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elisecavanaugh's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Child abuse
Moderate: Self harm
katewhite77's review against another edition
5.0
Safia Sinclair is a poet, and it shows in her wonderful prose style. Though the writing style is beautifully poetic, the content is hard to read to read. Don't go into this expecting an easy ride, especially because the writing is visceral.
Safia grew up in Montego Bay Jamaica with her mother, father, and three younger siblings, who are all rastafari. This is, for the most part, a peaceful religion that believes Jamaica should be free from white colonial rule, also known as Babylon.
Over time however Safia"s father is over taken by religious furver and starts to follow a sect that believes in a very narrow interpretation of rastafaranism, particularly in regard to the role of women. This leads to him exerting tighter and tighter control over the females in the family.
Safia finds an escape route out through education and poetry. The book is dedicated to her mother, and it is easy to see why because she is amazing.
I fully expect this book to feature in my best books of the year, not least because it references the best band in the world. The Mighy Cranberries.
Graphic: Suicide, Child abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Cultural appropriation
Minor: Religious bigotry and Classism
amy_park's review against another edition
5.0
I would definetly recommend to read via audiobook as you hear the authors words driectly from her which enhances the listening experience with her emotion and poetic voice.
Graphic: Child abuse and Self harm
Moderate: Racism
froon's review against another edition
4.5
i saw a goodreads review frustrated with the “lack of structural payoff,” and i find that so deeply annoying. this is one of the most satisfying endings of a memoir, especially one that spans such a range of time and history, that i’ve ever read. there is a distinct and emotional climax AND the payoff of the aftermath at the end. again, a sign of the skill that sinclair has.
my biggest issue, keeping this from a true five star read, was how slow the beginning was to get through. the pace was slow to the point that it felt dense and difficult to traverse.
there is nothing like a memoir written by a poet. i’ll chew on some of these sentences for some time. maybe i’ll really apply for grad school this time :)
Graphic: Self harm and Child abuse
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts
darcygabe's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Child abuse, Racism, and Self harm
Moderate: Animal death, Domestic abuse, Abortion, Bullying, Classism, and Colonisation
mmccombs's review against another edition
3.5
Graphic: Religious bigotry, Child abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Misogyny, and Domestic abuse
internationalreads's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Classism, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Pregnancy
Minor: Miscarriage
melissamjc's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, and Self harm
caitlinxreads's review against another edition
4.25
Graphic: Physical abuse, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, and Self harm
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Abandonment
Minor: Domestic abuse
hellolucireads's review against another edition
It was engaging but I just got tired of reading it, to be honest. Maybe because it was challenging and upsetting for me.
I read a summary of how everything turned out at the end - just to see if there was a light at the end of it!
I didn’t know about Rastafarian culture before, and learned so much from her lens. I’d still recommend it even though I didn’t finish!
Graphic: Child abuse, Misogyny, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Bullying
Minor: Self harm