Reviews tagging 'Medical content'

Golem Girl: A Memoir by Riva Lehrer

11 reviews

mcrystal1000's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

4.75

This book was amazing. Riva’s experience is so important to hear in her own words. Especially as it pertains to debates around schools for disabled kids vs mainstreaming. I also loved the descriptions/stories about the artwork at the end. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism

Moderate: Medical content and Medical trauma

Minor: Chronic illness

lucyshucy's review against another edition

dark emotional funny medium-paced

4.5

I wept, this memoir was beautiful ily riva

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Medical trauma, Suicide, Medical content, Ableism, and Death of parent

Moderate: Fatphobia, Drug use, Drug abuse, Infertility, Outing, Miscarriage, and Mental illness

Minor: Sexual content

eslsilver's review

emotional informative inspiring reflective slow-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Medical trauma, Medical content, Suicide, Ableism, and Addiction

Minor: Racism and Homophobia

teacupsandfirereads's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective slow-paced

4.5

I first heard of Golem Girl from the Barbellion Prize. I was very intrigued to pick it up. Riva's story is depicted with details and pictures of the troubles and tribulations she and her family went through. I felt many points she made in living with a disability. Every disability is unique, but many share common themes. I learned from this story, which I always appriciate. I did have trouble with the flow of the story. Overall, highly recommend this memoir.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Ableism, and Medical content

Moderate: Homophobia

Minor: Sexual content

rdebner's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

I noted that this book was inspiring because of the kind of art the writer makes. It is not only beautiful, but thought-provoking and detailed. I loved that she included the stories behind a number of the portraits that were included.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content

Lehrer is very matter of fact about medical information, in some detail. The medical narratives are essential to her story.

rosalind's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny reflective slow-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Grief, Body shaming, Addiction, and Ableism

Moderate: Death of parent, Suicide, Pregnancy, and Medical trauma

Minor: Animal death, Sexual content, and Miscarriage

afion's review against another edition

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Medical content, Medical trauma, Racism, Ableism, Addiction, Animal death, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Suicide, and Misogyny

Moderate: Infidelity

Minor: Incest and Rape

Just some extra detail on the sexual assault on the if needed:

when Riva is at school a classmate corners her alone in the art classroom and kisses her without her consent and presses his body against her. She punches him in the stomach to escape and runs to the nurse’s office. She is told off by the principal for punching him because it isn’t ‘ladylike behaviour’

readingpicnic's review against another edition

challenging emotional slow-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Ableism, Medical content, Death of parent, and Animal death

Moderate: Suicide

Minor: Outing

allweseeorseem's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

4.75

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Content Warnings

Minor: Suicide, Addiction, Miscarriage, Medical trauma, Medical content, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Death of parent, Cancer, and Ableism

meemawreads's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny reflective medium-paced

5.0

First of all, the physical book. Y’all know Meemaw is an audiobook junkie but this is a must-hold book. Riva Lehrer is an artist and this book is full of her paintings that you’d miss if you listened. On top of that, the pages are thick and gorgeous, making this a heavy joy to hold in your hands. It FEELS good and it’s a work of art itself.
Riva is a Chicagoan by way of Cincinnati and having lived both places myself I was familiar with nearly every landmark in the book. That always helps draw me into the world of a book, not that I needed help. She writes honestly about her life with Spina Bifida and her mother’s parallel struggle with spinal injury, the early chapters are full of family and school snapshots that build the world effortlessly. The book is peppered with playful language, she unapologetically employs onomatopoeia and words your computer would underline in red and it made me feel in on a secret as a reader. We watch Riva transform from a scared, lonely child into a lesbian activist who paints disability with beauty and empathy. My favorite part was reading the story behind each painting featured in the book. I gratefully internalized the message that disability is only a barrier because our world is not built for EVERYONE, and if we’re lucky to live long enough we’ll all encounter disability one day. What a triumph of a book, five taters! 🥔🥔🥔🥔🥔/🥔🥔🥔🥔🥔

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content

Moderate: Ableism and Death of parent