Reviews tagging 'Fatphobia'

Heavy: An American Memoir by Kiese Laymon

33 reviews

obvious_lia's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

5.0

Laymon writes about the anti blackness of life in America under white supremacist capitalist patriarchy. He tells us of violence done to bodies, whether by systems, self, or those who love us most.  I felt seen in his relationships with food, family, and addiction. I was altered by his words on teaching, writing, and revision. Uniquely compelling and emotional. I didn't have time to stop reading and cry, I had to keep going. Deep gratitude for this book; I can see why it's one of my partner's favorites.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Fatphobia, Racial slurs, Child abuse, Eating disorder, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, and Racism

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Islamophobia, Grief, Sexual violence, Alcoholism, Gun violence, Police brutality, and Alcohol

lindsayvale's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Violence, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, Eating disorder, Drug use, Cursing, Addiction, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Sexual content, Fatphobia, Classism, Body shaming, Alcohol, and Alcoholism

alexisgarcia's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual assault, Body shaming, Child abuse, Mental illness, Cursing, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Racism, Bullying, Sexual content, Grief, and Addiction

raes_library's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad medium-paced

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Eating disorder, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Fatphobia, Addiction, and Drug use

ichewonpushpins's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny medium-paced

4.5

Written so beautifully and earnestly. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Toxic relationship, Body shaming, Fatphobia, Self harm, Racial slurs, Eating disorder, Racism, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Alcoholism, Gun violence, Misogyny, Drug abuse, and Addiction

calcijade's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful reflective sad fast-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism and Eating disorder

Moderate: Physical abuse, Addiction, Fatphobia, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Grief

ems888's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse and Racism

Moderate: Addiction, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Fatphobia, Eating disorder, and Body shaming

Minor: Police brutality

marena02's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Bullying, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Islamophobia, Abandonment, Suicidal thoughts, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Car accident, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Addiction, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Vomit, Violence, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Self harm

mattyvreads's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

This is, without a doubt, my favorite book that I have read this year. I devoured it. Immensely captivating, unwaveringly poignant. An actual masterpiece.

It is a courageous exploration of Layson’s personal navigation through addiction, discrimination, physical and emotional abuse, eating disorders, mental health, grief — all underscored and interwoven with the racial and gendered perspective of his lived experience. 

The book is incredibly accessible, offering not just a baseline understanding of issues on racism and feminism, but through personal stories, working the reader up to examples of intersectional discrimination, examples of misogynior, and examples of a complex relationship with the human body. He offers critique of the elitism and inherent racism of major universities.

But, somehow, the book is not “preachy” whatsoever. (And even if it was, I’d still be here for the ride.) It’s tender, it’s emotional, it’s personal in a way that says: “this is my experience. This was my friend’s experience. This was my mom’s experience.” It’s incontestably honest and indefatigably moving. 

I can’t stop thinking about this book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Eating disorder, Homophobia, Child abuse, Addiction, Alcoholism, Fatphobia, and Racism

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Hate crime, and Rape

Minor: Misogyny

kshertz's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

5.0

It’s really difficult to write a story like this. This is America and this is his life. I was really emotional throughout this entire book because it was incredibly touching and difficult to see what he had gone through. It was also incredibly important to see that he is representative of a larger group of people. He is a truly gifted writer too and I found myself crying a few times which has not happened in a book in a while.  This book definitely lives up to the hype and everyone should read it.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Dysphoria, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Eating disorder, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Drug abuse, Body horror, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Drug use, and Fatphobia