Reviews tagging 'Sexual harassment'

I'm Afraid of Men by Vivek Shraya

25 reviews

blackcatkai's review against another edition

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challenging informative fast-paced

5.0

CW: sexism, trans/homophobia, racism, bullying, infidelity, suicidal thoughts mentioned, casual ableism, body shaming, sexual assault in the form of nonconsensual touching, mental illness, harassment, mentions of toxic masculinity

a short memoir from Vivek Shraya about her growing up & into herself as a queer transwoman and all the internalized/societal issues shes faced involving men as well as women. she touches on tough topics but there's good things here, too. I love her writing and insights about gender itself as well as gender expression. I would definitely recommend this and will be reading more of her work in the future.
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frantically's review

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challenging informative inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

4.25

“I have always been disturbed by this transition, by the reality that often the only way to capture someone’s attention and to encourage them to recognize their own internal biases (and to work to alter them) is to confront them with sensational stories of suffering. Why is my humanity only seen or cared about when I share the ways in which I have been victimized and violated?”

This book not only spoke to me (as someone's who's — surprise, surprise — also afraid of men) it taught me so much about the intricate ways a trans-woman's fear of men, fear of masculinity/femininity is different from mine.
 
What I especially loved being themed is how it is often gay men that make queer spaces unsafe and uncomfortable for female-presenting people. Their gayness does not excuse the casual misogyny they often display. 
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sydapel's review against another edition

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challenging emotional sad fast-paced

4.0

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thepassivebookworm's review

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challenging informative reflective fast-paced

5.0

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thewordsdevourer's review

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emotional reflective medium-paced

4.0

vivek shraya, thru her own unique personal experience as a trans WOC, examines the constraints of the binary and the toxicity of masculinity on ppl of all genders in the short and compulsively readable i'm afraid of men. 

the stacked reasons for the title, peppered throughout but esp in the opening pgs, are a reality slap and a harsh reminder; compounded by intersectional identities, the outlook seems ever bleak. i also very much relate to the author's view on love, self-love, and the body. im particularly impressed by her self-awareness on her own complicity thru both past and present actions as well, as it encourages us all to look back w/in ourselves and reflect on our own role, meaning there's at least a way forward.
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flamesocks's review against another edition

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emotional informative inspiring fast-paced

5.0

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lovelynovellas's review against another edition

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emotional informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

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schnooglefaceduthie's review against another edition

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emotional reflective fast-paced

3.75

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kenfoxley's review

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dark emotional inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

4.25

I really enjoyed this book, I’m just kind of sad by how short it was. However, with how the story played out it was more of an educational read and informing rather than telling a story with character names. 
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barbz's review against another edition

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emotional informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

5.0

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