Reviews tagging 'Sexual harassment'

Ace by Angela Chen

16 reviews

pandemonicbaby's review

informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

I really enjoyed this book! I thought it was a very interesting read on sexuality in general and how asexuality brings a new perspective to our understanding of society (and social expectations) and intimacy, both on a broader and on an individual level.
It presented and described many different ace experiences, which just goes to show how no one community is homogenous, and how people are able to find different ways of finding love and happiness in their own existence.
This book also helped me reevaluate my own relationship with sexuality, and reflect upon how much of it has been molded by societal expectations and fear. This read has made me maybe a little bit less scared of maybe not conforming to what society expects of me, and of looking for intimacy in relationships in the way *i* want to have intimacy in relationships; not in the way societal expectations have told me to. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Acephobia/Arophobia

Moderate: Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Medical trauma

Minor: Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, Dementia, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Murder, Rape, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, and Toxic relationship

therainbowshelf's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative reflective slow-paced

4.0

It took me a really long time to finish this, partially because I took a long break. It’s pretty dense, and several chapters covered some emotionally turbulent topics I wasn’t prepared to feel right then. Overall an excellent read and many interesting insights. I related to a lot of what was said and filled my copy with sticky tabs marking that and other content. A few times I felt this went off course or reached odd conclusions. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Biphobia, Ableism, Abandonment, Body shaming, Grief, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Sexism, Sexual harassment, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual content

Aphobia

cris_is_in_crisis's review

informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

3.75

A book dealing with asexuality, its meaning and all that derives from it told from the perspective of actual ace people. An intriguing lense in a world that is too often forgotten in the vast ocean of civil and LGBTQ+ rights (so much so that the book states that some people in the LGBTQ+ community don't even recognise aces or aros as their own sexualities).

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Ableism, Biphobia, Body shaming, Classism, Dysphoria, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Outing, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Racism, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment

All the trigger warnings are dealt in a way as to explain why they are wrong, if so, and minimise the impact that they could have on a reader.

julianh's review against another edition

informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual content, Sexual assault, Cultural appropriation, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Acephobia/Arophobia, Misogyny, Rape, and Sexual violence

snowypineapples's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective slow-paced

5.0

This book is incredible. It's asks us to reconsider consent, sex, intimacy while centering asexual people and letting them know they're not broken, it's ok to not experience sexual desire regardless of the reason or experiences that intertwine with these feelings

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Homophobia, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Acephobia/Arophobia, and Body shaming

Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic and Outing

siebensommer's review

challenging informative slow-paced

4.0

No one remarks on the fact that if anyone needs to make up an identity to get out of having sex, that is the bigger problem.
It is a failure of society if anyone needs to say “I have a partner" to turn someone down, and it is a failure of society if anyone needs to invoke a sexual orientation to avoid unwanted sex because saying no doesn't do the job.

a worthy read that makes you think and feel. i found this still put a major focus on a supremacy of relationships between two people over a kinship-oriented approach, at least up until the final chapter - kinda disappointing because the space for a general new view of worthy relationships would have been right there 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Ableism, Dysphoria, Homophobia, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexism, and Sexual content

librarymouse's review against another edition

emotional funny informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

Ace is a well-written and thoughtful exploration of asexuality beyond the label. The dedication "for everyone who has wanted to want more" almost made me cry before I'd even started on the contents of the book. It is the gratifying and heartbreaking possibility of being known and understood within a lifetime spent feeling broken. Prior to reading this, the possibility of struggling when aging and losing my own agency/physical ability alone had always been a scary thought I tried to suppress. Chen's exploration of alternative ways of being and of forming bonds, as well as alternative community structures begs further reflection on my own part, and also offers some comfort from those fears. Finding that the l language necessary to explore and define myself and issues I find myself up against exists is incredibly valuable and validating. I have identified as asexual for about 5 years, often feeling broken along theIway. I've learned so much from this book. I want everyone I love to read it.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Emotional abuse, Medical trauma, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Sexual violence, Body shaming, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racism, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Chronic illness, and Ableism

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship

chloeluna's review against another edition

informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

I’m not a fan of first-person books in general and rarely read non-fiction. However, as an ace person this book was important for me to have read, and while so much of it I already knew from my previous knowledge seeking and/or personal experience, there was a lot still for me to (re)discover. The audiobook was really helpful for me as I struggled reading manually and assured me I did in fact want to own a physical copy. Started off slow for me, but the deeper discussions that interested me were farther in anyway. 

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, and Sexual violence

A disclaimer that books on asexuality (and aromanticism by exentension) talk a lot about sex, sexuality, sexual assault and the like for a proper analysis and discussion on the topic. This book talks about it honestly, sometimes personally, and often in a matter of fact way that is digestible even when dealing with sensitive material.

beals's review against another edition

hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Acephobia/Arophobia

Moderate: Sexual harassment, Adult/minor relationship, and Sexual violence

mfrisk's review against another edition

challenging hopeful informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

I really enjoyed this book as it gave us a glimpse into the experience of the author as an ace person but also many others with a variety of different experiences and perspectives. Though this book was well sourced (and has follow up reads given) it never felt like a textbook but felt more conversational and like the author was taking us on their journey. 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Homophobia, Rape, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Acephobia/Arophobia, Death, Transphobia, and Sexual harassment