Reviews tagging 'Medical trauma'

Stone Butch Blues by Leslie Feinberg

35 reviews

babyfacedoldsoul's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad 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? It's complicated

4.75

Grateful to have sat down and read this seminal text. People are not kidding when they say it can be a rough read. I found the first third or so to be the hardest because the protagonist is still a minor and some really horrific things happen. Watching Jess grow up and all that comes with growing up was such a gift. The characters in this book are beautiful and complex and watching them live out their lives was such a gift. This book gave me a lot to think about and a myriad of emotions. I recommend checking out the content warnings in general, and a heads up that chapter 25 features a lot of dead naming. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Outing, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Lesbophobia, Transphobia, Classism, Murder, Mental illness, Homophobia, Hate crime, Medical trauma, Police brutality, Rape, Suicide, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, and Misogyny

Minor: Racism, Adult/minor relationship, and Deadnaming

saritaadam's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

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

5.0

It broke my heart

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Rape, Death, Violence, Transphobia, Sexual content, Sexism, Police brutality, Misogyny, Deadnaming, Medical content, Grief, Outing, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Homophobia, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Vomit, Hate crime, Forced institutionalization, Bullying, Adult/minor relationship, Medical trauma, Lesbophobia, and Gore

Moderate: Body shaming, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Dysphoria, and Suicide

Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic

kacheekah's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Death, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Grief, Hate crime, Religious bigotry, Sexual harassment, Emotional abuse, Lesbophobia, Racism, Violence, Dysphoria, Forced institutionalization, Infidelity, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Transphobia, Murder, Police brutality, Body shaming, Deadnaming, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Outing, Sexism, and Suicide attempt

oh_bother's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense 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? No

5.0

I have so many feelings about this book. Gratitude, sadness, reverence, rage, guilt. Mostly gratitude, to Leslie for writing this beautiful story that so mirrored her life, and to all of the queer and trans people who came before me and fought so hard for the things I tend to take for granted in my sweet little queer bubble.
 I was surprised by how tender this story was. I was expecting more rage and sorrow, maybe. But Jess is such a beautifully complex and lovable character. I just wanted everything to turn out ok for her. Every time she was happy the world stepped in and gave her more pain. Her growth and strength are inspiring to me. And I’m so glad the ending was hope and light. That is what I am walking away with. Hope and love and light. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual violence, Torture, Homophobia, Violence, Racism, Transphobia, Medical trauma, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Sexism, Outing, Murder, Misogyny, and Hate crime

Moderate: Blood, Emotional abuse, Bullying, Car accident, Child abuse, Classism, Deadnaming, Forced institutionalization, and Grief

Minor: Suicide

l_prelas's review against another edition

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

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Police brutality, Homophobia, Transphobia, Medical trauma, Xenophobia, Sexism, Sexual violence, Outing, and Misogyny

Moderate: Lesbophobia, Alcoholism, and Suicide

libby_l96's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Transphobia, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Hate crime, Police brutality, Lesbophobia, and Sexual content

Moderate: Racism, Medical trauma, Grief, Homophobia, Violence, Vomit, and Physical abuse

Minor: Deadnaming and Antisemitism

quinn24's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

 didn’t like this as much as I thought I would but I do still like it quite a bit. I wasn’t a big fan of the writing style and I found that the timeline tended to jump forward months or years without warning. It is very clearly a labour of love however, and it is a very interesting and important read. If you are interested in queer history and like historical fiction you would probably like it. It does have a lot of heavy content but I didn’t find it to be gratuitous, it was real and unfortunately necessary to tell an accurate story, (though of course you should check warnings if needed). 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Hate crime, Blood, Sexual violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Transphobia, Cursing, Lesbophobia, Sexism, Alcohol, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual harassment, Violence, Vomit, Medical content, and Police brutality

Moderate: Antisemitism, Panic attacks/disorders, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Outing, and Deadnaming

Minor: Classism, Addiction, Medical trauma, Drug use, Pandemic/Epidemic, Suicide, Alcoholism, and Child abuse

breaklikeafish's review against another edition

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

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

2.75

Leslie Feinberg's Stone Butch Blues, as she describes it, is not a masterpiece of "high" art but a call to action, much like a working-class organizer's leaflet. While the book succeeds in being an inspiring and nuanced exploration of gender identity and expression, coupled with an interesting historical perspective, I can't help but acknowledge its flaws that made the journey a bit of a struggle.

Following the life of gender-nonconforming butch lesbian Jess Goldberg, Stone Butch Blues presents a journey of self-discovery through numerous hardships and relationships. One commendable aspect is witnessing Jess grow over the years, but the narrative often suffers from disjointed scenes and sudden shifts in the supporting cast, making it challenging to track time and characters. This hindered my ability to connect with anyone beyond Jess, impacting the emotional depth of her relationships. The book eventually rectifies this issue in the latter half, reintroducing old characters and enhancing the overall reading experience.

A significant drawback lies in the overwhelming adversity faced by Jess at the beginning. While I understand the intention to portray the harsh realities of some individuals, it proved to be a bit much, almost causing me to disengage from the narrative. The early intensity seemed to desensitize me, making subsequent hardships less impactful than they might have been with a more gradual build-up.

Completing Stone Butch Blues left me with mixed feelings. I am grateful for the educational journey it provided, shedding light on the everyday struggles of trans, lesbian, and gender-nonconforming individuals in the 1940s–1970s USA. The insights into working-class life were valuable, contributing to my understanding of a topic I was largely unfamiliar with. However, the initial challenges in the narrative structure and the overwhelming hardships faced by the protagonist detracted from the overall impact. While I can appreciate its educational value, I can't wholeheartedly say that I'm glad I read it, as the experience was more of a mixed bag than a resounding success.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Medical content, Police brutality, Medical trauma, Outing, Deadnaming, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Bullying, Child abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Transphobia, Sexism, Blood, Forced institutionalization, and Lesbophobia

careinthelibrary's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad tense 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

Absolutely a treasure. A glimpse into an era of queer history and lefty history that I've been yearning for. I felt connected to ancestors that I've been wondering about. Complex characters, complex decisions they are making, peppered through with historical moments and movements. Romance, violence, grief. Just a glimpse of a few lives and a few paths to self-understanding. 

Can be found for free on Leslie Feinberg's website as it's now out-of-print in a traditional way. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Racism, Homophobia, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Lesbophobia, Police brutality, Rape, Violence, Physical abuse, Transphobia, and Sexism

Moderate: Medical trauma, Toxic friendship, Medical content, Mental illness, Suicide, War, Toxic relationship, Outing, and Misogyny

verilyk_'s review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

“so real it bleeds”, indeed. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Vomit, Violence, Torture, Sexual assault, Rape, Sexual harassment, Grief, Homophobia, Sexual violence, Abandonment, Police brutality, Medical trauma, Hate crime, Forced institutionalization, Excrement, Confinement, Blood, and Alcohol