A Quick & Easy Guide to Asexuality is the latest title from Oni Press’s Limerence imprint, which tries to break down complex topics related to sexuality in 100 pages or less.
It opens with cartoon renditions of the artist/co-author Will Hernandez and co-author Molly Muldoon, who both identify themselves as asexual and set out the premise of the book. They serve as our on-page guides through the title as they explain how dating, sex, growing up, and other topics relate to asexuality. Molly warns the reader that they are not experts, but rather have lived experience and have done their research.
Asexuality is simply about not feeling sexual attraction. This seems like a fine definition until aromanticism, or until the idea of wanting sex without romance, is brought up. Then we start to discuss the gray-a, or gray-area, term for asexuality and it begins to slide from there. I actually felt like I needed a guide to the guide, so thankfully the authors include links at the end.
For those worried about the placement of the book in a library setting, it does discuss potential content warnings and triggers within before you even meet ‘Molly’ and ‘Will’. For example, it is hard to discuss researching asexuality without also discussing online comments that may be found during this research. Some may be turned away by that content, so Hernandez and Muldoon smartly include that warning before the guide begins.
I do think this title has a few faults due to trying to fit so much content into 71 pages. While they do a great job discussing most topics, because they jump from topic to topic rather quickly, it is hard to follow. That could be intentional, as I found myself re-reading sections multiple times to make sure I understood them before moving on. The art itself is rather plain, with not much on the page aside from the characters themselves or whatever they are talking about. Again, this could be intentional so as not to distract from the heavy subject matter.
Finally, I, as a queer librarian, found it a little strange that the authors did not want to take a hard stance about asexuality’s placement in the LGBTQIA+ community. They bring up how in the past ‘A’ has been used to mean ally, but it was likely meant to mean asexual, agender, and aromantic. This is more of a personal fault I had with the title, as I would welcome the opportunity to clear up something asexual people contend with in the queer community.
That being said, A Quick & Easy Guide to Asexuality mostly offers what the title says it does. I think it would be welcome in any library wanting to add more resources on sexuality that are easily accessible to readers of any age, but that it should really be an additive to an already present collection.
A Quick & Easy Guide to Asexuality
By Will Hernandez, Molly Muldoon
Oni Press, 2022
ISBN: 9781620108598
Publisher Age Rating: 13+
Series ISBNs and Order
NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+), Older Teen (16-18)
Creator Representation: Asexual
