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bookishyvonne's review against another edition
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
2.0
Bevor ich mit der Rezension anfange, möchte ich auf die Debatte zwischen Florence Given und Chidera Eggrue aufmerksam machen. Eggrue wirft Given vor von ihr geklaut zu haben und ihre Bücher zeigen eine sehr starke Ähnlichkeit. Selbst Givens Buchtitel wurde von Eggrue “inspiriert”.
“Women Don’t Owe You Pretty” wird als “Gender Studies” kategorisiert, aber ich selbst würde es eher zu “Self Help” zählen. Given spricht viele wichtige Themen an, aber sie sind leider sehr oberflächlich gehalten. Das Buch ist wahrscheinlich ein guter Einstieg, aber wenn man sich mit Feminismus beschäftigt hat, liest hier nichts Neues. Einige Affirmationen sind ganz gut und es ist ein schön gestaltetes Buch, aber es ist nicht so bahnbrechend oder radikal, wie manche das beschreiben. Außerdem gibt es auch viele Wiederholungen und manchmal fehlen mir die Quellen zu einigen Aussagen. Was mich u.a. gestört hat, war die Implikation im Buch, dass lediglich "hübsche" Frauen belästigt werden und eine Glatze dies verhindern könnte?? Hinzu kommt, dass Given auch schreibt, dass Menschen von Influencer*innen auf Instagram mehr lernen könnten als an der Universität und dieses Buch eher an ein junges Publikum gerichtet ist, finde ich das ziemlich fatal. Dann gibt es auch falsche Verwendung von Fachbegriffen, so bedeuten bspw. “intrusive thoughts” nicht “internalised misogyny”.
Was ich gut fand: Given benutzt Triggerwarnungen und erklärt anschaulich die Begriffe "Gender Expression", "Gender Identity" und "Sexuality". Auch, dass sie ihre eigene Privilegien anspricht, dass sie weiß, dünn, abe-bodied, und normschön ist, und dementsprechend davon profitiert. Das Glossar am Ende des Buches ist ebenfalls hilfreich. Mir fehlte aber noch die Thematisierung von Klassizismus. Die Privilegien Checkliste finde ich gut, aber die hätte am Anfang des Buches eine bessere Wirkung gehabt. Leider ist die Checkliste auch nicht intersektional mit ihren Überschriften, weil vieles nicht so schwarz/weiß ist, wie es dargestellt wird. Bspw. ist mein Name "Yvonne" leicht auszusprechen, weil sich meine asiatischen Eltern eben bewusst für einen europäischen Namen entschieden haben, sodass er leichter auszusprechen ist. Cisgender Privileg: ich bin cis, wurde aber aufgrund meines asiatischen Daseins gefragt, ob meine Vagina eng ist.
Ich hätte es besser gefunden, wenn sie mehr über Queerness und Bisexualität, also ihren gelebten Erfahrungen gesprochen hätte. Es ist zwar gut, dass sie auf Schwarze Feminist*innen aufmerksam macht, aber manchmal hatte ich das Gefühl, dass sie die Grenzen überschreitet und für sie schreibt, anstatt Schwarze Feminist*innen selbst sprechen zu lassen.
Es ist sehr ironisch, dass sie in ihrem Buch schreibt “Wenn du dir deines Privilegs bewusst bist, kannst du es zum Nutzen anderer Menschen einsetzen. Während du dich durch die Welt bewegst, denke an die Möglichkeiten, die du weitergeben könntest, oder wie du Raum für Menschen aufgeben könntest, die nicht den gleichen Zugang zu wichtigen Räumen haben wie du. Echte Veränderung geschieht, wenn wir unsere Macht aufgeben, ohne jemandem zu sagen, dass wir es getan haben.” und trotz Aufzählung ihrer Privilegien sich dessen nicht bewusst ist.
Content Warnings
Minor: Body shaming, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
alomie's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
This was the book I needed in my twenties.
Very inspirational, moving and a real hard check your self before you wreck yourself.
I think this book would be an ideal gift for someone heading into university or even maybe a bit before.
Its an interesting look at the male and female gaze.
Not all of it was for me but all of it seemed to be solid advice.
I enjoyed it and will refer back to it.
Each chapter had warnings if it had anything that might trigger anyone which was a nice touch.
Very inspirational, moving and a real hard check your self before you wreck yourself.
I think this book would be an ideal gift for someone heading into university or even maybe a bit before.
Its an interesting look at the male and female gaze.
Not all of it was for me but all of it seemed to be solid advice.
I enjoyed it and will refer back to it.
Each chapter had warnings if it had anything that might trigger anyone which was a nice touch.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, Racism, Racial slurs, Transphobia, and Toxic relationship
ellencraddock's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
2.0
I don't disagree with any of the points made in this book. Some are very basic principles and theories that I think most fem lit readers would be largely familiar with. Think it would have benefitted from speaking more about Given's personal experience growing up - these were the most gripping parts. Commenting on issues not affecting Given felt false... like why would I read a white girls book about what it's like to live as a black women?
Content Warnings
Minor: Ableism, Biphobia, Body shaming, Bullying, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexism, and Toxic relationship
thejuliette's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
fast-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexism, and Toxic relationship
0xytocinn's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
3.25
I was initially really enamoured with this book, and I feel that it's a fantastic introduction to feminism. I put it as a recommendation on my instagram as I've got so many friends who would benefit from the messages in it, but there aren't really any new ideas portrayed. It didn't really tell me anything I hadn't already seen on Tumblr in 2014, but, I have to give the book credit for it's accessibility. It's also gorgeously presented. More a coffee table book than anything.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism, Biphobia, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Toxic relationship
curatoriallyyours's review against another edition
challenging
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
3.5
This book has a lot of important things to say about who we are as women and why things are the way they are, as well as practical advice for moving past some of the roadblocks and common traumas experienced by women. It encourages introspection and is a book you could come back to again and again to ground yourself as particular situations emerge.
The author of this book was 21 at the time of writing and, to be sure, exhibits wisdom beyond her age. However, I wonder if she'd have written the same book in ten or twenty years time. At the time of writing this review, I'm 38, and a lot of the things she is absolute about are grey areas for me. I also think that some of her advice could be not applicable or even dangerous for some people. For example, not everyone is in a safe position to break up with a partner if they find themselves in a difficult situation. Partnerships occur for lots of different reasons and in many cultural situations, so someone whose parents force them into a marriage, for example, might not be able to follow this black and white advice safely. I think it is a matter of privilege - the privilege of being in a position to break up with a partner - and beyond that the privilege of being in a position to be introspective and make changes to your life in general. Also, on a slightly lighter note, I think some of the reasons why the author suggests breaking up with a partner are situations that are more nuanced than she implies.
Over all, I think this book is important and a good read. It is easily digestable in that it has short chapters that could really be read in any order, but it is also challenging in its content and made me think about some of the choices I've made and the context within which I've made them. If you're an older reader, you may not find everything in this book to be relevant to your circumstances - it really seems to be primarily aimed at women in their twenties - but there are some gems in there that make it worth your while.
The author of this book was 21 at the time of writing and, to be sure, exhibits wisdom beyond her age. However, I wonder if she'd have written the same book in ten or twenty years time. At the time of writing this review, I'm 38, and a lot of the things she is absolute about are grey areas for me. I also think that some of her advice could be not applicable or even dangerous for some people. For example, not everyone is in a safe position to break up with a partner if they find themselves in a difficult situation. Partnerships occur for lots of different reasons and in many cultural situations, so someone whose parents force them into a marriage, for example, might not be able to follow this black and white advice safely. I think it is a matter of privilege - the privilege of being in a position to break up with a partner - and beyond that the privilege of being in a position to be introspective and make changes to your life in general. Also, on a slightly lighter note, I think some of the reasons why the author suggests breaking up with a partner are situations that are more nuanced than she implies.
Over all, I think this book is important and a good read. It is easily digestable in that it has short chapters that could really be read in any order, but it is also challenging in its content and made me think about some of the choices I've made and the context within which I've made them. If you're an older reader, you may not find everything in this book to be relevant to your circumstances - it really seems to be primarily aimed at women in their twenties - but there are some gems in there that make it worth your while.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body shaming, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
Each chapter contains content warnings, which I found really thoughtful.kleinearmee's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Minor: Biphobia, Body shaming, Bullying, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Hate crime, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Toxic relationship
carolinalopes's review against another edition
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Toxic relationship and Sexual assault
Minor: Ableism, Biphobia, Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Transphobia, Sexism, Rape, Misogyny, and Racism
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