Breathe: Journeys to Healthy Binding | Review

Breathe: Journeys to Healthy Binding
by Maia Kobabe and Sarah Peitzmeier
Dutton Books, $19.99 (hardcover), $10.99 (paperback)
Publisher’s rating: Ages 14-17

The author of Gender Queer returns, co-writing a practical guide to chest binding with a University of Michigan professor from the School of Nursing and School of Public Health.

The slim (64-page) volume begins with an explanation about the research and interviews that underpin the stories that follow. While details have been changed, the stories included are personal and realistic, giving the reader insight into how others view their bodies and gender and why they bind.

Stories about how they discovered binding and how they practice it come from four people, including a non-binary person, a younger person with a supportive parent, an older person, and a trans man on a journey to top surgery. They talk about both their perception of themselves and how others perceive them. Both have effects on their mental health. The reader thus understands how people need to be able to express themselves without pain or risk of damage to their bodies.

The second half of the book is “Tips and Tools for Healthy Binding,” including a set of exercises to expand lungs and stretch chest muscles. There are also prompts for self-inspection and reflection, to think about what someone wants from binding and how it makes them feel, as well as ideas about other methods of gender affirmation.

This is the kind of health topic where it really helps being able to see what the individuals are describing, so a graphic novel is a terrific choice. It’s also more approachable. The whole book is colored in shades of ocean blue, an unusual choice, particularly when used for skin tones, but overall calming, with a sense of depth.

A final section discusses studies on binding, demonstrating that the positive mental health benefits often outweigh any physical risks. Breathe is a straightforward, easy-to-read guide that focuses on practical basics. Those already aware of the topic will find information to back up what they already know, while those new to the idea may find it a life-saver.

Filed under: Graphic Novels, Young Adult