How to Be Ace: A Memoir of Growing Up Asexual

Finally reading all the ace books I've had lined up for a while. This one was good. A lot of it was what I've felt over the years. Although I did make it a point to not take any shit from others for my choices. But this was a good book with an honest ace rep.

After started reading it I make me feel like I'm not mentally ill.

I think this is something that will be super validating for a lot of readers. Burgess does a great job highlighting how allonormative society is and how damaging that was, and how important it was for them to find an asexual community.

I wish a little bit that there had been some footnotes or something for an American edition, just to explain the British school system a bit for teen readers? But also like, it's pretty minor, I don't think that most kids will get too hung up on college vs university.

It's also....of note, I guess, that the title implies it will be all about asexuality but it's almost equally a memoir of autism and OCD. Of course it's their memoir and they can only write about their experience, but...well, I guess what I'm really saying is the market needs more asexual representation for teens (and all ages) so that this can be just one of many. Burgess does a great job showing readers their perspective, even if readers can't relate to all aspects of their journey.

Also, the art is really cute.

3 stars

An important book necessary for high school, college, and public collections. I appreciate Burgess's honesty and vulnerability in sharing their story and also using it as a platform to give information and visibility about asexuality, anxiety, and OCD. The memoir is warm and inviting, well laid out, and includes resources at the end.

Part helpful guide, part memoir, this graphic novel is a wonderful exploration of asexuality, OCD, and the feeling of not fitting in. It is rare for me to feel represented as an ace woman, more rare still to see representation of both my asexuality and my OCD in one person, and it made be feel seen to a degree I was not expecting. This is a beautiful little book that everyone should read.

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for opportunity to read this book.
It was an amazing journey. I find stories as this really important to share with the world. The art is so pretty, and it's like the perfect mix of information and graphics.
Love it!