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Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'
Ace: What Asexuality Reveals about Desire, Society, and the Meaning of Sex by Angela Chen
26 reviews
julianh's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content, Sexual assault, Cultural appropriation, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Acephobia/Arophobia, Misogyny, Rape, and Sexual violence
snowypineapples's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
slow-paced
5.0
This book is incredible. It's asks us to reconsider consent, sex, intimacy while centering asexual people and letting them know they're not broken, it's ok to not experience sexual desire regardless of the reason or experiences that intertwine with these feelings
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Homophobia, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Acephobia/Arophobia, and Body shaming
Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic and Outing
erinwolf1997's review against another edition
challenging
informative
slow-paced
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Acephobia/Arophobia
Moderate: Transphobia
librarymouse's review against another edition
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
Ace is a well-written and thoughtful exploration of asexuality beyond the label. The dedication "for everyone who has wanted to want more" almost made me cry before I'd even started on the contents of the book. It is the gratifying and heartbreaking possibility of being known and understood within a lifetime spent feeling broken. Prior to reading this, the possibility of struggling when aging and losing my own agency/physical ability alone had always been a scary thought I tried to suppress. Chen's exploration of alternative ways of being and of forming bonds, as well as alternative community structures begs further reflection on my own part, and also offers some comfort from those fears. Finding that the l language necessary to explore and define myself and issues I find myself up against exists is incredibly valuable and validating. I have identified as asexual for about 5 years, often feeling broken along theIway. I've learned so much from this book. I want everyone I love to read it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism, Emotional abuse, Medical trauma, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Sexual violence, Body shaming, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racism, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Chronic illness, and Ableism
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship
chloeluna's review against another edition
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
I’m not a fan of first-person books in general and rarely read non-fiction. However, as an ace person this book was important for me to have read, and while so much of it I already knew from my previous knowledge seeking and/or personal experience, there was a lot still for me to (re)discover. The audiobook was really helpful for me as I struggled reading manually and assured me I did in fact want to own a physical copy. Started off slow for me, but the deeper discussions that interested me were farther in anyway.
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, and Sexual violence
A disclaimer that books on asexuality (and aromanticism by exentension) talk a lot about sex, sexuality, sexual assault and the like for a proper analysis and discussion on the topic. This book talks about it honestly, sometimes personally, and often in a matter of fact way that is digestible even when dealing with sensitive material.beals's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Acephobia/Arophobia
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Adult/minor relationship, and Sexual violence
jenmcreads's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
informative
medium-paced
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault, Acephobia/Arophobia, Sexual violence, and Sexism
klutzykara's review against another edition
informative
reflective
medium-paced
I do not identify as asexual/on the ace spectrum so I would encourage you to read the book for yourself and then read the reviews from those that do identify somewhere within the ace community for further knowledge & thought. I will also leave this unrated (as I do many nonfictions).
I will say: I thought the analysis about how harmful it is that society views sexuality and sexual attraction as unavoidable and innately human, as well as how lacking the language to speak about your lived experience is a form of injustice, was good. I had not read about asexuality in other discussions I have read about intersectionality, oppression, structural inequities, etc, and this is a necessary addition. My main critique is that I think it would have been better to separate the personal narrative/interviews from the sociological discussions. This would better serve those who want to read about experiences that may resonate with them, and not be waded down in discourse that some have said they found harmful (re: several 1 or 2 star reviews). I also think it could help reduce some of the repetitiveness in the narrative. I would have also liked to see more transcripts from an interview rather than summaries from the author.
I will say: I thought the analysis about how harmful it is that society views sexuality and sexual attraction as unavoidable and innately human, as well as how lacking the language to speak about your lived experience is a form of injustice, was good. I had not read about asexuality in other discussions I have read about intersectionality, oppression, structural inequities, etc, and this is a necessary addition. My main critique is that I think it would have been better to separate the personal narrative/interviews from the sociological discussions. This would better serve those who want to read about experiences that may resonate with them, and not be waded down in discourse that some have said they found harmful (re: several 1 or 2 star reviews). I also think it could help reduce some of the repetitiveness in the narrative. I would have also liked to see more transcripts from an interview rather than summaries from the author.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault and Sexual violence
elerireads's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
4.0
A much needed book I think. Not just an exploration of the asexual experience, but also the way it intersects with other identities. More than that though, Chen turns the asexual lens back on the world and discusses the ways that ace people have had to think more deeply about certain issues and that the ideas that that thinking has produced are actually generally applicable and valuable. From more nuanced understandings of consent and sex positivity, to the societal devaluing of platonic and other nonsexual intimacy, this covers all the major bases.
It's very accessibly written - a mix of interviews with lots of different asexual people, some academic research and interspersed with bits of Chen's own experience. But she also doesn't baby us. Chapter 2 in particular is a massive info-dump, I suspect to get through the 'educating' part so she could get onto the more interesting discussions, so I can imagine if you're completely new to this stuff it might be a bit of a jargon overload. Could have done with a glossary I think, so I'd recommend having a pen and paper out for that chapter in particular! Otherwise, it wasn't among the best nonfiction writing I've ever read, but honestly I think a big part of that is that I like my nonfiction to be underpinned by a lot of underlying research... which is understandably thin on the ground in this case.
It's very accessibly written - a mix of interviews with lots of different asexual people, some academic research and interspersed with bits of Chen's own experience. But she also doesn't baby us. Chapter 2 in particular is a massive info-dump, I suspect to get through the 'educating' part so she could get onto the more interesting discussions, so I can imagine if you're completely new to this stuff it might be a bit of a jargon overload. Could have done with a glossary I think, so I'd recommend having a pen and paper out for that chapter in particular! Otherwise, it wasn't among the best nonfiction writing I've ever read, but honestly I think a big part of that is that I like my nonfiction to be underpinned by a lot of underlying research... which is understandably thin on the ground in this case.
Content Warnings
Minor: Acephobia/Arophobia, Ableism, Sexual violence, and Rape
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