Reviews tagging 'Gaslighting'

Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands by Kate Beaton

19 reviews

hayleymunro's review

reflective tense fast-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail and Animal death

Moderate: Mental illness, Cancer, Drug abuse, Classism, Gaslighting, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Terminal illness, Suicidal thoughts, Stalking, Misogyny, Addiction, Death, and Colonisation

carlar's review

challenging dark emotional funny informative reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

This was a really tough read due to the subject matter and the fact that it happened to one of my favorite webcomic artists back in high school. I already knew about her sister passing away when she published an article about how her sister's death could have been prevented, but to know that she also struggled with all this was heartbreaking, especially since her sister never got to read it. 

It took me longer than I expected to finish it because the casual misogyny, although interspersed with humor, was relentless and you end up feeling like this could have easily happened to you (if you're a woman and haven't already dealt with it before). 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Rape, Sexual harassment, Mental illness, Misogyny, Gaslighting, Grief, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Sexism

Moderate: Racial slurs, Death, Racism, and Genocide

Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Animal death

daisyrain98's review

challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

Cried, wasn’t what I thought it was gonna be about but it’s real and it’s heavy. Loved the art and was interested in learning about this work culture I would have in no other way looked into myself.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Car accident, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcohol, Rape, Misogyny, Sexism, Body shaming, Bullying, Addiction, Sexual harassment, and Sexual assault

lmy612's review against another edition

challenging reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

Honestly, a very upsetting recount of one woman’s experiences while working in the oil sands of Alberta. Having lived in Alberta myself, the sexism and objectification of women is prevalent everywhere. Even in town, where most of the women live with their young children, it’s there. It’s everywhere. Men get lonely and that is supposed to excuse disgusting and illegal behaviour. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Mental illness, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Deadnaming, Infidelity, Mental illness, Drug abuse, Car accident, Colonisation, Alcohol, Death, Drug use, Racial slurs, and Racism

Minor: Animal death

ribbonbeam's review

challenging informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Sexual assault, Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

traa's review

challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexual harassment, Alcohol, Stalking, Animal death, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Infidelity

Moderate: Mental illness, Grief, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Car accident, Classism, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Colonisation, Cursing, Drug use, and Gaslighting

Minor: Blood, Body horror, Fatphobia, Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Cancer, and Excrement

laurenkimoto's review

emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced

4.5

Memoir - heck yes
Graphic novel - heck yes 
A book about Canadian issues - heck yes
A memoir about Canadian issues in the form of a graphic novel - fuck yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Gaslighting, Classism, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Death, Car accident, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

ee_lazzari's review

challenging emotional medium-paced

5.0

I knew it would be a heavy read, but I wasn't really prepared for how heavy. Regardless, it was very, very good. I'll be thinking about it for a long time.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment

Moderate: Sexual assault and Alcohol

Minor: Gaslighting, Sexual content, and Suicidal thoughts

The oil sands are largely staffed by men who don't spend a lot of time away from work or in regular society. Katie, the protagonist (and author -- this is a memoir) is a woman. There is a lot of harassment throughout. Also, [tw sexual assault]

Spoiler

Beaton writes in a somewhat oblique but still very clear way about the times she was raped, and the experiences follow her for the entire rest of the book. She discusses it with her sister and a friend on two separate occasions, and both of them reveal the same experience. The scenes themselves are not graphic, but it is incredibly present in her mental state and haunts the story from its point forward.

Sexual content:

Spoiler

At one point, Katie goes with the boys to a strip club (they needed a designated driver). The woman on stage is fully nude and recognisable as such, and there is a discussion rather explicitly about the "game" being played: throw coins at her vagina.

pewter's review

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

We Cape Bretoners have always had to live in two places for the sake of the almighty dollar, and this story just feels so validating. This deep yearning from home is portrayed lovingly and carefully by Beaton in lyrics and accents, alongside of a deeper fear of losing one's self to a place. Frightening and phenomenal - this is a must read for anyone who's had to leave home, but also for those of us who have empty seats at the table. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment and Sexual assault

Moderate: Sexual violence, Rape, Sexual harassment, and Sexual assault

Minor: Addiction, Body shaming, Chronic illness, Cancer, Cursing, Gaslighting, Violence, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Sexual assault, Misogyny, Mental illness, Colonisation, Stalking, Rape, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Bullying, Car accident, and Grief

mycelial's review

challenging dark emotional informative sad medium-paced

5.0

This comic holds complexity beautifully. Beaton holds many polarities without letting go of the complexity inherent in each range. She asks what we owe to each other, and how we survive the harm done to us and the world around us without turning around and replicating that harm. A masterful piece of work.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment

Moderate: Bullying, Car accident, Death, Rape, and Animal death

Minor: Blood, Alcohol, Cancer, Stalking, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Dementia, and Infidelity