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Reviews tagging 'Death'
Fierce Femmes and Notorious Liars: A Dangerous Trans Girl's Confabulous Memoir by Kai Cheng Thom
29 reviews
willows's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Both very real and very surreal at the same time. I liked how raw it was and how the fantasy elements just kind of made sense. I liked the portrayal of how seeing yourself as dangerous can be a bit of a defense mechanism-- I don't know, I think the portrayal of trauma in general was handled really well. Like it didn't sugarcoat it and the Hurt was there but it was just as much about healing and finding your power and community and a bunch of other things that just made it really hopeful. And for a book that could have been so heavy, it was also pretty fun. Very unique and well done, I loved it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence, Death, Drug use, Medical trauma, Sexual assault, Violence, Addiction, Drug abuse, Hate crime, and Transphobia
chattie_the_mad_chatter's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
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? It's complicated
4.5
For such a small book it really packs a punch.
This has a magical realisim, surreal feel that is so full of truth.
There are wonderful metaphors abounding displayed as a physical reality and inserts of poetry.
This book I had to put down at certain moments and breathe as I felt so moved by our protagonist and their friends and know that their story Echoes so many stories that go Unheard in our world.
So many moments that feel powerful, and give hope and show anyone who is not trans how it feels. It has been a delight and a horror to walk in her fabulous stilleto shoes for a moment.
This has a magical realisim, surreal feel that is so full of truth.
There are wonderful metaphors abounding displayed as a physical reality and inserts of poetry.
This book I had to put down at certain moments and breathe as I felt so moved by our protagonist and their friends and know that their story Echoes so many stories that go Unheard in our world.
So many moments that feel powerful, and give hope and show anyone who is not trans how it feels. It has been a delight and a horror to walk in her fabulous stilleto shoes for a moment.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia, Death, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Hate crime, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical content, Misogyny, Murder, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Body shaming, Drug use, Sexual content, and Drug abuse
Minor: Sexual assault
vincci's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
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
5.0
"Sometimes fiction is truer than facts, and the trouble is knowing which fictions are facts, and which facts are fictions."
Having just read I Hope We Choose Love and being a follower of Thom on social media for several years, this quote near the end of the book encapsulated how I felt as I was listening to it (audiobook) Every time I think something may have been a "fact" of Thom's life, she throws in some mermaids, magic, or another tidbit of "fiction".
Thom is masterful in her use of imagery and symbolism throughout the book. As a dietitian by trade, I particularly noticed her use of food/hunger imagery from the very first chapter. She also uses repetition often as a way to create rhythm and build intensity.
I thought the ending was particularly clever - I have a few days left of my loan from the library and I'm already re-listening to the book to catch what I've missed. I've never done this with another book before; that's how captivating it is.
Having just read I Hope We Choose Love and being a follower of Thom on social media for several years, this quote near the end of the book encapsulated how I felt as I was listening to it (audiobook) Every time I think something may have been a "fact" of Thom's life, she throws in some mermaids, magic, or another tidbit of "fiction".
Thom is masterful in her use of imagery and symbolism throughout the book. As a dietitian by trade, I particularly noticed her use of food/hunger imagery from the very first chapter. She also uses repetition often as a way to create rhythm and build intensity.
I thought the ending was particularly clever - I have a few days left of my loan from the library and I'm already re-listening to the book to catch what I've missed. I've never done this with another book before; that's how captivating it is.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Self harm, Transphobia, Sexual content, Death, and Violence
Minor: Sexual assault
blackcatkai's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
CW: abuse, transphobia, death, self harm, sexual content, violence, medical content/trauma, racism, blood, casual ableism
this was a wild ride of a novel. what part is fantasy, what part is made up, what is real and what isn't? though that's probably not the point by any means, I loved the mix of magical realism and surrealism. different readers will probably interpret things their own way but a lot of it, to me, felt like ways for the MC to process the trauma and struggles she went through as a young trans girl who just ran away from home.
we've got girl gangs, mermaids, revenge plots, and found families. we've got struggles and hardships but also hope. cheering our MC on is so easy to do and you feel for her as she finds her place in the world and what she wants. I can see the fast paced writing/plot and the uncertainty of what is or isn't real putting some readers off, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.
this was a wild ride of a novel. what part is fantasy, what part is made up, what is real and what isn't? though that's probably not the point by any means, I loved the mix of magical realism and surrealism. different readers will probably interpret things their own way but a lot of it, to me, felt like ways for the MC to process the trauma and struggles she went through as a young trans girl who just ran away from home.
we've got girl gangs, mermaids, revenge plots, and found families. we've got struggles and hardships but also hope. cheering our MC on is so easy to do and you feel for her as she finds her place in the world and what she wants. I can see the fast paced writing/plot and the uncertainty of what is or isn't real putting some readers off, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Medical content, Violence, Medical trauma, Self harm, Gun violence, Murder, Blood, Sexual content, and Transphobia
Moderate: Mental illness, Racism, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Ableism
pucksandpaperbacks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Police brutality, Death, Gun violence, Violence, Murder, and Transphobia
elsebeok's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical trauma, Blood, Death, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Hate crime, Police brutality, Transphobia, and Violence
Moderate: Child abuse
poisoned_icecream's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia, Death, and Violence
erinnuttle's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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
5.0
kai cheng thom is able to reel you in less than 200 pages with strong language, fantastical elements of dying mermaids and fierce femmes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, and Transphobia
Moderate: Violence, Police brutality, and Death
bodagirl's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
I completely agree with the many reviews that point out the important stories that are being told with this novel and I loved the mixing of narrative genres, with letters and poetry being tossed in with the prose. However, I'm struggling with the fairy tale magical realism of this fictionalized memoir. I kept trying to figure out real-world correlations, mainly geographical and the mermaid (was it a dolphin, a dead body, or just a metaphor?), to the story. I know that it is NOT the point of this book, but at any lagging point, my mind started to try to puzzle it out. The book also didn't stick with me after I put it down or after I finished it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Violence
Moderate: Self harm
lsmith36's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
sad
fast-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
4.75
This book was lyrical and wonderful. It was so human and also magical. I think this is one of the first trans-femme centric books that I've read and it feels so special and powerful. The characters are so lovable and seeing the narrator come so far was so rewarding.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Transphobia, and Blood