Reviews tagging 'Racial slurs'

Hijab Butch Blues: A Memoir by Lamya H

17 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

mfrisk's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

3.5

I read this book for a Queer book club I started and so the discussions we had around this book and the additional depth I gained from hearing how others felt about this book definitely shaped how I read and understood it. I felt that this book overall was very impactful and would highly recommend it as a book for book club groups as it gets into a variety of topics surrounding intersectional queerness including how queerness intersects with race, religion, immigration status, physical appearance, and how to navigate relationships, change, and to strive towards a better and more just world. 

I think this book was incredibly impactful and really the main gripes I had with the book were focused on the structure of the book itself. At times more towards the first half of the book the switches between childhood and adulthood felt more jarring in terms of the flow of the story as well as the interweaving of stories from the Quran. While I saw the value in the stories being told and the reflection it made the book slower to get into initially but became more relevant as the book went on to better understand Lamya’s later adulthood experiences and their changing ways of navigating different spaces. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship, Homophobia, Islamophobia, Racism, Bullying, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, and Racial slurs

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

sknappy1's review against another edition

informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Lesbophobia, Islamophobia, and Xenophobia

Minor: Transphobia, Racial slurs, Racism, and Domestic abuse

moniipeters's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Islamophobia, Outing, Racial slurs, Xenophobia, Racism, Transphobia, Pregnancy, and Sexism

bashsbooks's review against another edition

challenging hopeful informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

Hijab Butch Blues flawlessly demonstrates the complex interplay between religion, queerness, race, and immigration. It follows the life of the pseudonymous Lamya H, who is from an unnamed Southeastern Asian country, grew up in an unnamed Arab country, and eventually moved to the United States. I especially enjoyed the interweaving of the stories from the Quran and their application to Lamya's personal life and struggles.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Islamophobia, Misogyny, Classism, Lesbophobia, Racism, Racial slurs, Domestic abuse, Transphobia, Suicidal thoughts, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Deportation

ka_cam's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective fast-paced

4.75

This book makes me want to read more memoirs! And also friend chase Lamya. A moving exploration of queerness, faith, belonging, immigration, and family (chosen and otherwise!). I really enjoyed her reflections - sometimes the jumping timeline was a little jarring and I wish she dug deeper into some elements/feelings but all in all really enjoyed it! Highly recommend for queer folks, people of faith, and everyone else! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia, Racial slurs, Domestic abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Sexism, Racism, and Misogyny

Moderate: Slavery, Rape, and Religious bigotry

Minor: Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Outing, Deportation, and Classism

cantfindmybookmark's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective slow-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Islamophobia, Homophobia, and Lesbophobia

Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, and Xenophobia

bookiecharm's review against another edition

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Homophobia, and Islamophobia

Minor: Racial slurs and Racism

sierras12's review against another edition

4.0

Really interesting, made me think about religious parables in a way i’d never considered before. You have to be okay with feeling your big sad queer feelings when reading this though (and reading a lot of racism/colorism/xenophobia) because despite the hopeful note that most chapters end with there’s a lot of pain. I’d recommend it but I can’t say it left me feeling good. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, Xenophobia, Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Islamophobia, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Sexism, and Toxic relationship