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nancyboy56's review against another edition
2.0
honestly i thought i was going to like this one way more. i really like roxane gay she seems like a super cool person. i didnt realise how many of the essays were just about her opinions on media and a lot of media ive never heard of? perhaps they were way more popular at the time? even on googling some of the books they didnt seem that popular, which is fine, however, i felt that a lot of essays didnt work when you didnt know what she was talking about.
perhaps this is a bit controversial, however, i dont think roxane gay is that great of a writer (sorry besties) at least in this work her sentences felt oddly simple and/or short. i didnt like the flow of her words at all. perhaps it didnt work with my brain as many people seem to love this book but i really didnt enjoy reading it on the level of craft. the essays almost felt like blog posts? idk
the content of some of the essays i really did think were brilliant when i looked passed the writing and loved what she was saying. though when i did know the media she was talking about those essays were far more enjoyable.
honestly i just dont feel i like this essay collection overall? it was kind of forgettable? idk its like i between a 2 and 3 for me unfortunately :/ i am literally unsure if i liked this one or not its like a 2.5 if goodreads had half stars
perhaps this is a bit controversial, however, i dont think roxane gay is that great of a writer (sorry besties) at least in this work her sentences felt oddly simple and/or short. i didnt like the flow of her words at all. perhaps it didnt work with my brain as many people seem to love this book but i really didnt enjoy reading it on the level of craft. the essays almost felt like blog posts? idk
the content of some of the essays i really did think were brilliant when i looked passed the writing and loved what she was saying. though when i did know the media she was talking about those essays were far more enjoyable.
honestly i just dont feel i like this essay collection overall? it was kind of forgettable? idk its like i between a 2 and 3 for me unfortunately :/ i am literally unsure if i liked this one or not its like a 2.5 if goodreads had half stars
jencunn2024's review against another edition
3.0
I’d give Roxane Gay 3.5 stars for this endeavor but I am intrigued by her obvious intellect and thoughts on pop culture and what it reflects of our society and culture, particularly for feminism, sexism, and racism. Gay’s essays are hit and Miss on the issues, evidence of her feelings as a “bad feminist.” I love her truths and perspectives. What I didn’t get from this book was depth or a punch in the gut like I was expecting. What I did get was a collection that was mostly relatable even when I disagree. If nothing else, there are nuggets throughout that provoke thought or rethought in the reader ECB if there is nothing new and earth shattering. I think this is a great book for women who think of feminism as a bad word or who don’t relate to the movement, either historically or now. I’ve read plenty of reviews on this and I think the haters are mostly responding to lack of depth or solutions and that their beliefs don’t match. I think those that have raved about this book found something they needed from it. This is middle-of-the-road feminism which is still needed in this world, despite not being fast ore concrete enough by many of Gay’s critics. The righting is very stream-of-consciousness style, which I lived in some pieces of the collection and others less so. This type of writing certainly isn’t for everyone but I enjoyed it overall. I would expect Gay to contributes ready to read deeper intellectuality and research in some future books maybe, given her education and experience. But, I appreciate the foundation she’s created to communicate and reside professionally within the mainstream so she can help crack the egg of society on how pop culture perpetuates old issues we are still not always ready to read about, hear about, talk about, listen to, or acknowledge. That’s an important concurrent step for progress and growth. Relatability crosses community barriers and she does that.
shimmery's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed Gay’s conversational writing style and was impressed by the breadth of topics here, from reality TV to inequality in the workplace to police brutality. The essay on scrabble was maybe the most joyful thing I read during lockdown and really made me smile.
I was thinking it’s amazing how much feminism and perceptions around feminism have changed for the better since this book was published in 2014. Parts of it feel a bit dated now. But saying that, I’m not sure things have improved, it’s maybe just that these conversations have now been had a lot. How much better is life for women now, really, despite all the ‘discourse’? I’m not sure. I would hope we have developed from the Caitlin Moran kind of feminism which the book discusses (ie simplistic and not intersectional) but maybe not.
I was thinking it’s amazing how much feminism and perceptions around feminism have changed for the better since this book was published in 2014. Parts of it feel a bit dated now. But saying that, I’m not sure things have improved, it’s maybe just that these conversations have now been had a lot. How much better is life for women now, really, despite all the ‘discourse’? I’m not sure. I would hope we have developed from the Caitlin Moran kind of feminism which the book discusses (ie simplistic and not intersectional) but maybe not.
summerhoney's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
4.5
barefootsierra's review against another edition
The essay on rape was too triggering
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
keraashley's review against another edition
3.75
Some of these essays are really good, some are not. But they are entirely her own opinion. All about feminism, and racism too. Hits many pop culture moments.
lilyprimeaux's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
4.5
jessicasonley's review against another edition
emotional
funny
informative
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
crystalstarrlight's review against another edition
3.0
Bullet Review:
It was...okay. The latter essays were stronger - I definitely liked her "Bad Feminist: Parts 1 and 2" essays - but overall, I felt very much "been there, done that". (I read A LOT of feminist work on internet blogs though.) I had hoped for more exploration into that corner of feminism where what you do and what you like may not be considered mainstream feminism (wearing makeup, liking pink, shaving your legs, rocking out to misogynist music, etc.). I've read some feminist opinions on these, but was hoping for more fleshed out thoughts here. (There's some here, but not as much as I expected from the Title/blurb.) The Scrabble story started out fascinating but by the end, I was cross-eyed.
That said, this is my opinion and mine alone, and this opinion is not meant to suggest she should not have written her book the way she wanted or whatnot. Black voices are NEEDED, and I'm more than capable of shutting up and listening.
I think she has a great writing voice, a joy to listen to (listened on audiobook and Bahni is the bomb). Truly she knows how to work the English language.
All said, I would still recommend because I think voices like hers are needed - feminism could use more diversity and less focus on how to make lives better for well-off white women (Sheryl Sandberg, Lena Dunham, Taylor Swift, take note!).
It was...okay. The latter essays were stronger - I definitely liked her "Bad Feminist: Parts 1 and 2" essays - but overall, I felt very much "been there, done that". (I read A LOT of feminist work on internet blogs though.) I had hoped for more exploration into that corner of feminism where what you do and what you like may not be considered mainstream feminism (wearing makeup, liking pink, shaving your legs, rocking out to misogynist music, etc.). I've read some feminist opinions on these, but was hoping for more fleshed out thoughts here. (There's some here, but not as much as I expected from the Title/blurb.) The Scrabble story started out fascinating but by the end, I was cross-eyed.
That said, this is my opinion and mine alone, and this opinion is not meant to suggest she should not have written her book the way she wanted or whatnot. Black voices are NEEDED, and I'm more than capable of shutting up and listening.
I think she has a great writing voice, a joy to listen to (listened on audiobook and Bahni is the bomb). Truly she knows how to work the English language.
All said, I would still recommend because I think voices like hers are needed - feminism could use more diversity and less focus on how to make lives better for well-off white women (Sheryl Sandberg, Lena Dunham, Taylor Swift, take note!).