Reviews with content warning for Sexual assault - Fierce Femmes and Notorious Liars: A Dangerous Trans Girl's Confabulous Memoir

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.

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chattie_the_mad_chatter's review against another edition

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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.

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vincci's review against another edition

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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.

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