Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'
Fierce Femmes and Notorious Liars: A Dangerous Trans Girl's Confabulous Memoir by Kai Cheng Thom
23 reviews
brogan7's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
5.0
It's like nothing else I've ever read before and the first 80 pages are so brilliant and in tune and dazzlingly amazing. Who else writes about trauma this way, who can tell the story of leaving home like that, dying mermaids all over the beach, and you know, you just know, she is telling the story exactly as it was, it is, tonally, perfect.
And then there's an interlude of violent fantasy and I can almost go there but it feels like fiction, then, and it was the archival quality that I enjoyed.
A beautiful, beautiful book. Almost fell for easy tropes but luckily sidestepped that one.
What do you want to know about being human? Being human hurts. And is complicated and fearsome and fierce.
It's not like anything else. It's shatteringly on point. Alzena the Witch!!!! You can't make this stuff up. It's so good, it can't be made up.
Moderate: Transphobia, Police brutality, Self harm, Violence, Murder, and Sexual violence
bashsbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Violence, Misogyny, Police brutality, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Blood, Classism, Death, Grief, Hate crime, Medical trauma, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Transphobia
Moderate: Gun violence, Medical content, Sexual content, Stalking, and Self harm
Minor: Drug use, Alcohol, and Drug abuse
-Usage of the f-slur as an insult.solenekeleroux's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Transphobia, Violence, Self harm, Police brutality, Murder, Hate crime, Death, Homophobia, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Medical trauma, and Drug use
harveylamber's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Sexual violence and Transphobia
Moderate: Sexual assault and Self harm
meremeth's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Murder, Hate crime, Violence, Transphobia, Self harm, and Police brutality
Moderate: Addiction, Sexual violence, and Physical abuse
bookish_afrolatina's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
When I first picked this up, the only reference I had for a memoir steeped in magical realism was Carmen Maria Machado's In the Dream House. I realized very quickly that Fierce Femmes is a completely different thing! While this book is still full of fantastical elements and absurdities, it is a novel/faux memoir.
The main character is a trans girl who is the daughter of Chinese immigrants (in Canada, I believe) who live in a crooked house in a city called Gloom. Her parents are abusive so, although she feels guilty about leaving her sister, she knows running away will be for the best.
The MC is a self-described liar so we already know we have an unreliable narrator, which made this kind of intriguing. I loved the stories of connecting with other femmes in the pleasure district and the MC's journey of enforcing consent. It's a much needed discussion when others feel as though they are entitled to your body.
This novel includes:
transphobia, consent, sex work, drug use and abuse, found family, love, murder, revenge, adventure, and hot ghosts, among other things.
Graphic: Medical trauma, Drug use, Murder, Hate crime, Drug abuse, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Homophobia, Transphobia, Grief, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse
yaoipaddle's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
Graphic: Homophobia, Toxic friendship, Police brutality, Cursing, Alcohol, Sexual assault, Injury/Injury detail, Addiction, Grief, Violence, Sexual violence, Transphobia, Medical trauma, Sexual content, Murder, Hate crime, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Medical content, Trafficking, Child abuse, and Body shaming
maddy9877's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Police brutality
Moderate: Transphobia and Violence
Minor: Sexual violence
sayer4180's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Violence, Self harm, and Sexual violence
joyful_patatas's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Hate crime, Rape, Transphobia, Homophobia, Sexual assault, and Violence
Moderate: Sexual content, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Self harm, and Police brutality