lipstickitotheman's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny

4.5

Really stunning collection of pieces. Only thing taking it down in stars is how some felt a little shorter/less fleshed out than I'd expected. Overall a really well-curated selection with great narrative voices. 

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zombiezami's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.0

I consider myself familiar with disability justice principles and discussions, and I still learned a lot from this.

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kelleykamanda's review against another edition

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challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

Damn. Read this book!

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chronicacademia's review

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dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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booksjessreads's review against another edition

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emotional informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

This is such an eye-opening anthology of essays from disabled people to speak their realities of being disabled in such an ablest world. The stories were so deeply personal and evoked so much emotion. I liked how through the audio, the essays felt more like dialogue with the reader, or like an official talk. Alice Wong and Alejandra Ospina read this with the right tone and made it so digestible despite the heavier content. 

This book does not solely focus on disability, but contributors also discuss further intersections of identity, such as gender, sexuality, age, race and religion. This allows the reader to understand how society further disadvantages those with these intersections and offers a deeply moving and rage-inducing account of US society. 

I enjoyed the audio so much I am getting my own print version to get more familiar with the text. This is essential reading and is one of the most informative reads I have read this year. 

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lilacs_book_bower's review

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challenging hopeful informative lighthearted sad fast-paced

4.75

I really enjoyed this book. Alice Wong as the editor has gathered a wide range of essays and interviews from people with disabilities, and the collection covers a huge range of topics. I liked the approach of reading about the different aspects of disabilities that people wanted to discuss; topics range from medical care, discrimination, wheelchairs and artificial limbs, transportation, and accessible clothing. I appreciated the wide selection of topics. The only flaw I would say with this book is that some of the essays are so short (three pages), that the reader is left wanting more. A few felt like they introduced a topic and then abruptly ended. Overall, a very strong collection of narratives and a fast read!

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ageckocalledachilles's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

Everyone should read this. It covers a multitude of disability rights issues as well as being incredibly intersectional. Some sections discuss very difficult/triggering issues, but many of these come with content warnings 

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spiritedfaraway's review against another edition

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challenging emotional informative medium-paced

5.0

Stories are the closest we can come to shared experience… Like all stories, they are most fundamentally a chance to ride around inside another head and be reminded that being who we are and where we are, and doing what we’re doing, is not the only possibility.
       – Harriet McBryde Johnson 

Everyone should read this.



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foreverinastory's review against another edition

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emotional informative reflective

5.0

Everyone should read this. That is all.

CWs from each story as provided by the contributor:

Unspeakable Conversations: eugenics, infanticide, assisted suicide.

There's a Mathematical Equation that Proves I'm Ugly: bullying, suicidal ideation.

The Erasure of Indigenous People in Chronic Illness: settler colonialism, genocide, racism, sexism, ableism, erasure, sexual assault, violence, suicide, suicidal ideation.

The Isolation of Being Deaf in Prison: sexual assault, language deprivation, isolation, incarceration, trauma, audism.

Common Cyborg: hate, misogyny, harassment, rape threats, death threats, racism, suicide, sterilization, ableism, eugenics. 

We Can't Go Back: institutionalization, abuse.

Last but Not Least: body shaming, groping, sexual harassment.

The Antiabortion Bill You Aren't Hearing About: bodily autonomy, eugenics, ableism, trauma, sexual assault, medical trauma, objectification, carceral state, sterilization.

Incontinence is a Public Health Issue...: suicidal ideation, bullying, body shaming, infantilization. 

Failing/Burning: suffering, medication, spoilers for Hannah Gadsby's Nanette.

Lost Cause: abuse, racism, ableist language, child neglect, torture, poisoning, self-harm.

Disability Solidarity: state violence, anti-Blackness, racism, ableism, audism, police brutality, incarceration, murder, white supremacy. 

Time's Up for Me, Too: sexual assault, intimate partner violence, abuse, trauma. 

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pollyhall's review

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challenging informative sad tense slow-paced

2.0

 
This was a very slow read, I had to look up a lot of words. I would have liked to see fewer essays but with more depth. 

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