Reviews tagging 'Bullying'

Spare by Prince Harry

112 reviews

books_hay's review

emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

4.75

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Content Warnings

Minor: Classism, Emotional abuse, Bullying, and Death of parent

sareidle's review

emotional reflective sad fast-paced

4.25

Before reading the book proper, I had heard some excerpts of the audiobook and I think that the portions that got attention prove Harry's point about the tabloids and public scrutiny. He talks a lot about the heir/spare dynamic and how he was set up to be the clown of the family. Even when he tried to do something of substance, his past mistakes would be brought up to discredit him and make him a joke. So part of revealing the embarrassing, fascinating stories is to signal to the British press that they cannot blackmail him since he divulged them on his terms.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Panic attacks/disorders, Death of parent, Grief, and Bullying

Moderate: Gaslighting, Racial slurs, Racism, Stalking, Car accident, Suicidal thoughts, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Cultural appropriation, Drug use, and Miscarriage

beaubaggins's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Classism, Stalking, War, Death of parent, Miscarriage, Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Car accident, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, and Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Hate crime, Alcohol, Suicidal thoughts, Racism, Mental illness, Death, Addiction, Sexism, Pregnancy, and Pandemic/Epidemic

jedore's review

informative inspiring sad tense medium-paced

4.0

“When is someone in this family going to break free and live?”

My interest in the royals doesn’t run deep. I read a lot of historical fiction about Britain so I have a decent grasp of royal history, I thought Diana was an amazing human and was horrifically mistreated by the family (and the paparazzi, of course), and I’ve watched every season of The Crown. That’s pretty much it. But, it’s enough for me to know that if I was forced to pick a team, I’d definitely be on Team Harry (which, by the way, would be Team Diana-Harry were she still alive). 

Harry took a lot of flack in my online book groups when the book was released…and, now that I’ve finished it, my suspicions are confirmed. Harry isn’t a stellar writer, so he doesn’t always convey his totally justifiable feelings in the most ideal possible way. I believe those who viciously criticized him lack empathy, a basic grasp of psychology, and are very likely the ones who keep the paparazzi in business by reading and believing their trash. 

Speaking from firsthand experience, I can confirm 100% that money and privilege do not excuse ANY human being from the emotional repercussions of a lack of love and abuse. Love is in very short supply in the royal family…that’s clear in every single thing I’ve ever read or watched about them, not just from Harry’s story. Appearances, power, pettiness, and manipulation totally trump love and that creates pain for those who value love more. The paparazzi is beyond abusive and unbelievably racist. What they do is not a price anyone should EVER have to pay. I feel deeply for Harry and Meghan and am SO glad that they were brave enough to break free and live. 

Despite there being a lot more pages of the book dedicated to Harry’s military experiences than I expected, I totally enjoyed spending the last few days with him. If we’re in a relationship, whether we’re male or female, may we all be so lucky to have a partner that is willing to do whatever it takes to protect us. Harry is a good man. I hope that he is able to build a better and safer life for his family…and I hope karma works it’s magic on a few  particular members of his family. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Racism, War, Alcohol, Grief, Abandonment, Racial slurs, Bullying, Death of parent, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Animal death, Panic attacks/disorders, and Car accident

Minor: Miscarriage, Pregnancy, and Suicidal thoughts

tdhuck's review

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, War, Hate crime, Toxic relationship, Racial slurs, Drug use, Gaslighting, Miscarriage, Pandemic/Epidemic, Gun violence, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Racism, Death of parent, Death, and Stalking

Moderate: Alcohol, Car accident, and Classism

Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cursing, Antisemitism, Addiction, and Bullying

laurenabeth's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Death of parent, Death, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, and Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Gun violence, Pregnancy, Classism, Racism, War, Suicidal thoughts, Racial slurs, Car accident, and Bullying

Minor: Drug use, Stalking, Pandemic/Epidemic, Miscarriage, Gaslighting, and Alcohol

itsbumley's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Mental illness, Racism, War, Death, Kidnapping, Violence, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Animal death, Car accident, Miscarriage, Drug use, Gaslighting, Grief, and Panic attacks/disorders

hannahcstocks's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective medium-paced

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Abandonment, Xenophobia, Violence, Drug abuse, Sexual content, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, Stalking, Classism, Alcohol, Pregnancy, Cultural appropriation, Child abuse, Bullying, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Death of parent, Death, Racism, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Gaslighting, Colonisation, War, Murder, and Miscarriage

ehmannky's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

4.25

It's an incredibly readable, interesting and engaging memoir, if maybe a little too in-depth in some areas for my liking (good on his ghost writer for doing so well there). I think that this reveals a lot of the petty and retrograde ways that the monarchy works and it just doesn't make me feel like there's any real possibility it could be made to work in a modern era. I have a lot of thoughts after reading this but they basically boil down to:

1 - Being thrust to the level of fame that he has without someone's consent should be classified as a form of abuse, and good on Harry and Meghan for keeping their kids out of this horrible and toxic environment.
2 - it is amazing he is as normal and, like, socially conscious as he is considering he comes from the least normal and socially progressive environments. Like, he's still incredibly privileged and he's never going to, like, join the revolution, but damn at least he's tried to learn. I liked that he took ownership of the racist things he's done, and I think it shows a level of maturity to not just brush it off and blame how he was raised. I am still feeling real ambivalent about all of the war chapters.
3 - I think Meghan has earned the right to complain to the end of time I truly did not know the extent of the racism and hate spewed at her and I even had watched the documentary before this. Literally gasped in my car when he was reading off the headlines and stories about her. I cannot believe the royal family simply pretended they didn't have the money to help protect them. Like, good on Harry for shouting it from the rooftops. 
4 - It feels like he is so close to realizing that the institution of the monarch and The Firm is like inherently corrupt, but can't quite get himself to admit it (which, I get, it's his family). But his anger is mostly at the press, and he can't quite get himself to damn his family (though I will, they all suck).

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Bullying, Racial slurs, Sexism, War, Miscarriage, Racism, and Colonisation

kbairbooks's review

challenging emotional funny lighthearted reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

I did not grow up knowing anything about the Royals, and for many years of my teenage and young adult life did not understand the appeal of learning and speaking about these people. I remember times in my life seeing headlines and wondering, how could they possibly be true and how could they possibly talk about other human beings like that no matter what their status is. Over the past couple of years, more or less since Megan‘s entrance into the Royal family, I became more interested and learned more about the royal family and their dynamic and so forth. The amount of empathy and sorrow I feel for Harry and Meghan, and also the pride and joy of their strength of character, their strength of heart, and their love for each other is just beautiful to witness. And overall I appreciate the vulnerability and honesty of writing a book such as this which is so open and vulnerable. It takes a courageous person to be vulnerable and speak their truth regardless of others’ perceptions.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Misogyny, War, Abandonment, Bullying, Panic attacks/disorders, Stalking, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Hate crime, Mental illness, Miscarriage, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Classism, Death of parent, Drug use, Pregnancy, Racism, Car accident, and Racial slurs

Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic