Reviews tagging 'Body horror'

Una Educación by Tara Westover

94 reviews

galoshes's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

5.0

Westover's honesty floored me. Her mistakes, her excuses for her parents, the experience of being gaslit, and her irrational decisions echo my own experience every day as someone who survived a traumatic childhood. From the outside it seems crazy that she stayed and maintained ties as long as she did, but I get it, I'm doing it now. The author calls out her own behavior as a product of her past, and I see myself reflected in it. I feel like I've learned a lot about myself by reading Tara's life.

I didn't read any of the warnings ahead of time, and I wasn't expecting gore and body horror. If I'd known I probably wouldn't have read it. I'm very grateful that I picked up this book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror and Violence

kathleentcarroll's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

2.0

I felt like almost every chapter was unnecessarily filled with traumatic and gory details with very little payoff; I’ve read memoirs from other authors who have experienced traumatic events without feeling like I was reading a slog of someone’s every trauma, but westover couldn’t do that. I also felt like she omitted so much detail about HOW she became educated, achieved these impossible feats, and made it out. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Car accident, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment

nytephoenyx's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

4.5

I really enjoyed this book. It was tugged at my soul more than I liked. The radically religious upbringing delivered from a parent living with mental illness was too relatable on many counts. Westover had it worse, but it was all too familiar. Structurally the book is well-written and thought-provoking. It provides an important glimpse into misunderstood worlds, and I could taste the lingering bitterness in Westover’s writing. And I get it.

Good read, definitely one I want to add to me collection.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Sexism, Antisemitism, Religious bigotry, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

kennaisreading's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective tense medium-paced

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Incest, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Blood, Medical content, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, and Gaslighting

ajnagle's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful informative sad tense slow-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Car accident, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

melissasaurus's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Grief, Religious bigotry, and Medical trauma

booksoversecondbreakfast's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.75

I share so much of my story with this author. We have so many shared experiences and I had never heard those experiences expressed so clearly until I read this book. She made me feel like I was there beside her throughout her life and she summarized the main points she was making very thoroughly. I really liked this book, and subtract a quarter of a star only because of how negatively she cast a light towards being uneducated. It made me feel a bit too uncomfortable how angry she was, but I remain understanding of it due to the fact that she has been through so much. There were so many quoteworthy parts to this book, however, and I expect it will be a book I come back to throughout my life. She shared so many great lessons and ways of seeing the world, and I'm really grateful for that.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexism, Violence, Religious bigotry, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Ableism, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Xenophobia, Islamophobia, Medical content, Medical trauma, Car accident, Murder, Abandonment, and War

Minor: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Death, Genocide, Miscarriage, Blood, Antisemitism, Death of parent, and Colonisation

chels_ro's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.75

sobbing, shaking, throwing up 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Car accident

Moderate: Animal death and Racial slurs

geegee98's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective sad tense fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Car accident, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Cancer, Death, Antisemitism, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Minor: Terminal illness and Dementia

sheriffrockyraccoon's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

After years of saying I would read this book, I finally did it and cannot believe it took me this long.

Educated is an instant classic. I truly believe it should be put on reading lists for English classes, not only because of its content but also the strength of Westover’s voice. This story is real- complicated and ongoing- and highlights an important part of American society. While most people probably have not witnessed the extremism Tara has to go through, many of her family’s philosophies are absolutely widespread in the U.S. This memoir reflects on the pain they have caused, and how difficult it is to come to terms with living a life driven by hope instead of fear.

I did find the end of the book to be a bit rushed, but it is difficult to fit decades of family history and trauma into 400 pages. This is especially true when Westover’s family starts to play supporting roles to her own life pursuing an education. Of course, this criticism pales in comparison to the strength of the rest of the book.

I think everyone should read this book. The writing is incredibly strong and every chapter is well thought out. Like I said, this book should absolutely become a staple of American Literature.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Car accident, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail