A heartwarming and honest read, Finding Nevo is a charming story of self-discovery and love.
The memoir deals with some complex and relevant issues such as sexuality and gender identity, and while these kinds of stories tend to take on a tragic or depressing tone, Nevo keeps it light and relatable, making it an enjoyable read that leaves you feeling satisfied at the end.
It’s a deeply personal book and Nevo Zisin lays everything on the table, welcoming us into their life and inviting us to just listen, without judgement. Their story is written in a way that can be understood whether you’re well-versed in gender and sexuality, or you’re still learning. Nevo treats the readers with patience but never condescension, explaining terms a cis-gendered reader might not understand but doing it so that it never feels like they’re trying to lecture us. Rather than reading like a textbook on gender theory, Finding Nevo feels like an experience that’s being shared with us, and that’s exactly what it is.
For a cis-gendered reader, it’s a comprehensive entry into the lives of queer youth, with the honest first-person perspective making the readers view Nevo as a person rather than a victim or an example. Many of Nevo’s experiences are relatable to anyone, which makes it easy to break down the idea of “us vs them” that’s too often pushed by mainstream media.
For trans readers, or anyone exploring their gender or sexuality, this book feels like a bit of relief. It’s a relief to read that someone has had similar experiences to you, or just to know that you’re not alone in the way you live your life. There’s also relief in knowing there is no universal experience and there are many paths that lead to self-discovery. Finding Nevo is hope, too; it’s proof that finding yourself doesn’t have to end in heartbreak and that you can find a community.
I feel grateful that Finding Nevo exists. It’s refreshing to see a book filled with so many positive things, a book that’s written by a queer person rather than about them. I hope there are more books like this in the future.
Finding Nevo by Nevo Zisin is available for sale here!
Small Spaces by Sarah Epstein is a fast-paced psychological thriller with a distinct Australian flavour. One for those with a morbid curiosity, this novel is rife with dark themes and mind games, leaving you itching to uncover all of its secrets. Tash Carmody is confronted with her past when the ghosts of her childhood reappear …
Astrid Sholte’s novel combines urban fantasy and murder mystery in a setting that echoes the popular dystopian-style factions of young adult fiction, but with enough unique elements to make it stand out. The world of Four Dead Queens is reminiscent of fantasy, but instead of magic, there is strange and interesting technology that serves as …
Cally Black’s In The Dark Spaces is an immersive sci-fi thriller that features some incredible aliens and insightful thoughts on human nature. While it’s full of action and danger, the heart of the story revolves around family, morality, communication, and love in all its forms. Exposition is scarce, but this works in the book’s favour. [...]
The Graveyard Book, published in 2008, is a work of Neil Gaiman’s that instantly appeals to readers of the macabre and strange. The novel follows Nobody ‘Bod’ Owens through his experiences of living with a cohort of ghouls and ghosts within a cemetery. The Graveyard Book chronicles his life throughout the graveyard and the places …
For anyone who loves fairy tales with a twist, the Rondo series is the perfect way to escape to a world of magic and mystery. Rodda creates a new layer to the classic formula, drawing from familiar characters such as evil queens, talking animals and mythical creatures, but the addition of two protagonists from the …
Released to the public on September 3rd of 2018, Violet Grace’s novel The Girl Who Fell tells the tale of Francesca ‘Chess’ Raven, an adolescent girl living with a woman named Gladys after the death of her parents. Chess Raven is a hacker, and becomes swept away in a grand and interesting adventure after the …
Book Review – Finding Nevo by Nevo Zisin
The memoir deals with some complex and relevant issues such as sexuality and gender identity, and while these kinds of stories tend to take on a tragic or depressing tone, Nevo keeps it light and relatable, making it an enjoyable read that leaves you feeling satisfied at the end.
It’s a deeply personal book and Nevo Zisin lays everything on the table, welcoming us into their life and inviting us to just listen, without judgement. Their story is written in a way that can be understood whether you’re well-versed in gender and sexuality, or you’re still learning. Nevo treats the readers with patience but never condescension, explaining terms a cis-gendered reader might not understand but doing it so that it never feels like they’re trying to lecture us. Rather than reading like a textbook on gender theory, Finding Nevo feels like an experience that’s being shared with us, and that’s exactly what it is.
For a cis-gendered reader, it’s a comprehensive entry into the lives of queer youth, with the honest first-person perspective making the readers view Nevo as a person rather than a victim or an example. Many of Nevo’s experiences are relatable to anyone, which makes it easy to break down the idea of “us vs them” that’s too often pushed by mainstream media.
For trans readers, or anyone exploring their gender or sexuality, this book feels like a bit of relief. It’s a relief to read that someone has had similar experiences to you, or just to know that you’re not alone in the way you live your life. There’s also relief in knowing there is no universal experience and there are many paths that lead to self-discovery. Finding Nevo is hope, too; it’s proof that finding yourself doesn’t have to end in heartbreak and that you can find a community.
I feel grateful that Finding Nevo exists. It’s refreshing to see a book filled with so many positive things, a book that’s written by a queer person rather than about them. I hope there are more books like this in the future.
Finding Nevo by Nevo Zisin is available for sale here!
Related Posts
Book Review – Small Spaces by Sarah Epstein
Small Spaces by Sarah Epstein is a fast-paced psychological thriller with a distinct Australian flavour. One for those with a morbid curiosity, this novel is rife with dark themes and mind games, leaving you itching to uncover all of its secrets. Tash Carmody is confronted with her past when the ghosts of her childhood reappear …
Book Review – Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte
Astrid Sholte’s novel combines urban fantasy and murder mystery in a setting that echoes the popular dystopian-style factions of young adult fiction, but with enough unique elements to make it stand out. The world of Four Dead Queens is reminiscent of fantasy, but instead of magic, there is strange and interesting technology that serves as …
Book Review – In the Dark Spaces by Cally Black
Book Review – The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
The Graveyard Book, published in 2008, is a work of Neil Gaiman’s that instantly appeals to readers of the macabre and strange. The novel follows Nobody ‘Bod’ Owens through his experiences of living with a cohort of ghouls and ghosts within a cemetery. The Graveyard Book chronicles his life throughout the graveyard and the places …
Book Review – Key to Rondo by Emily Rodda
For anyone who loves fairy tales with a twist, the Rondo series is the perfect way to escape to a world of magic and mystery. Rodda creates a new layer to the classic formula, drawing from familiar characters such as evil queens, talking animals and mythical creatures, but the addition of two protagonists from the …
Book Review – The Girl Who Fell by Violet Grace
Released to the public on September 3rd of 2018, Violet Grace’s novel The Girl Who Fell tells the tale of Francesca ‘Chess’ Raven, an adolescent girl living with a woman named Gladys after the death of her parents. Chess Raven is a hacker, and becomes swept away in a grand and interesting adventure after the …