This moving memoir in expressive artwork depicts the artist's gradual process of coming to terms with his gender identity, sexuality, and faith. Designated female at birth in a Southern Baptist household, Nichols spent his childhood simultaneously finding solace in the church and feeling terrified at the prospect of being queer. As an adult, he finds a supportive queer community, but they can't always sympathize with the affection he has for church. Nichols illustrates his memoir with soft-colored artwork and realistic figures, with the exception of himself, whom he depicts as a soft-bodied doll that shifts and changes as he grows into himself. Moments of nature, in which he finds wonder and faith in a much more compassionate God than the one his parents believe in, are carefully, beautifully drawn. While the early chapters are a little repetitive, the later ones are full of deep insight about the complexity of identity and faith and the importance of finding not just one but many communities from which to draw strength and support. An intelligent, encouraging, and unusually compassionate addition to memoir collections.

This moving, skillfully wrought coming-of-age graphic memoir shares Nichols-s struggle to integrate his queer identity with a devout Southern Baptist upbringing: -No matter how hard I tried, I never heard -me- when they said -we.--- Nichols, who is targeted as a lesbian while growing up (-I heard she-s a dyke-) and now identifies as a transgender man, first presented these stories in a series of pamphlet comics. Throughout the narrative, Nichols depicts himself as a button-eyed rag doll, perpetually set apart from -normal- family and peers, developing same-sex crushes while still attempting to reconcile his religious faith with the virulently anti-LGBTQ messages baked into the culture: -Instead of questioning the church-s teachings, I threw myself even further in.- Nichols is a talented artist, often utilizing symbology (such as the arrows that point at him whenever he feels his secrets have been exposed) in almost incantatory fashion. Over time, Nichols establishes his own flock of family and community as a fully integrated person. Written and drawn with equal parts raw honesty and a wide-open heart, this lovely full-color book should have crossover appeal for younger readers, middle school and up, opening up the experience of any reader challenged by their gender identity, sexuality, and/or conflicting religious beliefs. (Sept.)