Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

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

9 reviews

kaydee_reads's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective relaxing slow-paced

5.0

This book is strange and lovely and best served slowly, reading a couple essays a day and then putting it back down to let them sink in. I loved the mix of science and memoir. Some essays are stronger than others - the cuttlefish one and the one about the sturgeon stood out as particular favourites in terms of matching the animals to the topic - but all make you think and feel and I loved the writing. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder

Moderate: Sexual assault, Homophobia, Fatphobia, War, Lesbophobia, and Toxic relationship

phathaway's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

4.5

Man, this book. It's a series of essays on the author's life, correlated with a different sea creature. Author is NB, but socially raised as a woman who definitely experienced comphet and I understand so much of their story as a late-in-life lesbian. Just such a beautiful read and I would definitely recommend it to any late-in-life or questioning queer. 

I also love how she really put her struggles about her body out there.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racial slurs, Eating disorder, Alcoholism, Hate crime, Misogyny, Gun violence, Mass/school shootings, Alcohol, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Grief, Dysphoria, Body shaming, Rape, Racism, Xenophobia, and Fatphobia

maddiearthur's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative inspiring medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, and Sexual content

fernreads42's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Xenophobia, Homophobia, Sexual assault, and Toxic relationship

cloverdaydreams's review against another edition

emotional funny informative inspiring medium-paced

5.0

A beautiful collection of essays that oscillates between stories of wonderful sea creatures and the authors queer half-Asian experiences. So much to relate.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Toxic relationship and Sexual assault

Beautiful personal tellings of experiences that have some mentions of trauma.

yuyuv's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective medium-paced

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Sexual content, Animal death, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexism, Dysphoria, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Toxic friendship, Violence, Body shaming, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Racism, Toxic relationship, and War

jayisreading's review

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.5

This was such an interesting hybrid of a memoir and essays collection mixed with some very approachable science-y elements. I learned a surprising amount about sea creatures throughout this book, but the impressive aspect of this book was the way Imbler connected the dots between these facts and their life so poignantly and with tenderness.

This book was as much about Imbler’s exploration of their queerness over the years as much as it was about them grappling with their biracial identity, often showing the intersection of race and queerness and the impact this has had on their life. The experiences they shared covered an array of emotions. Some were heartbreaking, yes, but I was pleasantly surprised by how hopeful the tone was, overall.

I will say that I felt that some essays were not as successful in seamlessly weaving together the academic elements with Imbler’s lived experiences, but, all-in-all, this was a lovely book to read.

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Racism, Body shaming, Transphobia, and Fatphobia

Minor: Toxic relationship

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