Reviews with content warning for Sexual violence - Not That Bad

Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

Not That Bad by Roxane Gay

58 reviews

roctothorpe's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced

4.0

Took me a long time to finish but this anthology was excellent. I especially appreciated the diversity of stories and identities included, as the collection features perspectives from trans, queer, cis women and men of different racial and ethnic backgrounds. My favorites of the bunch were Picture Perfect by Sharisse Tracey (a Black woman recounts the sexual violence she faced at the hands of her father, her mother believes her but does nothing, and the struggle to maintain the image of a perfect Black family) and Invisible Light Waves by Meredith Talusan (a woman talks about how she put up with a man who violated her consent because of her desire to feel wanted and loved, and doesn't reveal until the end that

she is trans

). Each piece is narrated by the author in the audiobook, which I thought was especially powerful.

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the_reading_italian's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

Oh. My. Gosh. I loved it. This was a while rollercoaster - and it really showed me I wasn't alone. People deal with their trauma in all sorts of different ways (they laugh, they cry, they drink, etc.), and this book was so powerful in that it gave an example of everything. Not everyone was raped, but some of us were groped. Not everyone was groped, but some of us had our asses slapped in high school. It really goes to show just how many people have similar experience to you, just how many people you could share your story with. I would 100% recommend this. It is definitely one of my new favorites <3

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mmejiaaar's review against another edition

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challenging dark reflective tense medium-paced

4.0

this collection of voices and experiences was so much more than what i expected. hard and crude, but so filled with hope and growth. its an important book, it gives voice to the lives of people that, under the patriarchal structure, would normally go ignored. its riddled with paradoxes and the reader does not rid itself of them: how to go about your day after reading this? where do you put this knowledge? how do you keep on living knowing what this essays have told you? and yet i would rather live in this scenario, than to ask the authors to be silent. i hope that everyone that has gone through an experience like the ones described in the book sees that there is a future for them, that not everything was taken again from them in that moment, that they are still here and still able to make something beautiful with their lives.

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beetdirt's review against another edition

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challenging dark reflective sad slow-paced

3.25

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kshertz's review against another edition

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emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.0

This is an emotional journey of the ripple effects of sexual assault. It is both healing and triggering. Some essays reached me deeper than others but they were all reflective and shine a light on the culture we have that allows these sexual assaults to continue.

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