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Reviews tagging 'Ableism'
Autism in Heels: The Untold Story of a Female Life on the Spectrum by Jennifer Cook O'Toole
10 reviews
nadia_not_there's review against another edition
4.5
Moderate: Ableism, Addiction, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Self harm, and Excrement
amandakitz's review against another edition
3.0
I can see how some autists would struggle to connect with her giftedness, and I struggled to connect with her material privilege often through this book. There are many privileges that would make her story unrelatable to various people. With that in mind, I found it powerful to see her illustrate that giftedness, conventional attractiveness or "pretty privilege", accomplishments and accolades, fame and fortune still do not overpower the perceptions and expectations neurotypical people have of us and the trauma they can cause. Every time she mentioned one of those privileges and I was tempted to disconnect, I leaned into the message that no privilege protects you from how neurotypicals treat autistic people. I wish she had addressed those privileges and how intersectional identities compound the disadvantages we as autistic people face.
There is one section that is truly problematic. In one section, the author coopts Sojourner Truth's "Aint I a Woman?" speech to make a comment about how neurotypical women treat neurodivergent women as lesser. The well-deserved criticism of this section and the failure to acknowledge her privilege in light of the intersectional identities of folks with marginalized genders on the spectrum should be considered. I hope she listens, honors that criticism, and updates later editions.
Graphic: Ableism, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Medical trauma, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Child death, Racism, Terminal illness, and Death of parent
There are accounts of medical trauma, gaslighting, and abuse throughout, with whole chapters on bullying, domestic violence, and self harm/eating disorders. She includes warnings at the beginning of those chapters with permission to skip.laynepetrie's review
0.5
1. The author’s indirect comparison of herself to Sojourner Truth and also to Barbie.
2. Her “correction” of what a semicolon tattoo should *really* mean.
3. The author’s repetitive overgeneralized statements about autistic people, and their traits.
4. Her borderline diagnostic statements about people who might be driven, organized, particularly skilled at something, etc.
5. The way she sort of “blames” autism for putting up with an abusive relationship.
6. The statement that anyone with an eating disorder should be evaluated for autism.
7. The Christian undertones and shaming of men’s sexuality/desires/behaviors but wild showmanship of her own.
8. The strict binary view of gender and identity. It’s very cis/hetero heavy.
Autism diagnoses in non-male individuals needs further exploration, but this book missed the mark, to me.
Moderate: Ableism, Addiction, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, and Classism
Minor: Death of parent and Cultural appropriation
jenny_librarian's review against another edition
4.0
It’s a pretty interesting biography/nonfiction about autism that isn’t written like you typical nonfiction. That’s because autistic folks aren’t typical. The author instead chose to divide it in topics and struggles she faced — both before and since her diagnosis.
Like all books by autistic folks about being autistic, it’s only one person’s perspective. This person in particular is extraordinary in some aspects, and that made it hard for me to relate. However, many of the things she mentioned about being autistic felt quite close to home.
I wish we got books about average autistic folks. Yes, it might be less interesting in general, but those of us who aren't incredibly intelligent or didn’t have to live through sexual assault or an eating disorder could actually see ourselves. Because, unfortunately, in the end I can’t relate that much to the authors of the books I’ve read so far on the spectrum. I’m just not special enough, and I’m sure many other autistic folks feel that way.
Graphic: Bullying, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Ableism, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Excrement, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Addiction and Cancer
dukeofkel's review against another edition
3.5
Graphic: Bullying, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Self harm, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Ableism, Addiction, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment
bexi's review
Graphic: Ableism, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Cancer, Death, Eating disorder, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Addiction, Body shaming, Cursing, and Self harm
livlamentloathe's review
5.0
Graphic: Ableism, Bullying, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Rape, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and Dysphoria
Moderate: Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Medical trauma, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Addiction, Terminal illness, and Abandonment
This is a NonFiction book and discusses the topics included in my content warnings. But comes from a place of education and the author's past. It does not use abuse or sexism as a weapon but explains why it can occur for autistic individuals.jnlundy's review against another edition
4.25
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Ableism and Eating disorder
green_rabbit's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Ableism, Eating disorder, Sexual assault, and Gaslighting