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cjeanne99's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
Sisterhood is Powerful for 2020. Well done.
rsk1315's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
jennifergamradt's review against another edition
5.0
I was feeling disheartened (or really- bordering on depressed) about the state of the U.S. so I decided to read this. A truly inspirational set of stories and a great reminder to persist.
wendy327's review against another edition
3.0
Like any collection, this grouping of essays is a mixed bag. There are some excellent essays and some really important ideas in this collection, particularly those that discuss intersectional identity and how various identities are privileged. This is definitely geared toward a YA audience with many of the authors discussing moments in childhood or adolescence. In fact, I find that many of these would be very powerful essays in a classroom setting.
However, as someone that teaches the essay form, I spend a lot of time talking about showing versus telling. Showing allows the reader to empathize and feel what the author intends, which the stand out essays in this collection were able to do even with very painful topics. That's not to say I want to revel in someone else's pain, but my own lived experience is unique to me. Therefore, getting a glimpse into the experience of others helps stretch what I know about racism, sexism, ableism, classism, anti-semitism, and heterosexism.
Telling often reads as cliched advice. While I won't list specific essays because everyone's opinion is different and valid, I could tell which essays were using each strategy by whether I was invested or checked out. That being said, all the messages in this collection are important to internalize. As a reader, I felt like if I could distill the core message of each essay I was taking away more information that I could use to argue for many of the causes and identities represented in this collection.
However, as someone that teaches the essay form, I spend a lot of time talking about showing versus telling. Showing allows the reader to empathize and feel what the author intends, which the stand out essays in this collection were able to do even with very painful topics. That's not to say I want to revel in someone else's pain, but my own lived experience is unique to me. Therefore, getting a glimpse into the experience of others helps stretch what I know about racism, sexism, ableism, classism, anti-semitism, and heterosexism.
Telling often reads as cliched advice. While I won't list specific essays because everyone's opinion is different and valid, I could tell which essays were using each strategy by whether I was invested or checked out. That being said, all the messages in this collection are important to internalize. As a reader, I felt like if I could distill the core message of each essay I was taking away more information that I could use to argue for many of the causes and identities represented in this collection.
_valles's review against another edition
3.0
originally interested in this anthology because of Prisca's essay but ended up enjoying several others in this collection.
bookishgirl23's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
annebennett1957's review against another edition
4.0
There are so many of these books published this year. though inspiring taken as a whole I am not sure if teens would be interested in reading all 48 stories.
ladysmoke's review against another edition
5.0
Trying to read this book at work was definitely a mistake. Damn thing made my cry. But then, I should have known better, right? This book for sure succeeded in it's goals. It made me think about my place in the world, how I am, and the people around me are, effected by privilege or oppression. Many of the stories in these pages were indeed heartbreaking, but they all had happy endings. The world isn't where it needs to be yet; but with people in it (like those who's stories are in this book) doing the things that need to be done-persevering and making change-things really will get better. And I hope I'll be able to see it happen, and maybe even be a small part of making it happen. Thank you to In This Together Media, and all of the contributors, for putting this work out there. It has been truly inspirational.