spoilers. The story uses the portal fantasy setting to discuss male/female demarcations and relations. Koretris is a land that forbids entry to male visitors, and Asher comes to rethink gender and how come the magic let him travel there in the first place. At first it seemed like there is a division the gender along the lines of boys are bad or girls have cooties. It turns out that the scourge is actually a group of boys who come from Guysville and who consider girls an enemy. But they are actually driven by The Beast which takes control of them and uses them. This beast seems to be inside them and has the ability to take control of their minds. The presence of the boys confuses Ash, but in order to work magic, Ash must figure out what's in his/her heart and how they will identify themselves in the future.

I can't speak for the LGBTQIA+ representation from personal experience, but it did seem like a good introduction to the subject with a warm loving message about embracing and accepting your innermost feelings. Overall a very cute story that seems to be aimed to the middle grades.

#GirlHaven #NetGalley

I really enjoyed reading this fantasy graphic novel. It is filled with LGBTQ+ and I loved the idea of Koretris and a whole new world. The story was really sweet and I had a lot of fun reading it!

Trans portal fantasy in which a boy called Ash finds himself in the fantasy world his missing mother created. The catch being, the whole idea of that world is that it was everyone there, the talking animals included, was female – so maybe Ash is too? At first I was a little taken aback by how externally imposed that seems – is it qualitatively different to have a spell and a talking rabbit tell you your gender, rather than society or biology? But soon enough it's revealed that this isn't the first inkling Ash has had, and as the story continued it all made much more sense. On top of which, Sturges' intro is at pains to point out that this is just one story about gender, and there are lots of other ones to be told. Plus, y'know, I'm not exactly the target market anyway. Still, there was plenty I enjoyed, from the storybook landscapes, to Ash's friend who is given to talking to animals anyway and only a little surprised to find them suddenly replying (this is 100% what would happen to me in that situation).

(Netgalley ARC)

Girl Haven is very much a book about gender identity. There are a lot of other cool aspects thrown in--talking animals, spells, adventures, candy people, quests, and cooties, but the main idea is a particular coming of age story for one young teen. The story brings in elements of male/female relations from childhood to adult fears and agrees that there are healthy ways of dealing with even the most difficult relationships.
This book walks a delicate line between being overtly a story of gender and being a lighthearted fantasy story. For me, it didn't quite click, but that doesn't mean that it didn't have a strong emotional impact. Dad and Ash's relationship is scary but ultimately healing, and the unique perspectives of the characters in the fantasy world are warm and fresh like a batch of freshly baked bread you didn't even know you'd been missing out on. While I don't think I'll be including this book in any curricula for its stunning writing, I think it has a place on my "acceptance" shelf, and I hope that questioning individuals find themselves welcome in it.

I just finished reading the ARC of Girl Haven by the writers who started <em>Lumberjane</em>> I had no idea, going in, what to expect.

This was both so much fun, and so deep, it had be going both ways. The story is of a child born into a boy’s body, who always felt they were a girl, but since they didn’t know of anyone else with that issue, they stayed as a boy. They meet some other queer folks, and decides to hang out in their mother’s old workshop. The mother has been missing for three years. She was a writer and artist and had created a world of only women, and the other kids, start reading what she left behind, and find a spell that sends them into to this world.

That is the story. But through it all, Ash is beginning to understand that it is ok to be a girl, or whatever they want. It isn’t the main point of the story, but it is important to the story. Both good as a fantasy, and as a coming out story. And having representation.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

I received an eARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Powerful, moving and thought provoking.

This fantastic LGBTQIA graphic novel is perfect for anyone aged 10 up in my opinion.

Beautifully illustrated and perfectly detailed on one person's journey through self identity. Coupled with a fantasy world setting, strong friendship and love - this was a graphic novel I struggled to put down.

If you're looking for a great introductory book/graphic novel to give someone on gender identity, as well as sexual orientation and pronouns, I feel that Girl Haven does a wonderful job.

This is a very cute comic that centers gender identity, being trans, and other LGBTQIA+ content, all wrapped up a delightful high-fantasy, Narnia-esque romp. The art is very sweet, as are many of the characters, though at times I found the plot a bit too whimsical/twee for my taste (but this comic is hardly aimed at a middle-aged English professor, so there's that). There are also harsh, real-world stakes in this book, but [mild spoilers] they do NOT have to do with homophobia or transphobia--there's very little of that in this book. There are some characters who try to insist on gender essentialism and the binary of girls=good, boys=bad early on, but that gets dealt with quickly. I would highly recommend this book for advanced elementary or any middle school readers.

I love this book! I will most certainly add this to the library's collection. We need more LGBTQIA+ friendly content in the collection.

I loved this middle grade graphic novel about a kid struggling with gender identity who gets whisked away to a fantasy world that supposedly is girls only. Ash starts to believe that being in Koretris means that she (pronoun chosen at the end of the GN, so that's what I'm going with) really is a girl, but when an enemy group of boys shows up, she questions how she's supposed to know who she truly is. Along with her new friends from her middle school's Pride Club, Ash is tasked to rescue Queen Cassandra and save Koretris from the Scourge. The fantasy elements in this book are very reminiscent of The Chronicles of Narnia--in the best way. Definitely recommend for kids who love fantasy worlds, playing make believe, talking animals, and are looking for queer stories with multiple queer characters. It's heartwarming to see a group of queer kids come together, as friends and as supporters.

Huge thank you for Oni Press and NetGalley for granting me this ARC.

Y’all, I loved every minute of this book. Just by looking at the indie art style I knew I would like this. One of the authors worked on Lumberjanes, which I have not read yet, but heard great things about. I also just love the title. Based on these two I expected something good and feminist and possibly LGBTQIA+ and I was not disappointed.

The inner design sports a three colored flag-like set up, but I am unsure what these colors mean. It is closest to the trans flag, but this one has dark blue next to the pink and white-ish color. If this is symbolism I guess that is kinda cool but it definetely went over my head.

I love the character designs and the comic was very enjoyable. I felt that sometimes the backgrounds were a bit rushed, but I was happy with the art overall.

Content warnings
death mentioned but not shown, gender dysphoria, sexism (it is very frowned upon)

The plot
Ash is a lonely kid, who’s mom disappeared a few years ago. One day Ash sits next to the school’s tiny Pride Club at the cafeteria and ends up making friends with the members. Promptly joining them for the next club meeting. This was an adorable set up, the kids having fun and painting each other’s nails. Ash wanting to join in simply because it looks like fun. Later on, Ash invites the gang over to their house and shows them the shed where Ash’s mom left behind a treasure trove: books, art, costumes all made for an imaginary world, *looks at smudged handwriting*: T*tris. No, wait let me try again, Kore.. a, no, wait, it’s called Koretris actually.
The club is delighted by the idea of a magical land that only welcomes girls, regardless of your species. They get into a bit of roleplaying when suddenly, the magic spell written by Ash’s mom turns out to be real - and transports them all to Koretris. This is where their magical quest starts and among other things Ash has to fight the expectations everyone has of them.
I am using they/them pronouns for Ash in this review in an attempt to not sound too spoilery. As the blurbs promised this book is very much about gender and discovering who and what can decide your gender at the end of the day.

Junebug: Hey, look! I’m a flag!
Ash: I’m so jealous!

I loved the flow of the book. We start with a short introduction written by the author that offers a bit of an explanation about gender. There is a short glossary at the end of the book too. This is a great way to introduce gender discussions for people who are not very informed about the topic. I appreciated that instead of the generic LGBT acronym throughout the book the more inclusive LGBTQIA+ was used.

The main characters

Ash, like the tree
I absolutely loved our main character, Ash, and it was awesome to be a part of their journey. Honestly they were way too chill, given the stuff they had to deal with. I loved learning more about their thoughts and feelings. I was glad they could find someone to trust who helped them come to terms with their feelings.

Eleanor, like the president
She was just the nicest person in the book. She cares a lot about her friends. No wonder Ash immediately liked her. She was warm and welcoming, always trying to help Ash but never overstepping. I wish we learned a bit more about her.

Junebug, the awesome
What a super chill character. Though we don’t learn a lot about Junebug during the story, I enjoyed their spontaineity.

Chloe, the feminist killjoy
If the book had any downfall for me, it would be Chloe. From the first moment she has been hostile to Ash, for absolutely no reason. I get that informing others of sexist language they are using is important, but there is no reason to be rude about it if there is obviously no malicious intent. The joke about her being a “feminist killjoy” right after she bulldozes through the newest member of their pride club just felt super cringey.. I wish her behaviour towards Ash was reprimanded a bit.

Overall rating
I loved this book a lot. Gender was discussed in a natural way, focusing more on the feelings of the characters and not on the shiny glossary terms. There was a quest, magic and bonding time for the characters and it was just an overall uplifting read. I was surprised by the end reveal about Ash’s mom, not quite what I expected.
I felt like the whole of Koretris was a great commentary on how society views gender and how literally everyone has an opinion of what gender people should be and how they should act to fit this assigned role. As a cisgender woman (don’t worry there is a glossary that explains) I learned a lot about gender and how difficult it can be to learn your own preferences when literally everyone is shouting their own expectations at you.