Reviews tagging 'Pedophilia'

Over the Top: A Raw Journey to Self-Love by Jonathan Van Ness

9 reviews

cozy_academic's review

dark emotional funny hopeful informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Cancer, Death of parent, Chronic illness, Sexual assault, Addiction, Homophobia, Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, Cursing, and Pedophilia

amoremeg's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective slow-paced

5.0

This book was so informative and deeply JVN. I learned so much about them and all of it through the most original and self-loving perspective. Truthful, compassionate, and funny the whole way through

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Cancer, Drug abuse, and Grief

Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Addiction, and Chronic illness

Minor: Homophobia, Infidelity, and Gun violence

_inge's review

hopeful inspiring medium-paced

3.0

This feels very authentic. It’s clearly written by Jonathan, so that does mean it’s not structured as nicely or does anything special, but you can tell so much thought and effort has been put into it. Jonathan explains issues within the LGBTQ+ community because JVN feels they’re important to share, not because the publishers wanted to put them in. I’d especially recommend the audiobook, I really can’t imagine this coming across as well on paper. 

This audiobook was genuinely a hopeful one. We all mess up in life, we might not immediately achieve our goals, but if you stay true to who you are despite what others might say or do, you’ll get there in the end. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Trafficking, Terminal illness, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Adult/minor relationship, Drug abuse, Sexual assault, Homophobia, Grief, Death, and Addiction

Moderate: Pedophilia, Self harm, Body shaming, Bullying, Kidnapping, and Vomit

smc15's review

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Homophobia, Drug use, Addiction, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Pedophilia

leahlovesloslibros's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective fast-paced

5.0

Jonathan Van Ness - commonly referred to as JVN - is the grooming expert on Netflix's reboot of Queer Eye. This memoir details his upbringing, including many traumatic experiences he has endured, some of which include: sexual abuse, eating disorders, bullying, and addiction. **See below for further TW/CW. This is a heavy book, as noted by many reviewers [myself included] and the author himself.**

This book was like chatting with an old friend. Listening to the audio told by JVN himself is absolutely the way I'd recommend reading this book, if that appeals to you. I was totally engrossed in the author's story, from childhood Jack all the way to adult Jonathan, and eventually the well-known JVN. The book was kind of a mix of his life story (the highs and the many lows), reflection, and self-help/advocacy, all of which were beautifully woven together into this one work. 

Every bit of this book highlighted Jonathan, from beginning to end. The language and phrasing; the matter-of-factness and telling it how it is; the sheer beauty that is this gorgeous human being. I laughed and cried my way through this book, and I VERY rarely cry at books. Van Ness' book is one I will not soon forget.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Bullying, Cancer, Cursing, Death of parent, Drug use, Eating disorder, Homophobia, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, and Sexual content

Moderate: Mental illness

Minor: Dementia

**More TW/CW: sexual abuse, sex with a child, divorce, body image issues, gay slurs, masturbation, prostitution

melshoo's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Homophobia, Pedophilia, Rape, and Sexual assault

sheryl_macca's review

emotional reflective fast-paced

3.0

JVN takes us from childhood to Queer Eye S1 in this book with a heavy focus on their twenties. Overall Over The Top is a reflective, interesting and fun read with every JVN-ism you'd expect but in this part of JVN's life they are not the same person who we see on our TV.

Over The Top is, like most celebrity memoirs, not the most well written and very chatty in style  but the depth of insight we are given more than makes up for it.

There are sections of the book which are really dark and challenging but JVN goes there without any drama and without their guard up. They are honest, frank and unapologetic. There are lessons to learn and ways to grow from these experiences, JVN doesn't dwell or ask for sympathy. They are simply sharing for the benefit of anyone who needs to hear it and that's a beautiful thing.

The thing I will take away from Over The Top?
We are all made up of many and different parts and we have to accept all of them to be able to love ourselves or another person. Oh and anything can be turned into a figure skating metaphor!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, Homophobia, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Dementia, Pedophilia, and Sexual content

caitlinsbooks's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Grief, Sexual content, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Cancer, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, and Sexual assault

Minor: Death, Eating disorder, Homophobia, Infidelity, Medical content, Pedophilia, and Self harm

sionnac's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring medium-paced

4.75

Audio read by JVN, I loved it but couldn't keep track of all the gymnasts and skaters :) I loved learning about them tho and love seeing you skate and tumble, go girl ❤️

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, Pedophilia, and Addiction

Moderate: Bullying and Cancer