Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

My Body. Was es heißt, eine Frau zu sein by Emily Ratajkowski

36 reviews

emilycm's review against another edition

informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

4.5

i had some hesitations going into this based on my usual downfall of reading reviews prior. a lot mentioned how emily doesn't go as into depth on some of the political conversations surrounding her position in the modeling industry and her privilege of capitalizing off her body; everyone desired more beyond mere reflection. while i do agree that there were parts that felt lukewarm in their assessment, like there would be a really interesting point brought up then left, i think that this is a really strong memoir overall. and i enjoyed it. i wanted some more, but only because emily's storytelling was so good and pulled me in.

also, her essay and confession on what happened while filming blurred lines is most talked about in reference to this book, but there are many other deep cutting, profoundly written essays that should get just as much public recognition and appreciation. i especially found the ones about her growing up, her home, and her parents all individually very intoxicating and with their layers of familiarity.

i am looking forward to seeing what she writes in the future, of which i hope is more. for a first book, this is strong and filled with a lot of relevant, thoughtful reflections.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape

Moderate: Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Mental illness, and Eating disorder

samarakroeger's review against another edition

reflective medium-paced

4.0

I felt seen in several ways by this book despite our lives being pretty different.  the guilt and shame ... very relatable 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Gaslighting, Sexual assault, and Rape

Moderate: Alcohol, Dysphoria, Mental illness, Misogyny, Addiction, Cancer, and Medical trauma

graciejames121's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective fast-paced

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Dysphoria, Gaslighting, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Body shaming, and Medical content

epellicci's review against another edition

informative reflective fast-paced

3.5

I have mixed feelings about this book. Ratajkowski's writing is definitely full of confident belief in itself, and I found the way she approached each chapter (or essay) in a different style engaging and creative. However as a reader, I found the tone of the book was defensive and somewhat lonely. I felt the premise of My Body - taking back ownership of herself and exploring the gender and power politics that have shaped her life - was struggling behind a need for the author to prove herself still. 
I really hope that writing My Body was healing and restorative for Ratajkowski. The trauma and struggle to identify her place in her world were written with astounding honesty. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Rape and Mental illness

Minor: Cancer

mary_foster_'s review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.5

Many have called her a hypocrite but at the end of the day she is only human, and still growing and learning from her experiences. 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Mental illness

bynarii's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Misogyny and Mental illness

Minor: Medical content and Pregnancy

nonfluorescent's review against another edition

dark informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Body shaming

Minor: Mental illness

ajoyn1201's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective fast-paced

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Body shaming, Cursing, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, and Rape

Minor: Pregnancy

ymorii's review against another edition

challenging reflective medium-paced

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Sexual content

Moderate: Drug use

Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Mental illness

leduyhxxng's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective tense slow-paced

3.0

My body is a valiant effort towards loving by Emily Ratajkowski—loving her body, and by such means opening more constructive dialogues with her self.

In the twelve very personal essays, we can begin to see Emily's stories and the power dynamics that shape modelling. Yet her writing feels rather erratic, sparse in some places and rushed in others, failing at times to connect the thematic thread that Emily herself set out. This is most unfortunate because there are unquestioningly a lot of details and images—beautifully brought out in the essay collection—that feel particularly powerful in the context of her story, but were never adequately explored.

I admire Emily's effort to love through the writing of My Body. My two favourite essays are 'Pamela' and 'Releases'. They were brilliantly written (especially 'Releases,' the final essay of the book), and feel vulnerable and honest. Other essays either feel like the honesty is somehow choking her, the writing indelicate and forced thus choking us as readers, or throwing suppressed anger at other people (which makes it quite awkward to read). But the vulnerability makes you stay, and love Emily Ratajkowski even more for taking the step.

I was fairly let down by both the writing and storytelling of the book. Then again, I greatly admire the effort to find love.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Body shaming, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Terminal illness, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Drug abuse

Minor: Blood, Drug use, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, and Vomit