threenerdsinatrenchcoat's review

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challenging funny hopeful inspiring reflective

4.75

Only problem with this book is it was written by someone overwhelmingly white. Apart from that, a very inspiring and useful read.

amazelan's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

je vous en prie, lisez-le 
peu importe votre âge, si le résumé vous inspire, que vous l'ouvrez à une page et qu'il vous parle, lisez-le 

j'aurais aimé l'avoir il y a 5 ans, mais dans un sens le lire maintenant le fait résonner encore + fort
et je sais que si je le relis, il résonnera encore +

c'est pas simplement un "guide pour rester en vie"
c'est une autrice qui s'adresse à toi en toute honnêteté, en toute transparence, avec beaucoup d'humour et de douceur
j'ai pleuré, beaucoup, mais j'ai souri aussi
c'est magnifique, ça redonne au moins un peu d'espoir

il n'est pas miraculeux, rien ne l'ai, mais là dans l'instant il m'a aidé, c'est sûr

après, il y a quelques trucs qui m'ont dérangé/que j'ai trouvé de trop, comme le focus sur le sexe ou la spiritualité, mais je pense que c'est surtout parce que c'est des choses qui ne résonnent pas avec moi, en tout cas pas présentées dans ce contexte là 
et ce livre ne fait pas un tour parfait des intersections d'identité, ni de toutes les facettes impliquées dans le fait d'être dépressif.ve/suicidaire/.., mais il fait déjà un sacré tour d'horizon par rapport à tout ce qui peut déjà exister qui traite de ce sujet là (le suicide), et surtout il est accessible et s'adresse directement à la personne qui veut se suicider

dhiyanah's review

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Received this as a gift after a couple of recommendations. I guess because the title makes it sound promising. This feels like it has a very specific target audience (white, Western, Western-centric) and many of the explanations lacked the depth necessary for those struggling with depression and suicidality while living with much more complex intersections of identity and oppression. This also put me off my own curiosity around post-modernism, so I shelved it. I can see how this is helpful for queers in the West or teens who uphold that culture (or the glamour of it) as part of their ideology. While that can be important work for some, I find that this ultimately goes against our collective need to de-colonize from imperial frameworks of selfhood. For safety's sake, I wouldn't recommend this to young or older queer BIPOCs.

danabanana252's review against another edition

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dark reflective sad fast-paced

4.75

ambiiumm23's review

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dark inspiring fast-paced

4.0

lsparrow's review

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5.0

I read this book mostly to use in my work and to recommend to people that are in my life who are in this space but I LOVED this book!

brigidm's review

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emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

2.75

saaraa96's review

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3.0

It wasn't just for freaks, teens and...
It's useful, especially last part of book when it categorized alternatives.

book_me's review

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4.0

The beautiful thing about this book is it is realistic. It does not offer false promises but talks honestly and frankly about suicide, depression, coping mechanisms, etc. It is also accessible. While Bornstein concentrates mainly on struggling with one's gender or sexuality, her logic is applicable to struggles any sort of identity or characteristic that is labeled "abnormal" in our society.

slamslibrary's review

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4.0

What a wonderful thing to exist. The first half explores some of the why & how behind the bully culture we live in. The second half is a detailed list of 101 alternatives to ending one’s life. Kate Bornstein is daring in their work. She is a sex-positive, gender theorist who greatly emphasizes that the world is a better place because YOU are in it. It felt like they were speaking directly to me at times & I hope other readers feel the same. The following are a few quotes that stuck with me:


“Identities aren't meant to be permanent. They’re like cars: they take us from one place to another. We
work, travel, and seek adventure in them until they break down beyond repair. At that point, living well means finding a new model that better suits us for a new moment.”

“You don’t have to look at the world the way you’re told to look at the world.”

“Would you like to show the world the you that you most enjoy being?”