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Welcome to St. Hell: My Trans Teen Misadventure: A Graphic Novel
Welcome to St. Hell: My Trans Teen Misadventure: A Graphic Novel | Lewis Hancox
18 posts | 18 read | 9 to read
A groundbreaking memoir about being a trans teen, in the vein of FUN HOME and FLAMER... and at the same time entirely its own. Lewis has a few things to say to his younger teen self. He knows she hates her body. He knows she's confused about who to snog. He knows she's really a he and will ultimately realize this... but she's going to go through a whole lot of mess (some of it funny, some of it not funny at all) to get to that point. Lewis is trying to tell her this... but she's refusing to listen. In WELCOME TO ST. HELL, author-illustrator Lewis Hancox takes readers on the hilarious, heartbreaking, and healing path he took to make it past trauma, confusion, hurt, and dubious fashion choices in order to become the man he was meant to be. It's a remarkable, groundbreaking graphic memoir from an unmistakably bold new voice in comics.
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DimeryRene
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Read this right after Gender Queer. Really liked both stories of transformation and becoming. 🩵🩷🤍

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LibrarianRyan
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4.5 ⭐ I‘m not sure what I was expecting from this graphic novel. There was something about the title that made me think it was a demon fantasy. However, it is a biography of the author and illustrator as looking back on their life and breaking the 4th wall, about being transgendered in a time when it was not as visible as it is now. This book follows the character from age 11 to about age 19-20ish and it‘s set at a middle grade reading level.

LibrarianRyan There‘s something in here for everyone. One doesn‘t have to be trans, one just must be an ally, or open minded, to enjoy this book. What is neat is within the book, the author living their trans life now is talking to their younger self and saying it will be OK, or it‘s going to change, or it‘ll get better you have to live through this to get to the good stuff. Overall, this was a great read with great illustrations, and I can‘t wait to see what 9mo
LibrarianRyan what the author comes up with next. 9mo
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LaraReads
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Spent the morning birdwatching and reading this #bookspin book. Wow! This was a spectacular graphic novel. Chock-full of humor & heart, it tells the story of Lewis Hancox‘s journey to his true self. I loved it & all its Britishisms. 🇬🇧 #transbooks #transauthors #pridemonth #52bookclub23 #abookwithasubtitle

TheAromaofBooks Great progress! 11mo
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Lindy
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Lots of new-to-me vocabulary and expressions in this memoir.

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Lindy
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Teen years are often hellish. Lewis Hancox puts a funny spin on his own experience in hell (actually St Helen‘s, northern England), in his graphic memoir about being trans. I appreciate how compassionate he is towards his younger self, and I was surprised at how much I could relate to his awkward misadventures, not being trans myself. #LGBTQ #TransGirlApril

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Lindy
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Every night before bed:
Mum, I feel like a boy trapped in a girl‘s body.

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Lindy
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Sometimes, I felt like an alien.

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underground_bks
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This funny, honest, self-compassionate, perfectly cringy, loving, empowering graphic memoir of growing up trans in suburban England in the 90s and early 00s is just such a gift. I loved how Lewis, as an all-grown-up transman, self-inserts, visits, accepts, and tries to help his younger self, Lois, and all the humor and honesty with which he depicts his teen years and his transition. So grateful this book exists!

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IndoorDame
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My Libby hold of this showed up, so I dropped everything to read this graphic memoir. It took a painful, emotional subject and made it into a humorous hopeful piece of art by frequently breaking the 4th wall and splicing together vignettes of past and present versions of the characters (sometimes in the same panel).

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booklover3258
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My review of this book can be found on my YouTube Vlog at:

https://youtu.be/ovqGyQRLZN4

Enjoy!

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Rachel.Rencher
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This is such a cool graphic memoir about Lewis Hancox's coming out and subsequent ftm transition. I loved the humor, early 2000s pop punk references, and the ability to more deeply understand and empathize with the trans youth in my classes. Highly recommend this one.

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Rachel.Rencher
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Borrowed this from the library after it was recommended by the wonderful @Soubhiville ! I got through half of it in one sitting. It's entertaining and I love the angsty teen British slang.

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Soubhiville
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Lewis shares his experience of personal discovery and beginning transition from knowing something was different about him as a young kid to starting T just before university.

I liked that he shared his family and friend‘s feelings on his coming out and transition, we don‘t often get those points of view. I hope kids who need to get to read this graphic memoir.

#booked2023 #trans

Cinfhen It‘s amazing to me how every book I‘ve read about transitioning ,the one going through the process just KNEW from birth that they were born in the wrong physical body. 1y
Soubhiville @Cinfhen yes. It‘s an important thing for more people to hear. 1y
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Bookwomble
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Waiting in the hospital café while my wife attends an appointment. Food in a healthcare institution could be more nutritious, but then I have to take responsibility for my choices!
This was an excellent memoir, handling what our society makes a complex issue with a light, but not superficial, touch.
I liked the way Lewis presented not only his own experience on transition, but also, with great empathy, those of his family and friends.
5🌈

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Bookwomble
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The worst six months of my life were spent working in St. Helens, which possibly wasn't the fault of St. Helens but I find that town guilty by association!
Anyway, this GN bio of a man with Trans history is also set in the appropriately named St. Hell, and having had a quick browse I'm looking forward to reading it. Would it be too much to ask that it be made into a TV show? 🏳️‍🌈

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psalva
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I enjoyed this graphic memoir of the author‘s experience growing up in the UK (I thought it was Boston at first) and his journey of self-discovery as a trans boy. The story was handled with honesty. It doesn‘t shy away from depicting the difficult moments of self-doubt or criticism, or the times people aren‘t accepting, but it has an overall tone of finding joy and being true to yourself above all else. ⬇️

#lgbtq #transjoy #translit

psalva The meta moments were fun- I liked how Lewis‘ older self comments on the past or when characters talk back to him as the writer. 1y
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Sarahreadstoomuch
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It took my American brain a sec to catch on the the British slang, but that‘s on me. This is a great graphic memoir about Lewis‘s teenage years and embracing his identity. I really liked how this story was told.

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CaseyTheCanadianLesbrarian
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A sweet, straightforward British YA graphic memoir about being trans in the early 2000s. Obvs important for young trans people there! The comics style reminds me of Raina Telgemeier. I wish it had gone into more depth with certain topics, like how his dysphoria intersected with disordered eating. The support shown him by his parents/grandparents is touching to witness. A YA I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to teens but not to adults who read YA.

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