Scan barcode
Reviews tagging 'Racism'
Quit Like a Woman: The Radical Choice to Not Drink in a Culture Obsessed with Alcohol by Holly Whitaker
4 reviews
griernotgruyere's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, and Alcohol
Minor: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Racism, and Sexual assault
arayo's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
1.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, and Alcohol
Moderate: Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, and Classism
Minor: Rape and Sexual assault
butlerebecca's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Racism
bgoodbookclub's review
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
slow-paced
2.0
I will preface this review with the fact that I am not sober and am not trying to become sober. I did not pick up this book because it is something that I myself am going through, and instead read it because it was suggested to me via a book club.
The first half of this book is extremely hard to get through because it reads like a textbook. While the facts do set the stage for the second half of the book, I kept wanting to put it down and not come back to it. I did enjoy reading about the background of AA and how it does not suit everyone because it is the only program for sobriety that I am aware of.
I am sure becoming sober is an extremely hard process and one that I do not pretend to know what it feels like to go through. However, I had a hard time with some of Whitaker's digs on people around her. One in particular is when she mentions that someone she knows wrote her a note saying, "You seem to be in pain, your family seems to be in pain, maybe you should work the Twelve Steps, my father did that, it helped my family." Whitaker then dives into how this person had no right to tell her what was best for her because she didn't know Whitaker's situation. I keep coming back to this section because the note sounds like someone who is trying to help and wants to offer a suggestion of something that helped someone she loves. I was shocked at how stern Whitaker was in response to the note. I do agree with how terrible many other comments to her were during her road to sobriety but there were a few that I thought seemed drastic and closed minded.
Whitaker also comes from a very privileged standpoint where she suggest yoga, meditation, etc. which not everyone has access to. She also quit her job at one point which is not possible for many others trying to get sober.
I think I might appreciate this book more in a different stage of life later down the road. My viewpoint could very well change if I myself or one of my loved ones decide to take the journey to sobriety. This book is not one that I would recommend that everyone will enjoy and get something out of.
The first half of this book is extremely hard to get through because it reads like a textbook. While the facts do set the stage for the second half of the book, I kept wanting to put it down and not come back to it. I did enjoy reading about the background of AA and how it does not suit everyone because it is the only program for sobriety that I am aware of.
I am sure becoming sober is an extremely hard process and one that I do not pretend to know what it feels like to go through. However, I had a hard time with some of Whitaker's digs on people around her. One in particular is when she mentions that someone she knows wrote her a note saying, "You seem to be in pain, your family seems to be in pain, maybe you should work the Twelve Steps, my father did that, it helped my family." Whitaker then dives into how this person had no right to tell her what was best for her because she didn't know Whitaker's situation. I keep coming back to this section because the note sounds like someone who is trying to help and wants to offer a suggestion of something that helped someone she loves. I was shocked at how stern Whitaker was in response to the note. I do agree with how terrible many other comments to her were during her road to sobriety but there were a few that I thought seemed drastic and closed minded.
Whitaker also comes from a very privileged standpoint where she suggest yoga, meditation, etc. which not everyone has access to. She also quit her job at one point which is not possible for many others trying to get sober.
I think I might appreciate this book more in a different stage of life later down the road. My viewpoint could very well change if I myself or one of my loved ones decide to take the journey to sobriety. This book is not one that I would recommend that everyone will enjoy and get something out of.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction and Alcoholism
Moderate: Sexism
Minor: Racism, Rape, and Sexual assault
More...