Reviews tagging 'Homophobia'

My Government Means to Kill Me by Rasheed Newson

53 reviews

wanderlust_romance's review against another edition

challenging dark funny hopeful informative fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

You should read this book. My Government Means to Kill Me was a darkly comedic, witty, insightful, sexy, reflective, and deviously smart coming of age story that follows Trey as he creates a new life for himself after moving from Indianapolis to New York City in the 80s. Trey grows as a character through all of his varied interactions and relationships in bathhouses and bougie parties, with his sex worker roommate, neighbors, activists, queer elders, amidst the backdrop of the AIDS epidemic. This was the first book I’ve read that directly and insightfully addressed how AIDS ravaged the LGBTQIA community while also emphasizing the importance of community care and activism. The title of the book initially appears in the first few chapters, but it takes on heightened meaning In “Lesson 12: Learn How to Take a Punch,” when ACT UP! volunteers are put through a test to determine who among them is ready to stand on the front lines of a planned direct action. It was perhaps the most meaningful and timely message I took away from the book.

“You must remember that your victory comes from unmasking the senseless brutality that the government chooses to sanction against you, a collection of nonviolent demonstrators. The point is to let your bruised and bloodied bodies serve as evidence that the government means to kill you, if you so much as protest its bigoted policies.”

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Death, Drug use, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Terminal illness, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail

felishacb's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Homophobia, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Terminal illness

Moderate: Ableism, Racial slurs, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, and Alcohol

rideauriverreads's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Terminal illness, Police brutality, and Pandemic/Epidemic

brynalexa's review against another edition

emotional informative inspiring reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

I think I would have engaged more with this book in print. The story is great and it’s well researched but it came off a bit textbook-like at times. It didn’t quite feel wrapped up at the end, although the main character came into his own wonderfully. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Cursing, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Stalking, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Pandemic/Epidemic

jaynevam's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny informative fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, and Murder

naddl0r's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative inspiring sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I'm giving this 5 stars because everything I’ve read was absolutely amazing BUT this book is in desperate need of an epilogue because it ends on a cliffhanger of the sorts where you feel like a chapter is missing. It’s so abrupt, the story just isn’t over. Also- and this is highly subjective- some might say it lacks a little bit of emotion. And I can see it but disagree. I think an overly emotional, gut- wrenching, hightlighting-the-sad-and terrible-parts-of-AIDS writing style would do this particular story no good. 
I loved this book and can see myself re-reading it at some point. Well done, Rasheed Newson! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Cancer, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Hate crime, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Stalking, Murder, Lesbophobia, Outing, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic

srobertson's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful informative reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Racism, Sexual content, Violence, and Police brutality

Moderate: Drug use and Murder

holliscsmith's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

This was incredible! I learned so so much about the gay rights movement & AIDS activism in NYC and across the country, yet the plot flowed so well & it wasn’t a difficult read. This book should be getting way more attention!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia and Sexual content

Moderate: Police brutality

ameliahelene's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Newson uses 80s queer politics as a backdrop to a beautiful narrative about loss and love and political action. His use of important historical moments and people made the text feel so real and heartbreaking. Definitely recommend if you want to know more about queer political history, but you’re not much of a non-fiction reader. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Death, Hate crime, Homophobia, Racism, Sexual assault, Police brutality, Grief, and Outing

cheyrohm's review against another edition

emotional reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content and Terminal illness

Moderate: Death, Homophobia, and Violence