Reviews tagging 'Drug use'

How Far the Light Reaches: A Life in Ten Sea Creatures by Sabrina Imbler

11 reviews

megnut's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative reflective fast-paced

5.0

These essays weave together aspects of identity with specia  characteristics of sea creatures. 
I really enjoyed these metaphorical journeys... and will definitely listen again. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape and Sexual assault

Moderate: Dysphoria, Alcohol, Homophobia, Racism, and Eating disorder

Minor: Drug use

abbeyreads13's review against another edition

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

5.0

I adored this book, picked up after a user I follow recommended it on Booktok. In eleven stories, Sabrina Imbler draws beautiful connections between their life and those tragedies — and wonders — of the ocean and its sea creatures. I felt deeply moved by the queer experiences described in this book, heartbroken by the history illuminated of human’s overconsumption leading to the extinction and struggles of sea dwellers, and inspired to learn, read and do more in cultivating my own immersed connection with the ocean. Really loved this book. Do check content warnings though.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Body shaming, and Eating disorder

dreareads_'s review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

4.5

There is so much about this book to love. I love the way Sabrina is so open and honest about their life, identity, and existence. Each essay provides us with a glimpse to their story, a story that is intertwined with a love for sea creatures and science that only Sabrina can blend together. By portraying their life through sea creatures, Sabrina opened the door for strangers to walk in and see a world that is both familiar and strange. Of all the essays I must say that my favorites were definitely "If You Flush A Goldfish" and "We Swarm". Two essays that felt both deeply personal and universal at the same time.

The only reason I do not give this book 5 stars is because there were a couple of essays where the chosen sea creatures and scientific discussions did not easily blend with the story that Sabrina was presenting at the time. 

Regardless, I cannot help but love a book where I learn a lot and feel even more. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Eating disorder, Racial slurs, Bullying, Cultural appropriation, Drug use, Sexual content, Blood, Dysphoria, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Grief, Racism, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Emotional abuse, Rape, and Sexual assault

ambert's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

4.5

 I'll be honest, when I first saw this book as one of the nominees for Goodread's book of the year I thought that it was a book that would follow sea creatures as they interact in the ocean. Almost like a food chain, going deeper into the sea as time goes on.
I have never been happier to be wrong about a book's topic.
This is an incredibly poignant memoir for those who don't quite know who they are, but know they are getting there. Each essay is an examination of an amazing sea creature and their unique social or morphological attributes, intertwined with experiences from the author's life. 
My favorite of the essays has to be 'My Mother and the Starving Octopus', where Imbler connects an extraordinary Mother Octopus who stands vigil over her eggs for an astonishing 53 months, and how her mother's body image affects how Imbler sees herself. VERY relatable. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fatphobia, Eating disorder, Dysphoria, Body shaming, and Sexual content

Moderate: Sexual assault, War, Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, Alcoholism, and Animal death

Minor: Bullying, Alcohol, and Drug use

One of the chapters (octopus) deals with body image, both theirs and their mother's. It also covers eating disorders, wanting an eating disorder to become skinny, fatshaming themselves, etc. Another chapter (sandstriker) deals with sexual assault, alcoholism, and has the most sexual content out of any other chapter. Many chapters talk about the unfortunate fact of marine biology research being: The best way to learn about an animal is to take a carcass of one for a specimen. This results in many researchers having to kill the animal they are studying so that they can dissect it or preserve it for later studying. Another chapter (sturgeon) details the jopurney her grandmother took to escape japanese-controlled China in the 1940s, and the realities of war. Later chapters deal with their transition and how they still struggle with body dysmorphia, and many chapters speak about the racism they face today.

eicart_reads's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective

4.25

Engrossing, thoughtful essays that combine fascinating stories about sea creatures with reflections on the author's life as a queer, biracial person. The parallels that they draw are creative and compelling. I inhaled this on audio, read by the author.


CW:
I did not realize that this would contain so much material about the author, so I would not have considered content warnings. But there are some major ones: dieting, body shaming (by self and others), drug use, alcohol use, blacking out from alcohol use, non-consensual sex (inability to recall consent in some cases -- because blacking out from alcohol use), underage non-consensual sex.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Dysphoria, Body shaming, and Drug use

Moderate: Sexual assault, Xenophobia, Racial slurs, and Animal death

includes talk about blacking out with alcohol use and sex with dubious/can't remember consent while blacked out

displacedcactus's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

I've read over 100 books so far this year and this stands out as one of the very best. It was beautiful, powerful, honest, and informative. I love learning about animals, and the way the author wove all these fascinating facts about sea creatures into their own experiences with race, gender, sexuality, body image, and relationships (romantic and family) was just so creative and thought-provoking.

This book had me near tears several times with the tenderness the author uses when speaking of the LGBTQIA+ community and their own self, and at a few of the sadder animal stories as well. It's emotional without feeling manipulative.

I enjoyed the audio version because it felt really impactful to hear the author's experience in their own voice, and also, there's a sort of wry humor in their voice in certain parts. They're a great narrator as well as a great writer! It sounds like the physical and ebook versions might have illustrations, though, so if you're one of those people who can read and listen at the same time, do that! Otherwise, it seems like all options are good options.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Alcohol, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Eating disorder, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Drug use, Homophobia, Racism, and War

Minor: Racial slurs

chefboyavi's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

4.75

Sabrina Imbler is uniquely qualified for this particular craft: to view their life through a kaleidoscope of sea creatures. It’s informative, heartbreaking, and resonant and it will make you want to dive into the ocean (or visit your local aquarium). 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder

Moderate: Sexual assault and Racism

Minor: Drug use and Alcohol

hannahpings's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.5

an absolute stunner. perspective and experience are critical and beautiful, and i feel so lucky––though "lucky" doesn't feel nearly like strong enough a word––to have been able to bear witness to imbler's.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Genocide, Xenophobia, Sexual content, Rape, Sexual assault, War, Animal death, and Eating disorder

Moderate: Drug use, Racism, Violence, and Transphobia

Minor: Medical content, Body horror, Stalking, and Pandemic/Epidemic

lowbrowhighart's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Dysphoria, Eating disorder, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Grief, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Rape, Sexism, Racism, Misogyny, Adult/minor relationship, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Transphobia

Minor: Alcohol, Body horror, Drug use, and Child abuse

30something_reads's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective slow-paced

5.0

* I updated this to 5 stars because I cannot stop thinking about it* 

This was such a great mix of science and memoir. I loved the scientific tidbits on the various species discussed and thoroughly enjoyed reading through these essays and the connections that the author makes to their life. 

Some of the essays resonated more that others. I am still tickled by the authors Petco anecdote and observations of the feral goldfish. The stories of the starving octopus and sturgeon were really thoughtful pieces regarding the authors relationships with their mother and grandmother. I had to set the book down for a few days after the Sand Striker essay. (Not because it was bad... it was, in fact, <i>too good</i> and very haunting.) And the essay "We Swarm" discussing Salps and finding joy in queer community made my heart swell.

Would absolutely recommend. I will definitely be looking into Imbler's other works. 

TWs: rape, sexual assault, eating disorders, body dysmorphia, coming out, transphobia, racism, gender dysphoria, substance abuse,

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Dysphoria, and Eating disorder

Moderate: Outing, Transphobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Fatphobia, and Rape

Minor: Drug use, Sexism, and Toxic relationship