Scan barcode
snoopdaloop's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
informative
lighthearted
slow-paced
3.75
reneebraceysherman's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
Bad Fat Black Girl is as hilarious as it is precise in its feminist analysis bringing critique and rigor to Sesali Bowen’s stories and view of the world. Centering Black women in everything she does, Bowen, breaks down how we can build a world ensuring all of us are loved, cared for, and seen.
notkellyprice's review against another edition
5.0
This book made me feel seen and I couldn’t be more appreciative of that
bookishholly's review
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
i loved this book so much. it made me laugh out loud countless times. so many issues tackled in an incredibly refreshing way.
rainbowofcrazy's review
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
4.0
Loved listening to the audiobook! It's a great memoir of the author's life and her experiences, and she dives into topics like the birth of trap feminism, trap music, body image, friendships, romantic relationships, sexuality, sex work, race and racial inequality. Highly recommend the audiobook since it's narrated by the author. She was great to listen to and I laughed out loud several times.
bookishrealm's review against another edition
5.0
This is one of those books that came at me in ways that I couldn't have even anticipated. If you're someone that is interested in reading nonfiction that highlights the explicit experience of Black women in America, I would recommend picking this book up.
Bad Fat Black Girl is an interesting look into the experience of Black women, Black femmes against the back drop of trap music. I've grown up listening to a lot of trap music so on the surface level there were a lot of references to songs that made me instantaneously connect with the book. On a deeper level, I appreciated that Bowen was able to capture this specific sub-genre of hip-hop and utilize it to illustrate how Black women and femmes are often left out of conversations related to feminism. Bowen leaves no stone unturned. There is dialogue related to being a Black fat woman or femme in a society that often places an emphasis on the unrealistic "slim thick" body crafted by Dr. Miami, there is dialogue about sex work and sex trafficking, conversations related directly to Black queerness, the often volatile relationship that exists between Black women and men, poverty and classism. And while these things do feel universal to Black women and femmes, I truly believe that this was Bowen's love letter to those that grow up in the hood. These are the individuals that are often left out of mainstream conversations even when the intersectionality of race and gender is at the forefront of the conversation. One of the things that stood out to me about this social commentary/memoir is Bowen's emphasis on the fact that people need to refrain from trying to change people from the hood. There is this weird need (even within the Black community) to change people from the hood and make them into the Black people that society deems worthy. This isn't a book that is about a Black woman or Black femme going through self-actualization. There are so many stories that already focus on this that it's a breath of fresh air for Bowen to give us a story in which someone is already comfortable in their Blackness. Honestly, this is one my favorite non-fiction books and one of my favorite books of the year. The rawness of it, the comfortable use of AAVE resonated with me in unimaginable ways. If you haven't had the chance to pick this up, I highly recommend reading it and listening to it on audio.
Bad Fat Black Girl is an interesting look into the experience of Black women, Black femmes against the back drop of trap music. I've grown up listening to a lot of trap music so on the surface level there were a lot of references to songs that made me instantaneously connect with the book. On a deeper level, I appreciated that Bowen was able to capture this specific sub-genre of hip-hop and utilize it to illustrate how Black women and femmes are often left out of conversations related to feminism. Bowen leaves no stone unturned. There is dialogue related to being a Black fat woman or femme in a society that often places an emphasis on the unrealistic "slim thick" body crafted by Dr. Miami, there is dialogue about sex work and sex trafficking, conversations related directly to Black queerness, the often volatile relationship that exists between Black women and men, poverty and classism. And while these things do feel universal to Black women and femmes, I truly believe that this was Bowen's love letter to those that grow up in the hood. These are the individuals that are often left out of mainstream conversations even when the intersectionality of race and gender is at the forefront of the conversation. One of the things that stood out to me about this social commentary/memoir is Bowen's emphasis on the fact that people need to refrain from trying to change people from the hood. There is this weird need (even within the Black community) to change people from the hood and make them into the Black people that society deems worthy. This isn't a book that is about a Black woman or Black femme going through self-actualization. There are so many stories that already focus on this that it's a breath of fresh air for Bowen to give us a story in which someone is already comfortable in their Blackness. Honestly, this is one my favorite non-fiction books and one of my favorite books of the year. The rawness of it, the comfortable use of AAVE resonated with me in unimaginable ways. If you haven't had the chance to pick this up, I highly recommend reading it and listening to it on audio.
rebeccad22's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
medium-paced
4.0