Book Review: Trans Power; Juno Roche.

I want to make it clear before starting this review that this book is not aimed at me, a cis white female. So despite a fairly mediocre looking rating, this book isn't really for me to review. I read it to educate myself on trans issues, relationships and queer sex.

SOURCE: NetGalley
TYPE: E-Books

TITLE: Trans Power
AUTHOR: Juno Roche
SERIES: --
PUBLISHER: Jessica Kingsley Publishers
PAGES: 256
GENRE: Non-Fiction, LGBTQ+, Essays

RATING: 3/5 Stars

Blurb:
In the follow-up to Queer Sex, her radical guide to sex, desire and dating in the trans and non-binary community, Juno Roche pushes the boundaries of trans representation even further by moving beyond themes of intimacy, pleasure and relationships and focusing on the mechanics of sex itself. 

A collection of interviews with leading figures from the trans and non-binary community, they talk about the practicalities of sex as a trans person. They discuss how trans bodies can inherently bring a range of practical issues to the bedroom and explore the wonder and potential of sex when the bodies involved are not cis. 

Reframing the discussion of trans sex in terms of empowerment and autonomy, this is a deeply personal, honest and instructive book.

What I Liked:

• There's a lot to learn from a book like this, and I came out feeling very informed. Roche interviews a variety of people, each offering different experiences and perspectives on Trans issues, sex, relationships and genitals.
• The tone of this book is one of raw passion and honesty which I quite liked about it. I felt very much swept up by the desperate emotion that Roche wrote this with.

What I Disliked:

• As I am not Trans myself, elements of this book are uncomfortable. Roche is often very crude with language (lots of swears and frank descriptions of genitals) and also speaks unapologetically about how she thinks allies should support Trans people.
• Roche clearly wrote this book with a great deal of frustration and so there is a real unedited feel about it at times, especially at the beginning. The same point is often made repeatedly, just worded slightly differently, and I found that annoying.

Overall Conclusion:

I wasn't sure I would enjoy this book at all when I started it. There was a real sense of frustration, I was a little lost in the Trans references, and I didn't like that Roche was repetitive and wrote her introduction as an almost unedited stream of consciousness. But the interviews sold this to me as a necessary book - lots of Trans experiences, opinions and voices that need to be heard. Roche did a great job at getting to the nitty gritty in the interviews, but doing so gently and in a comfortable way for the interviewees. I recommend this book certainly for members of the Trans community, and if you are seeking to be a well-educated ally then pick this up too, though prepare to feel uncomfortable.