Reviews tagging 'Body shaming'

Pageboy by Elliot Page

105 reviews

inkerly's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful sad fast-paced

4.0

3.9 ish stars

The memoir broke me. Literally. My heart would break in every chapter or my jaw would drop . Im not an Elliot Page fan but I enjoy movies he’s been in (Juno, Inception), and I like that he is one of the more relatable celebrities. Elliot has been through a lot in his 37 years of living and he was failed multiple times by the adults around him. I thought I would be reading a book about the inspiring journey of a transman  coming into his identity but what I’m left with is the story of a man who is still trying to pick up the pieces of his life and resolve undue childhood trauma while breaking barriers and staying true to himself. I think the fact that Elliot’s journey is still  “to be continued” makes this book raw and real, but at the same time reading it also felt like reading a sequence of disjointed events (all sad) that didn’t provide complete closure. Based on recent articles and photos of him I sense that his journey with his body dysmorphia is not completely over.  I support Elliot and hope that this new chapter of his life makes him stronger and better than he can ever imagine.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Homophobia, Transphobia, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Dysphoria, Bullying, Suicidal thoughts, and Body shaming

Minor: Death of parent

vixenreader's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

4.25

A structure based on the journey towards self-love, this memoir is deeply poignant, unflinching, and vulnerable, and a honest experience about how wilful ignorance and prejudice ultimately perpetrates the bigotry experienced by the trans community. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Alcohol, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Bullying, Toxic friendship, Lesbophobia, Dysphoria, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Outing, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Body shaming, Child abuse, Cursing, Deadnaming, and Sexism

Moderate: Death, Medical content, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Homophobia, Cancer, Stalking, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Pedophilia, and Pregnancy

Minor: Self harm, Drug use, Medical trauma, Pandemic/Epidemic, Biphobia, Alcoholism, Violence, Blood, Classism, and Drug abuse

Be aware that there are themes of parental neglect, rejecting a trans child, bi-erasure, putting actors in harm’s way, the influence of the internet, tension within unhealthy relationships, unhealthy polyamory, heartbreak, threats towards trans and queer folks, nudity in film, erasure of queer identity, and being forced back into the closet.

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

crybabybea's review against another edition

emotional reflective fast-paced

4.5

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

umibozus's review against another edition

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Transphobia, and Dysphoria

Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexual harassment

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

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

fanboyriot's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective slow-paced

4.0

Deciding to love yourself was the whole point of this book.  All the ups and downs of life, the self discovery of a trans person.  The pain of being trans and living in a world not built for trans people.

While some of the pacing was a bit awkward and the timeline was difficult to follow but I ended up loving listening to this; especially since the author was also the narrator. 

I learned a lot about this author and I’m so happy that he was in a place to write this book and share it with the world.  I also liked how he mentioned several times about his privilege in a very genuine way, actually acknowledging the problems with trans healthcare and other issues as well.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Outing, Toxic relationship, Dysphoria, Sexual violence, Homophobia, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Hate crime, Transphobia, Self harm, Sexual content, and Cursing

Moderate: Eating disorder, Lesbophobia, Blood, Deadnaming, Mental illness, Stalking, Rape, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Bullying, Child abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Abandonment, Sexism, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Misogyny, Body shaming, Pandemic/Epidemic, Religious bigotry, Classism, Medical content, and Drug use

lindsaymck's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

3.75

It feels odd to give a rating to a memoir, especially one that handles such sensitive experiences. I appreciated the insights EP was willing to share about coming of age in the movie industry and how he constantly navigated his gender inside their rigid expectations. His writing style is sometimes concise and simple, staying towards the surface level of reflection, and other times he includes some poetic prose and dives deep, truly changing my perceptions. 

The non-linear structure took a minute to adjust to, but I tried to see that through the lens of natural storytelling as memories and details and revelations came to him. I wonder if a chronological storytelling could’ve helped me understand him better, but think it being non-linear lends itself to the chaos of his hard-fought journey towards his true self. 

I am very glad I listened to the book rather than read it myself. Hearing him share his story increases my connection to it. That being said, there is still so much I feel like I don’t know about him, things that could’ve absolutely been explored. The book did take a very personal approach to all of the complex issues he has faced - identity, gender, sexuality, eating disorders, and mental health, among others - but I still felt like I didn’t know him at the end. That thought, though, made me check my own entitlement - I am not entitled to know anything about his experiences other than what he chooses to share - and I do appreciate what he does share for what it reveals about him and all that he has gone through to become who he is. 

It seems to me that he did not want his book to be a voice for all transgender people or a source of education for those wishing to learn more about transgenderism. He could have just wanted it to be a cathartic collection of his own experiences, the act of putting them into words adding to the catharsis and giving him the freedom he deserves to feel. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Body shaming, Transphobia, Outing, and Self harm

Minor: Suicidal thoughts

mcnoble's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

Elliot Page’s memoir captivates a multitude of emotions during his journey to sharing his self with the world. Through reflections into his childhood, he shares his years filled with pain, body dysmorphia, and the confusion of not being able to be who he really is. His writing is detailed, poignant, and beautiful. I think everybody could learn from reading his memoir; learning about trans experiences and also, learning about themselves alongside another person’s reflections. He is humble about his writings but this was perhaps my favorite memoir that I have ever read. Thank you, Elliot. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Transphobia, Body shaming, Eating disorder, Outing, Alcohol, and Dysphoria