Reviews tagging 'Eating disorder'

Sarahland by Sam Cohen

8 reviews

mcrespo's review

funny reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Eating disorder

fynn_jls's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Sexual assault, Self harm, Antisemitism, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, and Suicide

buggyworm47's review

adventurous emotional funny reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fatphobia, Toxic friendship, Mental illness, Eating disorder, Incest, and Sexual content

caseythereader's review

challenging dark emotional funny medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Thanks to Grand Central Books for the free copy of this book.

 - SARAHLAND is a collection of stories that are engrossing, funny, dark, surreal, and super queer. I found every single one to be captivating in a different way.
- I loved how expansive it was, even while every story was about someone named Sarah trying to find themselves.
- In particular, I want to shout out the story "Becoming Trees." I listened to it on the Metro while on my way to work one day, and despite my surroundings, I haven't felt that at peace in a long time. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Blood, Death, Self harm, Lesbophobia, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Alcohol

Moderate: Body shaming and Eating disorder

leah_alexandra's review

challenging dark emotional lighthearted tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Very weird and immensely readable! I think my favorite was The First Sarah. Some of it went a bit over my head, but it’s clear Cohen has a strong command of her voice and point of view!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Incest, Infertility, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, and Toxic relationship

pang's review against another edition

emotional funny mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship and Sexual assault

Moderate: Suicide

Minor: Body shaming and Eating disorder

sfbookgirl's review

emotional funny reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I am a big fan of short stories and Sam Cohen’s short stories are a hooooot! The themes are genuinely human, a little weird, but also quite fun, exploring what it means to be Jewish, femme, and queer. I found myself in Sarahland among its Jewish themes and being called one of the “Sarah’s.” And while my name isn’t Sarah, it might as well be based on how many times people assume that is my name. 😆 

 

But really, we are all Sarah’s attempting to figure out how to live our lives and navigate our way through the weird thing called humanity. So even if you aren’t named Sarah, you will find yourself in Sarahland. 

 

Thank you Grand Central Pub for my gifted copy! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship

girlonbooks's review

challenging dark emotional funny reflective fast-paced

• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

👑👑👑👑👑 (five stars as rated in crowns because "Sarah" means PRINCESS, y'all! Don't @ me cuz it's true.)

Okay, I was really hoping to love this book. But, people, I LOVED this book. I laughed, I cringed, and I related to SO, so much. This is a book for anyone who has experienced an awkward phase/decade/existence. I really can not recommend it highly enough. I would give five stars to every story minus one that, truth be told, actually really bothered me.

I am just not into biblical retellings, especially when excuses seem to be made for the more problematic themes of said story? i.e slavery, forced servitude and less than consensual surrogacy?? Um... what?? Yuck.

Next to all the other, wonderfully progressive tales, I was very disappointed and disturbed by that one. Like, REALLY disturbed. THAT BEING SAID, the rest of the book was marvelous. So much so that I didn't dock any stars for the one bothersome one. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Antisemitism, Bullying, Toxic relationship, Eating disorder, Body shaming, Slavery, Sexual content, Sexual assault, and Self harm

sex work, bdsm, breath play