Reviews

Is Rape a Crime?: A Memoir, an Investigation, and a Manifesto by Michelle Bowdler

alexisvana's review against another edition

5.0

This and [b:Not That Bad: Dispatches from Rape Culture|35068524|Not That Bad Dispatches from Rape Culture|Roxane Gay|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1509771460l/35068524._SY75_.jpg|56363981] are the only two books I remember making me burst into tears multiple times while reading. Obviously the whole book is one massive trigger warning, but if you can get through it, it's a powerful and damning indictment of how entrenched rape culture is in American culture and law enforcement. If you finish this book and still think we don't have a problem with how we treat rape victims and their cases, delete my number.

kimuchi's review against another edition

5.0

Read it. Read it. Read it!

njona's review against another edition

4.0

This was a really great book. I liked the examination of the progression (or lack of) of how rape is handled by the legal system over Michelle's lifespan

benrogerswpg's review against another edition

3.0

Tough subject, but good book.

3.0/5

navyachintaman's review against another edition

5.0

I really loved this book. It changed the way I view acts of sexual violence, the aftermath of impact on victims, and the way sexual violence is treated by society. This book serves as a pretty introductory measure in terms of educating on sexual violence, because it’s mostly a personal story, but I can’t get myself to give it 4 stars. It is a really interesting, informative, and frankly, heart-breaking start to learning about society’s reduction of sexual violence and its victims. I’ll definitely be studying this issue further.

alibi313's review against another edition

3.0

An important topic, but I think the initial newspaper story that this book seemed to have stemmed from probably told it more effectively. The author’s approach feels scattershot and unfocused, blending personal perspective with political anecdotes and drifting back and forth in time, which just didn’t lead to a compelling narrative.

alexisnasya's review against another edition

challenging informative reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

jtllnt's review against another edition

challenging sad

4.0

deeply moving and thoughtful critique of the way sexual violence is handled that takes both a personal and public health perspective. the author sheds light on how the way the justice system and culture at large approach sexual violence - i.e., refusing to acknowledge the gravity of the crime, seeing it as accident or misunderstanding - contribute to its perpetuation and impunity for perpetrators. i appreciated how she didn't shy away from talking about how big it is - too often the impact sexual violence is minimized, perhaps because if we truly reckoned with its massive impact combined with its prevalence, the failure of culture, justice systems, and government to act would be too damning. her question about what the point of personal justice is if there is no systemic change was poignant - the only thing i think would have added to the book is a discussion of restorative justice. there's a lot of interesting work being done around restorative justice and sexual violence and i would have been interested to hear her thoughts.

jennseeg's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective relaxing medium-paced

5.0

mackj14's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring sad medium-paced

5.0