Reviews tagging 'Terminal illness'

My Body by Emily Ratajkowski

9 reviews

jennalea_'s review against another edition

challenging emotional sad fast-paced

4.75

I really loved this book. It is so well written and the essays are thoughtful, complex, and nuanced and detail with care Emily’s own experience of her body and the modelling industry. The K-Spa essay I found particularly interesting and compelling as it gave a completely different perspective to nakedness. A brilliant read, I’d recommend this book 100%

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Pregnancy, Rape, and Terminal illness

theyellowbrickreader's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Misogyny, and Rape

Moderate: Terminal illness and Death of parent

morgancleaver's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism and Misogyny

Moderate: Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual harassment, and Sexual assault

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Terminal illness, Drug use, Drug abuse, and Eating disorder

christinereichard's review

emotional informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

It’s obviously not relatable for the average woman, so don't expect it to be. However, her celebrity/model status does not eliminate the complex relationship women have with their bodies. My Body is a nice perspective on modern feminism’s obsession with “empowerment.” My main takeaway: What is empowerment — Feeling sexy & wanted, or actually being put in a position of power? We often confuse it for the former.

 

It’s clear that the people who DNFed this book...well, DNFed it. I see many people saying that her stories are silly because she actively chooses to model and profit off of her body. I'd argue that though the stories follow her own life experiences, the discussion topics are bigger than her as an individual. Even if she chose not to model, these thinking points are still applicable to the modeling industry that ultimately trickles down to our daily media consumption. 

 

The best essay by far was "Buying Back My Body." The others were interesting, but didn't wow me the same. The first two or three essays can put you off the book because she does talk about her youth as a naturally beautiful girl -- Kinda annoying, but like I said above, you have to go in with the expectation of her being unrelatable. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Sexism, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Body shaming, and Misogyny

Minor: Medical content, Pregnancy, Cancer, and Drug use

chrissisbookclub's review against another edition

challenging informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Fatphobia, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Terminal illness and Toxic relationship

dhutton1997's review

emotional inspiring reflective fast-paced

4.0

Read TW before reading this book. 
This was a fantastic book that delved into what a woman’s body and mind is worth without the opportunities brought to them through a patriarchal society. 

My only critique of this book is that Ratajkowski seemed to liken herself as “not rich” like the billionaires she meets. However, she does have a lot of money and will be able to live comfortably if she chooses to do so. I wish she would have acknowledged that aspect of her privilege. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Misogyny, Terminal illness, Body shaming, Drug abuse, Gaslighting, Mental illness, and Medical content

opossumom's review

informative reflective fast-paced

4.0

i love the conversations had about beauty as currency, capitalism, and empowerment, but i felt like the talks about money were insincere and unselfaware. I'm not sure i can stand to hear about the struggles of a suburban, middle-class upbringing without rolling my eyes. other than that, this book was very insightful.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Drug use, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Terminal illness

sderrig's review

emotional reflective fast-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Rape, and Sexual assault

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Blood, Cancer, Vomit, Toxic relationship, Terminal illness, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Sexism, Pregnancy, Misogyny, Medical content, and Body shaming

leduyhxxng's review

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective tense slow-paced

3.0

My body is a valiant effort towards loving by Emily Ratajkowski—loving her body, and by such means opening more constructive dialogues with her self.

In the twelve very personal essays, we can begin to see Emily's stories and the power dynamics that shape modelling. Yet her writing feels rather erratic, sparse in some places and rushed in others, failing at times to connect the thematic thread that Emily herself set out. This is most unfortunate because there are unquestioningly a lot of details and images—beautifully brought out in the essay collection—that feel particularly powerful in the context of her story, but were never adequately explored.

I admire Emily's effort to love through the writing of My Body. My two favourite essays are 'Pamela' and 'Releases'. They were brilliantly written (especially 'Releases,' the final essay of the book), and feel vulnerable and honest. Other essays either feel like the honesty is somehow choking her, the writing indelicate and forced thus choking us as readers, or throwing suppressed anger at other people (which makes it quite awkward to read). But the vulnerability makes you stay, and love Emily Ratajkowski even more for taking the step.

I was fairly let down by both the writing and storytelling of the book. Then again, I greatly admire the effort to find love.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Body shaming, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Terminal illness, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Drug abuse

Minor: Blood, Drug use, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, and Vomit