Proud - Various Writers And Artists

Compiled By Juno Dawson

Published by

Book Review By Gemma E McLaughlin

I was incredibly excited when I first received my copy of Proud in the mail. I had never seen a book quite like it and of course I decided that I absolutely had to review it. Growing up, the media representation for LGBT+ people has been scarce, and most characters I’ve come across in books, TV shows and such have been used primarily for comic relief, or even worse, completely undeveloped. I always find myself incredibly grateful to, well anyone that writes them as genuine and important characters with individual plot lines and personalities. This book goes further than I ever imagined I could find.

The book is comprised of poetry and short stories from a range of both well-known and previously unpublished LGBT+ writers. Each writer was paired up with an artist who created a piece representing their individual experience reading it. Although I read through them in chronological order, adoring every part, the reader can pick and choose which story or poem to read at any given time. With widely the varied writing and art styles at each turn, there truly is something for everyone to enjoy.

For this next part of my review I tried to come up with a favourite piece to feature, but when I found myself struggling with all the amazing choices I made the decision to narrow it down to three. After some deliberation one of my personal favourites is The Phoenix’s Fault by Cynthia So and art by Priyanka Meenakshi, for its use of beautiful imagery and emotion. Another I simply had to mention is Penguins by James Green with art by Alice Oseman, which speaks so truthfully about the experience of coming out with a clever twist of humour. Last but not least, Almost Certain by Tanya Byrne and art by Frank Duffy made a lasting impression on me with its references to music and the complex and relatable main character.

The pieces that I mentioned don’t even begin to scratch the surface of the talent, fun, and simply heartwarming moments contained within the pages of Proud. There’s something different about the way I felt while reading this collection. I finished it in under 24 hours, which isn’t a common occurrence for me but I found myself hanging onto each word and image for that sense of safety and home that they all brought to me in different ways. This book is simply packed full of completely different creators, all joined together by what, at one point made them all feel alone.

At the end of my reviews I speak about why I would recommend this and who I would recommend it to. This time it’s a little different as I won’t be recommending it, I will be stating that everyone should read Proud, and that there is not a single person I’m aware of who wouldn’t benefit from its contents.