I absolutely loved Ewing’s approach to the interviews and discussions throughout the graphic novel. They are very clear to indicate that these are people opinions. There are footnotes that remark upon the use of outdated or unpopular language. I read some words that made me personally uncomfortable, simply because it is not the language most commonly used in the trans/nonbinary community in more recent times. However, this was a needed reminder to me that every person creates their own approach to gender. In the same way that I am comfortable identifying as queer but many others are not… others may still use terms such as “transsexual,” a term that I have always known to be offensive/outdated. Everything about gender is a personal choice because gender is a societal construct.

"Fine" is an amazing deep dive into the journey of gender identity. Ewing did their research and they did it well. Interviews with countless sources, people from different backgrounds (race, class, sexuality, religion, etc...), and in-depth questions were key to unlocking the sheer amount of information in this graphic novel.

The art is quirky and charming, and their knack for giving character to some of the anonymous interviewees is inspiring. I was really fond of the superhero one!

This is a LONG graphic novel (but in all honesty it's needs to be to tell these stories well) so it's something you'll be able to pick up and put down or re-read sections. I got emotional at some points and needed to take some breaks but in a good "holy cow that really hit me in the feels" kind of way.

Very excited to add this to my library collection as well as my personal collection!

Wow, what a project. I’m not a usual consumer of comic books, so I was a bit skeptical of how I would enjoy this. I thought it was such an interesting medium to present these interviews. I learned a lot reading this comic, and it gave me more perspective on gender identify. I hope Fine gets a wide audience upon its release; it is important stuff!

This book does a great job at introducing the reader to many different ways people identify and it's being published at exactly the right time. The author started this project while in college, partly as a way to understand their own identity. They interviewed numerous people and compiled those interviews into this book.

With so many books being challenged in libraries, we needed something like Fine. There are no sexual images for the pearl-clutchers to point to as a reason to exclude this title from a collection. It doesn't preach or dictate. What it does is allow people to better understand one another and don't we all need a little more understanding in our lives?

I couldn't be happier with Fine. The diversity is a welcome breath of fresh air. I have already recommended it to colleagues and friends and I only finished it yesterday!

My thanks to Liveright Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rhea Ewing presents the idea of gender through the eyes of their 56 interviewees, as well as what it all has come to mean to them. This comic isn't a How-To Guide to gender but focuses instead on the nuances of language, expression, and the overlap with other identities. Not all of the interviewees agree with one another, some seem to disagree with themselves years later, but they all offer a different perspective on gender and what it means to us, individually and as a society. From what femininity or masculinity means to what that has to do with us or our bodies, Ewing presents the different interviews in a way that makes sense and helps guide the reader through such a heavy or intense discussion. All of these different perspectives are tied together with one through-line: Rhea's own journey with their gender identity, because underneath it all, they were trying to understand themself.

Rhea Ewig was incredible at putting together this varied collection of stories detailing all the different expressions of gender. It goes to show how complex humans are in terms of gender, which is still not as discussed as it should be. So many of the experiences detailed in this graphic novel were completely outside of what cisgender, straight people know and grow up with. Clearly, it is why it is so valuable to have resources such as "Fine" to help those who want to understand how deeply gender norms are ingrained into society, and how much they do not help the vast majority of people.

*Many thanks to W. W. Norton & Company and Netgallery for the eARC of this book*

Note: I am a non-binary person

TW: Mentions of death, suicide ideation, murder, discrimination, medical dismissal, transphobia, gender and body dysphoria, sex, abusive relationships

Rhea Ewing's done a fantastic job of translating all their interviews with some amazing people into an interesting and educational, and often emotion, journey through each panel of their artwork. There were so many interesting and varied viewpoints from each person regarding the same questions, and nothing was held back.

So much credit needs to go to the interviewees though. They were all incredibly raw, open ,and vulnerable, and shared many sacred personal experiences, as well as traumatic and scarring moments.

I really appreciated Rhea's honesty when confronting their own ignorance. When they find they have privilege connected to their race, they own up to it, and take responsibility. I also really liked the focus on the aspects of privilege and exclusion that can occur in the LGBTQIA community, as well as even trans spaces.

Masterfully executed, and sorely needed, I cannot recommend this book enough.

What started as a school project, turned into a decade-long quest interviewing (56) people across the spectrum of gender identities.

It was beautiful to see how everyone had different answers to all the posed questions. This just goes to show you how fluid gender is and there is more to it than a binary option on a questionnaire.

Themes: femininity, masculinity, race, gender expression, body image, hormones, health care, labels, relationships, bathrooms, housing, and the queer community. All of these things factor into ones identity.

Amidst other peoples personal stories is Ewing's own story growing up in rural Kentucky, grappling with their identity as a teenager, and ultimately finding themself.

CW: gender dysphoria, transphobia, racism, ableism, body image issues, drug use, sex work, suicidal ideation, suicide attempt

I really enjoyed this comic about the full spectrum of gender identities and how people identify within their bodies! The art was great, and the interviewees and author left me feeling a lot more educated/clear on gender identity, and even my own place on the spectrum as somebody who is currently questioning!

This is a great title about the wide spectrum of gender. Ewing's use of interviews along with their own thoughts on gender gives a wide variety of opinions and experiences. It's a great not only for trans, non-binary, and individuals in the process of questioning their gender; but also could help to show people who have never thought about gender as a spectrum just how diverse and nuanced gender can be.

I really loved how Ewing acknowledges their shortcomings: they state in the text that they're not a trained researcher, and that they never thought about the intersection of gender and race/ethnicity/culture before starting this project. Yet they did an excellent job by interviewing a plethora of people from a variety of backgrounds giving them different views and perspectives to learn from and share with readers.

I would highly recommend this title for anyone interested in learning about just how nuanced, diverse, and different gender can be.

An excellent compendium of voices across the gender spectrum. Ewing does a great job thinking through their limitations and perspective, and I'm grateful to the interviewees who helped them develop this book. It's one that's helping me as a gender-questioning person and one I'm absolutely psyched to have in my repertoire of recommendations. There's not just one trans experience--they express this so well in graphic format.

Author Rhea Ewing conducts interviews with people of a variety of identities about gender: what it is, how they define it, and how they express it. The interviews are interwoven with Ewing's own multi-year exploration of their own gender identity. Issues such as race and culture, which cut across and obviously influence gender, are also discussed. I appreciated the insight to the various interviews, but came away with an overall sense that those interviewed had a much more binary understanding of gender than I expected regardless of their individual identities.