Akiva Reads

by Liz Prince

I wanted to like this more than I really did, so I'm going to err on the 2-star side of 2.5.

Art was solid. Prince starts to get at some things that other media doesn't capture about what it's like to be a tomboy (especially in terms of how you relate to other tomboys and other girls), but fails to deliver anything really thoughtful or insightful. On a personal level, I'm really jealous that Prince figured out formal clothes so early on---I was just too amiable as a kid, I wore dresses if I felt like I had to. When I figured out that formal clothes could be a men's shirt, vest, and tie, I was almost an adult. But it made me so much happier than I ever thought I could be.

On the downside, this panel stood out as so alienating and frustrating (sorry for the iffy scan):

[[The stereotype of the butch lesbian has plagued me my whole life, but I don't dress like a boy to attract girls: I dress like a boy because it feels natural to me.]]

Prince, have you ever in your life talked to any queer tomboys/butches? I can assure you that we don't "dress like boys to attract girls"---we feel exactly the same as you. It just feels natural to me, too. Argh.