#Lewis Hancox

[transbookoftheday]

Welcome to St. Hell by Lewis Hancox

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.

[ireadyabooks]

Spring into Extraordinary Graphic Novels from I read YA! 🌷🎨

Graphic novels are one of our favorite reading formats here at I read YA! It’s always such a joy seeing an author bring their magnificent storytelling to life with their artwork or another artist adding their unique spin! The possibilities are endless when it comes to graphic novel styles, and that’s what makes them so perfect! There is something for everyone! We have compiled some of our recent favorite graphic novels below that you should absolutely check out as we welcome spring and warmer weather! Whether you’re looking for stories about an adorable daydreamer, a dark secret, or two boys simply falling in love, we have it all! Happy reading!

Rainbow! Volume 1 by Gloom & Sunny

From Tapas Media, the same webtoon platform that brought you Magical Boy, comes Rainbow!, a new LGBTQ+ YA graphic novel series!

Teenager Boo Meadows has pink hair and a very vivid imagination -- she has trouble separating from the real world. In her daydreams, she dances beautifully at balls or fights monsters as a magical girl. In reality, she has a complicated home life, work stress, school stress, and a wicked crush on the girl of her dreams. When a new student, Mimi, arrives at school, Boo starts exploring a side of herself that she never considered before. As she grows closer with Mimi, it may finally be time for Boo to face reality . . . Who is the real Mimi? The one in her dreams? Or the one in real life?

Rainbow! is perfect for fans of Heartstopper and Magical Boy, full of heart, adorable illustrations, and a storyline that any teenager can relate to!

Start reading Rainbow! Volume 1 now!

Escape From St. Hell by Lewis Hancox

In this sequel to the Indie bestseller Welcome to St. Hell, Lewis Hancox tells the hilarious, inspiring story of coming into his own as a trans man.

For Lew, figuring out he was a guy and wanted to live life as a guy was the end of our journey... and the start of a whole other journey. Escape From St. Hell charts all the changes that Lew wanted to be made in order for him to live as a young trans man -- changes not just to his own body and perspective, but to the perspectives of the family, friends, and enemies around him.

As he did in his bestselling graphic memoir Welcome to St. Hell, Lewis Hancox charts his journey with plenty of laughs, a good number of cringes, and an honesty that takes readers along for the ride of Lew's life.

Start reading Escape From St. Hell now!

The Deep Dark by Molly Knox Ostertag

From Molly Knox Ostertag, writer-illustrator of the New York Times and Indie bestselling The Witch Boy trilogy and The Girl from the Sea, comes a darkly beautiful story of identity, family, love, loss, and magic.

Everyone has secrets. Mags’s has teeth.

Magdalena Herrera is about to graduate high school, but she already feels like an adult with serious responsibilities: caring for her ailing grandmother; working a part-time job; clandestine makeouts with a girl who has a boyfriend. And then there’s her secret, which pulls her into the basement each night, drains her of energy, and leaves her bleeding. A secret that could hurt and even kill if it ever got out -- like it did once before.

So Mags keeps her head down, isolated in her small desert community. That is, until her childhood friend Nessa comes back to town, bringing vivid memories of the past, an intoxicating glimpse of the future, and a secret of her own. Mags won’t get attached, of course. She’s always been strong enough to survive without anyone’s help.

But when the darkness starts to close in on them both, Mags will have to drag her secret into the daylight, and choose between risking everything... or having nothing left to lose.

Start reading The Deep Dark now!

Heartstopper 5 by Alice Oseman

Boy meets boy. Boys become friends. Boys fall in love. The bestselling LGBTQ+ graphic novel about life, love, and everything that happens in between: this is the fifth volume of the much-loved HEARTSTOPPER series, featuring gorgeous two-color artwork.

Nick and Charlie are in love. They’ve finally said those three little words, and Charlie has almost persuaded his mum to let him sleep over at Nick’s house. He wants to take their relationship to the next level... but can he find the confidence he needs? And with Nick going off to university next year, is everything about to change?

By Alice Oseman, winner of the YA Book Prize, Heartstopper encompasses all the small moments of Nick and Charlie’s lives that together make up something larger, which speaks to all of us.

Contains discussions around mental health and eating disorders, and sexual references.

Start reading Heartstopper 5 now!

Stars in Their Eyes by Jessica Walton and Aśka

In this lighthearted YA romance, Maisie and Ollie discover that nothing beats the feeling of falling in love for the first time.

Maisie is on her way to Fancon! She's looking forward to meeting her idol, Kara Bufano, the action hero from her favorite TV show, who has a lower-leg amputation, just like Maisie. But when Maisie and her mom arrive at the convention center, she is stopped in her tracks by Ollie, a cute volunteer working the show. They are kind, charming, and geek out about nerd culture just as much as Maisie does. And as the day wears on, Maisie notices feelings for Ollie that she's never had before. Is this what it feels like to fall in love?

Perfect for fans of Heartstopper and Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me, this graphic novel debut is a fresh, one-of-a-kind story that celebrates the excitement of meeting someone special for the first time.

Start reading Stars in Their Eyes now!

The Good Neighbors by Holly Black and Ted Naifeh

From the bestselling author of The Cruel Prince, an astonishing graphic trilogy set in a faerie world, full of mystery, intrigue, and romance.

From the amazing imagination of bestselling author Holly Black and acclaimed illustrator Ted Naifeh, a mysterious and wonderful faerie saga, for the first time in one volume.

Rue Silver's mother has disappeared... and her father has been arrested, suspected of killing her. But it's not as straightforward as that. Because Rue is a faerie, like her mother was. And her father didn't kill her mother -- instead, he broke a promise to Rue's faerie king grandfather, which caused Rue's mother to be flung back to the faerie world. Now Rue must go to save her -- and defeat a dark faerie that threatens our very mortal world.

Start reading The Good Neighbors now!

[connyscomics]

Welcome To St. Hell by Lewis Hancox 🐱

Trans rep: 10/10

General enjoyment: 8/10

Age rating: 16+

Welcome to st. hell was seriously one hell of a comic (I'm so funny). The story is an autobiographical tale of growing up transmasc in the UK in the early 2000s. It's told from the perspective of Hancox as an older man looking back on his teenage pre-transition years and walking the reader through his personal struggles and gradual development into the person he is today. Possibly one of the best parts about this story is that way that Hancox, as the narrator interjects humor and hindsight wisdom into the narrative.

I don't have any major criticisms of the comic, other than that I think its a tad visually misleading. The playful art style and the use of words like "misadventure" naturally made me think that I was sitting down to read a book written for younger audiences (like elementary school). This is definitely more for a high-school or older audience. The story touches on early-experiences with sex (including a page showing a nude drawing of teenage Lewis with a diagram explaining which parts of his body were okay to touch during sex), body image issues and anorexic behaviors, transphobic bullying (including use of slurs), and excessive drinking, all under the backdrop of a cultural context mostly unknown to anyone born after 2010. Despite the slightly misleading nature of the art, the visual style and general mood contrasted by the grittier details and rougher themes helped to create a perfect balance between not being so depressing that its hard to enjoy or so lighthearted that it feels unrealistic.

[francescaswords]

Read If You Like... Welcome to St Hell

Good morning from someone who a) tripped over and landed on their bad arm recently and has spent most days since wondering if today’s the day their wrist is going to snap, and b) has a deadline to finish their undergraduate dissertation. I’m fine, I whisper, eating home brand Nutella from a spoon and experimenting with physiotherapy exercises as my Internet cuts out for the twelfth time that…

[footballcrumpets]

Promo flyers for my upcoming audio comedy have arrived! Look at that gorgeous cast too- Lewis Hancox, Charlie Craggs, Ugla Setanía, Ziggi Battles, Len Pennie and Freddie Main 🩷🩵🤍🩵🩷

[the-dust-jacket]

[traeumenvonbuechern]

My Trans Rights Readathon TBR

Infatuation. Reincarnation. Damnation.

Gem Echols is a nonbinary Seminole teen living in the tiny town of Gracie, Georgia. Known for being their peers’ queer awakening, Gem leans hard on charm to disguise the anxious mess they are beneath. The only person privy to their authentic self is another trans kid, Enzo, who’s a thousand long, painful miles away in Brooklyn.

But even Enzo doesn’t know about Gem’s dreams, haunting visions of magic and violence that have always felt too real. So how the hell does Willa Mae Hardy? The strange new girl in town acts like she and Gem are old companions, and seems to know things about them they’ve never told anyone else.

When Gem is attacked by a stranger claiming to be the Goddess of Death, Willa Mae saves their life and finally offers some answers. She and Gem are reincarnated gods who’ve known and loved each other across lifetimes. But Gem – or at least who Gem used to be - hasn’t always been the most benevolent deity. They’ve made a lot of enemies in the pantheon—enemies who, like the Goddess of Death, will keep coming.

It’s a good thing they’ve still got Enzo. But as worlds collide and the past catches up with the present, Gem will discover that everyone has something to hide.

"Ich weiß, dass du Angst hast. Aber diese Angst könnte verhindern, dass wir etwas richtig Gutes erleben"

Lark Winters größter Traum ist es, Autor*in zu werden. Aber dey erhält eine Agenturabsage nach der anderen. Zu jung, zu queer, zu emotional - niemand will die Relevanz der Geschichte für nichtbinäre Menschen wie Lark erkennen. Doch als plötzlich ein Tweet von Lark über unerwiderte Liebe viral geht, ist deren Traum zum Greifen nah. Endlich bekommt Lark die Aufmerksamkeit, die dey sich die ganze Zeit gewünscht hat. Einziges Problem: Lark hat den Tweet nie geschrieben! Er stammt eigentlich von Larks ehemals bestem Freund Kasim, der seit einem Jahr nicht mehr wirklich mit demm redet. Lark muss sich entscheiden: einen Traum leben, der auf einer Lüge basiert, oder herausfinden, was hinter Kasims Tweet steckt und was mit ihrer Freundschaft passiert ist ...

Three years ago, Alice spent one night in an abandoned house with her friends, Ila and Hannah. Since then, Alice’s life has spiraled. She lives a haunted existence, selling videos of herself for money, going to parties she hates, drinking herself to sleep. Memories of that night torment Alice, but when Ila asks her to return to the House, to go past the KEEP OUT sign and over the sick earth where teenagers dare each other to venture, Alice knows she must go. Together, Alice and Ila must face the horrors that happened there, must pull themselves apart from the inside out, put their differences aside, and try to rescue Hannah, whom the House has chosen to make its own. Cutting, disruptive, and darkly funny, Tell Me I’m Worthless is a vital work of trans fiction that examines the devastating effects of trauma and how fascism makes us destroy ourselves and each other.

When seventh-grader Ash, his crush Eleanor, and their friends are transported to a girls-only imaginary world, Ash must come to terms with the fact that he may actually be a transgender girl. Full of wonder, humor, and heart, Girl Haven is the newest original story from the author of Lumberjanes.

Three years ago, Ash's mom, Kristin, left home and never came back. Now, Ash lives in the house where Kristin grew up. All of her things are there. Her old room, her old clothes, and the shed, where she spent her childhood creating a fantasy world called Koretris.

Ash knows all about Koretris: how it's a haven for girls, with no men or boys allowed, and filled with fanciful landscapes and creatures. When Ash's friends decide to try going to Koretris, using one of Kristin's spellbooks, Ash doesn't think anything will happen. But the spell works, and Ash discovers that the world Kristin created is actually a real place, with real inhabitants and very real danger.

But if Koretris is real, why is Ash there? Everyone has always called Ash a boy. Ash uses he/him pronouns. Shouldn't the spell have kept Ash out? And what does it mean if it let Ash in?

I no longer recommend this author's books.

Laced with romance, gothic imagery, Catholic mysticism, diaspora, and horror…

When lonely transgender exorcist, Colin Hart, finds himself challenged by an unruly haunted house in Gideon, Colorado, he’s kept awake by ghosts, demons, ghouls, and the handsome nonbinary owner of the house, Bishop Martínez.

Unlike the simple hauntings Colin is accustomed to, Bishop’s house is a living beacon, attracting a plethora of inhuman creatures, including a vengeful wolf-headed spirit who might be the key to quieting their sleepless nights.

But as a heartbreaking mystery unravels, Colin comes face-to-face with the past Bishop tried to bury, opens a closet full of bloody skeletons, and trips into an accidental romance.

As paranormally skilled as Colin might be, this particular haunting may be too messy for him to handle…

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.

[semper-legens]

177. Welcome to St Hell, by Lewis Hancox

Owned: No, library Page count: 295 My summary: Lewis is just a regular, adult guy. But he used to be a teenage girl named Lois, and as it turns out, he's got a few things to say to his past self. He knows why she hates her body, why she hates everything about herself, why she's so confused. She'll get there in the end. And he's showing us her story. My rating: 4/5 My commentary:

I'd heard of this before - a graphic novel memoir from a trans guy, reflecting on growing up as a trans teenager and his life until he realised his identity. I didn't know that the 'St Hell' of the title referred to St Helens, however - not a million miles away from where I live! So that was nice. I always like seeing people speaking with accents local to me, particularly if those people are trans. Well, reading people, technically. Speaking of, this comic! So I'd heard very good things about it, and then I happened to chance across a copy in a library when I was covering. And then I got it out, left it in that library, messaged a colleague to ask if they could send it over, then found another copy in a different, unrelated library. As you can imagine, actually getting around to reading it felt like the climax of a great adventure more than an evening in reading a book, but I digress. Transgenderism!

It was an interesting read. The author is older than me, but it was still interesting to see how his life and experiences navigating school mirrored my own - though we didn't have showers after PE at school, that sounds uniquely horrible. One interesting device he uses is to illustrate his adult self interacting with the scenes from his past, providing context and hindsight. His younger self will leave a room and his adult self will enter and interview the people involved (friends, family) in what comes across as their real, current, thoughts and reflections on how they acted back then and what they thought about the situation at the time. It's an interesting piece of contrast, deliberately invoking the unreality of the situation in order to show changing opinions and provide a bit of nuance. People who, at the time, acted unsupportive of the author's identity are given the opportunity to explain themselves and their points of view, meaning that most of the people who show up here aren't cast as one-dimensional villains, just as people coming to terms with an idea that's new to them, something they hadn't encountered before and might have struggled to understand. Overall, this is an interesting little graphic novel, and I'm very glad it crossed my path.

Next up…it's back to the House of Night. Joy of joys.

[gracieblood]

me finding out alice oseman read and wrote a review on welcome to st hell making me want to buy it even more 😭

[futuristicballoondream]

Google is rubbish so excuse the blurry cover art, but I'd like to take this moment to highlight the best trans book of this year: Welcome to St. Hell by Lewis Hancox

It's a hilarious memoir about growing up int' North of England, positive, relatable, great drawings. Shortlisted for the National Diversity Awards Positive Role Model Award (LGBT) 2022. Shortlisted for Waterstones Older Readers Book of The Year (and is currently being review-bombed by seemingly everyone bar the booksellers), so I feel the need to promote it lest some cowardly decision maker take that to heart. It's amazing, buy it, borrow it from the library, avoid amazon if possible.

An important reminder for this Trans Day of Visibility: If you cannot be out and visible right now for any reason, whether for safety due to the increasingly dangerous legislation being passed or for other reasons, please remember that you are still here, you are still real, and you still matter.

[cat-the-cabra-preta]

From Welcome to St. Hell by Lewis Hancox

[transbookoftheday]

Welcome to St. Hell by Lewis Hancox

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.

[ireadyabooks]

Escape From St. Hell: Read an Excerpt

In this sequel to the Indie bestseller Welcome to St. Hell, Lewis Hancox tells the hilarious, inspiring story of coming into his own as a trans man.

For Lew, figuring out he was a guy and wanted to live life as a guy was the end of our journey... and the start of a whole other journey. Escape From St. Hell charts all the changes that Lew wanted to be made in order for him to live as a young trans man -- changes not just to his own body and perspective, but to the perspectives of the family, friends, and enemies around him.

As he did in his bestselling graphic memoir Welcome to St. Hell, Lewis Hancox charts his journey with plenty of laughs, a good number of cringes, and an honesty that takes readers along for the ride of Lew's life.

READ AN EXCERPT

Escape From St. Hell Excerpt by I Read YA

PRE-ORDER YOUR COPY!

Amazon

Apple Books

Barnes & Noble

Bookshop.org

Books-a-Million

Google Play

[cru5h-cascades]

Second local library w of the year :D

I've been waiting for the library to get this book since it came out and thank fuck they have it now.

[gooberzsilly]

random but cool stuff

my transphobic mother just gave me this and I’m in shock like wtf how why

Keep in mind through my entire life she has been transphobic this is very strange of her to do

Also I was semi-aware she follows Lewis but this is VERY EXTREMELY STRANGE OF HER

[smashpages]

Out this week: Escape from St. Hell (Graphix, $14.99): 

Lewis Hancox follows up Welcome to St. Hell with more humorous stories about coming into his own as a trans man.

See what else is coming to your friendly neighborhood comic book shop this week!