Reviews tagging 'Misogyny'

Girlhood by Melissa Febos

16 reviews

mckennamarsh06's review

challenging emotional informative reflective medium-paced

4.5

A book that starts out slow and depressing, until it suddenly builds to rich, incredibly articulate writing. Febos mines the depths of despair for rich insights into femininity and life as a whole. If you’re brave enough to stick through the darkness, it’s well worth it. Her essays detail everything from her relationship to her mother to her childhood, to the development of her writing career and an exploration of her relationship to her self worth. Febos redefines not only what it means to be “slut,” but what it means to be a woman, and a free one at that 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Stalking

Moderate: Drug use, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Adult/minor relationship, and Body shaming

joensign's review

challenging emotional informative slow-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Stalking, Sexual assault, Rape, Sexism, Misogyny, Drug abuse, Body shaming, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Eating disorder, Domestic abuse, Addiction, and Pedophilia

Minor: Colonisation, Racism, and Transphobia

madelinedalton's review

challenging reflective medium-paced

4.0

Like most essay collections, some essays were phenomenal and some were just okay. Unfortunately, I found the first and last essays to be underwhelming, which is a bit of a bummer. That said, “Thank You for Taking Care of Yourself” was SO profound that I have to give this 4 stars. 

I went into this book expecting a lot of essays that are broadly relatable to women. Instead, I got essays that were about one woman’s very interesting life that were sometimes applicable to the things we all go through. This is not at all a bad thing! I think I just felt a bit let down by the book because it wasn’t what I was hoping to read, but that doesn’t mean it’s a bad writing choice at all. Melissa Febos has really interesting and powerful stories to share. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Misogyny, Sexual violence, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Drug abuse

Minor: Suicidal thoughts

carriepond's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

Girlhood by Melissa Febos is an essay collection about growing up in a female body that I picked up after reading two essay collections where Febos's essays were among my favorites. I am so glad I did because I consider this essay collection a must-read. 

Reading these essays was cathartic and made me feel seen deeply-- there were so many times that Febos articulated an experience or feeling that I had so perfectly that it was as if she had pulled it from deep within me and then voiced it better than I ever could. The pages of my copy are full of underlining, of sentiments that resonated, or were beautifully put, or that I wanted to return to again. I will be thinking about my favorite essays, "The Mirror Test," "Thesmorphia," and "Thank You for Taking Care of Yourself," for a long time, but the entire collection is truly wonderful.

I highly recommend this book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Misogyny

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts

snowiceblackfruit77's review

challenging emotional informative reflective tense medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Violence, Sexual violence, Stalking, Drug use, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Misogyny, Drug abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Addiction, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Eating disorder, and Self harm

bashsbooks's review

challenging emotional informative slow-paced

4.5

A great collection of essays on Being (Perceived As) A Woman Under Patriarchy and all the fucky wucky stuff that comes along with that. A little more binary than what I usually prefer, but Febos' level of nuance makes up for the generalizations. The tagline on my copy of the book suggests that it's a good read for women of all kinds - mothers, daughters, sisters - but I think men would benefit a lot by reading it as well.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Bullying, Sexual assault, Drug abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual violence, Sexism, Cursing, Misogyny, Stalking, Sexual harassment, Gaslighting, Drug use, and Body shaming

Moderate: Rape, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, and Violence

Minor: Racism, Racial slurs, and Death of parent

mielenmaisemia's review

emotional informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Sexual assault

cheezh8er's review

challenging reflective medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Body shaming, Racism, Drug use, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Bullying, Addiction, and Sexual violence

bells_shelves's review

dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

4.5

This was an incredibly power reflection on girlhood, femininity, patriarchal power, consent culture, and so much more. It provides an amazing perspective. I’ll probably read it again. Love love love. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual harassment, and Stalking

savvylit's review

emotional informative reflective sad slow-paced

5.0

"These, once again, were events - not assaults, not victimizations, but not what I would call healthy sexual experimentation. That is, experiences that separated rather than integrated. I want to say that they were not 'normal' experiences, but, unfortunately, I think that one of the reasons we have no language to distinguish them is that such experiences are quite normal."

In Girlhood, Febos articulates the physical and emotional tolls of developing womanhood. The discomfort of getting used to the male gaze, the double standards of heterosexuality, the pressure to be polite and accommodating, the inherent fear of male violence, the purity myth, unenthusiastic consent, and so much more.

While many of the subjects discussed in Girlhood aren't necessarily groundbreaking by themselves, it's the way that Febos approaches them that is so unique and insightful. Febos blends personal anecdotes with experiences from other women and with analyses of cultural touchstones. For instance, in her essay about what it means to be defined as a 'slut', Febos analyzes the implications of the film Easy A.

Febos gives an eloquent voice to the hurt caused by pervasive & nebulous forms of sexual harassment, manipulation, and empty consent. Reading these essays felt like discovering a gift that I have always wanted - always needed - to read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Sexism, Bullying, Body shaming, Addiction, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Drug abuse, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, and Adult/minor relationship

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts