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anadexx's review
5.0
After reading “The Subtweet”, I knew I wanted to read more of Shraya’s work. “I’m Afraid of Men” should be required reading for all those committed to establishing greater equity and undoing the proliferation of gendered violence. A truly amazing book. I will read any and everything this author puts out. No hesitation.
staplerscissors's review
4.0
A memoir that exposes overt and covert moments of misogyny (as something insidious, self-destructive, colonial, and normalized) in masculinity and femininity. This is explored while detailing her own instances of perpetuating and challenging misogynistic actions before and after coming out as a trans woman. This memoir really asks you to be accountable for your actions.
stephmcoakley's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
Graphic: Body shaming, Cursing, Alcohol, Biphobia, Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Deadnaming, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Islamophobia, Racism, Transphobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Self harm, Misogyny, Dysphoria, and Body horror
thepaperbackplanner's review
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
fast-paced
4.0
This was a quick but informative and moving read. Author Vivek Shraya uses her personal experiences to illustrate the ways that societal structures of masculinity have affected her throughout her life. She ties memories from her past into current experiences to showcase the ways that upholding “traditional masculinity” holds back people of any gender. Something I loved about this book was how Shraya used second-person pronouns to refer to the people who did her harm when telling her story. There’s something very challenging about reading phrases like “you laughed at me,” “you spit on me,” and “you called me a slur.” Maybe we as readers weren’t the actual people from this story… but what *have* we done, intentionally or unintentionally, to harm another person? This writing style forces that confrontation in the reader. The only reason I didn’t give this a five-star rating is that the directness of the writing style didn’t always work well for me. But overall, “I’m Afraid of Men” led to an excellent book club discussion, and I would heartily recommend it to anyone looking to read about a transgender person’s experience, challenge their concepts of masculinity and “good” vs. “bad” men, and be challenged to approach the way they think about their own gender.
shxqira's review
4.75
important points were made in this book. i recommend it to everyone plus its a very fast read!
ceebee86's review
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
4.25
A memoir of a very relatable, very real, and yet very different experience.
I enjoyed the introspection about the past male lover the most. About taking the “good man” down from the pedestal and humanizing him.
I enjoyed the introspection about the past male lover the most. About taking the “good man” down from the pedestal and humanizing him.