Reviews tagging 'Body shaming'

A Mind Spread Out on the Ground by Alicia Elliott

10 reviews

paperbackportals's review

challenging informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

A moving series of narrative and informative essays that explore not only Elliott’s life but the effects of racism and colonialism. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Racism, Physical abuse, Colonisation, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Addiction, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual harassment, Rape, Gaslighting, Body shaming, and Pregnancy

dianakamau's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Sexual assault, Religious bigotry, Racism, Sexual violence, Confinement, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, and Forced institutionalization

Minor: Toxic friendship, Cancer, Abortion, and Body shaming

remimicha's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Panic attacks/disorders, Addiction, Alcoholism, Classism, Police brutality, Body shaming, Child abuse, Colonisation, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, Murder, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Violence, Cultural appropriation, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexism, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Transphobia, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Suicide, Gun violence, Homophobia, Eating disorder, Hate crime, Cancer, and Death

buttermellow's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia and Racism

Moderate: Mental illness, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Colonisation, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexual assault

clarabooksit's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Body shaming, Colonisation, Classism, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Police brutality, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Racism, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Sexual assault

megan_bbender's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

3.5

I really enjoyed how this book was written and the author did a really great job at showing me a different perspective. It was truly captivating. This is a great book to read in order to learn about the many issues going on in Canada. The author did a really great job at making sure readers are fully invested in the book, especially in the last chapter. Thank you Alicia Elliott for sharing your story!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Rape, Racism, and Colonisation

Moderate: Body shaming, Pregnancy, and Eating disorder

biancafrancisco's review against another edition

dark emotional informative reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

Through a very personal narrative - using herself, her family and her nation as examples - the author touches upon more themes than I can mention, connecting bridges between a myriad of crucial societal issues, always leading back to the macro vision of the effect of capitalism, colonialism and the action of the state on people, while simultaneously making us keep checking our prejudices.

The book teaches you a lot about the issues indigenous communities and individuals struggle with (most that were imposed on them by colonizers), and how not only they are still dealing with and trying to heal from the very real and tangibly present damage this legacy of colonialism and genocide has transfered through generations, but are simultaneously dealing with modern versions of the same violence nowadays. 

I was surprised to see, that through the connections she makes between several systemic structures, there was much for me to relate to as well. I'm an immensely priviledged white european, but I'm still a woman, I'm still a daughter, I'm still bound by the constraints of capitalism and the patriarchy as well as witness to intergenerational trauma, to mention a few, and, in the end, you can't accurately assess any structural issue without it intertwining with the others.

All in all, I recommend it to literally everyone, as I think there's learning opportunities in this book for all of us. I'm extremely glad I picked it up. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Cancer, Child abuse, Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Genocide, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Racism, Sexism, Self harm, Sexual harassment, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, and Xenophobia

littlecat's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad fast-paced

4.75

Its not a style I read a lot of books in (personal essays) which was interesting, it has a distinct own style and I like the humor in it despite the heavy topics. I felt like I read at least part of the essays before but that may just because I read other things about the topics before, definitly interesting.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Grief, Hate crime, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Racism, Religious bigotry, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexism, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Addiction, Body shaming, and Rape

ohlhauc's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

An absolutely stunning, well-crafted collection of essays on the author's lived experience as a Tuscarora woman in the U.S. and Canada, and her reflections on indigenous identity and representation overall.

Her simple, no-holds-barred style of writing will make you think about topics on colonialism, racism, privilege, media representation, effects of poverty and intergenerational trauma, and more. Definitely look at content warnings as some heavy topics are discussed but if you are in the frame of mind to read about those things, this is a must-read for anyone interested in indigenous issues, intergenerational ideas, media, and memoir. 

My favourite essays in the collection were:
-A Mind Spread Out on the Ground
-Weight
-34 Grams Per Dose
-On Forbidden Rooms and Intentional Forgetting

But all of the essays were wonderful and worth the read. A new favourite book! I can't wait for more work to be published by this author.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, and Racism

Moderate: Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Minor: Forced institutionalization, Genocide, and Sexual content

sarah984's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring medium-paced

5.0

This is a series of autobiographical essays about dehumanization and the intersections of misogyny, poverty, mental illness and racism in the US and Canada. I really enjoyed the way the author would pull in disparate elements (the history of dark matter, a Susan Sontag essay about photography) to illustrate wider points, and most of the essays were beautiful.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Hate crime, Mental illness, Misogyny, Police brutality, Racism, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cancer, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, and Religious bigotry