Scan barcode
cosmo_junk's review against another edition
3.0
that chapter about the virgin mary touched something in me idk.
allieskat17's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.5
This anthology contains some amazing stories from female YA authors. I originally picked up this book as Ellen Hopkins wrote a piece for it. In reading it in 2024 it brought me back to 2016 and brought up things I had even forgot about. This hit particularly hard as trump is running again this year
bookswithmaddi's review against another edition
3.0
I want to be careful about what I say about this collection because I don't want to discredit any of the authors who wrote in here. Many of these pieces were intensely beautiful and moving and probably required incredible strength to write.
However, I found a lot of them to be repetitive and surface level. The theories and ideas presented in the book are very entry level feminism and I feel don't really accurately portray a lot of feminist theory. In addition, many of these felt like a reaction to 2016 election, which obviously was very relevant when this came out, but it will date this book.
In my opinion this book was just poorly marketed. I thought the individual intentions of each author were different and so it felt uneven and not cohesive. I feel that reading each of these individually at different points could have been more powerful that reading them back to back.
Overall, the message of this book is obviously very powerful. There are some amazing women in here (although a definite lack of trans women) with amazing stories. I'm not sure exactly who I would recommend it to but I think it's great for entry level intersectional feminism.
However, I found a lot of them to be repetitive and surface level. The theories and ideas presented in the book are very entry level feminism and I feel don't really accurately portray a lot of feminist theory. In addition, many of these felt like a reaction to 2016 election, which obviously was very relevant when this came out, but it will date this book.
In my opinion this book was just poorly marketed. I thought the individual intentions of each author were different and so it felt uneven and not cohesive. I feel that reading each of these individually at different points could have been more powerful that reading them back to back.
Overall, the message of this book is obviously very powerful. There are some amazing women in here (although a definite lack of trans women) with amazing stories. I'm not sure exactly who I would recommend it to but I think it's great for entry level intersectional feminism.
mmotleyu's review against another edition
4.0
Loved hearing these different perspectives from women who were marginalized. The one that sticks out most to me is "Chilled Monkey Brains," written by an Indian American girl who was mortified by the scene in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom where they eat chilled monkey brains. She was teased by her NJ classmates and this sterotype has haunted her (along with other more dangerous events). It opened my eyes to some stereotypes that I didn't realize I might be holding and at least one that I was personally affected by. More of these story collections are being published and these stories need to find their way in to our classrooms. These stories have the power to impact our youth and help them learn empathy.
brimichelle_97's review against another edition
4.0
“osov” is a collection of 21 essays written by 21 prominent major YA authors from diverse backgrounds. Each essay touches on powerful yet sensitive topics on growing up a female in today's America.This anthology was a tough one for me to read, but I was happy with the ending (although it did get a little repetitive towards the end) . The book was very moving and didn’t shy away from difficult subjects.
rachelmariereads's review against another edition
5.0
If you’re a woman living in the United States, you NEED to read this book. Featuring 21 stories from beloved YA authors such as Anna-Marie McLemore, Ellen Hopkins, Maurene Goo, and many more, this anthology discusses the injustice and empowerment women feel living in the USA, and under the Trump administration.
The anthology takes aim at sexism first and foremost, but also racism, classism, xenophobia, religious prejudice, and discrimination based on sexual orientation. This book had representation of every color, creed and sexuality. The only thing it lacked was a story from a trans-woman, but I appreciated that the preface calls out this fact.
There were so many stories that spoke to me on such a deep level. I was moved to tears and I pumped my fist with joy multiple times. There was Amy Reed’s story of sexual assault, and how she struggled with blaming herself before coming to terms with the fact that she’s a survivor. Christine Day’s story of embracing her indigenous identity. She opened my eyes to the struggles Native Americans face, which I know very little about. Nina LaCour’s story of finding her voice within the LGBTQ+ community.
But I’ve never felt so seen as when I read Hannah Moskowitz’s story. Though her life differs from mine in many ways, she too grew up with a Christian-born mother and Jewish father. She identifies as Jewish, but talks about the struggles of feeling too Jewish in some circles, and not Jewish enough in others. I’ve never been able to properly put that into words before, and seeing it written out on the page knocked the wind out of me. Someone out there gets it!
So many of their stories talked about being stereotyped, or even feeling like they don’t fit into a stereotype enough to claim that identity. They talked about toeing the line between multiple selves and finding a resting place that appreciates all part of their experience. They talk about the love that comes with acceptance, from inside yourself and from the people in your life. This was one of the most powerful and impactful reading experiences I’ve ever had. This needs to be read by everyone. ❤️
The anthology takes aim at sexism first and foremost, but also racism, classism, xenophobia, religious prejudice, and discrimination based on sexual orientation. This book had representation of every color, creed and sexuality. The only thing it lacked was a story from a trans-woman, but I appreciated that the preface calls out this fact.
There were so many stories that spoke to me on such a deep level. I was moved to tears and I pumped my fist with joy multiple times. There was Amy Reed’s story of sexual assault, and how she struggled with blaming herself before coming to terms with the fact that she’s a survivor. Christine Day’s story of embracing her indigenous identity. She opened my eyes to the struggles Native Americans face, which I know very little about. Nina LaCour’s story of finding her voice within the LGBTQ+ community.
But I’ve never felt so seen as when I read Hannah Moskowitz’s story. Though her life differs from mine in many ways, she too grew up with a Christian-born mother and Jewish father. She identifies as Jewish, but talks about the struggles of feeling too Jewish in some circles, and not Jewish enough in others. I’ve never been able to properly put that into words before, and seeing it written out on the page knocked the wind out of me. Someone out there gets it!
So many of their stories talked about being stereotyped, or even feeling like they don’t fit into a stereotype enough to claim that identity. They talked about toeing the line between multiple selves and finding a resting place that appreciates all part of their experience. They talk about the love that comes with acceptance, from inside yourself and from the people in your life. This was one of the most powerful and impactful reading experiences I’ve ever had. This needs to be read by everyone. ❤️
pattydsf's review against another edition
3.0
"Ours are the marginalized voices they refuse to listen to. This book, this act of resistance, says our stories matter. Our lives matter. Our voices will not be silenced."
It took me awhile to get through this anthology. As soon as I saw the subtitle: 21 YA Authors Get Real About Injustice, Empowerment, and Growing Up Female in America, I knew I wanted to read this. I also knew it would be hard. There are so many ways that our society treats young women poorly.
Women struggle with racism, sexism, and all the other isms. Young women don’t always realize that what happens to them happens to others. All people often internalize problems rather than understanding that the issue is with society not ourselves. Twenty-one essays about these issues got to me after awhile and I would need to take a break.
However, this is a good collection of writings. Amy Reed picked carefully and any young woman picking this book up will find someone to relate to. I hope that this book is found by lots of people.
It took me awhile to get through this anthology. As soon as I saw the subtitle: 21 YA Authors Get Real About Injustice, Empowerment, and Growing Up Female in America, I knew I wanted to read this. I also knew it would be hard. There are so many ways that our society treats young women poorly.
Women struggle with racism, sexism, and all the other isms. Young women don’t always realize that what happens to them happens to others. All people often internalize problems rather than understanding that the issue is with society not ourselves. Twenty-one essays about these issues got to me after awhile and I would need to take a break.
However, this is a good collection of writings. Amy Reed picked carefully and any young woman picking this book up will find someone to relate to. I hope that this book is found by lots of people.
sfujii's review against another edition
3.0
This was a 3.5 star for me. It was a collection of non-fiction essays, each exploring the many intersectional elements of being a woman. It was interesting in that way. But the text's editor said that the book was inspired by the 2016 election, and so at the end of each of the essays, there is a connection back to this time and the climate of the Trump presidency. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it felt really forced, which annoyed me.
The essays were interesting, but this wasn't as much of a standout collection as I was hoping for.
The essays were interesting, but this wasn't as much of a standout collection as I was hoping for.