The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! 😌
emilyjmasters's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Child abuse, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Sexual assault
znvisser's review against another edition
4.25
Graphic: Sexual assault, Misogyny, Violence, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Racism, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Colonisation, Pregnancy, and Blood
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Miscarriage, Drug use, Racial slurs, Body shaming, and Cancer
serendipitysbooks's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Violence, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Gaslighting
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
sapphire's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Self harm, Child abuse, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Miscarriage, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Sexual assault
mondovertigo's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, and Child abuse
Moderate: Pregnancy, Racism, and Sexual assault
Minor: Racial slurs and Death
miss_elease's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Racism, Self harm, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Child abuse, and Emotional abuse
elliez's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Drug use, Physical abuse, and Child abuse
emzireads's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Misogyny, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, and Religious bigotry
bookdragon217's review against another edition
5.0
There are not enough words to describe the beauty that is found within the pages of How To Say Babylon by Safiya Sinclair. She cracks herself open to show us the deep roots of her family trauma but still manages to hold the ones she loves tenderly with her poetic prose. Her words are captivating & in true poet form, she delivers magical sentences that dance off the page & stick with you. She interrogates the misogyny of the Rastafarian lifestyle her father subjected their family to while at the same time connecting it to the history of colonialism in Jamaica. She calls out the mental abuse she was subjected to but also gives greater context & explanation about how her father could also be viewed as vulnerable to a corrupt system that is fueled by patriarchy.Â
What struck me deeply was how Sinclair explores such deep themes through a child's perspective. She places us in her stream of conscience and allows us to see her observations and how she comes to make sense of her world in order to save herself. You see Sinclair develop an astute emotional intelligence that allowed her to survive her circumstances on a daily basis. Sinclair's mother offers poetry & literature as a form of liberation & this was so beautiful to see, especially since her own choices were limited by her own father. The books she read opened doors to understanding the world & provided the keys to free herself from her circumstances. This act of love from her mother is what ultimately helps her find her voice in the midst of chaos.Â
I can still feel the power of Sinclair's narrative voice. This memoir is not only a testimony but an indictment on the systems of oppression that enforce & perpetuate patriarchy. It also serves a reminder that the consequences of colonialism are still being felt today. Sinclair is an author to watch in the future.
Moderate: Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, and Misogyny
Minor: Racism, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Bullying, Body shaming, Cancer, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Colonisation, Classism, Infertility, and Pedophilia
katiewhocanread's review against another edition
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Religious bigotry, Child abuse, Bullying, Physical abuse, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Drug use, Racism, Self harm, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Racial slurs