Reviews tagging 'Self harm'

Tung by Kiese Laymon

14 reviews

obvious_lia's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

5.0

Laymon writes about the anti blackness of life in America under white supremacist capitalist patriarchy. He tells us of violence done to bodies, whether by systems, self, or those who love us most.  I felt seen in his relationships with food, family, and addiction. I was altered by his words on teaching, writing, and revision. Uniquely compelling and emotional. I didn't have time to stop reading and cry, I had to keep going. Deep gratitude for this book; I can see why it's one of my partner's favorites.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Fatphobia, Racial slurs, Child abuse, Eating disorder, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, and Racism

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Islamophobia, Grief, Sexual violence, Alcoholism, Gun violence, Police brutality, and Alcohol

ichewonpushpins's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny medium-paced

4.5

Written so beautifully and earnestly. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Toxic relationship, Body shaming, Fatphobia, Self harm, Racial slurs, Eating disorder, Racism, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Alcoholism, Gun violence, Misogyny, Drug abuse, and Addiction

cradman's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

4.5

I Will remember: the brutal truth Laymon lays out. They say to write the hardest thing, the truthiest truth, and boy did he. The honesty doesn’t exactly indict, even though it’s written to his mom. Instead, readers are rendered mute. There’s nothing to argue with here. It’s all true.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Violence, Addiction, Domestic abuse, Dysphoria, Self harm, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Racism, and Sexual violence

marena02's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Bullying, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Islamophobia, Abandonment, Suicidal thoughts, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Car accident, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Addiction, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Vomit, Violence, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Self harm

michelle_my_belle's review against another edition

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Incest, Addiction, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, and Sexual content

michellektong's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Murder, Addiction, Child abuse, Rape, Gun violence, Sexual harassment, Slavery, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Panic attacks/disorders, Body shaming, Racial slurs, Self harm, Hate crime, Suicidal thoughts, Police brutality, Racism, Sexism, Sexual violence, Mental illness, Infidelity, Grief, Fatphobia, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Domestic abuse, Violence, Alcoholism, Sexual assault, and Eating disorder

clover6872's review against another edition

dark emotional funny reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Toxic friendship, Grief, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Dysphoria, Body shaming, Eating disorder, Addiction, Sexual violence, Racism, Gaslighting, Sexual assault, Self harm, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Ableism, Sexual assault, Classism, Death, Abandonment, Dementia, Biphobia, Colonisation, and Cultural appropriation

lowbrowhighart's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Child abuse, Racism, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Racial slurs, Addiction, and Fatphobia

Moderate: Islamophobia, Alcoholism, Grief, Misogyny, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, Dysphoria, Hate crime, Xenophobia, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Alcohol, Medical content, Sexism, Self harm, Police brutality, Mental illness, Drug abuse, and Drug use

Minor: Pedophilia, Death, Pregnancy, Transphobia, Car accident, Vomit, Religious bigotry, Homophobia, Gun violence, Infidelity, Cursing, Dementia, and Medical trauma

coderedkira's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective sad fast-paced

4.75

The audiobook was excellent, having Laymon read it brought the raw emotions forward and made it incredibly engaging.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Eating disorder, Racism, Sexual assault, and Addiction

taratearex's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

First read 2019, physical book: 
An incredible book, a must read.

Reread 2023, audiobook:
This is a beautiful and heart wrenching memoir. This remains a necessary read about racism and it's effects on Black people, particularly in how it effects the body and mental health. Rereading this book makes me want to reread Belly of the Beast: The Politics of Anti-Fatness as Anti-Blackness by Da’Shaun Harrison. 

The first time I read this book I could not put it down, this time I took my time with the audiobook. The prose is stunning and the vulnerability draws you in, I found both ways of reading it to be deeply engaging, but it is always an experience to hear an author read their own memoir. Kiese Laymon's writing is so poetic that hearing him read it added a sort of slam poetry performance to many parts of it, making it even more emotional and visceral of an experience. 

I read his debut novel last year, which I hadn't read when I first read this memoir so that also brought a different experience to hearing him talk about it here, but also just really emphasized what I love about his writing- the poetic rhythm and play on words and just love for language. So going back to his memoir to how he developed as a writer was an interesting perspective. 

There are too many lines that I could quote, but given this was a reread and I've gotten very into rereading recently, this really stuck out to me:
"I learned you haven't really read anything unless you've only read anything once or twice. Reading things more than twice was the reader version of revision"

I reread this on almost the exact dates as I first did in 2019


TW: Eating disorder, Child abuse, Racism, Fatphobia, Addiction, Sexual violence

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Addiction, Child abuse, Eating disorder, and Racism

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Xenophobia, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, and Alcohol