Reviews tagging 'Suicidal thoughts'

Tomboyland: Essays by Melissa Faliveno

5 reviews

jenniferbbookdragon's review

reflective medium-paced

4.25

An introspective series of essays on gender, sexuality, nature, relationships,  and life in the Midwest,  this book is honest and raw. As a fellow Wisconsin native,  I recognize the deep connection to the earth, the stoic nature of the culture,  and the fish fries and potlucks that are much of life in communities across our state. The challenge of being different from the expectations in a small town,  and how that upbringing followed the author into larger, more liberal cities ties reflections on everything from guns, moths, to the choice to have children. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Homophobia, Dysphoria, Lesbophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Sexism, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Drug use, and Sexual content

BDSM

ciararenaud's review

challenging emotional inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Dysphoria, Gun violence, Rape, Self harm, Sexual content, Alcohol, Animal death, Sexual violence, Biphobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Grief, and Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Sexism

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, and Classism

abbie_'s review

emotional reflective medium-paced

4.25

My thanks to the publisher for my free review copy!

What I loved

• the discussion around bisexuality, biphobia, and bi erasure. Faliveno is bi and in a relationship with a man, and she talks about how she (and many of her other queer friends) often feels like she no longer belongs in the queer community, but also doesn’t belong among the cis-hets because of her gender ‘presentation’
• The discussion around gender presentation. The author does disclose her preference for she/her pronouns, but also identifies as genderqueer. Loved her discussion on how the world reacts to her because we’re all so obsessed with putting things (and people) into clearly delineated boxes
• Tomboy history - did you know the word tomboy has racist and heteronormative roots? I didn’t but I’m not surprised. Also people used to encourage girls to be tomboys so that they’d run around more and get healthy and fit and strong so they’d be more suited for child bearing later on?? Then when they hit 14 or 15 it was time to be a proper lady again
• Made me think about tornadoes, those things are scary and America just experiences them all the time?? Wild
• Everything she shares about found family and community, and the privilege she knows she has that she’s both close to her biological family and has such a great queer community surrounding her
• All the discussion around children and deciding to be child-free. I don’t think I’ve seen someone take such a complex deep dive into their feelings around this, especially as she admits to feeling some type of grief around not having children, but that grief doesn’t mean she wants to change her mind or regret her decision. A lot of things are presented as black and white these days, so it was nice to see someone admit to holding a lot of conflicting feelings at once

What I didn’t like so much:

• not much tbh! The last essay wasn’t as strong as the others so I feel like that could have been placed elsewhere in the collection 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Biphobia, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

readerette's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

4.0

The essay/chapter entitled Motherland feels like a must read for anyone who's ever had children or not had children, or will/will not someday have children. It's a beautiful exploration of how complicated the decision is. As the author says, "...all choices are a sacrifice."

I found this an intriguing rumination on identity and how it develops, though as a Midwesterner, I don't agree with most of the generalizations the author makes about Midwesterners. I do believe those generalizations are how people outside the Midwest often think of us, but I don't believe they're factually true or that most Midwesterners consider them true. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Homophobia, Biphobia, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Alcoholism, Grief, Self harm, Sexual content, and Alcohol

Minor: Death, Dysphoria, Eating disorder, Infidelity, Rape, Blood, Body shaming, Cursing, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Abortion, Colonisation, and Suicide attempt

br00k3a133n's review against another edition

dark emotional informative reflective sad fast-paced

2.25

I'm torn and a bit disappointed. The first half of this book was interesting and captivating and beautiful and depressing...but then the second half came along. 

There was so much in this that was enjoying but as it went on ended up liking my time with it less and less. 

Maybe if it had been half to a third shorter it might have not overstayed it's welcome (which know is strange to say with personal essay, but a lot of the back half just felt long and not as personal as it could have been)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Biphobia, Drug abuse, and Addiction

Minor: Fatphobia