Reviews tagging 'Bullying'

Hijab Butch Blues by Lamya H

12 reviews

amina_writes_books's review against another edition

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

3.0

this books written narrative style is not at all unique from a literary point of view. There's allot of harsh transitions initially from the writers early days to present day at the start of the narrative, then this drops off entirely. The focus on the various prophets is unique, however Ill executed. And as the author "radicalizes" in her journey, her interpretations of the Quran become more and more abstract, and less and less backed by the tasfirs she supposedly has read. As someone who was raised a practicing Muslim and who is also queer, this book only highlights the abusive and oppressive nature of Islam as a whole. Very let down by this read as it had so much promise for many like me.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicide, Toxic friendship, Racism, Racial slurs, Religious bigotry, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Lesbophobia, Classism, Homophobia, and Islamophobia

mfrisk's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

3.5

I read this book for a Queer book club I started and so the discussions we had around this book and the additional depth I gained from hearing how others felt about this book definitely shaped how I read and understood it. I felt that this book overall was very impactful and would highly recommend it as a book for book club groups as it gets into a variety of topics surrounding intersectional queerness including how queerness intersects with race, religion, immigration status, physical appearance, and how to navigate relationships, change, and to strive towards a better and more just world. 

I think this book was incredibly impactful and really the main gripes I had with the book were focused on the structure of the book itself. At times more towards the first half of the book the switches between childhood and adulthood felt more jarring in terms of the flow of the story as well as the interweaving of stories from the Quran. While I saw the value in the stories being told and the reflection it made the book slower to get into initially but became more relevant as the book went on to better understand Lamya’s later adulthood experiences and their changing ways of navigating different spaces. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship, Homophobia, Islamophobia, Racism, Bullying, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, and Racial slurs

hamletslover's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective relaxing sad tense medium-paced

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Islamophobia, Bullying, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Xenophobia, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Sexism, Racism, Lesbophobia, and Homophobia

torturedreadersdept's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Cursing, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Outing, Religious bigotry, Toxic friendship, Body horror, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Xenophobia, Lesbophobia, Islamophobia, Classism, Gaslighting, Grief, Biphobia, and Homophobia

Minor: Ableism, Abandonment, Hate crime, Violence, Alcohol, Colonisation, Confinement, Physical abuse, Transphobia, Deportation, Gun violence, Police brutality, and Racial slurs

maddramaqueen's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Xenophobia, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Islamophobia, and Sexism

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Gore, Classism, Hate crime, Islamophobia, Slavery, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, and Mental illness

Minor: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Colonisation, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Confinement, Body horror, and Biphobia

casira's review against another edition

challenging informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexism, Homophobia, Abandonment, Bullying, Xenophobia, Racism, Misogyny, Outing, Religious bigotry, Islamophobia, and Lesbophobia

All of the warnings should be fairly obvious going into this. The material is hard to contend with at times, but very very worth it.

colleen_bean_reads's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

5.0

The queer book club that I run picked this book for our April 2023 read, and I will forever be grateful for that. Lamya his a beautiful author and her writing is lyrical. Throughout the memoir she compares stories from the Quran with her own story and life experience. She highlights the feelings of not fully belonging to any one group which is something I think many people can relate to. This book taught me a lot about Muslim faith and being a queer Muslim woman. It also challenged my own thoughts and actions towards people who are queer and religious. This a book that I think everyone should read. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Islamophobia, Racism, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Cultural appropriation, Racial slurs, Bullying, Classism, Sexism, Toxic relationship, and Domestic abuse

marigoldgem's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Racial slurs, Body shaming, Bullying, Racism, Classism, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Toxic friendship, Xenophobia, Islamophobia, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, and Transphobia

Minor: Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Confinement, and Emotional abuse

linluvsbooks's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

This will absolutely be one of my favorite reads this year. The pacing and narrative structure is superb. Oftentimes with memoirs I find there is plenty of interesting stories about the author’s life, but parts or the whole is light on introspection or taking their life and connecting it to the outside world - but this is where Lamya H really shines. I’ve been recommending this book to everyone since I started it and will continue to do so. Thank you to @Lupita.reads (IG) for bringing my attention to this beautiful book. 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Misogyny, Homophobia, Sexism, Bullying, Racism, Slavery, Islamophobia, Deportation, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, and Classism

Minor: Emotional abuse and Domestic abuse

jenniferbbookdragon's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective tense medium-paced

5.0

Lamya H bravely lays bare the complexity of living as a queer Muslim immigrant, in 2 very different countries far from her South Asian birthplace. Framing her story with those of prophets in the Quran centers her faith and highlights the way it has given her strength, and demonstrates how stepping away from traditional teachings and coming to her own wisdom has been worth the hard work and reflection. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Racism, and Islamophobia

Moderate: Bullying, Classism, and Racial slurs