eve81's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Colonisation, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Abandonment, Child abuse, Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, and Domestic abuse
stevia333k's review
3.5
So this is by an author who wanted to challenge expectations about works written by indigenous authors. (I didn't pick up on how besides various marketable narratives -- i mean this in the way that both karl marx & the austrian school of economics are considered "controversial".)
Anyways, I read the book on the basis of family building & decolonization. The part about forgiveness being done in ceremonies instead of the white idea of "letting go", especially since I've struggled with that colonial dynamic too, except as a white settler I didn't have established ceremonies for context.
Admittedly I was kind of indifferent to the poetics I guess. The intersections were interesting enough.
in the interview at the end, there's 2 notes about influences on this book that the author mentions that explained the squicks I had with this book:
- the bible (which went over my head because I'm not a Christian),
- and Adrienne Rich (I already returned my copy of this book to the library & it was an audiobook, but the way the word "man" was used felt heteronormative & that "patriarchal" could've worked better. Like I think I figured it out via like argument from analogy with like settler vs indigenous & the fact she's mainly talking about 1 man in particular, but the lack of precision felt suspicious to me, and it turned out I was right.)
Graphic: Abortion, Alcohol, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Colonisation, Sexual violence, Abandonment, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Racism, Incest, Infidelity, Ableism, Addiction, Medical content, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Sexism, Suicide attempt, and Toxic relationship
spicycheesecake's review against another edition
4.75
There are many things I could not relate with, but I understood everything, and I felt like I was there -- spectating, watching, experiencing.
I've learned about myself and my own relationships just from seeing the perspectives in this book.
Graphic: Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Racism, Drug use, Death of parent, Addiction, Toxic relationship, Torture, Suicide attempt, Grief, Death, Violence, Alcoholism, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Self harm, Abandonment, Pregnancy, Drug abuse, and Cursing
Moderate: Abortion
solenodon's review
4.5
Graphic: Racism, Misogyny, Domestic abuse, Abandonment, Alcohol, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Abortion, Vomit, Eating disorder, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Alcoholism, Racism, Sexual content, Child abuse, Incest, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, and Self harm
stagasaurus's review against another edition
3.75
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Colonisation, Mental illness, Death of parent, Self harm, Suicide attempt, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Abortion, Child abuse, Abandonment, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, Confinement, Eating disorder, Self harm, and Sexual content
honeyvoiced's review against another edition
3.0
Graphic: Abandonment, Mental illness, Eating disorder, Addiction, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Sexual harassment, and Pregnancy
Minor: Rape and Violence
seeceeread's review
This is a torrent. Relentless, stream-of-conscious nonsequiturs circle back to each other. The book is a menacing bath of tales:
Spoiler
assault and need and love and violence and therapy and mothering and child separation and tenderness and despair and and andI winced to witness, to relive so intimately all that has sliced her.
Spoiler
The author nicks as she tells us of the small ladder she carved into her arm while pregnant.💭 "The tips of your fingers felt like wet grapes. I wanted to bite every one."
Expect to be nipped.
Graphic: Self harm, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Violence, Abandonment, Classism, Colonisation, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Grief, Suicide, and Child abuse
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Colonisation, Addiction, Alcoholism, and Classism
mlewis's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Death of parent, Pregnancy, Vomit, Infidelity, Mental illness, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Sexual violence, Abandonment, Alcoholism, and Death of parent
Minor: Colonisation and Sexual content
mereileen's review against another edition
3.25
Moderate: Addiction, Pedophilia, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Alcohol, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, and Sexual assault
stevie's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual harassment, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Mental illness, Incest, Death, Death of parent, Violence, Sexual assault, Sexism, Self harm, Rape, Panic attacks/disorders, Misogyny, Grief, Emotional abuse, Eating disorder, Abandonment, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Cancer, Racism, Racial slurs, Pregnancy, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, and Colonisation