Reviews tagging 'Racism'

I Hope We Choose Love: A Trans Girl's Notes from the End of the World by Kai Cheng Thom

15 reviews

melodyseestrees's review against another edition

challenging hopeful informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

This is a collection of essays many people will find challenging. However Kai Cheng Thom is among a group of people often overlooked or lumped into a monolith and there is a value in considering the perspective we've been given. Some points may rankle the reader and it is important for each reader to sit with those sore spots and research into it on their own. There are also plenty of moments for the reader to find a sense of poignancy. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Transphobia, and Violence

Moderate: Drug use, Racism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Suicide attempt and Colonisation

atreegrowsinbooks's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad medium-paced

5.0

Wow overall a very interesting and informative book. At times I felt like the content was very heavy and dark, and as such had to take breaks from listening to the audio. But was a necessary read. Will be reading more from this author!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Transphobia, and Violence

Moderate: Racism, Sexual assault, and Suicidal thoughts

zombiezami's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative reflective fast-paced

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Transphobia, Violence, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Classism

Moderate: Chronic illness, Infidelity, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Outing, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Trafficking, Mass/school shootings, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Colonisation

atuin's review against another edition

informative inspiring

5.0

An excellent look at the problems plaguing queer communities specifically and leftist spaces in general. She does an excellent job spotlighting the issues with mob mentality, double standards, and tendencies to hurt other minorities. She does more than point out the problems, offering actionable answers to these issues in changing the goals of groups from punishing bad people to healing and to gently push back against self destructive behavior.

She also discusses her personal journey and feelings on the intersection of her Chinese ethnicity and her trans identity, and how the two compliment each other rather than clash. Her poetry is moving and conveys the emotional highs and lows of life. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism and Transphobia

Moderate: Rape and Sexual assault

bashsbooks's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative reflective slow-paced

5.0

Thom approaches the issues within modern leftism with an understandable frustration and an unparalleled wit; this collection of essays and poems provide much-needed nuance and insight into thorny topics such as suicide (and the related responsibility of the community and agency of the dead) and sexual assault (including breaking down the perp/victim binary that doesn't allow for any grey areas). She also covers transmisogyny, racism, and class in similar depth. Despite these serious topics, Thom ends every essay with her glimmers of hope for the future. My favorite pieces in this collection were Genie, You're Free, if you should start to think forbidden thoughts, Chronical of a Rape Foretold, Complications of Consent, How Neoliberalism is Stealing Trans Liberation, siblings, Rediscovering My Identity at My Grandfather's Funeral, and Dear, Dear Life.

I highly recommend the entire book, and all of Thom's work (but please remember, she is only one imperfect woman, not a vessel for Leftist Truth!)

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Transphobia, Xenophobia, Sexual harassment, and Classism

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Police brutality, and Stalking

Minor: Hate crime, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Murder, and Colonisation

katharina90's review against another edition

hopeful informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

A well-written, insightful collection of essays interspersed with poems.

The essays cover a variety of topics related to the queer community and the trans lived experience with spot-on critiques of cultural issues in queer and social justice spaces, and thoughts on how to address these issues guided by an ethic of love.

Poems that stood out:
-boundaries 1 & 2
-the witch's manifesto

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Mental illness, Racism, Sexual assault, Suicide, and Transphobia

buttermellow's review against another edition

dark emotional informative reflective sad slow-paced

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual assault, Transphobia, Suicide attempt, and Toxic friendship

lettuce_read's review against another edition

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Suicide, and Transphobia

Minor: Racism

bi_n_large's review

challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Suicide, and Transphobia

Moderate: Gun violence, Hate crime, Racism, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Physical abuse, Rape, and Sexual assault

solenodon's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

I want everyone to read this book tbh

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship

Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Transphobia, Violence, Grief, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Infertility, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Stalking, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, and Dysphoria