Reviews tagging 'Racism'

Tell Me I'm Worthless by Alison Rumfitt

211 reviews

samuelachillese's review against another edition

4.0

Disturbing psychosexual gothic horror about British fascism and (trans)misogyny. A thorough and terrifying exploration of the logics of fascism and its effects psychologically and interpersonally. Through this nightmare-like fictional exploration, British transmisogyny and fascism and the ways the two are interlinked is easier to grasp as an American reader. Some of the metaphors feel a little on the nose, but that’s a small quibble with what is otherwise a creative and deeply disturbing text. Nicky Endres’ narration of the audiobook is masterful, too, particularly the voicing of the house.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Antisemitism, Transphobia, Domestic abuse, Gore, Rape, Sexual violence, Misogyny, and Racism

punk_flower_child's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

Horrifying, heartbreaking, grabs-you-by-the-throat storytelling. I had to finish it quickly because it was putting me in a weird headspace but I still loved it. Some of the run ones make it a little hard to follow but I really think it lends to the idea of psychosis or other forms of mental torment

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Sexual violence, Gore, Hate crime, Sexual assault, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Antisemitism, and Body horror

Moderate: Racial slurs, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Animal death, Drug use, and Racism

Minor: Domestic abuse

kurumipanda's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Suicide attempt, Transphobia, Xenophobia, Antisemitism, Body horror, Body shaming, Death, Gore, Hate crime, Racism, Dysphoria, Self harm, Sexual content, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Drug use, Pedophilia, Animal death, and Adult/minor relationship

Minor: Vomit

ripxw's review

challenging dark fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Rape, Racism, Antisemitism, Xenophobia, and Transphobia

theelmstreetlibrary's review

challenging dark sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Homophobia, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Transphobia

Moderate: Alcoholism, Suicide attempt, Drug abuse, Racism, and Self harm

Minor: Toxic friendship, Body horror, Xenophobia, Excrement, Pedophilia, Blood, Death, Misogyny, and Vomit

kimpr0bable's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Transphobia, Racism, Rape, Antisemitism, and Homophobia

etwasinspired's review

dark medium-paced

• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Transphobia, and Hate crime

chloe_601's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

This book was a lot to get through at times and definitely won’t be everyone’s cup of tea.

It has a lot that it wants to say about the relationship between transphobia (specifically TERFs) and fascism, and especially how fascism can weaponise trauma to make even those hurt by it unwilling participants in spreading hate. It is very unsubtle about what it’s wanting to say through the story and the characters, but it at least seems self-aware of how blunt it is. But it could feel over-the-top and preachy at times.

I love the way the haunted house was as much a character in the story as the other two (human) main characters. The plot is very slow but the main characters’ internal monologues made it seem less slow/boring than it otherwise would have. The author did a really good job of portraying a sense of madness and losing grip on reality that made you question what is really going on. The ending was not as satisfying as I would have hoped, but overall I did like it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Transphobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Xenophobia and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Vomit and Drug use

unluckycat13's review against another edition

challenging dark fast-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

I normally don't like a book about such awful people, but honestly I've definitely known the people in this book. Especially Alice. To some extent I've been the people in this book at one point or another. It's a very raw and honest book, people say that about a lot of things but this is sincerity without the saccharine coating that's usually used. 

It has unhinged fetish posts that are reminiscent of the real Internet, and it plays with the structure of a novel in ways that are meta without breaking the story. 

The author builds moments of genuine tension that I rarely feel in a novel. The down side is that the author frequently undercut these moments too. 

My favorite aspect was that the book is very topical. Most fiction is afraid to be set in the world we live in, identifiable and dated. It must always be timeless unless it's a period piece. This book is very identifiably the world I inhabit and see every day. 

Overall solid and I look forward to seeing what other books the author writes. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Death, Rape, Violence, Alcoholism, Hate crime, Gaslighting, Dysphoria, Drug abuse, Racism, Transphobia, Xenophobia, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Torture, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Self harm, Sexism, Misogyny, Mental illness, Drug use, Deadnaming, Confinement, Bullying, Body shaming, Antisemitism, Animal death, and Addiction

jfontaine's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

The content warning at the start of the book is crucial. Readers really need to know what they're getting themselves into with this book, and it is so dark, so graphic, so chilling. There were moments that made me feel physically ill. The narration is brilliant and nuanced. I don't know that I can recommend it because it is truly horrifying, but it's important and I know I'll be thinking about it for a long time.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Torture, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Misogyny, Toxic friendship, Blood, Cursing, Death, Gaslighting, Hate crime, Body horror, Dysphoria, Antisemitism, Gore, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Transphobia, and Violence