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sestout's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Sexism, Rape, Alcohol, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Misogyny, and Sexual content
Moderate: Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Body shaming, and Drug use
Minor: Fatphobia, Vomit, Toxic friendship, Mental illness, Infidelity, Eating disorder, and Adult/minor relationship
carlycormier_'s review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Eating disorder, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Sexism, Rape, Misogyny, Medical content, Bullying, and Pregnancy
bealittlebrave's review
4.75
Graphic: Sexual assault
Moderate: Sexism, Sexual harassment, Death, Alcohol, Drug use, Rape, and Pregnancy
Minor: Stalking and Toxic friendship
nebraskanwriter's review against another edition
3.0
“I want to calculate my beauty to protect myself, to understand exactly how much power and lovability I have.”
“I liked to tell friends that the French word for model is mannequin. “So,” I’d say, shrugging, “I’m a mannequin for a living.”
“As the number on my scale went down, the number on my checks had been going up. The agency had taken notice.”
“In my early twenties, it had never occurred to me that the women who gained their power from beauty were indebted to the men whose desire granted them that power in the first place. Those men were the ones in control, not the women the world fawned over. Facing the reality of dynamics at play would have meant admitting how limited my power really was—how limited any woman’s power is when she survives and even succeeds in the world as a thing to be looked at.”
“The stylist, their assistant, the client or the editor, the other models, and sometimes the photographer will stand right in front of you and wait as you strip. You understand that your body is a means for them to accomplish what they’re here to accomplish: to make an image to sell whatever it is they’re selling. They’re in charge of it now, not you. Now hand it over, they seem to say. Your body is why you’re here and we need it. Now.”
“I look down at my body and it doesn’t feel like my own. It feels like something, but not me. They can look at me all they want, because they’re right; my body is just a tool.”
“The world celebrates and rewards women who are chosen by powerful men.”
Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Cancer, Drug abuse, Drug use, Fatphobia, Grief, Sexism, Adult/minor relationship, Abandonment, Gaslighting, Medical content, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual violence, Alcohol, Body shaming, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Stalking, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Toxic friendship
gteng's review
3.25
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Drug use, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Stalking, Toxic friendship, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Medical content, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Body shaming, and Sexual harassment
penguiniq's review
4.5
Graphic: Sexism, Sexual assault, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual harassment, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Pedophilia, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Alcohol, and Gaslighting
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Stalking, and Toxic friendship
graciejames121's review
5.0
Graphic: Dysphoria, Gaslighting, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Body shaming, and Medical content
raynaaskiverr's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Sexual content, Pedophilia, Misogyny, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Rape, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Sexism, Pregnancy, Grief, Eating disorder, and Body shaming
krissyyne's review
3.75
Emily Ratajkowski is not someone I knew well before reading this book. I had first heard of her when she chose to raise her (now son, as I understand) as someone with they/them pronouns. It was an interesting thing to hear, especially as she was the first major person I'd heard of doing something like that. Her status as a model, though, was what made me follow her. It's what made me follow Gigi and Bella Hadid, Kendall Jenner, and a slew of lesser known models whose posts I ate up while simultaneously wondering why I couldn't look like that.
I think her book is fascinating. In a world where models are both rewarded and villainized for their beauty, Emily seeks to explain the enigma behind being famous for her body. From her mother to friends to employers, being "beautiful" - a standard, palpable beautiful - was paramount. It gave Emily rewards in the form of validation and attention from older men and women. But it also came with unchecked pain as that attention devolved into (TW!!!) occurrences of stalking, rape, and sexual assault. It provided people with the ability to write her off, because her looks stereotyped her as dumb and unworldly.
I admire Emily. I admire her courage for writing what she did. It is no easy feat to bare yourself, physically and emotionally, on a public forum for people to encourage or disparage you as they wish. Her book, while maybe not the cleanest writing I've ever read, is brave and provides insight into the possible mindsights of models in a way I've never thought to think about before.
Moderate: Death of parent, Toxic friendship, and Medical content
Minor: Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Rape, Body shaming, Drug use, and Stalking
leduyhxxng's review
3.0
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.
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