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theshanana's review against another edition
3.75
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Bullying, Car accident, Racial slurs, Xenophobia, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Abandonment, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Misogyny, and Racism
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Terminal illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic relationship, and Violence
Minor: Cancer, Dementia, Death, and Death of parent
pandemonicbaby's review against another edition
5.0
This book is such a marvelous, deeply interesting exploration of the power of education, of the meaning of family, of struggling with abuse and still being able to forge an identity for yourself afterward. Her path towards education is also a path towards being able to think for herself, instead of being told what to think by others. This might be the strongest, most powerful message woven in between the threads of this memoir, an ode to finding yourself through education.
So much nuance, so many tiny little intricacies present in the text show that Tara Westover truly is a historian -- that she's able to see the many different versions of a story and present them to the reader, making them reflect upon the significance and meaning of each unique account. "[...] nothing final can be known", as she quotes John Stuart Mill.
I feel like I'm going to reread this soon, just so I can underline the passages in this book that are so powerful they would make anyone stop reading just to reflect upon them. I shouldn't have been scared of underlining this book, gosh!! I gotta start being more willing to do that, whenever I think it might be important to me.
All in all, wonderful book. Marvelously crafted, beautiful writing, moving and powerful message. I cried reading this. I think it will stay with me forever.
Graphic: Gaslighting, Sexual assault, Injury/Injury detail, Car accident, Sexism, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Domestic abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Blood, Child abuse, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Animal death, Adult/minor relationship, Cancer, Toxic relationship, Terminal illness, Murder, Body shaming, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Animal cruelty, Chronic illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical content, and Grief
Minor: Vomit, Racism, Miscarriage, Mass/school shootings, and Genocide
cosmiccutie's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Bullying, Car accident, Classism, Child abuse, Death of parent, Animal death, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Dementia, and Pregnancy
sierrabowers's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Car accident, Physical abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Abandonment, Addiction, Gaslighting, Gore, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Violence, Child abuse, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Blood, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Vomit, and Racism
insideunder's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Blood, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Violence, Toxic relationship, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Misogyny, Animal cruelty, Car accident, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexism
Moderate: Miscarriage, Medical trauma, Bullying, Chronic illness, Cancer, Medical content, Body shaming, Classism, and Death of parent
snipinfool's review against another edition
4.0
Tara and her family spent their days working with Gene, gathering scrap metal to sell or building barns. It was hard and, at times, dangerous. The children were often injured. The family also helped create tinctures and other concoctions with their mother, Faye, who was an herbalist. Later, Tara helped her mother when she became a midwife. As Tara grew older and the older siblings left the house, she was abused by one of her brothers. She learned how to tread lightly around him, but often, not even that kept him from attacking her. Either her parents did not believe her when she told them what her brother had done or they told her that he was sorry and they were through talking about it.
Her brother, Tyler, decided to leave and go to college. He had borrowed textbooks to teach himself and was able to pass the ACT to get into Brigham Young University. Tara eventually did the same and was able to get into BYU also. She was seventeen when she stepped into a classroom for the first time. This was a whole new world for Tara and one where she did not know the rules. She did not let that stop her and she flourished.
I had a hard time putting this book down. The world Tara came from was so different from the one I was raised in. The hardships she dealt with in her family relationships and those in the outside world would have stopped many from trying to accomplish what they needed to do to be happy. I had a difficult time with how her parents handled the abuse from her brother. I can’t understand why they allowed it to continue. I am glad she had the support of her brother, Tyler, when she was planning to go to college. If she hadn’t, she might have never left.
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Pregnancy, Car accident, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Mental illness
nightpath's review against another edition
5.0
Tara Westover is a truly talented writer, and clearly a deeply reflective person. To have spent so much of her life journaling to no end and learning at a steep cost to her wellbeing, it is amazing that this book even exists.
There are few stories that allow you to see so clearly how much of a certain experience you have taken for granted, but this book takes you out of yourself entirely and shows you in absolute clarity what it is you have been given, simply by receiving an education.
My only note is to trigger warn - the book is intense and graphic and it may not suit everyone!
Graphic: Bullying, Fire/Fire injury, Body shaming, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Violence, Death of parent, Car accident, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Physical abuse
estherblue's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Car accident, Religious bigotry, Animal cruelty, and Fire/Fire injury
papaveriepapere's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Misogyny, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Bullying, Gaslighting, Car accident, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Religious bigotry, Racial slurs, and Violence
somberlittleman's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Car accident, Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Medical content, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Racism, Religious bigotry, and Sexism
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Cancer