The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! š
A review by brandinh
Grrrls on the Side by Carrie Pack
Not giving a star-rating for reasons I hope will be clear after reading my review below.
So hereās the thing, I am a white, cisgender, straight woman. Although I am also fat, for the most part I do not experience the myriad ways intersectionality affects the lived experiences of other women. Other reviewers have mentioned unchecked racism, homophobia, and fat-phobia in this novel. I didnāt read it that way. Could Tabitha have experienced more profound character development and became a vocal ally for others? Yes. But, I read this novel as a sort of portrait of the ways intersectionality affects experiences in the way that books can serve as windows into the lives of those who may be different from us. To me, it felt like a realistic portrayal, and even a bit preachy at times. But maybe thatās just my privilege āreading.ā I donāt know. One thing I do know is that I am always a little bewildered by people complaining about books like this one being fat-shaming or fat-phobic. For me, it just feels real. I have had the same thoughts, doubts, and insecurities as Tabitha. Sometimes I still do. Itās clear that she knows itās not right for her to feel that way, but she does. Does the fact that I sometimes hate the way I look or feel insecure because Iām fat make me less of a feminist? I donāt think so. And IMO anyone who thinks it does needs to check their own privilege.
So hereās the thing, I am a white, cisgender, straight woman. Although I am also fat, for the most part I do not experience the myriad ways intersectionality affects the lived experiences of other women. Other reviewers have mentioned unchecked racism, homophobia, and fat-phobia in this novel. I didnāt read it that way. Could Tabitha have experienced more profound character development and became a vocal ally for others? Yes. But, I read this novel as a sort of portrait of the ways intersectionality affects experiences in the way that books can serve as windows into the lives of those who may be different from us. To me, it felt like a realistic portrayal, and even a bit preachy at times. But maybe thatās just my privilege āreading.ā I donāt know. One thing I do know is that I am always a little bewildered by people complaining about books like this one being fat-shaming or fat-phobic. For me, it just feels real. I have had the same thoughts, doubts, and insecurities as Tabitha. Sometimes I still do. Itās clear that she knows itās not right for her to feel that way, but she does. Does the fact that I sometimes hate the way I look or feel insecure because Iām fat make me less of a feminist? I donāt think so. And IMO anyone who thinks it does needs to check their own privilege.