True Stories Blog Tour: Book Review & Giveaway of Tomboy by Liz Prince!

Welcome fellow readers! I'm excited to be today's stop on the True Stories Blog Tour from Zest Books! Today I have a review of Liz Prince's new graphic novel memoir, Tomboy. As if that's not cool enough, you can enter to win a copy of your very own!

Title: Tomboy: A Graphic Memoir
Author: Liz Prince
Format: Paperback, 256 pages
Release date: September 2nd 2014
Publisher: Zest Books

Book Description:

Growing up, Liz Prince wasn’t a girly girl, dressing in pink tutus or playing pretty princess like the other girls in her neighborhood. But she wasn’t exactly one of the guys either (as she learned when her little league baseball coach exiled her to the distant outfield). She was somewhere in between. But with the forces of middle school, high school, parents, friendship, and romance pulling her this way and that, the middle wasn’t exactly an easy place to be. Tomboy follows Ignatz Award-winning author and artist Liz Prince through her early years and explores—with humor, honesty, and poignancy—what it means to “be a girl.” 
From staunchly refuting ”girliness” and finding the perfect outfit, to discovering through the punk community that your identity is whatever you make of it, Tomboy offers a sometimes hilarious, sometimes heartbreaking account of self-discovery in modern America.



Advanced Praise:

"Prince explores what it means to be a tomboy in a magnificently evocative graphic memoir…. Simple, line-based art provides a perfect complement to her keen narration, giving this an indie, intimate feel and leaving readers feeling like they really know her. Liz's story, captured with wry humor and a deft, visceral eye, is a must-read for fans who fell for Raina Telgemeier's work in middle school. Spectacular; a book to make anyone think seriously about society's preordained gender roles." – ★ Kirkus Reviews [Starred Review]

"The heroine of this charming, gently subversive graphic memoir loves Little League and hates dresses, so what does she grow up to be? Gloriously herself." - People Magazine

Buy it here:

Amazon | B&N | IndieBound | TBD | Zest Books

About the Author:

Liz Prince is an autobiographical cartoonist who currently lives outside of Boston, MA, with her two cats, Wolfman and Dracula. Her first book, Will You Still Love Me If I Wet the Bed?, won the Ignatz Award for Outstanding Debut in 2005. She has since published the comic strip collections Delayed Replays and Alone Forever. She has drawn comics for the wildly popular Adventure Time comic series, is a regular contributor to Razorcake magazine, and self-publishes her own comics and zines. She is still a tomboy, and can frequently be found shopping in the boys’ section at thrift stores.

Check out the rest of the tour here!

Review:

★★★★★

I absolutely loved this book. I will admit that this book is a little bit personal to me. Not because I was a tomboy, but because my girlfriend was. She struggled with gender identity problems for a long time, and she was bullied for these differences in elementary school for a rather long while. This negativity left mental scarring, and I hurt for her every day. Author Liz Prince recalls her childhood of bullying as well, and I couldn't help but to draw similarities. I just wanted to get that connection out of the way, before I delve into the book review too far.

I liked the tone with which this memoir was written- honesty. It's largely humorous, but it also addresses some serious issues. There were times where, pardon my French, shit just got real and in those moments it was largely relatable. Whether we were tomboys or not, I think we've all stood out in one way or another, or been picked on for something. At least, I'd like to think that the whole "puberty" thing was equally awkward for all of us. It makes me feel better about myself that way, haha. This nice blend of humor and emotion and sense of almost familiarity mixed together to form a strong personal narrative that is easily approachable.

I wasn't sure how I felt about the artwork of this book at first, but it grew on me. The illustrations are done in black and white, and in a simple, childlike drawing style. I think that it works well here with the direction of the memoir. It adds a nice touch of youthful nostalgia which helps feed into that familiarity I mentioned earlier. It's inviting and clean.

I think that this is a book that all young adults should read. It has a strong message of staying true to yourself, even if what you are goes against the grain or ruffles a few conformist feathers. There are going to be people out there who want to make you feel bad about yourself, but you know what? You're pretty awesome. Rock that baseball cap, wear that glitter nail polish. Do what makes you happy: it is okay to just be you. I think that's a pretty terrific message to put into the world, and it's one that I think we all need to remind ourselves of at one time or another.

If you enjoy nonfiction, graphic novels, humor, sass, memoirs, or just stories that are written with a fresh and genuine voice- Tomboy is for you.

Thank you so much to Zest Books for my copy in exchange for my honest review.

Giveaway:

-This giveaway will run from November 3rd to November 10th, 2014
-This giveaway is open to US/CAN
-This giveaway is open to those 13 and older (with parental permission of course)
-It is open to anyone over that age who can legally enter, receive, and use their prize.
-One (1) winner will win a copy.
-This giveaway is sponsored wholly by the publisher. I am not responsible.
-This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity.
-Winner will have 48 hours to reply, or a new winner will be chosen. Winner will be chosen using random.org.
-Invalid entries will be removed, so please don't cheat.
-Void where prohibited. Odds will vary. No purchase necessary.
-My opinions are my own. Information will not be stored or sold, and will be used only to contact the winners.

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