Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'

Pageboy by Elliot Page

421 reviews

melist6's review against another edition

emotional informative sad medium-paced

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Dysphoria, Deadnaming, Homophobia, and Transphobia

Moderate: Biphobia, Sexual content, Eating disorder, Drug use, and Self harm

barefootbetsy's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

4.0

This was a difficult read. What other reviews have mentioned is true, there's not a really clear linear structure. But there is a structure, it's just more circular or spiral-y in nature. The structure seems a little fuzzier than what most of us are used to, which is one reason why this is a memoir, not an autobiography.

There was also more explicit material than I'd been expecting, but it was all relevant, not gratuitous. 

All things considered, I'm glad I read it. If you're interested in Elliot's story then I'd recommend you read it, if you aren't interested in his story then you probably won't enjoy the book very much. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Abandonment, Religious bigotry, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Homophobia, Rape, Bullying, Grief, Transphobia, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Sexual assault, Blood, Body shaming, Drug use, Eating disorder, and Self harm

cheekylaydee's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

DNF at around 25% Not for me. I wanted to enjoy this book, to learn more about the trans experience but this wasn't it. I'm not taking anything away from the horrendous experiences he's had but there was no deep dive into how these made him feel.

He refers to himself as a boy from the very beginning without any references to his journey of discovery apart from feeling uncomfortable in feminine clothing. I'm pretty sure there is so much more to gender identity than clothing but nothing else is discussed. I wanted to be with him on his journey but he just didn't take me where I wanted to go. 

Of course I can only comment on the section of the book I read but I was unable to continue. I was neither enjoying or learning from the reading experience. It's a shame. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Sexual assault

crybabybea's review against another edition

emotional reflective fast-paced

3.75

This was a really uniquely written memoir told from quite a unique perspective as Elliot Page is currently one of the only openly out trans celebrities in popular culture. I was a bit scared to read this because I had heard it was poorly put together with a non-linear timeline that didn't really land; but I'm happy to say I'm pleasantly surprised and I actually thought the non-linear style worked really well for the point Elliot was trying to make! Queerness is messy and there are so many factors that impact how somebody discovers or pushes away their own queerness, and I think Elliot's writing really sold that feeling well. I also think he is just a great writer in general. You can tell he put a lot of time and heart into making sure the stories he told felt immersive and detailed in just the right way. I think the non-liner timeline helped me as a reader focus on the emotions that Elliot experienced rather than the nitty gritty details of when and where things happened and why. There were also some moments of poetic prose that I think were done quite well also.

I will say this felt a bit unedited, especially near the end. Page repeats himself pretty often (one of the most memorable being his constantly feeling like he needs to "shit blood") which isn't too terrible but was something I noticed. I didn't factor this into my review, but the audiobook also felt a bit lesser quality; there were multiple times that lines were repeated because takes weren't edited properly, and there were random drops in audio quality that weren't awful but definitely noticeable. 

This is overall an inspiring, heartfelt story but there is a healthy mix of heartbreak as well. I was especially moved by the way Elliot told his experience with homophobia, internal and external, and how that kept him from finding his identity for so long. I also found the perspective of trying to navigate queerness while also trying to navigate celebrity culture and his career as an actor super intriguing. 

I think if you go into this knowing it's not going to be a typical memoir with a clear, linear timeline, you will enjoy it, and especially if you are already a fan of Elliot. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Sexual violence, Cursing, Dysphoria, Sexism, Homophobia, Bullying, Gaslighting, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Rape, Self harm, Body shaming, Emotional abuse, and Sexual assault

wayward's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Transphobia, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Emotional abuse

mads_reads_books's review against another edition

emotional informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Vomit and Sexual assault

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Deadnaming, Eating disorder, Excrement, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Outing, Toxic relationship, and Transphobia

stacy_85's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Sexual assault, Mental illness, Transphobia, Eating disorder, Body shaming, Dysphoria, Lesbophobia, and Suicidal thoughts

alexayres47's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective fast-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Eating disorder, Transphobia, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Self harm, Stalking, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Religious bigotry, Drug abuse, Pedophilia, and Vomit

runbeck's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Panic attacks/disorders, Stalking, Sexual assault, Lesbophobia, Sexual content, Medical content, Transphobia, and Body shaming

Minor: Excrement, Gaslighting, Drug use, Alcohol, Deadnaming, Eating disorder, Outing, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Suicidal thoughts

nad_books623's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.0

“It is painful the unraveling, but it leads you to you.”

This book would be 5 stars if the timeline wasn’t so confusing. I had to constantly go back or think about the timeline. Due to Elliot mentioning something where he’s 10 for example and then when he’s 33. If it was in chronological order I think it would be easier to piece together. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Dysphoria, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Bullying, Eating disorder, Lesbophobia, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, and Transphobia

Moderate: Misogyny and Mental illness

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Cancer, Pandemic/Epidemic, Stalking, and Vomit