Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'

Autism in Heels: The Untold Story of a Female Life on the Spectrum by Jennifer Cook O'Toole

11 reviews

djinnc2m's review

informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.5

Very helpful to someone who’s afab and recently discovered she’s autistic

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse and Emotional abuse

Minor: Eating disorder, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Excrement, Grief, and Sexual harassment

eyredactyl's review against another edition

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault

Moderate: Bullying and Eating disorder

rachelreadsandwrites's review

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Sexual assault

amandakitz's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

3.0

As a fellow gifted, late-diagnosed autistic, I related to much of this book. She spoke powerfully concerning her own experience, research, and accomplishments, and her commentary on bullying, self-harm, and domestic abuse in the lives of girls and women on the spectrum was moving and gave me an avenue to process many experiences I hadn't processed before.

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.

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Content Warnings

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.

twilightfairyx's review against another edition

challenging hopeful informative reflective slow-paced

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, and Sexual assault

khaosinkspress's review against another edition

informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

Genuinely enjoyed reading O'Toole's life and how autism affected many aspects. Also A+ for trigger warnings in chapters related to domestic/intimate violence and self-harming behaviors and notes what page the reader can skip to if they do not want to read it!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse and Sexual assault

Moderate: Bullying

dukeofkel's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative inspiring medium-paced

3.5

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Content Warnings

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

challenging emotional funny informative reflective slow-paced

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Content Warnings

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

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

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.

brixdan's review against another edition

emotional informative inspiring medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Sexual harassment