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alexisgarcia's review against another edition
emotional
informative
sad
slow-paced
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, Alcohol, Rape, Sexism, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Sexual harassment, Child abuse, Bullying, Misogyny, and Sexual content
bookph1le's review against another edition
4.0
I had somewhat mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, I found it fascinating to read about the journalist process these women went through in order to crack the Weinstein story, but on the other, I thought the part about Christine Blasey Ford's decision to come forward with her story about Kavanaugh--as important as that was--didn't mesh well with the other sections of the book. I also wasn't a huge fan of the final chapter, maybe because I didn't think there was enough meat there about what the reporters learned by discussing the aftermath with these women.
Overall, I have to say I preferred Ronan Farrow's Catch and Kill to this book because I felt it did a better job of exposing not just Weinstein's crimes, but the lengths to which the rich and powerful can and will go in order to shield themselves from justice. I'd argue that this is every bit as important as the women's actual stories. I wholeheartedly support the idea of living in a world where victims of abuse and harassment feel safe and empowered to speak up, but there's little point in their doing so if our institutions are going to protect their abusers and harassers rather than them. I was glad to see Farrow shine a bright, bright light on this problem.
I also found it strange that while this book addresses abuses in various industries, it doesn't touch at all on how the MeToo movement also rocked the news industry. This felt like an odd omission to me, and I'm not sure what it signified.
Still, I do think this book is important and well worth a read, but I definitely recommend reading it in conjunction with Farrow's book because I think doing so gives a fuller picture of the scope of the problem. Better yet, read this book, Farrow's book, and Rachael Denhollander's book, which is a harrowing depiction of what women go through when they choose to come forward. I think that personal aspect is important when considering the impact of MeToo, and I think Denhollander's experiences prove why so many victims are so unwilling to come forward.
Next up I intend to read Chanel Miller's Know My Name, but reading these books is hard, and I need to take a break in between them. The more I read, though, the more I realize how much work is yet to be done, and the more I appreciate not just the importance of the MeToo movement, but how crucial carrying it forward is. The problem will not be anything close to adequately addressed until the institutional problems underlying it are dealt with, and that means changing laws and reworking many, many institutions.
Overall, I have to say I preferred Ronan Farrow's Catch and Kill to this book because I felt it did a better job of exposing not just Weinstein's crimes, but the lengths to which the rich and powerful can and will go in order to shield themselves from justice. I'd argue that this is every bit as important as the women's actual stories. I wholeheartedly support the idea of living in a world where victims of abuse and harassment feel safe and empowered to speak up, but there's little point in their doing so if our institutions are going to protect their abusers and harassers rather than them. I was glad to see Farrow shine a bright, bright light on this problem.
I also found it strange that while this book addresses abuses in various industries, it doesn't touch at all on how the MeToo movement also rocked the news industry. This felt like an odd omission to me, and I'm not sure what it signified.
Still, I do think this book is important and well worth a read, but I definitely recommend reading it in conjunction with Farrow's book because I think doing so gives a fuller picture of the scope of the problem. Better yet, read this book, Farrow's book, and Rachael Denhollander's book, which is a harrowing depiction of what women go through when they choose to come forward. I think that personal aspect is important when considering the impact of MeToo, and I think Denhollander's experiences prove why so many victims are so unwilling to come forward.
Next up I intend to read Chanel Miller's Know My Name, but reading these books is hard, and I need to take a break in between them. The more I read, though, the more I realize how much work is yet to be done, and the more I appreciate not just the importance of the MeToo movement, but how crucial carrying it forward is. The problem will not be anything close to adequately addressed until the institutional problems underlying it are dealt with, and that means changing laws and reworking many, many institutions.
jrmarr's review against another edition
4.0
There is something fascinating about getting to peek behind the curtain of some of the biggest news stories in recent years. This could have been a dry retelling of countless interviews, but it is instead a very readable, and in some ways chilling, account of the investigation into Weinstein, and then some background on the Kavanagh Supreme Court nomination. It is such recent history, that it's hard to know exactly how much has changed since these revelations emerged, but it does feel like the conversations are different, and that the burden of proof has perhaps shifted a little.
cdjdhj's review against another edition
4.0
This book details the journalistic investigation that revealed decades of sexual assault and harassment by powerful Hollywood mogul, Harvey Weinstein. The book is interesting and compelling. The last portion of the book is about the sexual assault allegations that came forward against Brett Kavanaugh during his Supreme Court hearings. Well written account of the experiences of a handful of courageous women who came forward to reveal what they had experienced and say that it was NOT OK. I would recommend this book for all women to read or listen to because most women have experienced sexual harassment or assault to a greater or lesser degree. (I listened to the audiobook checked out from my local library).
madelinelurene's review against another edition
challenging
dark
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
4.25