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Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'
Weightless: Making Space for My Resilient Body and Soul by Evette Dionne
4 reviews
emily_journals's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
I don't give star ratings to memoirs, I don't feel that I have the right to quantify the quality of someone's life experiences.
The essays in this book are very informative and I think encapsulate the feelings that commonly relate to existing in our society as a fat person. I also really admire the author for writing about her own internalized fat phobia as a fat person and how much of a struggle it can be to try to overcome that. The essays in this book outline the difficulties of existing as a fat, Black woman ranging in settings and issues, covering growing up in school, dealing with medical professionals, portrayal in pop culture, and more.
The essays in this book are very informative and I think encapsulate the feelings that commonly relate to existing in our society as a fat person. I also really admire the author for writing about her own internalized fat phobia as a fat person and how much of a struggle it can be to try to overcome that. The essays in this book outline the difficulties of existing as a fat, Black woman ranging in settings and issues, covering growing up in school, dealing with medical professionals, portrayal in pop culture, and more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Ableism, Fatphobia, Racism, Sexism, and Bullying
Moderate: Medical trauma, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Police brutality, Sexual harassment, and Medical content
kaitrates's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
3.0
I'm glad this book exists and that I read it. It ties together many disparate threads in a way that feels cohesive. It looks at the issues it tackles (namely: fatphobia, racism, and ableism and their intersection) on multiple levels and with plenty of personal and societal examples (both research and media).
And also...
I found myself increasingly frustrated by it, wanting more depth from many chapters (especially the one on COVID), and wishing that its discussion of chronic illness was positioned alongside fatness and Blackness in the marketing and discussions of the book.
One thing that I appreciated AND was very hard to read was when Dionne shone a light on where her internalised fatphobia shows/showed up. This is SO very real and I feel like you don't often see this written about when its the reality for many of us. Sharing this part of her story plainly was very powerful and very hard.
I've noticed for myself and other reviews that part of me wanted more of a self-help book....more lessons to take away. And while there were some, no step by step process was outlined. I'm investigating this desire within myself and tracing its roots
Overall, I'm grateful to feel less alone and to have synthesised many different bits of information and experience I have—even as it made for challenging and very triggering reading, at times.
And also...
I found myself increasingly frustrated by it, wanting more depth from many chapters (especially the one on COVID), and wishing that its discussion of chronic illness was positioned alongside fatness and Blackness in the marketing and discussions of the book.
One thing that I appreciated AND was very hard to read was when Dionne shone a light on where her internalised fatphobia shows/showed up. This is SO very real and I feel like you don't often see this written about when its the reality for many of us. Sharing this part of her story plainly was very powerful and very hard.
I've noticed for myself and other reviews that part of me wanted more of a self-help book....more lessons to take away. And while there were some, no step by step process was outlined. I'm investigating this desire within myself and tracing its roots
Overall, I'm grateful to feel less alone and to have synthesised many different bits of information and experience I have—even as it made for challenging and very triggering reading, at times.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Racism, Sexual harassment, Fatphobia, and Mental illness
nanimao's review against another edition
informative
reflective
medium-paced
3.0
Contains really explicit sexual content, fertility struggles, mental health struggles and chronic illness.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Mental illness
emmas_bookshelf's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
5.0
Withholding my review until Harper Collins negotiates with the union
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Sexual harassment, Terminal illness, Sexual content, Panic attacks/disorders, Ableism, Mental illness, Fatphobia, and Eating disorder
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