Reviews tagging 'Self harm'

You Exist Too Much by Zaina Arafat

17 reviews

noahsingh's review

reflective medium-paced

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

3.0

Interesting but couldn't hack the sheer amount of annoying men the main character was attached/attracted to.
The main interesting aspects to me (Palestinian heritage + relationship with their mother + the instances of Islamophobia/ acism & Zionism she faces) had very little space in the book.

Also I do think her outing that woman was unforgivable and I Hate Hate Hated that that (trigger warning) literal rapist white guy at The Lodge is, if anything, forgiven/absolved by the narrative. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, War, Lesbophobia, Physical abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Islamophobia, Colonisation, Confinement, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Racism, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Rape, Emotional abuse, Outing, Pedophilia, Addiction, Self harm, Sexual violence, Colonisation, Drug abuse, and Sexual assault

Minor: Fatphobia, Suicidal thoughts, Body shaming, Biphobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Torture, and Rape

sydnec's review against another edition

emotional funny inspiring reflective 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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Infidelity, Alcohol, Homophobia, Eating disorder, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, and Lesbophobia

Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Pregnancy, Mental illness, and Sexism

errie's review against another edition

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Eating disorder, Infidelity, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, Sexual content, Alcohol, Drug use, Homophobia, Domestic abuse, Islamophobia, Pedophilia, Self harm, and Biphobia

sarahbearas's review

challenging emotional reflective tense medium-paced

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

3.0

This book made me feel a lot of things - compassion, anxiety, sympathy, despair - but ultimately I felt a bit empty at the end. Maybe I just need to sit with this book for longer, synthesize the story more in order to come to a more complete understanding. And confession: I got about 200 pages in and then realized I was not reading a memoir. I don’t even know how to explain myself. But here’s what I will say: As a queer woman myself my God, some parts of the story just made me want to take a walk around the block (in a good way - Arafat is a very compelling author). I think the book does a good job in tackling the complexity of addiction, of our habits and defenses, and how it's rooted in our upbringing. How the cycle of self destruction is perpetuated and the effort it takes in order to break it. By the very nature of the topics at hand, the story is cyclical, and I will go as far as to say it's repetitive. The last hundred or so pages I was feeling like it was a slog. I just wish there was more urgency as it felt there was the first 80%. It felt too long and too quick all at once (the last 20% I mean). 

Again, having just finished this recently, I think my feelings will change a little bit the more I sit and digest this. I think even with my dissatisfaction with the last bit of the book, I think it's still a very good read. The narrator feels very close to the reader, and I was very invested in the journey she took. 

Solid 3 from me!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Eating disorder, and Child abuse

Minor: Self harm

jillaay_h's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Self harm, Emotional abuse, Grief, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Eating disorder, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, and Colonisation

abitbetterbooks's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Toxic friendship, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Sexual content, Biphobia, and Colonisation

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Islamophobia, Mental illness, Racism, Violence, and Self harm

skudiklier's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective 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? Yes

4.75

I was really engaged with this--after I got through the beginning bits and got properly into the story, I read almost the whole thing in a day. I found the protagonist relatable in a messy she-needs-help kind of way, and some of her struggles with things like abandonment and generational trauma were hard to read, but in a good way. I like the way the timeline jumps around and you don't find out things in chronological order, and I also like how the book addresses why the narrator's mom is the way she is, without excusing the way she treats the narrator. I'd recommend this book but I'd also definitely say to look at the content warnings first, since this book can get pretty heavy at times.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Toxic relationship, Cursing, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Abandonment, Homophobia, Addiction, Eating disorder, Infidelity, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, War, Drug abuse, Racism, Outing, Self harm, Sexual content, Death, and Pedophilia

Minor: Alcoholism, Sexual assault, Blood, Suicide, and Pregnancy

rhi_'s review against another edition

challenging reflective slow-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Biphobia, Addiction, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Toxic relationship, and Infidelity

Moderate: Eating disorder, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, and Mental illness

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Physical abuse, Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Drug abuse

matthiasreads's review

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse

Moderate: Self harm and Eating disorder

keirahelena_'s review

emotional reflective sad slow-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: Domestic abuse and Emotional abuse

Minor: Self harm