The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! đ
cartermon4's review
5.0
Graphic: Rape, Death, and Grief
Moderate: Sexual content, Miscarriage, Cancer, Classism, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Body shaming
hannahcstocks's review against another edition
4.25
Graphic: Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Sexual harassment, Rape, Grief, Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Cancer, Child abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Physical abuse, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Gaslighting, Eating disorder, Body shaming, Stalking, Sexism, and Misogyny
Minor: Animal cruelty and Animal death
silver_lining_in_a_book's review against another edition
4.0
âWe donât give up on our people. We donât stop loving them.â She looked into my face, her eyes watering at the bottoms. âNot even when weâre burning alive.â
There is something about memoirs that are written so beautifully they almost read like magical realism that just does it for me. Ashley C. Ford's voice is one of the most lyrical and emotional I have come across this year - I couldn't stop reading it.
This book is so incredibly crafted, you can feel all the love and hard work Ashley has poured into it. I especially loved following this up with Ford's interview with Clint Smith, author of How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America, which touched on so many aspects of the book that I was curious about while reading; it cemented this book as a real masterpiece in my mind.
Considering how short this book is, I do not want to go into a summary of the novel, but I will mention what my favourite aspect - besides the prose - was. This is, of course, a trend for me at this point, but exploring different family dynamics and familial love was the highlight of this book. It's something that never fails to grasp my attention, but the way Ford approached it made me feel like I was experiencing everything she described for myself, particularly when it came to her relationship with her mother and grandmother.
The reason that I cannot give this book the full 5 stars is that I found the beginning to be difficult to get into and I almost put the book down. I am so glad I powered through it, but it was a little bit of a challenge. I also this that certain very important events in Ford's life were glossed over due to the conciseness of this book. I think it would have been very impactful to explore these (no spoilers!) in more detail.Â
Graphic: Sexual assault, Grief, Rape, and Pedophilia
Moderate: Grief, Child abuse, Toxic relationship, Panic attacks/disorders, and Racism
Minor: Infidelity, Fatphobia, Drug use, Body shaming, and Alcoholism
stephmcoakley's review against another edition
3.75
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Cancer, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Cursing, Death, Grief, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Abandonment, Physical abuse, and Stalking
bashsbooks's review against another edition
5.0
I also greatly enjoyed the interview at the end between Ford and Clint Smith; it is always enlightening to hear great writers discuss their craft. (I may listen to that portion again after reading Smith's book, since he discusses his own word in-depth, too.)
Graphic: Physical abuse, Child abuse, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Rape
Moderate: Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, and Miscarriage
Minor: Cancer, Pedophilia, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Racism, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Body shaming, and Stalking
Incarceration also comes up a lot, since the author's father is in prison for most of the book.hanhodge's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Bullying, Sexual assault, and Rape
marigold_faye's review against another edition
3.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexual harassment, Violence, Rape, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Body shaming, and Child death
Minor: Terminal illness, Death, Cancer, Eating disorder, Fire/Fire injury, Pedophilia, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, and Grief
rachelmarie220's review
4.5
Moderate: Rape, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, and Physical abuse
Minor: Eating disorder, Body shaming, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Pedophilia, Death, and Blood
tiff_taff's review
5.0
Graphic: Body shaming, Sexual harassment, Child abuse, and Sexual assault
sgrizzle's review
5.0
This memoir is so full of truth and power. FOR SURE anyone who works with youth should read it, because the power of supportive adults showed up again and again (though it broke my heart that she didnât have more). But also if you are interested in memoir, this one is a must.
Graphic: Rape, Child abuse, Body shaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Sexual assault