Reviews tagging 'Gaslighting'

Pageboy by Elliot Page

61 reviews

steffilietzke's review

dark emotional informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Homophobia, Toxic relationship, and Transphobia

Moderate: Medical content, Deadnaming, Suicidal thoughts, Gaslighting, Sexual assault, Lesbophobia, and Emotional abuse

trinidaddy's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Transphobia, Eating disorder, Cursing, Hate crime, Deadnaming, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Toxic friendship, Sexual content, Stalking, Bullying, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Self harm, Sexual harassment, Medical content, and Toxic relationship

kelisabeth's review

challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective slow-paced

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Deadnaming, Grief, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Panic attacks/disorders, Religious bigotry, Dysphoria, Hate crime, Rape, Sexual content, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Biphobia, Child abuse, Sexual harassment, Alcoholism, Blood, Sexism, Toxic friendship, Stalking, Emotional abuse, Pandemic/Epidemic, Transphobia, Drug use, Medical content, Eating disorder, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Toxic relationship, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Physical abuse, and Self harm

jnestwd's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

3.75

"It was too much to play a role on-screen when the role I played in my personal life was suffocating me already."

Pageboy by Elliot Page sheds light on the cruel, messy, and often torturous experience of growing up transgender in the Hollywood spotlight.

As a life-long fan of Elliot's acting work, and as a fellow queer, I was excited to read this as part of a queer book club. 

I devoured the pages, feeling mostly extraordinarily uncomfortable by the pain and shockingly relatable emotional abuse that Elliot endured as a child from those meant to love and support him, finding few moments of joy and laughter as I annotated my copy of the book.

Rating this book is tricky, as on one hand, I deeply related to, and understood much of Page's pain. But on the other, found, at many times, the prose to be overly self-indulgent and often lit with cliches. As with many of the other reviews, I agree that the writing could have been tightened up. Elliot's search for catharsis through the writing of this work bleeds through the page and whilst I applaud his openness and vulnerability from a lifetime of keeping his true thoughts and feelings bottled up inside, it has a tendency to read like a diary entry.

The timeline jumps back and forth without a common thread or obvious purpose, and in my view the book is best read as a collection of personal essays rather than a linear memoir. 

THAT BEING SAID! I genuinely enjoyed this book and felt deeply moved by it. The anecdotes on the different healthy relationships Elliot has made throughout his life were beautiful and inspiring, and I enjoyed chuckling along with certain queer tendencies that exist no matter your gender (immediately falling in love. amirite.)

Honestly, go off Elliot. You deserve to have your voice heard, multiple references to shitting and all. Love you xoxoxo

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Gaslighting, Self harm, Transphobia, Bullying, Deadnaming, Emotional abuse, Pandemic/Epidemic, Panic attacks/disorders, Eating disorder, and Homophobia

just_curious34's review against another edition

hopeful reflective fast-paced

4.0

A queer coming-of-self story, an autobiography of a 35 year old. 

It was a quick read, alternating between seemingly universal queer stories and Elliot inadvertently name dropping stars that played an important role in his life. 

I enjoyed this book. It was a very fast read for me, perhaps because I really enjoyed reading the representation I felt he gave to different parts of my queer life.   

But at the same time, in many ways, many of the stories feel very surface level. It felt like when there was something that was difficult, such as when he was to blame for a failed relationship, Page would often lose the words or change the subject (most commonly in the middle of the book). While this is his right as the author, this book feels like it was written to help Elliot process his pain that’s still very fresh, rather than impart his wisdom after the fact. I’d be curious what this book would look like if he wrote it in 10+ years.

Content warning: Page talks pretty openly and graphically about his sex life over the years. It is part of what makes this book very queer, but may affect who you recommend the book to. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder and Sexual content

Moderate: Gaslighting, Stalking, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Transphobia, Sexual violence, Religious bigotry, Pandemic/Epidemic, Bullying, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Lesbophobia, and Mental illness

sierrabowers's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

I feel like it’s almost impossible not to give a memoir 5 stars, simply because it is someone else’s life experience, and how am I to judge that? But this one was very good. It highlights the importance of being kind to everyone, especially those in the LGBT+ community. I enjoyed hearing Elliot narrate his own audiobook because I could hear the emotions in his voice throughout the book. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Blood, Child abuse, Lesbophobia, Medical content, Medical trauma, Sexism, Emotional abuse, Deadnaming, Sexual content, Pandemic/Epidemic, Panic attacks/disorders, Eating disorder, Gaslighting, Outing, Religious bigotry, Hate crime, Vomit, Biphobia, Homophobia, Dysphoria, Suicidal thoughts, Stalking, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, and Body shaming

usuallyaudio's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

4.25

I loved hearing Elliot Page's journey, espicially it read by the author. It was very introspective and heart wrenching to hear his struggles, and being able to peek behind the curtain of the film industry as a young LGBT+ individual. His stories were sincere, and he kept identities anonymous for those who didn't want to be named. 

The timeline jumped around somewhat, and only once was I unsure when a story was taking place. I am so happy for Page that he felt safe, secure and confident enough to share his story, but am so sorry he had to go through as much as he did. Page also graciously  acknowledged his privilege, and how it helped him quickly receive medical/gender affirming care once he was finally ready to reach for it. I hope this memoir can help others feel seen, and can help to create safer spaces and foster healthy relationships. I really look forward to what he will do next!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Eating disorder, Lesbophobia, Homophobia, Dysphoria, Transphobia, and Mental illness

Moderate: Vomit, Sexual content, Pandemic/Epidemic, Self harm, Medical content, Alcohol, Excrement, Emotional abuse, and Stalking

Minor: Vomit, Addiction, Gaslighting, Panic attacks/disorders, Child death, Confinement, Sexism, Violence, Sexual violence, Adult/minor relationship, Religious bigotry, Alcoholism, Drug use, Gore, Outing, Cancer, Deadnaming, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Child abuse, Car accident, and Pedophilia

catcherinthepi's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.25

Elliot is such a unique writer, and I enjoyed getting to know his story on his terms. It is quite clear this wasn't ghost-written. The structure is non-linear, which is hard to follow at times, but I actually enjoyed this aspect of the memoir. I interpreted the structure as thematic rather than chronological; it felt like we as readers got a peek into how Elliot put together the pieces of his life, mind, and body to come to his current sense of self. I also enjoyed the endearing historical anecdotes about places in Canada.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Child abuse, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Homophobia, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Dysphoria, and Eating disorder

Moderate: Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Outing, Sexual violence, Deadnaming, and Vomit

torturedreadersdept's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad medium-paced

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Lesbophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Blood, Cursing, Deadnaming, Transphobia, Medical content, Bullying, Body shaming, Drug use, Homophobia, Sexual violence, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual content, Stalking, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Self harm, Alcohol, Body horror, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Misogyny, and Abandonment

rionstorm's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

3.75

I love reading about other transmascs :) This is definitely self indulgent, but then it is a memoir so no better place i guess. 
In between the long list of his ex-partners there's some really honest and vulnerable stuff about being trans that i resonated with a lot, and that I'm glad that other people, cis and trans, will get to read. I also really liked how he explained why he was using his previous name at times, and clearly laid out that he wasn't comfortable with others doing that. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Child abuse, Transphobia, Homophobia, Sexual content, Lesbophobia, Stalking, Sexual assault, Deadnaming, Dysphoria, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Mental illness, Domestic abuse, Excrement, Gaslighting, Adult/minor relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Car accident, Alcohol, Body shaming, Hate crime, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Vomit, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, and Self harm

Minor: Pregnancy, Racism, Medical content, Drug use, and Pandemic/Epidemic