Welcome to St. Hell: My Trans Teen Misadventure (2024)

Though I don't do reading challenges (other than a number of books to read), I still like to look at them.

Yesterday I clicked on Book Riot's 2023 Read Harder Challenge and saw that my first book of the year is perfect for the first challenge: "Read a novel about a trans character written by a trans author."

✔️!

If you're doing the challenge and haven't yet read this book, it's a great choice. It's an autobiographical graphic novel about a young transgender person's journey from childhood through his teen and young adult years and transition.

As someone who is cisgender and never thought twice about being in the wrong body or not identifying with my gender assigned at birth, reading books like this has helped me understand what it's like to be a transgender person. It has helped me more fully accept and understand the people in my life who are.

This book is awesome, easy to read, sweet and sad and even funny at times. I loved following Lewis' journey and highly recommend this book.

Note: this could also be number 8 in Book Riot's challenge, "Read a graphic novel/comic/manga if you haven’t before; or read one that is a different genre than you normally read.".

Even if you don't plan to do the challenge, it's fun to look at their suggestions.... though I'm baffled by number 11. Why anyone would want or even think of reading a cookbook cover to cover is beyond me.

I thought cookbooks were for looking at pictures and drooling.

I really enjoyed this memoir of growing up trans and closeted in the small English town of St Helens in the early 2000s. The author inserts his adult self in as a character who banters with his teen self, and occasionally interviews his parents on their memories or reactions to his coming out story. I found this a very effective way of weaving together the insight Hancox has now with the actions his younger self took based on much more limited information about gender identity, sexuality, and transitioning. It's also quite funny! Hancox and his friends were rambunctious, crashing around a town too small to hold them. For the American reader, expect a certain amount of unfamiliar British slang, but most can be picked out from context. This comic is rated 14+ on the back and includes scenes of obsession with weight and exercise, an eating disorder, some underage drinking, and some mild nudity. All of it felt important and integral to the story, and I appreciated Hancox's candor and the ultimately gentle and humorous tone with which he land out these adolescent troubles. If you liked Gender Queer or Kisses for Jet you will probably like this one as well!

Nie dam ⭐️, bo czuję że nie mam na tyle wiedzy aby ją ocenić pod kątem dobra/zła

Czy polecam? Tak

Oceniam tutaj kreskę i sposób przedstawienia historii, a nie samą historię! Myślę, że to będzie ciekawe, ale „zarzut” to też atut tej powieści, jeśli spojrzeć na to z innej perspektywy. Autor operuje kreską dosadnie, momentami bardzo „dosłownie” i może ją nie jestem fanką takiego przedstawienia, ale jednocześnie wiem czemu służy. Brak upiększania tej historii to też ważny aspekt jej opowiedzenia.

This is a sweet, straightforward YA graphic memoir about the author's experiences growing up and coming out as trans in the early / mid 2000s. The UK perspective was new for me and I imagine this book will be very important for young trans people there!

The comics style reminds me of Raina Telgemeier, although the content here (drinking, smoking) means it's for an older crowd than her usual audience. I wish it had gone into a bit more depth with certain topics, for example how Lewis's dysphoria intersected with disordered eating.

The support shown him by his parents and grandparents is very touching and affirming to witness. Overall the book has a cheery, optimistic tone. Hancox is very generous and empathetic as he details his friends and family's journeys to getting on board with his being trans.

A YA I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to teens but not to adults who read YA.

Lewis Hancox gives a straightforward account of his life as a trans man in northern England during the early 2000s. He keeps the tone relatively light and jaunty even as he deals with heavy topics like bullying, hom*ophobia, transphobia and eating disorders.

Side note: It always makes me feel weirdly happy to realize that a book like this that looks like a comic book I'd buy in the 1980's or 90's from a small indy publisher with a print run of one or two thousand copies and that might have four or ten sporadic issues over the course of several years is a 300-page original graphic novel from one of the largest publishers on the planet.

I am disappointed to see that Waterstones are including this book on their Children's Book Prize shortlist. This is not appropriate for teens or children in my opinion. It promotes the idea that if girls are uncomfortable with their bodies (which is quite normal) then that means that they are trans and should change their gender.

This book is going to save lives!!! Incredible GN memoir about transgender identity.

This book sat on my side table for a while until it finally reached the top of my to-be-read pile. Then, once I got started reading I couldn't put it down. I read it cover to cover in one sitting. I have been privileged to be involved in one person's gender transition and I found this book reminiscent of our journey. It made me both laugh and cry.

A line that made me laugh is right at the end when the nurse is about to administer a hormone shot and she asks, imagine a lovely Liverpudlian/Scouse accent here, "Are you one o' them transformers, luvvy?"

reading welcome to st hell was like reading a diary i’d forgot i’d written. a real representation of the trans experience in a time of misinformation. starting as a lesbian, being confused, feeling sick at the thought of being someone’s girlfriend and the body image issues it was all so familiar. i can’t wait to be where lewis is now, to be a man without worry or hate for my body. i loved reading this and can’t wait to read it again.

3.5 stars

Not really what I was expecting. To me a graphic novel is more picture than words - usually - but is not constant frames of words and pictures like you find in the Sunday comic section of the newspaper. This book is constant frames, page after page. So to me more of a bound comic book.

Lewis was born a girl, Lois. This is a book about his transition from female to male. There are some really funny parts, some serious parts and some down right tragic parts. Having already made the transition was probably the smartest thing to do before writing this book because Lewis was then in a better place and all the heavy work was behind him. This is the emotional toll taken on a teenager when they know they are in the wrong body and fight to right that wrong.

ARC

Welcome to St. Hell is a wonderfully frank and humorous memoir of a trans adult speaking to his younger self.
As a trans person, I would give an arm and a leg to speak to my teenage self to set some insecurities aside. To tell myself that it gets harder as you get older but it also gets loads better. To reassure myself that the world won’t end if I make a mistake.

Alongside being a memoir, I also see it as a loveletter to the poor, gender confused youths living in a world that doesn’t remember or understand how hard being a teenager is. Being transgender does not necessarily make you special, but it does indeed cause a network of complexities not only for your close relationships, but for the relationships of those that accept you and ally with you. Including the “looking back” moments with his support system really is important and should be highlighted.

Allies will make mistakes, theyll regress, theyll f*ck up a few more times, but its important to also know that they WILL try again and try harder to understand the new you.

Lewis was very lucky to have the support he had, and I hope that every teen that reads this graphic novel will hold out hope until they can finally live their true lives.

3.5 stars
This memoir set in a small British town is narrated by the author in comic book format as they relate what it was like to be white closeted trans man in the early 2000's.

I selected this on a whim and so I went in with no expectations. I feel that it was very good. I like the parts where the adult author would converse with those around them who remember what they were like as a teen.

Goodreads review published 19/08/22

This was an absolute delight!
Not only is the memoir told in graphic novel form (one of my favourite things!), but the author also inserts himself into the past to provide comment and ask questions.
The clarity (and hilarity) this caused is fantastic!
The illustrations are also pretty darn fun.
A well told story that let's people know they can survive and flourish; loved it!!!

Chciałabym dać 4⭐️, bo to komiks autobiograficzny o transpłciowości autora, więc temat niezwykle ważny i książka może okazać się wsparciem dla wielu dzieciaków, które nie wiedzą, co się z nimi dzieje. Niestety kreska strasznie mi się nie podoba, strasznie… I to mnie trochę od tego tytułu odrzuca. Plus bardzo irytowało mnie dzielenie wyrazów w dymkach, wybijało mnie to i proste zdania musiałam czytać dwa razy.

This is a really engaging graphic memoir about Lewis growing up, realizing that he’s trans, and coming out to his friends and family. There are definitely some difficult parts of the book dealing with hom*ophobia, transphobia, eating disorders, and dysphoria. But there were also some fun moments that had a lot of early to mid-2000s nostalgia for alternative, pop punk, and emo music and other parts of pop culture.

It was interesting to see Lewis’ journey during a time when there was less understanding of what it meant to be trans in the general public. Because it’s a graphic memoir it’s a pretty quick read. I wish it could’ve gone more in depth with certain topics, but overall I think it’s a worthwhile read.

Original review deleted for non-existent hate speech.
Deeply disappointed that this book was put on Waterstones shortlist for Best Children's Book for Older Readers in 2023. Wouldn't recommend this book to anyone under 25 as their brains are not developed enough to think about the messages of this book critically. A truly tragic story.

So good. Funny. Love that it broke the 4th wall.

got twitter cancelled for this so figured i should finally read it

this was a really accessible story of someone coming to terms with their identity and I can imagine it being really useful for younger people who are going through this themselves!

This was so goood omg!! It also gave me a bit more understanding as to what It’s like to be trans

This book should not be in the hands of children in schools. I don’t understand normalizing sex in children’s books no matter what sexuality you are.

„Witajcie w St. Hell” to komiksowa autobiografia. Jej bohaterem jest Lewis Hancox, który urodził się i dorastał jako Lois. W czasach raczkującej wiedzy, a przede wszystkim niskiej społecznej świadomości, zmagał się z życiem chłopaka, uwięzionego w ciele dziewczyny. Po przejściu tranzycji, terapii hormonalnej i poukładaniu sobie wszystkiego w głowie, wiedzie szczęśliwe życie, pisze, rysuje, tworzy i pomaga innym.

Brak mi słów żeby wyrazić, na ilu płaszczyznach mądry i dobry jest to komiks. Co prawda historia nie dotyka mnie personalnie w sensie poszukiwania swojej płci i orientacji, ale każe przypomnieć sobie osoby z mojego szkolnego/podwórkowego otoczenia, które być może zmagały się z podobnymi rozterkami. Wtedy kompletnie tego nie dostrzegałem, być może nieświadomie kogoś zraniłem 🥹

Uśmiecham się i wzruszam przy tej historii, bo może w innym kontekście, ale moje czasy szkolne też były nieustannym robieniem dobrej miny do złej gry. Podziwiam autora za odwagę i talent, by opowiedzieć swoją historię. Ta książka może pomóc wielu młodym ludziom. Nie tylko tym zmagającym się z problemami tożsamości płciowej, ale walczącymi z brakiem akceptacji i zrozumienia na wszystkich innych polach.

Warto, by przeczytali ten komiks rodzice, dziadkowie, nauczyciele. Wszyscy, którzy dokładają swoją cegiełkę do kształtowania młodych pokoleń.

Wzruszycie się, uśmiechniecie, a być może – tak jak ja – poczujecie się odrobinę mądrzejsi 🧡

Raw. Honest. Vulnerable. Cheeky. True.

This book is easy to read even though it's about the author's conflicted childhood. He had a supportive, if not perfect, family, and at least two very close female friends. But his life, especially the teen years, were full of inner discomfort about his gender. He tried to be a tomboy sometimes and to be just a girl other times. Neither of those worked, as he is a guy.

I thought I wouldn't like the format of his current self narrating scenes from his earlier life. But it worked well, and helped in getting to know him. Some of the scenes (and his later observations about them) are hilarious, but it's always obvious that the conflict was emotionally debilitating.

The artwork is good, and the choice of the scenes to show is flawless. The language is simple, and I find the British slang enchanting. The book is shelved at my library as young adult. I think it is an excellent book for teenagers (and adults) who have or want to understand gender issues.

Lewis grew up in small town named St. Helens in England (TIL there's a place called that there - there's both a town and a mountain with that name near me in the PNW, so had some momentary confusion).

As you might be able to guess by the cover, he inserts current-Lewis into a candid narrative about his teen life, including his coming out process, and realizing he was trans.

Lots of British slang. Black and white cartoony illustrations. Most pages have four equal panels.

Welcome to St. Hell: My Trans Teen Misadventure is a (trans)parent (ha!) memoir full of angst, vulnerability, and so many quips about growing up in the early 2000s when studded belts and MySpace emo culture reigned supreme. Told from the point of view of Lewis pretransition, St. Hell is as much a love letter to Lewis' high school self as it is to other trans teens.

Welp…. Here’s an amazing graphic novel. The authors own truth beautifully written and drawn. which will give strength and comfort for those going along the same path. I loved the honesty and realness of Lewis’s story. Such a great read, cannot wait to stock it at the shop.

When the holy trinity of Queer YA graphic novelists (Alice Oseman, Maia Kobabe, and Molly Knox Ostertag) all sign off on something, you know you're in for some good gay fun!

Honestly, it was refreshing to read a funny graphic novel about someone's transition, in a world where a lot of trans memoirs need to dial up the trauma and suicidal ideation just to be considered worth publishing.

Obviously Lewis suffers in this book, but there are also plenty of jokes about his awkward queer fumblings and millennial cringe, which keeps the tone light. That was a major benefit of having the older Lewis intrude upon the narrative, and provide commentary. You could sympathize with teenaged Lewis in real time, but then laugh with grown-up Lewis about how angsty/emo he is being.

That framing device (where the author can pop in and address characters from the past) also allows the reader to see how it's not Lewis who is evolving, but also the people in his life. Sometimes his best friend or parents will handle something poorly, but the author lets the current day version of their parents comment on it. Sometimes they offer a different perspective the author didn't have at the time, and sometimes all they can do is apologize. It could have been gimmicky, but it really served the narrative.

I wouldn't say this is a profound work of art, but it absolutely belongs on the shelf alongside other queer YA graphic novel go-to's like Genderqueer, Heartstopper, and Nimona.

Witty, insightful and much needed.

I follow Lewis on social media and was so excited that he was going to be sharing his story in the form of a graphic novel. Read the voices in my head exactly as they are in his skits haha.

If you're looking for a great book that explains some aspects of being a trans male, in an easy to read format and fantastically illustrated by the author himself - then pick this up!

(Read diverse books all year not just for Pride people.)

This was fine-good! It's always nice to read a story where the protag is really self-aware and has hindsight to help contextualize their experiences and really nice to see a transition story where things are hard but never hopeless. Also the framework was just kind of fun, having the future and past versions of the narrator interacting. The rendering of the dialect felt kind of embarrassing to me and I wasn't crazy about the art, but it was still worth the read.