Here is the book blurb from Goodreads:
"What Makes Girls Sick and Tired is a feminist manifesto that denounces the discrimination against and unfairness felt by women from childhood to adulthood. The graphic novel, illustrated in a strikingly minimalist style with images of girls with varied body types and personalities, invites teenagers to question the sexism that surrounds us, in ways that are obvious and hidden, simple and complex."
I'm not sure I would categorize this as a graphic novel. It's more like an illustrated manifesto that will appeal to girls from 12 years and older. I like to hope that some aspects are not appropriate for younger readers, but am always amazed by what young readers already know. Boys will benefit from reading it too.
The author and illustrator are from Montreal, Quebec in Canada. My copy is a translation from the original French publication.
What Makes Girls Sick and Tired addresses a massive spectrum of issues that encompass all the ways that sexism destroys the lives of girls and boys. In places it isn't a comfortable read, but then, generally it isn't comfortable being a girl either and in some places it's harder than others.
Here are some examples:
"Girls are sick and tired when they hear parents tell their sons, "Don't cry, you're not a girl"
"Racialized girls are sick and tired of being asked where they're really from and being doubted if they say, "I was born here." They are sick and tired of being stereotyped and underrepresented in media, film, public events and politics. "
"Girls are sick and tired of being stoned, kidnapped, exiled, and subjected to genital mutilation in the name of cultural tradition."
Pair this book with Watch Us Rise by Renée Watson & Ellen Hagan. Their characters could have written this book.
