Reviews tagging 'Stalking'

I Hope We Choose Love: A Trans Girl's Notes from the End of the World by Kai Cheng Thom

5 reviews

bashsbooks's review

challenging emotional hopeful informative reflective slow-paced

5.0

Thom approaches the issues within modern leftism with an understandable frustration and an unparalleled wit; this collection of essays and poems provide much-needed nuance and insight into thorny topics such as suicide (and the related responsibility of the community and agency of the dead) and sexual assault (including breaking down the perp/victim binary that doesn't allow for any grey areas). She also covers transmisogyny, racism, and class in similar depth. Despite these serious topics, Thom ends every essay with her glimmers of hope for the future. My favorite pieces in this collection were Genie, You're Free, if you should start to think forbidden thoughts, Chronical of a Rape Foretold, Complications of Consent, How Neoliberalism is Stealing Trans Liberation, siblings, Rediscovering My Identity at My Grandfather's Funeral, and Dear, Dear Life.

I highly recommend the entire book, and all of Thom's work (but please remember, she is only one imperfect woman, not a vessel for Leftist Truth!)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Sexual harassment, Rape, Xenophobia, Sexual assault, Classism, Transphobia, Suicide, Sexual violence, and Racism

Moderate: Police brutality, Toxic relationship, and Stalking

Minor: Colonisation, Hate crime, Murder, Mental illness, and Medical trauma

solenodon's review

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

I want everyone to read this book tbh

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship

Moderate: Transphobia, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Violence, Sexual violence, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Death, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, and Grief

Minor: Sexual harassment, Infertility, Drug use, Alcohol, Colonisation, Medical content, Stalking, Homophobia, Dysphoria, Forced institutionalization, and Emotional abuse

thewordsdevourer's review

challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

simply incredible. i hope we choose love is a rare feat, jam-packed w/ brutal honesty, startling vulnerability, tentative love and hope, and reflective rumination on mental illness and rarely examined topics such as queer community and its internal issues, today's social justice landscape, and ofc trans identity and community, seen through the author's complex lens as a trans woman of color. once in a blue moon, a book comes along, parts the veil in front of my eyes, and completely changes the way i view things. this is such a book and it's a marvel.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Transphobia, Violence, Mental illness, and Suicide

Moderate: Physical abuse, Hate crime, Death, Murder, Classism, Racism, and Misogyny

Minor: Suicide attempt, Stalking, Colonisation, Sexual violence, and Sexual harassment

dytiscusfriend's review

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring medium-paced

5.0

Kai Cheng Thom is remarkable in her ability to write incisively nuanced takes. Her writing is grounding, healing, painful, and needed. Her generosity, humility, and unapologetic love (especially for herself) is extraordinary and a salve in this era of twitter hot takes.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Ableism, Addiction, Body shaming, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Hate crime, Misogyny, Murder, Police brutality, Racism, Rape, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Transphobia, and Xenophobia

skudiklier's review

challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

I started and finished this book on the same day, and basically couldn't put it down. I found it so engaging, helpful, thoughtful, and brilliant. Every time I thought the author might fall into a tired trope, she showed how she was really challenging it. I love how she makes clear what the core values of her life and the social justice movement are, and how her critiques have to do with the way the movement operates and forms relationships rather than with those values themselves. I really would recommend this book to anyone who is queer or a leftist, or interested in either of those things. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Death, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Grief and Toxic relationship

Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Forced institutionalization, and Medical content