Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

Pageboy: A Memoir by Elliot Page

174 reviews

angrangy's review against another edition

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inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

3.25


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imscrem's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense fast-paced

2.5

I appreciate that Elliot Page took the time to write down his story. I listened to the audiobook, and found it difficult at times to understand what time period in his life he was writing from due to the somewhat jumpy narrative.  I didn’t enjoy hearing about his sexual escapades or the many, many times he was sexually abused, but I have to acknowledge that these are true parts of his story and the book would not have been complete without them. It was uncomfortable to hear about who licked what while I rode the subway. Overall, I this book definitely wasn’t what I expected — I thought it would be a more uplifting take on the trans experience, but came out thinking it’s more of a dismal array of all the ways that people can be horrific to someone for being different. I wish the world was kinder. 

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jess_always_reading's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful reflective

4.5


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clacksee's review against another edition

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dark informative inspiring reflective slow-paced

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mons278's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective

3.5


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joisaddler's review against another edition

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emotional sad fast-paced

2.0


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seulgireads's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

3.0

Elliot Page didn't use a ghostwriter for his memoir and his writing is decent enough. Yes, on the one hand the tendency toward fragments, unnecessarily detailed descriptions and laboured metaphors was a bit tiresome. On the other, Page's sincere voice is genuinely touching at times.

I didn't read this as a fan, I was interested in this as a memoir by a famous trans man. And while the topic of being trans was obviously present throughout, the book really chronicles an emotional journey from self-denial to self-acceptance and -assertion, not only with regards to queerness and transness but also in relationships of all kinds. The narrative's foregoing of a chronological sequence of events aids in highlighting Page's internal development.

As I should have expected, this book deepened my loathing for all the worst things about of Hollywood (anyone who liked I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy will appreciate this aspect of Pageboy). What I did not expect was Page's recounting of the Halifax Explosion, which, alongside some other digressions into the historical backdrops of the narrative, was my favourite part of the book. I don't see myself ever re-reading this, but it did make me want to pick up more autobiographical works by trans authors.

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wrenisreading's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

A tender and gorgeously written memoir chronicling pivitol moments in Elliot Page's life. 

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jem_carstairs's review

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emotional inspiring reflective

4.0


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winter_b's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.0


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