Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

Hijab Butch Blues: A Memoir by Lamya H

7 reviews

amina_writes_books's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

3.0

this books written narrative style is not at all unique from a literary point of view. There's allot of harsh transitions initially from the writers early days to present day at the start of the narrative, then this drops off entirely. The focus on the various prophets is unique, however Ill executed. And as the author "radicalizes" in her journey, her interpretations of the Quran become more and more abstract, and less and less backed by the tasfirs she supposedly has read. As someone who was raised a practicing Muslim and who is also queer, this book only highlights the abusive and oppressive nature of Islam as a whole. Very let down by this read as it had so much promise for many like me.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicide, Toxic friendship, Racism, Racial slurs, Religious bigotry, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Lesbophobia, Classism, Homophobia, and Islamophobia

torturedreadersdept's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Cursing, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Outing, Religious bigotry, Toxic friendship, Body horror, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Xenophobia, Lesbophobia, Islamophobia, Classism, Gaslighting, Grief, Biphobia, and Homophobia

Minor: Ableism, Abandonment, Hate crime, Violence, Alcohol, Colonisation, Confinement, Physical abuse, Transphobia, Deportation, Gun violence, Police brutality, and Racial slurs

emmehooks's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

5.0

This book does a beautiful job of intertwining the author’s experiences with queerness, faithfulness, immigration, racism, xenophobia, and biological and chosen family (to name a few).

I loved the structure of the book and the way they aligned the themes of different religious texts with themes of their life.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia, Homophobia, Transphobia, Religious bigotry, Racism, and Islamophobia

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Colonisation, Physical abuse, and Misogyny

Minor: Biphobia

moonytoast's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Dysphoria, Misogyny, and Islamophobia

Minor: Physical abuse, Deportation, Toxic relationship, and Lesbophobia

tinyjude's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective fast-paced

5.0

I am rendered speechless after finishing this book. I cannot recommend it enough. 

My life and experiences are very different from Lamya but I couldn't stop relating to her, her fears, struggles, philosophical and religious interpretations and adoring every second of it. Every new vision, every shift in perspective on so many aspects of life. The carefully and gorgeously crafted stories she tells, how she centers women throughout the whole book, how she believes fervently and beautifully in a gender genderqueer God (Allah), how we get to know so many different queer people that end up forming a community, how she navigates gender in a nonconforming way that truly spoke to my heart... How she navigates all those episodes in her life and comes to be the person who created this incredible book. I hope she keeps fighting in her own ways and she receives all the love she deserves and previously negated herself. Truly an indispensable read!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Lesbophobia, Homophobia, Religious bigotry, Islamophobia, Racism, Transphobia, and Police brutality

Moderate: Abandonment, Domestic abuse, Dysphoria, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Biphobia and Slavery

maddramaqueen's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Xenophobia, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Islamophobia, and Sexism

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Gore, Classism, Hate crime, Islamophobia, Slavery, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, and Mental illness

Minor: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Colonisation, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Confinement, Body horror, and Biphobia

carriepond's review against another edition

inspiring reflective medium-paced

3.75

In Hijab Butch Blues, author Lamya H intermingles stories from the Quran and their own experiences growing up queer and Muslim, first in the Middle East and then, as an adult, in the United States after moving for college. 

This was a great memoir. The author very eloquently discusses the feeling that persisted throughout their life of not quite fitting-- not quite fitting in growing up in the Middle East with dark brown skin and less wealth than schoolmates, and not quite fitting with the queer communities and Muslim communities after moving for the United States. There are also a lot of great reflections on coming out, the risks and rewards of that decision, and whether queer people need to be out to live, as someone told the author, "an authentically gay life." And along with these great reflections, we hear Lamya's own story, which is earnest and honest. 

Recommend for folks who like memoirs, especially queer or coming-of-age memoirs. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Islamophobia

Moderate: Racism, Transphobia, and Homophobia

Minor: Physical abuse, Child abuse, and Infidelity