Reviews tagging 'Drug use'

Ten Steps to Nanette: A Memoir Situation by Hannah Gadsby

44 reviews

erebus53's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective tense medium-paced

5.0

This is a book I find it really hard to review. For starters If you don't know who Hannah Gadsby is, you probably ought to see the Netflix version of Nanette first. It provides a lot of context that you would probably gain insight from. I'm really grateful that this version of the book is narrated by the author. I think it would lose a lot of its oomph if someone else was narrating it for her.. it just wouldn't fit.

Nanette and the story of the creation thereof, is an exercise (exorcise) in trauma, in violence and exclusion meted out upon a Neurodivergent (in her case Autistic ADHD) lesbian woman from Tasmania (in Australia). There is profanity and no holds barred descriptions of medicalised womanhood, sexual assault, rape, bad dad jokes, and physical violence. The whole thing is designed to be in your face, because too may people just don't engage with the things that happen to you if you are underprivileged. 

As a result this book is full of jabs at cis-het-white-men.. but that is because it's less problematic to "punch up" than down. Gadsby is deliberately seeking to subvert the form of comedy, to parody the man-and-the-mic standup look, and to kick the audience in the gut with a bit of a wakeup call.

Yes of course I am biased. I'm also a vagina wielding Autistic f*** up. I know how it is.  Life doesn't ever really stop breaking you, but you do tend to learn survival skills along the way. I own my privilege.. there are plenty of things that I have going for me that mean that people take me seriously. I'm not brown, I spell conventionally.. I can define conventionally.. my parents were both together in their own home before my mother died and I inherited enough to buy my own mortgage (lucky me!) So yes, I am biased in my opinion of this book, but I like to think that it's because I am the target audience. I see my like, in Hannah Gadsby. She's about my age, also brought up in the Antipodes, and she wrote this book for the brethren and sistren who have also dealt with being othered for their sex, gender, presentation, sexual orientation, neurotype, sensitivities, and benign differences.

Bloody good book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Alcohol, Body shaming, Cursing, Excrement, Grief, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Sexism, Blood, Dysphoria, Ableism, Drug use, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Rape

pantherguin's review against another edition

emotional funny informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

Great book, narrated by the author themselves. Thoroughly enjoyed. Highly recommend. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Alcohol, Body shaming, Colonisation, Gaslighting, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Outing, Sexism, Child abuse, Racism, Abortion, Dysphoria, Fatphobia, and Medical trauma

beccajreads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective sad tense fast-paced

5.0

Listening to this book is an experience. I'd recommend it, though it's not always easy listening. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Physical abuse, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcohol, Drug use, Homophobia, and Rape

jnlundy's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective slow-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Homophobia, Biphobia, Fatphobia, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Medical content, Medical trauma, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Bullying, Physical abuse, Rape, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Colonisation, and Death

sarahelem's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective medium-paced

5.0

What a bloody fantastic read. I loved Nanette and reading Gadsby's mémoir solidified my appreciation and love for this comedian and author (and human). The way she talks about misogyny in comedy, queer rights, and neurodiversity is poignant and provides essential content on these matters. A must read, in my opinion. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Cursing, Colonisation, Classism, Body shaming, Sexual harassment, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Misogyny, Lesbophobia, Sexism, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Gaslighting, Dysphoria, Homophobia, and Violence

Minor: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Drug use, Cancer, Excrement, Outing, Abortion, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Body shaming, Emotional abuse, and Medical trauma

hazzardfreak02's review against another edition

emotional funny inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.75

As honest and raw as Nanette. I appreciated her perspective as a late-diagnosed autistic woman. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Homophobia

Minor: Violence and Drug use

madisonfrank's review against another edition

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Confinement, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Addiction, Cursing, Drug use, Hate crime, Violence, Abortion, Bullying, Chronic illness, Pregnancy, Ableism, Misogyny, Suicide, Sexual violence, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Cancer, Injury/Injury detail, Fatphobia, Outing, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, and Sexual harassment

melissacushman's review against another edition

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

5.0

Powerful, amazing read. Simultaneously funny and devastating, informative, entertaining, and horrifying. All the stars, along with all the triggers warnings 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Homophobia, Misogyny, Rape, Classism, Hate crime, Lesbophobia, Medical trauma, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Cursing, and Fatphobia

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Cancer, Drug use, Mental illness, Abortion, Colonisation, Car accident, and Medical content

achingallover's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny inspiring medium-paced

5.0

When I have my thoughts in order I will write more

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Dysphoria, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, Drug use, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Terminal illness, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Hate crime, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Rape, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, and Sexual assault

littlecogs's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Bullying, Sexual assault, Cancer, Drug use, Rape, Homophobia, Fatphobia, Sexual harassment, Hate crime, and Lesbophobia