mscalls's review
4.0
Graphic: Blood, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gun violence, Hate crime, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Slavery
grei's review
5.0
This book is absolutely beautifully written. It is an autobiography that alternates between a chronological biography of her life and her experience with the u.s. prison & "justice" system. Shakur not only discusses her life & activism but also includes important history that the u.s. school system either lied about or left out to serve their own narrative.
An incredibly important book, perfect for anyone interested in u.s. history, the u.s. prison and/or judicial system, activism and learning to become an activist, and the u.s. Civil Rights Movement of the '60s and '70s.
Graphic: Racism, Sexism, Medical trauma, Grief, Emotional abuse, Confinement, Xenophobia, Medical content, Kidnapping, Hate crime, and Bullying
Moderate: Cursing, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Islamophobia, Medical content, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Addiction
Minor: Ableism, Violence, Trafficking, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Racial slurs, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Hate crime, Gun violence, Genocide, Forced institutionalization, Fatphobia, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Alcoholism, Blood, and Body shaming
Before I start, please note that I am white, nonbinary, mentally ill, & neurodivergent and that informs how I read this book written by a Black revolutionary woman on her experience with racism. Though I've tagged a myriad of different content warnings, Shakur always describes and discusses them within context of why it's important, and I found that because of that her focus is not on the trauma or pain. She chooses to write about all her experiences as lessons learned along the way, and framing it in that context makes her writing much less emotionally triggering. She never goes into explicit or gory detail, but I put many topics in the "graphic" category because they are discussed thoroughly in ways that if someone is particularly sensitive it could potentially put them in a bad place if they are caught off guard.Spoiler
This is particularly true of her experience almost getting raped and of her experience being pregnant in prison and trying to attain proper medical care.unread_shelves's review against another edition
5.0
I truly don’t even know where to begin. The TLDR of the whole book is that Assata Shakur is an amazing woman, and I can’t wait to shove this book into the hands of every reader I know.
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Racial slurs, and Racism
Minor: Slavery