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Reviews tagging 'Ableism'
Ace: What Asexuality Reveals about Desire, Society, and the Meaning of Sex by Angela Chen
55 reviews
foreverinastory's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
5.0
I cannot recommend this book enough! Ace should be required reading for every Sex Ed/health class. I wish I had this book when I was younger. This book is so informative and covers many basic tenants of asexuality as well as diving deeper into it. Chen also explores several facets of intersectionality and ace identity.
This was such a well done non-fiction book and I hope we get more books like this about Asexuality and other queer identities that aren't always spotlighted. This was such a great book and it's very readable. I highly recommend it to allies, and queer people alike because I think it will benefit everyone.
I can't wait for the day Ace liberation truly begins.
This was such a well done non-fiction book and I hope we get more books like this about Asexuality and other queer identities that aren't always spotlighted. This was such a great book and it's very readable. I highly recommend it to allies, and queer people alike because I think it will benefit everyone.
I can't wait for the day Ace liberation truly begins.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Acephobia/Arophobia, Misogyny, Racism, Sexual content, Sexism, and Transphobia
pastelkerstin's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
5.0
[For context: I'm asexual and somewhere on the aromantic spectrum. This is an ownvoice review.]
This book fills a previous gap of non-fiction about asexuality that goes beyond mere Asexuality 101 (definition of asexuality, busting of common misconceptions) but that is still accessible to a broader audience. It has deservedly become the go-to rec for people looking for non-fiction books about asexuality.
In terms of non-fiction about asexuality, I've previously read Ace and Proud: An Asexual Anthology, which is mostly made up of ace people talking about their personal experiences, and it's fine for what it is, but as an anthology, it doesn't have an overarching structure. And then there was also Sex or Ice cream?: Secrets of an Asexual; Asexuality in a Sexed Up World—A Thought-Provoking and Comically Quirky Memoir, a memoir I strongly disliked for several reasons (see my review of it for details). Another non-fiction book about asexuality that I have started to read (and intend on finishing) is the more academic Asexual Erotics: Intimate Readings of Compulsory Sexuality. But ACE is different from all of those books and if you are a) not ace but want to learn more about asexuality and how it relates to other topics, b) questioning whether you are ace, or c) are ace and are tired of Asexuality 101 explanations, I'd say read ACE. It's a good introduction to asexuality if you need that but it also has so much more in store. I've known I'm asexual for over eight years. I'm not interested in basic definitions anymore. I'm interested in intersectionality and politics and the complexity of human relationships. I'm interested in analyses of how being a-spec in a world where you are assumed to be attracted to people romantically and sexually shapes your life. And ACE delivers just that.
Chen manages to cover quite a lot of ground in the pages of this books, talking about toxic masculinity, feminism, race, disability, compulsory sexuality, the pathologization of low/no sexual attraction, hermeneutical injustice, relationships, marriage law, consent and more, and how those topics relate to asexual people but also to many non-aces. A lot of the things ace activists fight for are things that would also benefit other people, who do not identify as a-spec, because ace activism often gets to the core of societal problems. I believe you will get something out of this book even if you're not ace for that reason as well.
Also, it should be noted that despite the title, the author also talks about aromanticism. She interviewed not only aroace but also aromantic allosexual people. Most of the book is more concerned with asexuality, so the branding makes sense, but there is a-spec content beyond and seperate from asexuality in here, which I think is great because aromanticism is often overlooked.
I really enjoyed my time with this book and I hope that we'll see even more good non-fiction about a-spec themes in the future. A lot of the topics that Chen mentions are so big and interesting that they could probably fill a whole book on their own. I think the topic of how asexuality intersects with gender roles and gender identity would be a great book, for example. Books like Chen's make me optimistic about the future of a-spec activism and literature!
This book fills a previous gap of non-fiction about asexuality that goes beyond mere Asexuality 101 (definition of asexuality, busting of common misconceptions) but that is still accessible to a broader audience. It has deservedly become the go-to rec for people looking for non-fiction books about asexuality.
In terms of non-fiction about asexuality, I've previously read Ace and Proud: An Asexual Anthology, which is mostly made up of ace people talking about their personal experiences, and it's fine for what it is, but as an anthology, it doesn't have an overarching structure. And then there was also Sex or Ice cream?: Secrets of an Asexual; Asexuality in a Sexed Up World—A Thought-Provoking and Comically Quirky Memoir, a memoir I strongly disliked for several reasons (see my review of it for details). Another non-fiction book about asexuality that I have started to read (and intend on finishing) is the more academic Asexual Erotics: Intimate Readings of Compulsory Sexuality. But ACE is different from all of those books and if you are a) not ace but want to learn more about asexuality and how it relates to other topics, b) questioning whether you are ace, or c) are ace and are tired of Asexuality 101 explanations, I'd say read ACE. It's a good introduction to asexuality if you need that but it also has so much more in store. I've known I'm asexual for over eight years. I'm not interested in basic definitions anymore. I'm interested in intersectionality and politics and the complexity of human relationships. I'm interested in analyses of how being a-spec in a world where you are assumed to be attracted to people romantically and sexually shapes your life. And ACE delivers just that.
Chen manages to cover quite a lot of ground in the pages of this books, talking about toxic masculinity, feminism, race, disability, compulsory sexuality, the pathologization of low/no sexual attraction, hermeneutical injustice, relationships, marriage law, consent and more, and how those topics relate to asexual people but also to many non-aces. A lot of the things ace activists fight for are things that would also benefit other people, who do not identify as a-spec, because ace activism often gets to the core of societal problems. I believe you will get something out of this book even if you're not ace for that reason as well.
Also, it should be noted that despite the title, the author also talks about aromanticism. She interviewed not only aroace but also aromantic allosexual people. Most of the book is more concerned with asexuality, so the branding makes sense, but there is a-spec content beyond and seperate from asexuality in here, which I think is great because aromanticism is often overlooked.
I really enjoyed my time with this book and I hope that we'll see even more good non-fiction about a-spec themes in the future. A lot of the topics that Chen mentions are so big and interesting that they could probably fill a whole book on their own. I think the topic of how asexuality intersects with gender roles and gender identity would be a great book, for example. Books like Chen's make me optimistic about the future of a-spec activism and literature!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism, Acephobia/Arophobia, Medical trauma, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, and Misogyny
Minor: Bullying, Dysphoria, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Murder, Death, and Death of parent
hayleyvem's review against another edition
informative
reflective
slow-paced
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Acephobia/Arophobia and Sexual content
Moderate: Ableism, Bullying, Misogyny, Rape, Racism, Sexual assault, and Transphobia
Minor: Alcohol and Gaslighting
nodogsonthemoon's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
4.75
Content Warnings
Minor: Acephobia/Arophobia, Ableism, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Transphobia
rini's review against another edition
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Acephobia/Arophobia and Ableism
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Rape, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Dysphoria
leahlovesloslibros's review against another edition
informative
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
While I don't think I was really in the right mindset for this book at the time of reading it, I still appreciated it. I have been actively trying to learn more about the aro/ace community for awhile now, and part of that included wanting to read this book.
I liked that there were different peoples' accounts of their personal experience(s) with aromanticism and asexuality, as well as connections to both research and popular culture. The variety of sources made for a well-rounded read, plus it was evident that the author really did their research. Some chapters were more engaging than others, and I definitely found myself nodding my head or even vocalizing my thoughts or agreement many times while listening.
Another facet of this book that made it a very interesting read was that it focused a lot on intersectionality. The more I read and learn and expand my knowledge of intersectionality, the more I am coming to really appreciate that rarely does any person experience life through only one lens - whether it be their perception of the world or others' perception(s) of them. Intersectionality needs to be discussed much more, and become widespread knowledge, in my opinion. This book did a great job of weaving aromantic and/or asexual experiences with other forms of minority status, including a focus on individuals with disabilities, which was very eye-opening for me.
Even the expert on asexuality could learn something from this book. Although I'm only rating it 3.5
stars (due to not being in the right head space to read it right now, otherwise it would probably be a 4 star read), I'm definitely considering it a must-read.
I liked that there were different peoples' accounts of their personal experience(s) with aromanticism and asexuality, as well as connections to both research and popular culture. The variety of sources made for a well-rounded read, plus it was evident that the author really did their research. Some chapters were more engaging than others, and I definitely found myself nodding my head or even vocalizing my thoughts or agreement many times while listening.
Another facet of this book that made it a very interesting read was that it focused a lot on intersectionality. The more I read and learn and expand my knowledge of intersectionality, the more I am coming to really appreciate that rarely does any person experience life through only one lens - whether it be their perception of the world or others' perception(s) of them. Intersectionality needs to be discussed much more, and become widespread knowledge, in my opinion. This book did a great job of weaving aromantic and/or asexual experiences with other forms of minority status, including a focus on individuals with disabilities, which was very eye-opening for me.
Even the expert on asexuality could learn something from this book. Although I'm only rating it 3.5
stars (due to not being in the right head space to read it right now, otherwise it would probably be a 4 star read), I'm definitely considering it a must-read.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Misogyny, Acephobia/Arophobia, and Cultural appropriation
Minor: Cursing, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Racial slurs, Rape, and Ableism
readandfindout's review against another edition
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
Writing/style: 2.5 stars (I often felt distracted because it seemed like there were a good number of typos/errors that should have been edited out)
Themes: 5 stars
Knowledge/perspective: 4.5 stars
Themes: 5 stars
Knowledge/perspective: 4.5 stars
Content Warnings
Moderate: Acephobia/Arophobia, Ableism, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
Minor: Racial slurs
themessyannotator's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
4.5
Although I’m an avid reader, I never read non-fiction but this book caught my interest and kept me engaged throughout. While reading, I had a lot of “exactly!” and “that makes so much sense” moments that me really glad to have read this book. It covers a variety of topics all connecting to asexuality and emphasizes the intersections of sexuality, race, gender, etc in a really informative and enlightening way. Also, the variety of different experiences and expressions of asexuality discussed in the book creates a great inclusive narrative.
I recommend everyone read this book, regardless of whether you fall the ace spectrum or not.
I recommend everyone read this book, regardless of whether you fall the ace spectrum or not.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism, Acephobia/Arophobia, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
horizonous's review against another edition
informative
medium-paced
3.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism, Acephobia/Arophobia, Homophobia, Racism, and Sexism
Minor: Forced institutionalization, Murder, Racial slurs, and Rape
librarianmage's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism and Acephobia/Arophobia
Moderate: Homophobia, Rape, and Transphobia