A review by nibs
README.txt: A Memoir by Chelsea Manning
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
medium-paced
4.75
I read this as the March book for a queer lit bookclub.
This book made me think. I knew the US military was cooked, but seeing the insideous and complicated ways this played out in Chelsea's life was something else. I really respected her writing - she was honest about her flaws and actions, including negative things. She's a real human and she'd explain the emotions behind these actions - not to gain sympathy but as a fact-based explanation on what lead to those actions.
She got to tell her own story, something she mentions throughout the book as being important to her.
This book made me think. I knew the US military was cooked, but seeing the insideous and complicated ways this played out in Chelsea's life was something else. I really respected her writing - she was honest about her flaws and actions, including negative things. She's a real human and she'd explain the emotions behind these actions - not to gain sympathy but as a fact-based explanation on what lead to those actions.
She got to tell her own story, something she mentions throughout the book as being important to her.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Mental illness, Dysphoria, War, Outing, Homophobia, and Transphobia