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nevial's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Homophobia, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Outing, Alcohol, and War
fee1111's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Confinement, Torture, Transphobia, and War
Moderate: Deadnaming, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Self harm
eli99's review against another edition
4.0
Very insightful to something that was going at the same time as my youth that I didn't understand at the time.
Moderate: Alcoholism, Deadnaming, Homophobia, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Transphobia, Police brutality, Suicide attempt, Outing, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, and War
cxfvsion's review against another edition
3.5
Graphic: Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Suicide attempt, Dysphoria, and War
martinza's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Self harm, Torture, Transphobia, Forced institutionalization, Suicide attempt, and War
ell_n's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Suicide attempt, and War
Minor: Death of parent
booitsnathalie's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Confinement, Homophobia, Transphobia, and War
Moderate: Sexual assault
Minor: Suicide attempt
foxo_cube's review against another edition
4.5
She recounts her early life and interest in technology (encouraged by her dad to masculinise her, funnily enough) and the solace she found in the internet when she was in her adolescence. She makes it sound like great fun to mess about with hacking, honestly - hell, even when she describes her work in the army as an analyst, it's clear she really loved it, and I can't really blame her. It's probably really interesting, drawing conclusions and making decisions based on patterns of behaviour that you've observed over time - I think I'd love doing that! But, of course, being in Iraq and having the consequences of her work being much more real understandably took a toll on her. There's a sense of detachment that I guess you've got to have if you do basically any sort of military job, and she describes how the morality of it all affected her deeply.
It's also interesting to read how she worked out her gender and sexual identity over time. Her talking about how, when she was little, she would ask <i>why</i> she couldn't be a girl was so sweet and so sad. I'm so glad it turned out she absolutely could be one! I really do think it's good to have such a well-known figure be open about her journey. It's so important for people growing up trans to know that they aren't weird and they aren't alone and they can be the person they know they are.
The treatment that Manning describes in her confinement before her trial was absolutely abhorrent, but I can't say I'm terribly surprised. That she didn't get her spirit totally broken by it all is miraculous - but it sounds like that took a lot of work on her part, honestly.
I have a lot of respect for her. Even at points where it went against any sense of self-preservation, she did what she believed was right, and that's incredible.
Technically speaking, the memoir is nicely-written and doesn't delve into any jargon that I can imagine she could have scattered through the text like nothing else. She writes clearly and with heart, and even with how angry I was for her at some points, it was an enjoyable book to read.
Moderate: Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, and War
siriface's review against another edition
4.75
Graphic: Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Transphobia, Violence, Xenophobia, and War
rachbake's review against another edition
4.25
Graphic: Homophobia, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Islamophobia, Suicide attempt, Outing, Dysphoria, and War