Reviews tagging 'Bullying'

Life in the City of Dirty Water: A Memoir of Healing by Clayton Thomas-Muller

5 reviews

daniellekat's review

challenging emotional reflective slow-paced

1.75

I really wanted to like this but the writing was not for me. The narrative and timeline jumped around so much it was hard to get any sense of the timing of situations. And overall it was just a very long list of “I did this and I met this person and then I did this and then I met that person, etc. etc.” The sections about the author’s upbringing and family were compelling but they were spread out through the book and hard to connect. I think this book has some really important themes but it had too much unexplained political jargon for me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Drug use, Colonisation, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Alcoholism, Addiction, and Bullying

Minor: Domestic abuse

knaylor's review

challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

4.0

Valuable learning about growing up as an urban Indigenous man in Canada.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Genocide, Vomit, Child abuse, Colonisation, Sexual assault, Bullying, Cursing, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Addiction, and Domestic abuse

It looks like a lot of warnings, but it’s critical reading.

tracey1981's review

hopeful informative inspiring reflective slow-paced

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Physical abuse, Infidelity, Drug use, Bullying, Child death, Sexual violence, Adult/minor relationship, Drug abuse, Racism, Child abuse, Pedophilia, and Genocide

maddycumerlato's review

informative inspiring reflective slow-paced

3.5

3.5 stars, rounded up. Clayton Thomas-Müller’s story is one of resilience and hope, a story that speaks to the importance of those you choose to surround yourself with, and how your connections to everything and everyone around you shapes your path in ways you could never expect. 

From his earliest days suffering with abuse and homelessness, choosing to walk dark paths in order to survive, only to find a life he loves 20 years later… that’s what life is truly about. It’s hard to see it in the moments when you’re low, but as Thomas-Müller expresses, everything is connected and for many, the path is set for us before we are able to see it. Everything that happens occurs for a reason. It is an experience to learn and grow from, and makes you a better person. 

I definitely needed to hear that message right now. This is a beautiful, educational, and passionate memoir about a man who has lived his life as honestly and fully as he could. Highly encourage everyone to read 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Drug use, Colonisation, and Grief

Moderate: Addiction, Child abuse, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, and Sexual assault

Minor: Abortion and Bullying

ka_ke's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

This is a must read for anyone who calls themself an Ally of the First Nations, Métis & Inuit peoples.  Clayton paints a brutal picture of what life is like as an Indigenous male trying to survive a colonialist society. It is oddly inspiring. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Bullying, Child abuse, Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Grief, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Violence, and Cursing

Moderate: Abandonment and Confinement